Why are people worried about Palin Experience?

Question

She has more experience than Obama and his on top of a ticket.

Answer 1

Many people are mentioning it simply because McCain has made such an issue of Obama's experience.

However, I think a primary reason is due to McCain's age and health. Obviously, the VP moves to president if McCain dies, so her executive and international experience is pertinent in that regard.

I don't think it's pure politics, either, to consider that. McCain would be the oldest president at the swearing in for the first term, and has had his share of health issues. Most likely he'll be just fine, but it is a realistic concern.

Also, I should mention that you are inaccurate about her experience vs. Obama's. He was a state senator for 8 years and U.S. Congress since 2004. His leadership and "executive" experience comes from his professional experience outside politics, and yes, that is absolutely relevant. He has far more political experience, leadership experience, and otherwise relevant experience than she does. That doesn't necessarily mean she can't do it, but this is just addressing your statement about it.

Answer 2

SHE WAS ELECTED THE SAME YEAR AS OBAMA,

SO SHE DOES NOT HAVE MORE EXPIERENCE

ANS SHE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION IN HER STATE FOR ABUSE OF POWER

Answer 3

well if she has more experience than Obama because he never had executive experience, by that rational, then she has more experience than McCain.

and people worry because McCain is now 73 and could crock and he would leave the stewardess in charge

Answer 4

She doesn't have more experience! She is the least experienced of modern time!

Barack Obama has a total of 12 years experience in government, both state and federal.

Bush had 6

Reagan had 8.

Carter had 10 in Georgia.

Nixon and Kennedy had 12!

And you really think Obama has less experience than a mayor of a town of 7,000 people, and less than 2 years as governor of a state 1/4 the population of Newark? And she is already being investigated for misusing her office!

If she isn't thrown out of office for misuseing it and lying about it, I am sure we are going to have a grand old time with her big mouth!

"Presidential scholars say she appears to be the least experienced, least credentialed person to join a major-party ticket in the modern era.

So unconventional was McCain’s choice that it left students of the presidency literally “stunned,” in the words of Joel Goldstein, a St. Louis University law professor and scholar of the vice presidency. “Being governor of a small state for less than two years is not consistent with the normal criteria for determining who’s of presidential caliber,” said Goldstein.

“I think she is the most inexperienced person on a major party ticket in modern history,” said presidential historian Matthew Dallek."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/13001

"Sarah Palin served as the mayor of Wasilla of 7,000. 1996-2002 (She also put them in debt for a NEW sports complex!)

Palin is the current governor of Alaska a population of 683,478 (est 2007)" 1/4 the size of Newark and she is already under investigation for misuse of her office. Sound Familiar?

The only reason I am worried is that she doesn't qualify to be a private in the US ARMY!

Answer 5

lol, i disagree. Let's let the voters decide, then--LOL--we will know. I'm less worried about sarah's lack of experience than i am about the right wing stealing another election, with their fake electronic voting machines that provide no paper trail.

Answer 6

Only the Liberals are making an issue,forgeting Obama has less.She is everything he wishes he was,Strong and two fisted and smart.Palin is change.

Answer 7

I'm not.  I'm worried about her anti-choice, anti-polar bear, pro-gun, Evangelical right wing political policies-not to mention her serious lack of judgment.  THAT is my problem.

Answer 8

Because McCain said Obama can't be president because he has no experience. But yet he turns around and chooses a women who has been Governor for only 2 years. So they are freaking out because already he is being a hypocrite and not caring what the people say. If he wins, we are screwed!  

Answer 9

One can have plenty experience doing the wrong thing...

Obama's far more educated...

You need to learn how executive positions work...the staff does everything except sign the dotted line...you really think that Palin, with her journalism degree, is capable of formulating the details of new energy policy, or balancing a budget?

Just goes to show how little people actually know about government and who actually does the hard work that makes it run.

Answer 10

LOL! Anyone who believes Palin has qualifications to step in as President is deluding themselves.

I'm going to try to be generous here,  that everything she has said and done to this point being criticized comes from inexperience. Well, perhaps people in Alaska can be ok with this, perhaps she can get experience in Alaska,  but it won't play in a Presidential administration.  she has been challenged by nothing that shows she can work with people with a wide range of interests.

Obama has the aptitude shown by a Harvard Law degree and proved himself running a great campaign. Just is no comparison.

McCain did not choose her as a stupid move, he chose her because he knows he's down in the his own private polls, that he will likely lose Ohio and Virginia and feels he needs to keep his base.  Bad move really, he needed someone in Ohio or Virginia .

Answer 11

Because McCain made Obama and Biden look stupid. Obama needs a hand holding insider. McCain put experience where it belongs, on the TOP of the ticket not the bottom. They are scared because shes not more of the same and w/out McSame what do they have? Would Bush have done this? NOPE and that scares the nasty libs.

Answer 12

Her "experience" is as mayor of a tiny town and less than 2 years as governor of a state with a population that would make it the 20th largest city in the U.S., which hardly qualifies as significant executive experience.  She has no experience with national issues and foreign affairs.  As a U.S. Senator, Obama deals with these issues more in one day than Palin has in her entire career.

Answer 13

Obama is done.

Answer 14

no one should be worried about this lady.  Shes on top of the game plan.  One of her favorite things is uncovering graft and corruption (she cleaned up some serious problems in Alaska), and I believe she could do it in the white house.  I will support her with or without McCain.  Check out her Bio....   http://www.gov.state.ak.us/bio.php

Answer 15

She is a heartbeat away from the president seat and we all know McCain days are numbered.

She doesn't have more experience than Obama but she definitely has more skeletons. Selecting Sarah Palin as its choice for a vice presidential candidate is perhaps the worst such choice in American History.

Cindy is making the argument that Alaska is closest to Russia, so that accounts for Sarah Palin  foreign policy experience.

McCain has surrounded himself with dumb and dumber...

Answer 16

I'm not worried about Palin at all, because her selection is the death knell of the McCain campaign. But to say she has more experience than Obama is unbelievably laughable! Come on...mayor of a city of 9000 people, and governor for only 20 months of a small (population-wise) state. That's ridiculous.

But even more disturbing about her are her right wing crazy stances. Anti-abortion even in the case of rape and incest? Teaching religion in public schools? Yikes.

Answer 17

No she doesn't, she's governor of a state that has fewer people than polar bears.  I'm personally not concerned about that aspect, however.  Rather, she represents something much worse:  a closed-minded creationist who belittles the scientific community.

Answer 18

sorry, you are misinformed.  she hasn't a fraction of Obama's experience.  she was a soccer mon who ran her PTA presence into a city council seat in a town of 5400.  later, she became the mayor.  my neighborhood has more than 5000 people, and i live in a relatively small town.  

as vice president she would be a heartbeat from the presidency.  it's kinda like a sit-com i saw once.  but, this is real world.

Answer 19

You're right, neither of them have more experience.  They have *different* experience to offer.  However, I think it's partially a knee-jerk reaction in defense of their candidate and partially a lingering lack of confidence in a woman.  Many other governors were at the top of the ticket and often were considered superior over senators.

Answer 20

Because she has only 18 months of governor under her belt. Before that, she was mayor of a town with only 8,000 people. She has no experience outside Alaska.

Is that who you want possibly running this country? Well, we voted for Bush in 2004 so obviously America is dumb enough to do it again.  

Answer 21

Sarah Palin is a liar and lacks integrity.  On top of that, she sets women back 50 years.  h**l, if it were up to her, we would all be barefoot and pregnant 12 times in a row and making mooseburgers everynight for our husbands at the dinner table.  

Answer 22

Because she has none, being a gov. of one state is quite different than running the whole country including world affairs should Mr McCain die while in office. Obama also lacks experience but he chose a running mate that has 30+ yrs. in the senate arena who knows his way around the political circle.

Answer 23

What you assert is nonsense. More than Palin's experience (a clear oxymoron), most enlightened voters worry about the role lies and manipulation of the gullible will play this election.

Answer 24

I'm worried about women's rights.  Palin doesn't seem to believe we have any.  If she wants to have children, fine.  Some of us want the chance to decide that for OURSELVES, not the government or the Supreme Court.

Answer 25

You're right. While Barray Hussein Obama AKA Barry Soetoro was a community organizer, Sara was being Mayor of a city and Governor of a state. Barry has only been in the Senate two years and spent most of that running for president.  

Answer 26

Heres a few reasons why:

She was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago. Her previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage. She has no foreign policy experience.

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.

She supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000.

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools

She's doesn't think humans are the cause of climate change.

She's solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.

How closely did John McCain vet this choice? He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting. They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president. Then he offered her the position.

Scary!

Answer 27

Only idiots buy into the notion that this rookie has more Experience than Obama. Obama has more Employees in his campaign than palin has residence in her State.

Answer 28

McCain thinks that we are stupid.  He still harvests the same beliefs.  Also, Palin has less experience than Obama.  This will be a good fight. It was a good move by McCain, but not good enough.  Obama has yet to change his beliefs.  He has made sound and educated decisions on his Vice Presidency, McCain only got Palin to sway voters, not what is best for this country.  Who would you rather have run our country, if, Heaven forbid, something happened to McCain or Obama; Biden or Palin?  

Answer 29

You are right, and they are grasping at straws. There are two big reasons why Dems really don't like Palin. First, she is a serious threat to their own ticket. She is a woman, she is likeable, intelligent, honest, all-American, has a great record of accomplishments, has actually done what she says she believes in, and has enacted more change without looking toward a presidential campaign than Obama has when he knew he would be running. She is the real McCoy, she is the kind of politician Obama only promises to be. She was a great choice by McCain.

The second, she is on a mission to end pork barrel spending. Although both parties are guilty of pork barrel spending, the Dems are the worst offenders. The Dem politician promise so many bs programs to their voting populace and this is an easy way to pay back their political debts.

Answer 30

It's just an obvious thing to talk about. Sarah Palin will be 6 months younger than Bill Clinton at innaguration day. Bill Clinton spent 14 years governing a tiny impoverished state, while Sarah Palin spent 2 years governing a tiny rural state.

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The reality is no one knows what experience makes a good president. The 15th president, James Buchanan had 43 years in elected public service (more than any other president before or after). The union essentially collapsed under his leadership. The 16th president had what will probably remain as the record for least impressive previous experience for all of American history (a single 2 year term in the House of Representatives). Yet, Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest presidents.

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Also, the office of VP is a strange one relative. No other governent around the world has an office like VP. The VP has almost no power, but is one step from the most powerful office in the world. However, the odds are extremely high that McCain will live out his term. People at the age of 72 are not at death's door. I mean anyone can die.

Answer 31

I like that she is a REAL person. Small town, mother, activist, etc. She is more like me (besides being a woman) than any other candidate including before the primaries.