Historians Find Palin Least Experienced Person On Major Party Ticket In Modern Era

One of the remarkable things about conservatives is the manner in which they will try to pass off the most absurd statements to defend their politicians. We saw that as they made excuses for Bush, including their claims that there was WMD in Iraq and that Saddam was involved in the 9/11 attacks. Yet another major absurdity to come from the right for the past day has been the attempts to deny Sarah Palin’s lack of experience, and to even claim that she is at least as experienced as Barack Obama, if not more so.

To put Miss Wasilla 1984’s lack of experience in perspective, The Poltico quotes historians as calling Palin the least experienced politician with the weakest credentials to be on a modern ticket:

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…

“It would be one thing if she had only been governor for a year and a half, but prior to that she had not had major experience in public life,” Dallek said of Palin. “The fact that he would have to go to somebody who is clearly unqualified to be president makes Obama look like an elder statesman.”

And Alaska is a much smaller state than Illinois, the political base of Barack Obama, whom Republicans have repeatedly criticized for being inexperienced, having served nearly four years in the U.S. Senate after eight in the Illinois state Senate.

“Not to belittle Alaska, but it’s different than the basket of issues you deal with in big, dynamic states,” Dallek said.

Palin has no experience in national office. Before becoming governor in December 2006, she served as a council member and mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, which had a population of slightly more than 5,000 during her time in office…

Back in June John McCain tried to make some comparisons between Barack Obama and Williams Jennings Bryan. The attack failed as few people other than John McCain were old enough to understand the attack, but it now turns out that it is John McCain who has one of the deficiencies of the ticket Bryan headed:

If elected vice president, Palin would appear to have the least amount of experience in federal office or as a governor since John W. Kern, Democrat William Jennings Bryan’s 1908 running mate, who had served for four years in the Indiana state Senate and then four more as city solicitor of Indianapolis. The Democratic ticket lost to Republican standard-bearer William Howard Taft and running mate James S. Sherman by an Electoral College spread of 321-162.

The Republican Party, which previously gave us Spiro T. Agnew and Dan Quayle now gives us Sarah Palin. Vice presidential candidates are not likely to make very much difference with regards to the success of a presidential campaign, but it won’t help McCain’s credibility to have to repeatedly defend the choice of Sarah Palin.

1 Comment

  1. 1
    Valdar says:

    Sarah Palin will never answer any questions that she does not want to answer–a simple fact.  Sarah has been offically endorsed by Bush and Cheney and with their political power and monies, the people from Alaska who know her will be afraid–afraid for their jobs, their families jobs, actually afraid–look how some have changed what they have said–but then I might also if the amount of money was sufficent.  Palin is the Trojan Horse put into this race to draw attention away from issues and a workable platform–it seems to be working.  I cannot believe that the media is permitting this to continue, and to now treat Palin with ‘kid gloves’ after her attack on the media.  Internationally, American politics are a joke and we send people to monitor other elections?  I say that this Trojan Horse not be fed but ignored by the media and for everyone to return to how Bush/Cheney have failed the American People and the world.  Other than the American People the other two victims are Bristol and Levi.

1 Trackbacks

Leave a comment