How Dare They!

How can those who are supposed to be savvy about politics argue that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin takes experience off the table as an argument against Barack?

Here's the interesting tactical reality - Sarah Palin is brilliant as a choice for VP because she puts experience on the table. Let the whole country start talking qualifications - the last thing Barack wants voters contemplating is appropriate levels of experience for Prez or VP.

Remember this line from Barack's speech the other night?

If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

See, it's not John McCain who wants to have a debate on temperment and judgment, it's Barack Obama. That's a debate he's ready to have because it shifts the focus away from his resume problems. Whenever the conversation turns to experience, Republicans win.

So why do we read those silly editorials saying that Palin's experience is a problem for McCain? Here are three separate editorials excerpted in the gleeful Daily Kos. First up - the Denver Post.

Yes, John McCain, who argues with a straight face that Barack Obama's 12 years in the Illinois legislature and U.S. Senate aren't enough to qualify him to run for president, has picked a running mate who just two years ago was serving as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 5,470.

And - two years ago Barack had wrapped up his first year as a U.S. Senator before abandoning his post to run for President! Did he even have a key to the men's room yet? Here's another editorial:

Palin, 44, with less than two years as governor and no foreign policy experience, can't be sold as ready to step into the presidency if called upon.

Funny how important foreign policy is, all of a sudden, for a VP -- but not a problem to elect someone who's only been a state senator and a no-show U.S. senator as president.

The Republican presidential candidate has emphasized the importance of military and national security issues, and taken shots at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, for having only four years of experience in the U.S. Senate. Yet McCain now suggests that someone halfway through her first term as governor is "exactly who this country needs" only one step away from the presidency.

Sarah Palin is the only one of the four candidates who has actually run a government - and she's run two governments. It wasn't that long ago we wouldn't even consider electing Senators to the White House - remember?

Scroll down one post to see the lame new ad Barack is running in response to Palin, and you'll see how determined the Obama campaign is not to attack Palin's credentials. He doesn't want to talk experience, and, of course, who wants to be accused of hitting a girl?

Central Casting

An impressive first shot at Sarah Palin, who seems about as perfect a candidate as one can imagine, but for her lack of experience. Her resume is better than Barack's, though, so any attacks on her experience will only force a closer look at Barack's lack of qualifications for President.

After all, Palin is going for the second position, and she has management experience. Barack's never run anything, and rather than serve in the U.S. Senate he left the people of Illinois unrepresented as soon as he arrived in Washington so he could seek the presidency.

Her speech today was a fine one - on first glance a powerful addition to the McCain campaign that must have the Obama folks reeling.


But here's the contrast where Barack really suffers. He's an ideas guy - a philosopher/poet who captures the imagination, but shows no interest in actually doing anything to achieve change. Palin's story is the opposite - a woman who in her gut is offended by mismanagement and corruption, and steps outside of life as a normal American to fight to fix what's broken.

A thinker vs. a doer. It's a good story line for the GOP to emphasize.

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that the Obama campaign misfired in its first response, sending off an email attacking Palin's lack of experience. In the second missive, they applauded the breaking of barriers.