EXPERIENCE: Palin more qualified than Obama

Palin more qualified than Obama
Thomas J. Lucente Jr.

Liberal Democrats are stumbling over themselves to claim that Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is unqualified to be vice president and they cite, humorously enough, her lack of experience.

Can Democrats really be so blind? Are some liberals so full of hate for everything that does not conform to their skewed worldview in which all citizens are wards of the state that they can't even see the irony of their own words? Are they really accusing Palin of being too inexperienced to be vice president while at the same time claiming U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who has less experience than Palin, is qualified to be president?

Of the four people occupying the two major-party tickets, U.S. Sen. John McCain, Palin, Obama and U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, Palin is perhaps the most qualified to be not only vice president, but president.

Palin is the only one of the four who has held an executive position in or out of government similar to that of president, or about as similar as you can get without actually being president.

Let's compare their experiences, shall we?

Obama is a lawyer who was a "community organizer," whatever that means. He was a civil rights attorney, and worked with such noble organizations as the radical Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

In his 12 years as a law school professor, Obama failed to publish a single item, an oddity in the world of academia, especially when you consider that, since 2006, when he decided to run for president, he has published seven times.

Politically, Obama spent eight years in the Illinois Senate and joined the U.S. Senate in 2005.

Palin, on the other hand, served four years on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council and six years as the mayor/manager. She became the first woman governor of Alaska in 2006. He private-sector management experience includes helping her husband run his commercial fishing business.

Some liberals will claim Obama's time in the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate is more substantial experience than Palin's executive experience.

However, much of his time in the U.S. Senate has been spent running for president. His life as an Illinois senator was so busy that he was still able to teach law at the University of Chicago.

Meanwhile, Palin was making actual decisions and forming budgets.

Where Obama accomplished little as a legislator, Palin actually got things done as a mayor and governor. During her tenure as mayor, she reduced property tax levels. How many times has Obama cut taxes? Zero. How many times has he raised taxes? Zero.

Let's face it. Life as a legislator is simple. You have an aide tell you what a bill means and then you cast a vote. You have very little responsibility and the ability to get anything done is very limited. Obama has not crafted a single government budget. He has not made a single executive decision. He has not implemented a single governmental policy. In fact, running his campaign is about the only management experience Obama has ever had.

While Palin clearly has more relevant presidential experience than Obama, in reality, it means very little.

Liberals like to claim Palin has no foreign policy experience. However, neither does Obama. Taking a junket to Russia to watch a missile dismantled does not equate to foreign policy experience.

Again, that means very little. We are not electing a professional diplomat. We are electing an executive to manage the government.

I point this out not to disparage Obama's experience or his lack thereof. I simply point out not only the hypocrisy of the left but also its complete ignorance of what the presidency requires.

Some of our greatest presidents had very little governmental experience while some of our worst presidents were career politicians. Senators, historically, have made poor presidents while governors generally do a much better job.

In fact, this election (unless the Libertarian Party's Bob Barr wins) will only be the third time in U.S. history that a sitting senator has become president. There is probably a good reason for that.

In the end, actual government experience is less desirable than strong character and strong beliefs in limited government. That certainly describes Palin more than it does Obama.

http://www.limaohio.com/articles/obama_28130___article.html/palin_experience.html