# Pailin worse than Quayle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092 "2008-10-15T21:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/61 "2008-10-17T17:27:46Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > At least she can spell. > > Hint, hint. I can’t believe it took so long for someone to get the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/62 "2008-10-17T18:38:28Z")
At the moment Palins cluelessness and absurd answers to political questions cant harm anything important in the real world. But even just as V.P. her standard of performance will at best arouse contempt if shes ever put into the position of speaking to world leaders. At worst ? God knows what serious problems she’ll cause both the U.S. and the Western, liberal democracies when she tries to fake it in discussions. It would be comforting to believe that she might have learned a little at least about basic issues by then and that damage limitation could be looked after by the army of intelligent, well informed advisors that would surround her. But she has them now,that plus a serious incentive to educate herself, getting elected for a start. But she comes across like a high school student who is too dumb or too lazy to prepare for the coming exams but instead thinks that she’ll get through by popularity and conning the examiners. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/63 "2008-10-17T22:23:01Z")
Maybe it’s just that Quayle doesn’t have quite the chutzpah, or seem quite so, well, hateful or vindictive as Palin. (Troopergate?) Quayle was more of a joke-Palin’s scary. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/64 "2008-10-18T06:35:25Z")
In other news, [Think Progress reports:](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/17/bush-administration-contacts-obama-mccain-biden-on-iraq-troop-deal-but-snubs-palin/) > [@](#): > > This week, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Joe Biden (D-DE) all were contacted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the Iraq security agreement. > > In today’s White House press briefing, spokesman Dana Perino explained that the adminstration contacted the candidates “to keep them equitably informed.” “One of them is going to win the election, and they will be taking over and having to deal with these issues,” Perino explained. But nobody called Gov. Sarah Palin. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/65 "2008-10-18T07:05:08Z")
Face it, **Shodan** , you are on the **Wrong Side of History**. You are screwed. Anything you say will be laughed out of the courtroom. You may have ignored how screwed you were before, but these days you have bought and paid for your political grave. We libs have been there before, but it’s your turn, muthafucka. ---
**Author:** ![Professor\_So\_And\_So](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Professor\_So\_And\_So](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Professor_So_And_So)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/66 "2008-10-18T08:03:03Z")
I really can’t believe that ANYONE that hears Palin speak (or try to speak) could feel she is even remotely ready for VP. I’m actually surprised that the Alaskan voters gave her a shot at Governor. She’s gotta be the most brain-dead politician I’ve ever seen. Rick Santorum’s dumb ass would have been a better choice, and that guy has a football stadium between his ears. I guess a hockey rink between the ears seemed better to the base. Maybe there is a better echo in hockey rinks? Hopefully there’s a reverse Bradley effect coming soon. When Bush won the 2004 election, I literally had to tune out politics completely just to maintain my sanity for another 4 years of seeing these idiots make a complete mess out of everything. If McCain wins while wearing this dead-behind-the-eyes mouth-breather on his arm, I think I may just have to leave the country. I really, in all seriousness, can’t believe they still have double digit support. Like a lot of others have stated in this thread already, Quayle was obviously in no position to assume the power of the presidency. What made him far better of a choice than Palin is, IMO, was that he knew it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/67 "2008-10-18T13:53:56Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > In other news, [Think Progress reports:](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/17/bush-administration-contacts-obama-mccain-biden-on-iraq-troop-deal-but-snubs-palin/) > > > [@](#): > > > > This week, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Joe Biden (D-DE) all were contacted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the Iraq security agreement. > > > > In today’s White House press briefing, spokesman Dana Perino explained that the adminstration contacted the candidates “to keep them equitably informed.” “One of them is going to win the election, and they will be taking over and having to deal with these issues,” Perino explained. But nobody called Gov. Sarah Palin. Couldn’t that be a function of federal security clearances? McCain, Obama & Biden are all Senators, so presumably they have some level of security clearance for the Executive to be able to share confidential information about national security issues. Governor Palin may not have the same level of clearance under federal law. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/68 "2008-10-18T14:22:19Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Couldn’t that be a function of federal security clearances? McCain, Obama & Biden are all Senators, so presumably they have some level of security clearance for the Executive to be able to share confidential information about national security issues. Governor Palin may not have the same level of clearance under federal law. Which brings me to a weird question: I saw yesterday some loony left mutterings about how Todd Palin wouldn’t be able to get security clearance. So I wondered, what happens if someone is elected (obviously Todd’s not running) who can’t, according to the rules, get security clearance? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/69 "2008-10-18T17:07:01Z")
> [@](#): > > So I wondered, what happens if someone is elected (obviously Todd’s not running) who can’t, according to the rules, get security clearance? I think security clearance comes automatically with some elective offices. If the voters trust you then the CIA or whoever can’t decide not to. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/70 "2008-10-18T20:51:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think security clearance comes automatically with some elective offices. If the voters trust you then the CIA or whoever can’t decide not to. That makes sense on one hand and doesn’t on the other. It doesn’t seem “getting elected” should nullify various rules and guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/71 "2008-10-19T02:19:02Z")
The people run the country not civil servants. Some government employee can’t decide that Bernie Sanders (to give an example) can’t be trusted to be a Senator - the voters of Vermont make that decision. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/72 "2008-10-19T03:54:32Z")
Perhaps using the term _unqualified_ skews the argument. Quayle, a two-term senator, was obviously _qualified_ to be veep. I would say the McCain and Obama are of presidential _caliber_ while Palin, Quayle and Bush II are not. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/73 "2008-10-19T04:02:46Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Perhaps using the term _unqualified_ skews the argument. Quayle, a two-term senator, was obviously _qualified_ to be veep. > > I would say the McCain and Obama are of presidential _caliber_ while Palin, Quayle and Bush II are not. I like the term “unsuited.” ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/74 "2008-10-19T04:03:39Z")
If you can’t spell her name correctly in the thread title, what right do you have to call ignorant? Could you imagine what would happen if Quayle had made a spelling error? Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/75 "2008-10-19T04:20:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I would say the McCain and Obama are of presidential _caliber_ while Palin, Quayle and Bush II are not. Why don’t we try shooting the three of them out of a cannon, and find out? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092/76 "2008-10-19T04:23:31Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I like the term “unsuited.” That works too. It’s silly to equate Palin and Obama because they both have limited _political_ experience. Obama is a serious person, extremely intelligent, a policy wonk and passionate about the possibilities of better government. One can’t say any of those things about Palin. For **Shodan** to use the term “unprepared” in regard to Obama is laughable. This entire campaign was planned out like a two-year long chess match. This isn’t a guy who is going to be caught with his pants down when things go sideways. If limited to one, “prepared” is exactly the word I would use to describe Barack Obama. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pailin-worse-than-quayle/468092.md?page=3)