Still a Woman on the Ticket!

Weeeee. This woman has been governor of Alaska (state budget - about $75) for almost 2 years and before that mayor of Wasilla, AL?!?! (pop. 5,711) Whoa, she is ready to run the largest economy in the world.

RESPONSE: Gov. Palin's time as Governor, Mayor and Commr. of the Alaska Gas Board gives her over six yers of executive and aministrative experience vs. Obama and Biden's - None. (Next time, just LINK to the Wikipedia post - it'll save you typing!)

4 years as Mayor of a town with less than 6,000 people counts as "Executive" experience?? I'll give you the two years as Governor of one of the least populous and most backward states in the Union, but come on now - Mayor of a town 1/10th the size of Arlington Mass does not count as "Executive" experience.

Holy cow.

As a democrat, I think we need to be really careful about not looking down our noses at this woman. It will play right into the hands of John McCain. This is his Hail Mary pass and quite a brilliant one at that. I work in a conservative industry and there will be a lot of people who say that she looks like she is competent and just like them. I think McCain is playing right into our media which, ex Fox, has been outrageously supportive of the very talented Obama. If I were Biden, I would be careful since although he is from my home town of Scranton, he can come off as a stereotypical senator. He better take off those Armani suits pronto!

Finally a good looking woman in politics. Someone who I can enjoy looking at. McCain wins my vote.

McCain's pick really isn't that surprising, he's going after the bitter Hillary holdout supporters, some of whom are so intent on seeing a woman in the oval office it doesn't matter what she stands for, just that she doesn't have a Y chromosome.

The sad thing is, some of them will fall for it. She's pro-big business, anti-abortion, anti-gay rights (not just marriage, any rights), creationism (it's NOT science!) and anti-labor. That's not 'reform', that's a step backward in liberty, human decency and common sense.

Well...the "experience" issue now runs both ways. In a way I think it's more of a problem for the McCain camp now. Obama's people haven't been using the experience issue anyway, so they aren't going to start now. On the other hand, McCain's campaign now loses this issue. If they continue going after Obama on "experience", they can now retaliate pretty effectively by pointing out that the person who would be the proverbial "heartbeat away" from the presidency on McCain's ticket has even less experience than Obama. And Palin's Evangelical conservative credentials will likely negate any impact her gender might have had on the remaining irked "Hillary-ites". I can't see them voting for this ticket now, even if the VP candidate does have their preferred choice of reproductive plumbing.

So is it that she is a woman? Or a mother of five - one being handicapped? Or that she does have more executive leadership experience than the 160 odd days NoBama has been employed as Senator from Illinois - most of which he has been campaigning. Seems to be JUST as qualified as the annointed one if not more.
This 'woman' indeed. Do a better job of hiding the chauvinistic colors next time.

Well...the "experience" issue now runs both ways. In a way I think it's more of a problem for the McCain camp now. Obama's people haven't been using the experience issue anyway, so they aren't going to start now. On the other hand, McCain's campaign now loses this issue. If they continue going after Obama on "experience", they can now retaliate pretty effectively by pointing out that the person who would be the proverbial "heartbeat away" from the presidency on McCain's ticket has even less experience than Obama. And Palin's Evangelical conservative credentials will likely negate any impact her gender might have had on the remaining irked "Hillary-ites". I can't see them voting for this ticket now, even if the VP candidate does have their preferred choice of reproductive plumbing.

It is hard for me to see if this is a genuine choice or not - I really hope so
Because of Senator McCain's on record on issues related to women lives I wonder if this is a desperate move by senator McCain first to steal the spot light of the democrats and very good speech by the democratic candidate that may resonate with voters and second becasue he is after and seems sometimes obsessed with Hillary's supporters - I hope not - for the sake of women in this country, I hope he did it because he believes in it? his record makes me doubt that!

Hahaha. What are there 500,000 people in Alaska compared with 2 million in Chicago. Isn't she under investigation on corruption charges. Didn't she resign from the Alaska Gas Board becuase of corruption. And I believe it's the republicans who won't be able to bring up inexperience anymore without calling attention to Sarah. The republicans better start following McCain around with heart paddles and a pair of EMT's.

Comparing experience....Obama served in the Illinois State Senate before becoming a Senator. Palin was a city council woman before being elected Govenor....city council v. State Senate.

Also...Obama went to Harvard, studied law and was the editor of the law review. Palin has a BA in journalism....

There is no comparison when discussing Obama and Palin....Obama has much more pertenant experience. Think about it...she is a heart beat away from being president...A CITY COUNCIL WOMAN!

LOL Comment #1 (Mark)-- apparently you failed the state abbreviation test in 5th grade. AL is the state abbreviation for Alabama knucklehead. Try AK. And we wonder why the liberals can't seem to win the Presidency...

LOL Comment #1 (Mark)-- apparently you failed the state abbreviation test in 5th grade. AL is the state abbreviation for Alabama genius. Try AK. And we wonder why the liberals can't seem to win the Presidency...

Yeah!!!!

A balanced ticket. I can just see the debate with Joey B.

JB You have no experience. You are not ready to be president.

SP If this is true, what does that say about your man? Good thing I am running for VP. At least my on the job training won't put the country in jeopardy.

JB I am the son of a working class man. My son is off to war.

SP I am the daughter of a teacher. I am the wife of an oil rigger. My son is off to war. I am the mother of five. I made the choice to keep my child in the face of special needs...

You go girl!

I did know her before and admire her very much. Kudos to McCain for picking such a brilliant running mate.
Love her views. Love her family. Love that she wants us to get drillin' in her state.
Love the fact that she tells us factual evidence that there are not polar bears or any species in danger from this!

And I love her hair too!

"Finally a good looking woman in politics. Someone who I can enjoy looking at. McCain wins my vote."

Good basis upon which to judge a presidential ticket there, John. I think there's a puddle in my back yard that's a bit deeper than you. Too bad Obama didn't throw Kate Moss on his ticket to try to win you back.

Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton and to even try to compare them is ludicrous. Women are not going to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket simply because a woman is on the ballot, especially when the ticket does not support the goals, aspirations and needs of women, mothers and children. If McCain thinks he can court more liberal women because he put a female on the ticket while at the same courting conservatives because she is pro-life, then he is off the mark. People may not say this publicly, but in the voting booth they will wonder what a mother of an infant with Down's Syndrome is doing running for vice president? That is not being pro-family from my perspective and most women, liberal or conservative, will not relate to that because we put our young children first before career.

This is very risky for McCain and his campaign. At 72, he's among the oldest candidates to run for president. If he were to win, and not survive his term, the country would be in the hands of one of the most inexperienced politicians ever to hold the office. This is just plain desperation.

Just do a little research before slamming the pick. She raised taxes on windfall profits on oil companies in Alaska. She's taken on corruption from both parties in her home state. She sent back the pork spending on the bridge to nowhere that Congress approved. She used to be a union member and her husband currently is. Neither she nor her husband can be seen as "elitists" by any stretch of the imagination (unlike Barry and Michelle). She's the only member of either ticket who has run anything larger than a lemonade stand. High risk? Sure...but still a great pick. Posters like Brendan would slam whoever McCain picked anyway.

Yaaaay! Vote for the v agina! Good grief - is that the qualifications needed for President of the USA?

The Geraldine Ferraro comparison is apt. This one won't be VP either.

I think it was an excellent choice by the McCain Campaign. She's articulate, good looking, & apparently not part of the "Old Boy Network". It was a surprise to me that he did not pick Romney. I only hope that Obama & Biden do not let this one slip away as happened the last time when Kerry was "Swift Boated" by Rove, T. Bones Pickens, & the other thugs from the Bush campaign. According to the polls,
Obama holds only a slim lead over McCain. However, given the state of the economy, Iraq,& the corruption in the Republican party, he should have a larger lead. We shall see. But as my father use to say, it doesn't matter who is elected, he still had to go to work every day.

I'm so ashamed of my party and its mouthpieces these days, it's killing me. I am a fiscal conservative and small business owner who voted for Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr., but in the past eight years we've seen decisions such as the one John McCain just made time and time again. It's pathetic. This isn't conservatism. The Republican Party -- the party I loved and cherished for more than three decades -- is, for all intents and purposes, dead. Sarah Pallin doesn't believe in government for the people, she believes in breaks for the rich, just like Bush and McCain. I challenge REAL conservatives -- fiscal conservatives -- to break away from that sinking ship and join me in voting for two real solid leaders who look to the future, not the past: Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Ever since Bill Clinton helped recover this nation from its economic slump, the real conservatives are also the real conservationalists. I haven't switched parties yet because I always have hope for my beloved old GOP. But my hope is waning and I'm loving the Democratic Party more and more these days. I'm certainly voting for Obama-Biden. Then we'll see if the Republicans can kick these spoiled, economically irresponsible neocons out of the party once and for all. God bless America -- and God save her.

This choice is the most cynical and desperate selection I have ever seen. Oh yes, this is the person I'd want a heartbeat away from the presidency!

She'll clean up Washington, how...by throwing out all the Bush Republican hacks??? Hoowee, now THERE's change for you!!!

I think John McCain has played America for a fool, and women for dunces. Some Americans care more about what's in a person's head than what door of a restroom they choose.

I'm so ashamed of my party and its mouthpieces these days, it's killing me. I am a fiscal conservative and small business owner who voted for Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr., but in the past eight years we've seen decisions such as the one John McCain just made time and time again. It's pathetic. This isn't conservatism. The Republican Party -- the party I loved and cherished for more than three decades -- is, for all intents and purposes, dead. Sarah Pallin doesn't believe in government for the people, she believes in breaks for the rich, just like Bush and McCain. I challenge REAL conservatives -- fiscal conservatives -- to break away from that sinking ship and join me in voting for two real solid leaders who look to the future, not the past: Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Ever since Bill Clinton helped recover this nation from its economic slump, the real conservatives are also the real conservationalists. I haven't switched parties yet because I always have hope for my beloved old GOP. But my hope is waning and I'm loving the Democratic Party more and more these days. I'm certainly voting for Obama-Biden. Then we'll see if the Republicans can kick these spoiled, economically irresponsible neocons out of the party once and for all. God bless America -- and God save her.

Inexperience wasn't Obama's argument against McCain, it was McCain's against Obama, one he had been resorting to quite a bit - & picking Palin removes that particular weapon from McCain's sparse arsenal.

And should the Democrats use the 'Alaska is full of corrupt politicians' argument, it will be to draw attention to Palin's own Troopergate - don't know that her argument that she backed a good guy for Congress will do much to remove the mud from her own shoes on that one.

If you're disputing the ground-breaking role Hillary had as being the first female frontrunner in a presidential campaign because you think it disrespects Dole's run, then I say stop disrespecting Shirley Chisholm.

I'm not terribly delighted by the pick of a woman as VP when the woman is so woefully green (last month she interviewed that she didn't even know what a VP did) - when there were half a dozen other Republican women, including Dole, far more qualified. Christie Todd Whitman? Carly Fiorina? Condi Rice? this just off the top of my unregistered head, imagine how many other better nominees lifelong Repubs could name...

I think Obama's 12 combined years in the Illinois and U.S. senates more than trumps Palin's "administrative and executive" experience - McCain he picked her as a gimmick - plain and simple

I am a big Hillary fan not because of the gender but her qulifications. We are choosing a country leader, not a role model of a mother.

A vote for Obama is a vote against the American-way. He is clearly socialist in his thinking and the Democrat Party is going down the same strange path.

McCain-Palin is a great ticket and one that represents strong American values.

Look at what an All-Democrat controlled state Massachusetts has become. Diversity is important and why McCain needs to be elected.

An appalling choice. I cannot imagine this person as President of the U.S., facing down Putin, just to take one example.

Let' s look at background and credentials for a second: Idaho native; basketball team and journalism major at Univ of Idaho; beauty contest also ran; sports reporter; small town mayor; and now short-term governor after a major corruption scandal took down every other viable politician in a small state.

Looks to me like McBush is living in his own private Idaho.

Simply appalling.

An appalling choice. I cannot imagine this person as President of the U.S., facing down Putin, just to take one example.

Let' s look at background and credentials for a second: Idaho native; basketball team and journalism major at Univ of Idaho; beauty contest also ran; sports reporter; small town mayor; and now short-term governor after a major corruption scandal took down every other viable politician in a small state.

Looks to me like McBush is living in his own private Idaho. Makes a laughing stock of Romney too. He must be burning over this.

Simply appalling.

So, McCain puts woman with little experience on the ticket to go after the Hillary Clinton vote and McCain supporters start saying things like " Finally a good looking woman in politics" And how about Rush Limbaugh's "Finally babe on the ticket" ? With supporters like that Mc Cain doesn't need detractor's. And you thought Obama offended women....

McCain again has the guts to pick an outsider and a person of charactre. Hail mary indeed not, this was simply a touchdown pass from Brady to Moss that always looks so easy and always counts as 6 points.

The democratic pundits whoa re already branding her w/ numerous monikers are the ones's looking both silly, subjective and chauvinistic. The odd play is how they continue to call out her shortcomings that play directly into the McCain decision on why he selected her... she's a young woman with a vsision and the American credentials we need to lead this country.

My god... look at to what lengths people have gone to discuss how Obama is NOT inexperienced, you then argue the point againsta woman w/ similar credentials !!!!

A a mlae , Democratic the only way I would nor vote for Obama is to clear out the undercurrent of Democratic crazies, get Hilary to quit second guesssing him and truly give him an endorsement and get out of his way... the man is good.. let him LEAD.

nice cones

Nice move McCain... what do you think.. we are all that gullable? Come on.. Sarah who? and I thought only the Dems were the ones throwing away yet another slam dunk!

Soo. . . #1, Howard Dean was seen as a capable potential president in 2004 for being a Governor of a tiny 9,000 suare mile state of 630,000 residents, but Sarah Palin isn't because she is the Governor of a huge state of 570,000 square miles and 670,000 residents. Granted Dean was a governor for a decade, but Alaska is actually a state that needs a government, given its huge size.

Alaska has challenges that Palin has thus far met as chief executive. And, next time you dump on local government, just attend a town meeting in Massachusetts or go to a city council meeting in your city. Municipal government is where the rubber hits the road and you see lives affected directly with every decision you make.

Maybe we need a bit more real world in Washington and less "Inside the Beltway" mentality. Washington has lost touch - decades ago.

Give Palin a listen -- and then judge.

She still have more executive experience running as a VP than Obama bin Biden has put together. Great pick!

I can't believe anyone can seriously make the case that someone who was mayor of a small town, and governor for 22 months of a state with 700,000 is ready to be president. C'mon, can we have a little honesty here? This is crazy! And what's worse, the people defending her are the same people that less than 24 hours ago were all about how inexperienced Obama is. The hypocrisy in this debate is depressing. I should note that I was not an Obama supporter. I didn't vote for him in the primaries. But there is no way I'm voting for a ticket that thinks that this person is qualified to run the country. And this is from someone who held their nose and voted for Bush-Quayle. But at least Bush wasn't 72, with 4 heart attacks under his belt. That is a monumental error in judgement.

What I find so ironic is that very essence of Obama's speech last night was that when it comes to the lives of ordinary people....McCain "doesn't get it". Yet, the official response from the Obama camp was to belittle the value of SP's executive experience as a Mayor (also slighting her by omitting her standing as a Governor). If Obama believes that "small town America" is irrelevant then he only proves that he is the one who "doesn't get it".

Go Sarah!

This is in response to the first post by mark. McCain claimed he had experience and Obama didn't so FYI McCain and the GOP's argument against Obama was that he lacked foreign policy experience NOT executive experience. Bandying Palin's alleged executive experience is nothing more than trying to shift the goal post. Also even with his alleged lack of experience, in the biggest foreign policy decisions this country faced in decades Obama showed better judgment than McCain himself with all his experience. So unlike Palin he at least has experience of good judgment on foreign policy. McCain has nothing but questionable judgment and his bad temperament and cowboy politics. Obama has shown himself to be more methodical and restrained in his decision making process which if anything the last 8 years should tell you is what you need in a president. I dunno about you but I'd sooner have a president with sound judgment that thinks before he acts rather than one who has 2 years of executive experience in a state with less than the population of Chicago (ironically a city from the state Obama represents as senator).

By the way Obama managed the Harvard Law review in a school with a student body size larger than the population in the city of Wasilla or the state of Alaska. It's about time you lot faced up and just admit you either just don't want a black man or you just don't want a democrat to win cos there is no other rational reason why this race is so close at all.

It's truly a shame that some women think having Palin on the ticket is finally doing justice to women, breaking the glass ceiling. It's unfortunate also that she herself doesn't see she is being USED only to further the current administrations agenda.

If any women candidate deserves to be in the White House it is Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately she lost to her competitor.

The ability of the religious right to compartmentalize in order to rationalize their hypocracy is astounding......Ahh, women finally get what they deserve, power in politics. What they also get with Palin is a step back in time 40 years pre RvsW. Heck why not just step back about 80 or 90 years and take away the right for women to vote, Oh and Black people while she's at it. I mean if a gay person doesn't deserve rights, as she clearly asserts than she should be equal in her descrimination.

It's a sad day when a women will vote for another women only because she is a women, regardless of whether they agree with any of what said women stands for, or believes in, let alone her complete and utter lack of experience at the level that will be required of her should McCain die, which isn't going too far out on a limb.

I'm a physician with a few years a training in Internal Medicine. Should I be appointed endowed Chairmen of Surgery because I did 3-4 months of surgical rotations in medical school. I should hope not......let the cards fll where they may.....and if they fall in McCain's camp, you may very well see a revolution of sorts rise up......At the very least, a mass exadous from the USA will occur and applications for Visas in other countries will be at an all time high......

REPLY - Doctor, I'm STILL waiting for Alec Baldwin to leave....

And while I happen to be pro-choice myself, I cannot understand why people think that ALL WOMEN are zombie fans of RvW and not pro-life. MILLIONS of women agree with Gov. Palin on that issue. Perhaps if media treated women as individuals instead of a monolithinc voting block, they'd stop being surprised when actual votes don't back up speculation.

I'm a native of massachusetts (34 years) but recently moved to NC for job.

It's truly a shame that some women think having Palin on the ticket is finally doing justice to women, breaking the glass ceiling. It's unfortunate also that she herself doesn't see she is being USED only to further the current administrations agenda.

If any women candidate deserves to be in the White House it is Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately she lost to her competitor.

The ability of the religious right to compartmentalize in order to rationalize their hypocracy is astounding......Ahh, women finally get what they deserve, power in politics. What they also get with Palin is a step back in time 40 years pre RvsW. Heck why not just step back about 80 or 90 years and take away the right for women to vote, Oh and Black people while she's at it. I mean if a gay person doesn't deserve rights, as she clearly asserts than she should be equal in her descrimination.

It's a sad day when a women will vote for another women only because she is a women, regardless of whether they agree with any of what said women stands for, or believes in, let alone her complete and utter lack of experience at the level that will be required of her should McCain die, which isn't going too far out on a limb.