On eve of speech, Republicans defend Palin

Fact: Sarah Palin brings more executive level decision making to the table than Obama's far less than 200 working days in the senate where he voted "present" on a number of bills time after time. I am anxious to hear Palin's speach tonight. Obama's talk of change is empty rhetoric without experience to back it up. Let's be objective, listen to her speach (not focusing on the extreme left wing bloggers) and then make our decision.

So if being a senator from a populous state is of so little value in Rudy's mind,
why did he run for senator of New York in 2004? I really wish someone would ask him.

Although I could never vote for Sarah Palin (to me she's the anti-Hillary), I agree with Guiliani about Palin.

In the convention speeches last night, Fred Thompson called Obama the “most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president” and Joe Lieberman said that Obama's "eloquence is no substitute for a record.”

Sarah Palin definitely has more executive experience than Obama.

In addition to her well-known (and often downplayed) 8 years as a small town mayor (which actually requires a lot of executive ability, negotiation and skill working with people), she also served in 2003 and 2004 as chairman of the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's oil and gas resources--a considerable task.

She has managed the largest, most expansive reserves of natural resources in the nation while guiding the economic and regulatory agencies responsible for supporting the uninterrupted flow of energy resources to the continental US.

As governor of the only state to be bordered only by foreign nations, she deals at the executive level with border issues, international waters issues, import and export issues and national security issues. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is home to the ballistic missile interceptor fleet, which protects the US from ICBM attack.

As Commander of the Alaska National Guard, she has a significant role in the chain of command and presumably receives national security briefings. Her troops are sent to Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Kosovo; she is constantly briefed on their mission, well being, and what is going on in those countries that could affect her Alaskan troops. Her troops train Mongolian troops yearly. She is Commander in Chief of the most active, most highly trained, and most expansive National Defense infrastructure of any state in the union, vitally important with Russia just 90 miles away. Her Alaskan troops run the Ground Missile Defense system that protects the West from North Korean nuclear attack. Again, she is briefed on this by military generals and probably briefs the President as well.

The International Waters issue is significant. Alaska has the largest coast line and highly desirable fishing waters attracting foreign boats and fishing fleets. The prospect of an international crisis arising is ever present and Governor Palin must always be aware of what is going on in Alaska and countries from which those prowling fleets originate.

By contrast, Obama has no executive experience. He was in the Illinois Senate for 5 years but spent two of those years campaigning for US House of Representatives and US Senate. In his 3 years as US Senator, he has only spent 40 active days conducting Senate business; the rest has been campaigning for President.

While Sarah Palin was dealing with tough oil company presidents and managing the largest, most expansive reserves of natural resources in the entire country while guiding the economic and regulatory agencies responsible for supporting the uninterrupted flow of energy resources to the continental US and presiding over a state government, Obama was dodging difficult issues by voting “present” at least 130 times to avoid stating a definitive position.

While Sarah Palin visited with her Alaskan troops in the Persian Gulf as Commander, Obama's recent and only trip to our troops was solely for a photo op and political gain.

Obama has led no organizations, agencies, departments, or businesses of any kind, at any level of government or any civilian corporations. He has no economic or resource management experience of any kind. He's produced no legislation that has resulted in the expansion of economic health to any segment of the economy.

And Obama is running for president, not for second chair.

I wish the damn highly biased news people of both sides would just shut their damn mouth and let the woman have her best shot. I am so frigging sick of all the news media of today. They have evolved into a bunch of maggots. "Getting the story out first is far more important than getting it out accurately". Bull Shit maybe this is what they do Russia.

The word "experience" is getting thrown around a lot for a race between two senators. Whether we like it or not, it just can't come down to some mythical prep course for leading the nation this time, but rather our core beliefs and confidence in our candidates to unite the nation and dig it out of recession.

The Vice Presidential role is being overemphasized at the moment, but governing a state with the population of Charlotte, N.C. for 18 months holds little water and makes me feel like McCain's trying to pull a fast one.

What!? You've got to me kidding. This is a perfect example of "the emperor is not wearing any clothes". You are comparing the Senator from Illinois with the former mayor of a 6500 pop. town in Alaska?! She finally got elected as Governor and has been in that position for 20 months!
Barack Obama earned his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Soon after, he returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer and teach constitutional law. Finally, his advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate. In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.

HELLOOO!!!

Any comparison of these two shows the desperation of someone who puts the Republican Party BEFORE the country!

By the way…. should we also compare Senator Biden with Gov. Sarah Palin? That is a whole other discussion..

I see Ghouliani still has that string in his back that when pulled says, "9/11 a noun and a verb" Nothing has changed.

So, it's fair for the McCain camp to publicly question Obama's patriotism, religious affiliation, parenting, wife's "pride" in her country, and relationship with "scandalous figures," but it's somehow sexist to ask questions about Palin's earmarks for Wasilla, improper use of authority in firing a state commissioner, and ties to a secessionist state party? Give me a break!

So far, the liberal entries I've read here, are mean spirited, nasty, angry, rants. And at the same time, they claim moral superiority. Can't you just discuss your opinions in a civil way instead of spewing venom? Just a thought!!! Also remember that there is as difference between your opinion and facts. Also, I haven't heard anyone trying to bridge the gap here, and work across the aisle.

OK, let's all agree that they are both less experienced than the leader of the free world should be. Putting aside their political experience (or lack thereof) and based on just their education, who would you choose for President? I realize that she's not running for President, but as many have stated... she's "a breath away" from the job and I would prefer not to take unnecessary chances, considering the current state of affairs in this country.
**Barack Obama attended Occidental College, but received his undergraduate degree in political science from Columbia University, an Ivy League member currently ranked 9th in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Obama also graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Harvard Law School, where he also served as President of the Harvard Law Review.
**Sarah Palin holds a BA in journalism from the University of Idaho.

I don't care that she was unable to instill good moral character to her pregnant teen daughter (uneducated children don't really have the tools to make the right decisions). I don't care that she tried to have her scumbag brother in law fired. However, I do care that she CHOSE to have 5 children, including a brand new baby (with DS), that she's willing to have someone else care for in order to be VP - I assume the VP job isn't 9-5. For me, this a major character flaw. I do care that she was a member of a group that wanted Alaska to seceed from the United States (What's that all about?) You want to be VP of a country you don't want to be a part of... hmmm?

I don't care that Obama's middle name is Hussein or that he was educated in a Madrassa (muslim seminary) as a child - it wasn't his CHOICE. I don't like that his church of 20 years preached hate, yet he continued to attend.

Let's face it, they both have their issues, but there is no way I'm voting for someone that could end up passing the torch to a backwoods, animal killing, rifle toting, anti-choice, keep 'em barefoot and pregnant, hypocrite of a woman.

Sorry, just ain't gonna happen... and until he chose Palin - McCain was my President.

Drive by media .....let's see what she has to say ...#10, go take a dip in the pool, you need it

Hey Dawn,
You're comparing a former community agitator and affirmative action graduate to a sitting Governor?How is she a hypocrite? She did everything the feminists said to do and they hate her for it. Well. I guess not everything. She didn't kill her bay. And you and I both know that is the reason for the attacks. Where is the love of diversity and tolerance that the libs always blow about? Who's the hypocrite?

Let's see what she has to say.....drive by, steer clear. #10, take a dip in a cool pool, you need it

Mr. or Mrs. Get real.

Can you affirmative action your way to President of Harvard Law review? Don't answer that conserve your energy for your job nitting confederate flags. Try not to be so easily dismissed by making ignorant racist comments. I don't know your race origin, but you do them a dis-service.

Demonizing Obama or Palin demonstrates the explicit ignorance that even with affirmative action would deny you entry even into a third world university made of wood. Platform and political policy should be the issues addressed. Who is best equiped rather by experience, innate and trained ability, or otherwise, to carry out their political agenda should be the criteria.

We can all disagree on GOP/McCain or Democratic/Obama policy. No one can see the future and determine whether it will be a successful Presidency.

There have been bad experienced Presidents and good inexperienced Presidents. World events, history's timing and other mitigating factors play a part in a President's success, let alone personal opinions and biases.

I'm a Republican (In accordance with its traditional defenition) and I also admire both McCain and Obama. They both bring strengths and weaknesses to the battle. That is why you hire and staff your weaknesses. It's called a cabinet.

As American's we should be focused on our duty and role in turning our nation into its highest and best. Government is intended to lead. Generals lead but soldiers fight.

The fate of our nation rests with us. We are so highly contentious over the leader because we want the best man or women to blame for our failings.

Let's direct positive energy and attitudes toward our Government leaders and do our part to get this country's shoulders squared and take our rightful place as ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

May the best man or women win and lead us to a return to prominence in the world ,through a consensus of respect not acts of compulsion.

Yes we all Can...

Good speech, but it changes nothing for me. She's a flip flop. Palin is a right wing conservative when it comes to getting pregant and having babies, but she turns into a feminist liberal when she leaves them at daycare and heads to work for 8-12 hours a day letting someone else raise them. My wife works 45-55 hours a week, but when our 2nd son was born, she chose to stay home for a year to be with him through his surgeries and therapies. Palin knew she was going to give birth to a special needs child and chose to "stick to her conservative beliefs" and go through with the pregnancy, bringing him into this world knowing she would abandon him to caregivers. I wonder if she read up on Down babies and understood what his needs would be, or if she just followed the right wing platform and delivered this baby without any thought of the child's future?

She also preaches abstinence, anti sex-ed, and is anti-choice, yet is unable to convey that message to her own child. I understand that Bristol is 17 and has a mind of her own, but she is a child who is now giving birth to a child and will be forced to grow up and get married. Was she educated about abstinence by the babysitter? Who knows... but if Palin can't instill good moral/ethical behavior in her child, how can she work with the entire world?

Ya know, if she'd had an affair - I wouldn't care - it's her life. But, her decisions affect the lives of her children and I believe that she made very poor decisions. How can we trust her to help the people of the US when she can't handle her own family? If John McCain were younger and in better health, he'd have my vote. I've never voted for a President based on their VP choice, but the thought of Palin running this country is insane - McCain has the experience, the humor, and I thought the intelligence to run this country - I'm still shocked that this woman was chosen to lead the free world with him.

By the way #11/ #13 - very well thought out and witty comments.

The blogs seem full of questions about what Community Organizers do. Well I don't know about Chicago. But I can tell you what they do here in Albuquerque, n.m. They usually come around every Saturday morning knocking on doors and asking for hand outs of groceries, food, money or anything that is useful. They are also looking for newcomers to the area (especially poor people from Mexico). They hand out brochures printed in Spanish and English with a lot of important phone numbers, police dept., ambulance, who to call for free medical service, schedule and location of local city park parties (where there is free commodity hand outs, free hot dogs for the kids) and the location and phone numbers of the local welfare office. Also these brochures list all the things you need to take with you to apply for welfare. I am so damn sick of picking these things out of my rose bushes and flower beds every week. I am not knocking any one, I have not voted in 50 years, and will not vote this year. I could not live with my conscience. Just telling you what a community organizer does. At least that is what they are called here in Albuquerque.

The blogs seem full of questions about what Community Organizers do. Well I don't know about Chicago. But I can tell you what they do here in Albuquerque, n.m. They usually come around every Saturday morning knocking on doors and asking for hand outs of groceries, food, money or anything that is useful. They are also looking for newcomers to the area (especially poor people from Mexico). They hand out brochures printed in Spanish and English with a lot of important phone numbers, police dept., ambulance, who to call for free medical service, schedule and location of local city park parties (where there is free commodity hand outs, free hot dogs for the kids) and the location and phone numbers of the local welfare office. Also these brochures list all the things you need to take with you to apply for welfare. I am so damn sick of picking these things out of my rose bushes and flower beds every week. I am not knocking any one, I have not voted in 50 years, and will not vote this year. I could not live with my conscience. Just telling you what a community organizer does. At least that is what they are called here in Albuquerque.

According to a 12/10/06 article in the Herald Tribune:

"While the 49th is an Alaska National Guard unit, Hildreth reports to Colonel Michael Yowell, commander of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade, based in Colorado."

Apparently Palin is NOT Commander in Chief when it comes to this "special" unit. Funny how the author of the original blog post failed to mention that. Notice that he or she never explicitly stated that Palin was commander of the 49th. Rather, he or she only stated that the 49th was in Alaska. Hmmm...