Palin

[Cil]

Once again I raise my challenge for somebody to list three things of any significance that Obama has done. Getting elected to the Senate doesn't count nor does the nomination. What has he done for anybody that he has served in the Senate. Three things? Anybody?

Didn't think so...

A selection:
1)In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began. (It's imperfect, but a start.)
2) Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.
3) Lugar-Obama bill

Only that folks can whine about inexperience on either side for only so long. We have a lot of former Governors (who were only former governors) end up in the White House, and a lot of Representatives/
Senators. The only people we've had with real "experience" in the Oval Office are the former VPs--Bush, Sr., Ford, Johnson...

George Washington was a general, for Pete's sake.

I can't believe I'm saying this (I'll deny it later) but perhaps the best we can do is put a good leader in the office--someone who knows how to find the right people to put around himself/herself and who knows how to delegate authority. Don't you think that's what the early presidents did, before they could pick up the phone and make a call or send an email? The entrusted certain other leaders under them with responsibilities.

I agree that we can only whine so much about this stuff.
And back in the infancy of our nation, I think there was plenty of posturing and backbiting, just like today.
Your last paragraph is, IMHO,a summarization of what we had expected from George W. Bush--but I suppose it could potentially fit Obama as well.
To me, Obama has vision, imagination and the desire to innovate, tempered with caution and attention to detail.
I never got much impression of any of those qualities with Pres Bush.
I don't agree with everything Obama says, but enough that he could represent me.
As for Palin, well, I'll admit I disagree with most of what she believes in, and yes, the fact that she's never bothered to own a passport does concern me.

 

[Cil]

This is just so embarrassing.
It might sound trivial to y'all, but remember, this is possibly the next Vice President of the United States. Not sure how much vetting took place here.
Gov Palin needs a history lesson
Check out #11.
Most people know that the Pledge of Allegiance did not come about during the 18th century. Many people know that "Under God" was added during the 20th.

 

[TooFarTampa]

This is just so embarrassing.
It might sound trivial to y'all, but remember, this is possibly the next Vice President of the United States. Not sure how much vetting took place here.
Gov Palin needs a history lesson
Check out #11.
Most people know that the Pledge of Allegiance did not come about during the 18th century. Many people know that "Under God" was added during the 20th.

Oof, yeah that's not so great.

For me, reading one of her top priorities is a concern. It appears that "protecting the sanctity of marriage" plays well in Alaska, but a) there's quite the debate in the lower 48 and b) we frankly have many other things to worry about as a country. And my own personal belief, after seeing more and more "different" families firsthand, is that good families come in all sorts of packages.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I think the office has come to the forefront during this election since one of the candidates is likely to die in the next 6 months.

Wow! and you know this how? I'm not sure if you are talking about the assassination threats which were made against Obama, or if you think McCain may get hit by Biden's commuter train.

 

[Santiago]

So Obama has actually been campaigning the entire time he has been a Senator? That's a scary thought. Maybe he doesn't have as much experience as I thought.

you are catching on Josh.

 

[futurebeachbum]

Only that folks can whine about inexperience on either side for only so long.

Agreed.

Its amusing to hear people who whine about Palin's lack of experience in Foreign Policy and totally ignore the fact that Obama not only has no Foreign Policy credentials, he has no Leadership credentials either. She at least has led a state government.

Seems to me that folks who live in glass houses would be a lot better off attacking her conservative positions and leaving the experience issue alone. Attacking it isn't going to help them.

I guess campaigning on issues and facts instead of personality just doesn't get enough TV coverage anymore and we'll probably never see that again from either side.

 

[Lane Rees]

Largest by landmass, 47th by population. And waaaaaay out there. Big difference, IMO.

If you take your thoughts based on population, Ronald Reagan (CA) and George W. Bush (TX) would be far better as Presidents than Jimmy Carter (GA) and Bill Clinton (AR). As far as being "way out there," both Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States being the 49th and 50th states respectively. Would think they should be treated the same as the other states.

 

[Miss Critter]

If you take your thoughts based on population, Ronald Reagan (CA) and George W. Bush (TX) would be far better as Presidents than Jimmy Carter (GA) and Bill Clinton (AR). As far as being "way out there," both Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States being the 49th and 50th states respectively. Would think they should be treated the same as the other states.

They are treated the same (and yes, I do know that Alaska and Hawaii are the 49th adn 50th states ;-)), but there's no denying that their geographic isolation from the lower 48 must factor into daily life somehow.

And btw, Reagan was far better than any of the others you list.

 

[futurebeachbum]

They are treated the same (and yes, I do know that Alaska and Hawaii are the 49th adn 50th states ;-)), but there's no denying that their geographic isolation from the lower 48 must factor into daily life somehow.

And btw, Reagan was far better than any of the others you list.

Yep. I'd say that list (Reagan, Bush, Carter, Clinton) shows that both parties have demonstrated how to pick a winner and how to pick a loser.

 

[Miss Critter]

Yep. I'd say that list (Reagan, Bush, Carter, Clinton) shows that both parties have demonstrated how to pick a winner and how to pick a loser.

Agreed. Intelligent, thoughtful, reasoned candidates can make great leaders, regardless of party affiliation.