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Is Gov. Sarah Palin A Brilliant Pick or A Risky Pick For McCain?

The cat is out of the bag! McCain has chosen a Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Whoever wins this election, it will be a historical event!

The Dems are hard at work pointing out Sarah Palins lack of experience and they're trying to scare everyone with the question..."who would you rather have as a heartbeat away from the Presidency, Biden or Palin?". Sure, Biden has been around for a long time, but the irony here is that Obama has spent fewer days active, on the floor of the senate, performing his duties as a Senator than Palin has spent in an Executive leadership role as Mayor and currently as Governor. So, no matter how you slice it, both sides can point fingers as per "lack of experience" (certainly McCain and Biden both have the most time in Washington and related experience).

So, the big question is this: will McCain's pick of Sarah Palin prove to be brilliant on his part, or prove to be just too risky? What do you think?

Posted by Lorena Westervelt on 08/30/2008 09:16 AM

Comments (26)

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26 Comments on Is Gov. Sarah Palin A Brilliant Pick or A Risky Pick For McCain?

AUG

2008

I think the Dems strategy is , turnabout is fair play , I will need time to digest this. It is funny though the thr Rep.s raised this issue of experience and now have to face it. Politics !!!!!

I can see where he is comming from with the pick - a female to bring over he Hillary supporters that are against Obama - But also a strait line conservative to help solidify his footing with the Right. But still is very risky and unless there is alot else we do not know about this Alaskan Gov. McCain may have gave away the fight just as it is getting started!

The bigger question is why would anyone vote to elect into office a member of the same ruling party which has destroyed this country with incompetent policies enacted through having full control of the executive and legislative branches for the first six years of this administration?

It's amazing that anyone could have supported Bush for a second term but the American people did. For the American people to support such pathetic leadership for another four years leading people to believe that somehow it will be different this time is ludicrous.

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or anyone in between the policies and lack of leadership over the last seven plus years is evident everywhere and is unacceptable.

Palin was a brilliant pick. As far as experience, she has more executive experience than Obama, Biden or McCain. Obama has absolutely no experience in foreign politics, or running anything. If he had chosen from the 'expected' pool of contenders, it would have been over. Now... who knows?

The Dems chose a VP who is old Washington, so what does that say about their 'Change' theme?

I think that Palin is a breath of fresh air. Until her nomination, I didn't have a horse in this race, but I am excited about seeing where this goes.

I thought she was a good pick to try to capture the unhappy Hilliary voters. I personally felt her having 5 kids would be too much of a distraction. And if I heard it right one of them is a baby? With that position you need older children, so there are no distractions. You need to be focused.

The answers are what I expected to see some stronger opinions than I might have guessed but I know nothing of the New V.P. Choice and wanted to see the reaction and comments of others.

Lorena,

Here's my take on the experience issue. Obama with no experience goes to the White House and receives OJT. Palin, goes in as VP for however many days or years it might be and observes how to be president. Then if called upon she could step right in. I like the second plan.

Steve

The Pick of Palin perhaps begins to show what others have been hinting about for some time. Cognative instability. No rational individual would select someone with this little inxperience and youth for VP. Given McCain's age and ongoing health concers at any moment she could become the leader of the free world. A child is hard enough to balance ones life. A child with disabilites is a full time career.

The slap to Hillary's face was clear. The Motive is not.

I am another one that thinks Palin was a solid choice. I don't think she'll bring over hillary voters that wouldn't have come over anyway... but she DOES have executive experience, and she has shown herself to be tough. It will be interesting to see how she does with Biden in debates. If he tries to hit her with the experience thing, she can hit back with his own quotes and action re: Obama, followed by saying that she DOES have the executive experienc3e and has run a business. Things that neither Obama nor Biden have on their resume.

I don't like McCain one bit but I think this was a brilliant move and will likely be the key thing that gets him elected. I doubt that he is smart enough to have made the decision himself. He should be very thankful that someone working for him is a genius.

This will get the real conservatives back and it will get a lot of uncommitted women to vote for him. The majority of voters vote on looks and feel. From what I've seen of her, she looks and feels like a real authentic lady who wants to take care of business. There will be many who will be looking past 2008 and looking forward to 2012. They'll see that if she is VP for four years they'll then have a good chance of getting someone they can really feel good about as president in four short years.

The response here in Alaska has been one of shock and very strong opinions. At first, I was really disappointed but it's growing on me. I'll try to put up a post Monday.

I think it was a good pick. Palin has a way with the press and that will help McCain. She came out of nowhere to take over the governors mansion in our Alaska. She relishes that role.

She is human, no one is perfect. She has an investigation going on right now at home, but I think it will likely not amount to much. It might even end up a plus for her.

I did vote for her as governor so I may be a little biased.

SEP

2008

I don't think you can compare Obama's experience as a Senator to Palin's experience as Governor. A governor actually leads a whole state, while a Senator doesn't really lead anything unless they are voted to a leadership position in the Senate.

I think she is a brilliant choice!

Sure she is not ! She has too much going on in her life to distract her for now.... In an interview not so long ago when asked is she'd make a good VP she replied " if someone can tell me what a VP is supposed to be doing then I can answer that questions " Really Sarah ? You can't be that clueless? !!! The VP is a stand by president like a runner up in case McCain ( 72 ) would pass away or become incapacitated. ..... Honestly, I don't think this woman is ready to be anything. she really needs to spend time with her new baby that needs a lot of special care and her older daughter that will soon have a baby of her own.

And the women that voted for Hillary deserve more .... and by the way those women were mostly democrat and might not share the same views with Palin

and oh yes drilling in Alaska for oil would have been great if stated 15 yeas ago. Today we need other solutions for the long term. it will do nothing for the future generations.

Word on the street is that the baby she claims is hers may actually be her daughters. Naturally I'm still back checking these resources but it is an intruiguing theory. Could it be truth? http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

If this is is true it could be disasterous for both her an McCain especially since she has been introducted as woman full of integrity.

Justin - shame on you - passing along ill gotten rumors. How often do teenage girls have children with Down Syndrome?

I think she is a great pick, conservative, adamantly against baby killing ( yup that is what it is) and a tough cookie. Mc Cain is not conservative enough for my tastes so I am glad that his VP is more so.

SEP

2008

I'm not necessarily saying that this is true. This is just what I've been hearing and reading online. As I stated I'm still back checking the sources.

SEP

2008

After last night's speech by Governor Palin, it seems obvious that McCain's choice was an absolutely brilliant one!

SEP

2008

After last night's speech by Senator McCain it is obvious that these two compliment each other in a significant way. They should do well over the next couple of months.

I thought her speech was brilliant and liked her comment on "these are the people who are always proud of America". Not naming any names ( Mrs Obama). She is mainstream America.

SEP

2008

It is amazing that we've only got two months in which to see the results of all this! It will be here before you know it!

SEP

2008

The liberal media and dems are running scared! They're working overtime trying to make her look bad.

SEP

2008

In true GOP fashion (very similar to the way they convinced most of the country that Iraq was involved in 911), you are twisting the truth into something very close to a lie.

Your statement:
on the floor of the senate, performing his duties as a Senator than Palin has spent in an Executive leadership role as Mayor and currently as Governor. is misleading.

Obama ran a non-profit, quintupling their revenue and increasing their staff (executive experience). He created and ran a program (staff of 10, volunteers 700) that registered He served on the IL state senate (executive experience) way BEFORE he joined the US Senate.

Sarah Palin's first trip outside of this county was less than 2 years ago. In a time when we are involved in 2 wars and having problems with Russia trying to provoke us, I find McCain's choice astonishing.

When Sarah first became Mayor of the charming village of Wasilla in 1996, Obama had already had executive experience for several years developing, running, and growing organizations.

@Roger B: In the inimitable words of our erudite President:
"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."

@Justin: Mrs. Palin says the story is not true. While I have to question the decision of a Mother to travel 22 hours after her labor had started, bypass 3 hospitals once on the ground in Alaska before she delivers her child I don't believe the story.

@Pam in Meridian Idaho - I guess if you count moose, she governs more than Obama.
Population of Alaska: $670K, Population of Illinois: $12.8 Million. As a Senator representing the state of Illinois, I think he is responsible for more people, don't you.

"Experience never exists in isolation; it is always a factor that coexists with temperament, training, background, spiritual outlook and a host of other factors," says presidential historian Richard Norton Smith. "Character is your magic word, it seems to me — not just what they've done but how they've done it and what they've learned from doing it."

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Lorena Westervelt

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