# Sarah Palin - McCain's stroke of genius? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 2, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683 "2008-09-02T14:58:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Enlightened\_Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e79b87/32.png) [@Enlightened\_Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightened_Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/41 "2008-09-02T18:57:49Z")
(left eye brow raised, right eye shut) Say what? Conspiracy theory??? Hmmmm!!! How about McCain just dies in office. That could conceivably happen. The guy doesn’t look in the best of health. After reading her bio off Wikepedia, I’d have to remark that if she becomes POTUS, God help our enemies. She’s a real ball buster. Bottom line. Barrack & Joe will be going to the White House next January so anything you think about McCain & Palin is just Dust In The Wind. > [@Quartz](#): > > Ooh! The first thread in the new GD! > > Anyway, I’m in conspiracy mode. Some time ago I wondered if McCain intended serving a full term. Now I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. Consider that the troops will be out of Iraq in 2011. McCain retires on a high, and Palin takes over, becoming the first female POTUS. > > How say you all? ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/42 "2008-09-02T18:58:26Z")
It’s hard for me to imagine a campaign director saying to McCain, “Let’s pick a running mate who shares our opponent’s greatest weakness, to serve as a negative example to remind people how serious that weakness is!” It may work out that way, but I really don’t believe that people make political decisions that way. When a major national election is on the line, you don’t go with a perverse gotcha strategy. The McCain camp probably did figure that Palin’s inexperience was neutralized by Obama’s–i.e., he wouldn’t be able to attack her on that issue–but they would not have chosen her _because_ of her inexperience. You nominate someone for office because of her strengths, not her weaknesses. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/43 "2008-09-02T18:59:15Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > Except it’s pretty clear she wasn’t fully vetted. There are too many reports filtering back from Alaska that say otherwise. Things like Republican leaders saying “no … no one from the McCain campaign ever contacted me”. Or the fact that the first people to look into the archive of Palin’s hometown paper were from the Obama campaign. > > The McCain campaign is screwed. All the good press they should be getting from the convention has been drowned out by Gustav and the Palin controversies. But if they dump her the fundamentalist base will go absolutely apeshit. McCain is stuck with her. And like a cinderblock tied around his neck she’s going to drag him steadily down, down, down. Trust me-she was vetted. Short of a stupid ray hitting Those Who Does The Pickin’, you can’t convince me that experts in finding scandal wouldn’t bother looking through _that_ microscope. I’m betting archives and records have been searched over the net anonymously over the last 6 months, spaced out to show no pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/44 "2008-09-02T19:03:08Z")
> [@George\_Kaplin](#): > > I agree with you. Unfortunately, a great many right-wing voters I’ve talked to don’t. A lot of right wingers couldn’t give two hoots about Obama’s stellar educational acumen and moreover consider legislators to be the absolute scum of the earth. What matters to them, and why they’re so happy with Palin, is that she has executive experience. So according to these “right wingers”, the fact that I was president of my son’s parent owned preschool means that I automatically have “executive experience”, and am therefore more qualified than Obama? Is that about right? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/45 "2008-09-02T19:03:14Z")
If it weren’t so serious an issue, it would be comical, that anyone could look at the experience of Sarah Palin compared to Barack Obama and try to spin it that she is more qualified for the _either_ position – Vice President or President (which she’s also “interviewing” for, as required by the Constitution for her to step in). And the flat out refusal to acknowledge the year and a half of running and managing his campaign as “executive experience” is ridiculous and disingenuous. What the hell do they think he’s been doing, painting his toenails in the background? As he told Anderson Cooper last night, (I believe this refers to her time as Mayor, not her current governorship) she oversaw a staff of about 50 employees, he oversees 2,500. He manages a budget, monthly, that is three _times_ the size of her _annual_ budget. How that is not “executive experience” is beyond my comprehension. Then, let’s look at their resumes. PALIN: BA degree in journalism - U of Idaho Wasilla, Alaska, City Council - 1992-1996 (4 years) Wasilla, Alaska, Mayor - 1996-2002 Ran for Lt. Gov. 2002 - lost Gov of Alaska - 2006-current, 20 months (state pop: 1/5 that of Chicago) =================================== OBAMA: Occidental College - 2 years Columbia U - BA degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations Worked at Business International Corporation Chicago Community Organizer - 3 years Harvard Law School - Juris Doctor, President of Harvard Law Review (first year), Graduated Magna \_Cum Laude Lawyer - Sidley & Austin Law Firm, Chicago U of Chicago Law School - Constitutional law teacher 12 years: Lecturer for four years (1992-1996), Senior Lecturer for eight years (1996-2004). Wrote 2 best-selling books Civil Rights Attorney - 1993-1996- Associate, of counsel- 1996-2004 Illinois State Senate: 1998-2004 - 3 terms US Senate - 2004-Current; Committees: Foreign Relations, Vet Affairs, Envir and Public Works, European Affairs Presidential Campaign - 19 months It’s not even _close_. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/46 "2008-09-02T19:03:33Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > It is debatable whether Obama or Palin has more relevant experience, however Obama is running against McCain. If the debate is about change Obama wins, if the debate is about experience McCain wins. This is incorrect. If the debate is about experience, McCain now loses. He can’t say Obama’s not ready without admitting that he made an inadequate Veep choice. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/47 "2008-09-02T19:06:46Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > You’re right ONLY if her level of experience is not questioned. Once the VP’s experience is questioned and said to be lacking, the 100x enlargement mirror shines right on your golden boy. It’s rather quite brilliant. > > Oh, and also. If her experience is left off the table, to save Obama the embarrassment of then being compared to McCain, then McCain has a new rallying cry: Change. And he is the one who rightly deserves to use it. It’s double-brilliant. I really don’t think McCain can take the “change” slogan away from Obama, no matter who he runs with. As you said, Obama is running against McCain, and McCain is still an old Washington man, and still a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/48 "2008-09-02T19:06:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Trust me-she was vetted. Why should I trust you? Do you have access to some super-secret information about the inner workings of the McCain campaign that the rest of us aren’t privy to? > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m betting archives and records have been searched over the net anonymously over the last 6 months, spaced out to show no pattern. There’s only so much you can Google. For example, most of the back issues of her hometown paper aren’t online. You have to physically go to the archives. And the McCain campaign didn’t do that. They also didn’t interview any senior political or business leaders in Alaska to get their take on the pick. You might not believe it, but the evidence is piling up that the McCain campaign really was that stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/49 "2008-09-02T19:07:10Z")
OK, let’s say McCain has the experience issue. What he doesn’t have is the judgement issue, the temperment issue and the priorities issue as this VP candidate clearly shows. Experience is meaingless if you gain nothing from it. I mean, experience is such a nonsense criteria in this context. NO ONE has the experience to be POTUS, what we can judge candidaites onis their reccord, their decisionmaking, thier intelligence, their judgement, etc. What o nGod’s Green Earth is the evidence that McCain’s experience has in any way qualified him for POTUS? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/50 "2008-09-02T19:07:44Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > You’re right ONLY if her level of experience is not questioned. Once the VP’s experience is questioned and said to be lacking, the 100x enlargement mirror shines right on your golden boy. See, that’s just it. It does no such thing. Obama actually is qualified. Palin’s qualifications are not comparable. Trying to equate Obama to Palin in terms of experience is just GOP talking point bullshit and everybody knows it, including those who are slinging it. I hear that off the record, a lot of the Republican Party bigwigs are seething over this choice. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/51 "2008-09-02T19:18:17Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > **Diogenes:** > Whatever the merits of your other points, this is incorrect: Palin also served on the Wasilla City Council for several years, and I assume that was an elected position. And she was head of the Alaska oil and gas commisson for a year. She’s spent two years as Governor, managing an 11 billion dollar budget and 15,000 employees. If she were a man, this issue would not be coming up. It’s despicable. Let’s look at some other Democrats who have run for office or been President, who didn’t get the snickering ‘no experience’ label: - John Edwards. When he ran in 2004, he was in the middle of his first, very undistinguished Senate term. He had NO other politcal experience, and no executive experience. No foreign policy experience, either. And what’s worse, he was on Gore’s short list for VP candidate in 2000, when he’d had a grand total of about a year in politics. - Jimmy Carter. When he ran for President, his resume wasn’t even as good as Palin’s - he was a one-term Governor of Georgia, and his main claim to fame was that he was a peanut farmer. - Barack Obama. People now like to tout his 18-month campaign as ‘executive experience’ comparable to being a governor, which is fairly ridiculous. But even if it weren’t. he sure didn’t have it when he announced his candidacy. No one on the left complained about his experience then, and two years ago all he had to show for his experience was a few years in the Illinois state senate and a couple of years in the U.S. Senate. Let’s compare again to Palin: Two terms on city council. Two terms as a mayor. A year as the chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas commission. Also, the ethics commissioner on the Oil and Gas commission. Current Governor of Alaska. Now, I don’t think this is a particularly thick resume. But the point is that plenty of other candidates for and holders of the Presidency have had resumes not much better or even worse - including Barack Obama. So I can only conclude that thsi much wailing and gnashing of teeth over her ‘obvious lack of qualification’ comes from one of two things - sexism, or the uncomfortable knowledge that your own candidate is somewhat lacking in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/52 "2008-09-02T19:20:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Trust me-she was vetted. Short of a stupid ray hitting Those Who Does The Pickin’, you can’t convince me that experts in finding scandal wouldn’t bother looking through _that_ microscope. I’m betting archives and records have been searched over the net anonymously over the last 6 months, spaced out to show no pattern. This [NT Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?ref=us) article suggests that she wasn’t thoroughly vetted. It suggests that McCain’s first and second choices were properly vetted, but they were dropped from consideration at the last minute. As a result, he was left scrambling to find a replacement to counter the momentum of the Democrat’s convention. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/53 "2008-09-02T19:21:03Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So according to these “right wingers”, the fact that I was president of my son’s parent owned preschool means that I automatically have “executive experience”, and am therefore more qualified than Obama? Is that about right? From what I’m seeing slung around (like monkeys around a monolith), you’re more qualified than McCain, too, since you have “elected executive experience”. -Joe ---
**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:** [September 2, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/54 "2008-09-02T19:24:27Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] If she were a man, this issue would not be coming up. It’s despicable. [/QUOTE] (looking back on all of the posts questioning Obama’s qualifications, including those posted by you) Nope. Were she a man this NEVER would’ve happened. ;rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/55 "2008-09-02T19:25:16Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Anyway, I’m in conspiracy mode. Some time ago I wondered if McCain intended serving a full term. Now I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. Consider that the troops will be out of Iraq in 2011. McCain retires on a high, and Palin takes over, becoming the first female POTUS. > > How say you all? This is a ridiculous theory. People don’t run for President just so they can quit. After eight years of people inventing theories like this for Cheney, I didn’t think they’d immediately start doing it for McCain, but here we are. My crazy theory is that McCain is running for President because he wants to be President. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/56 "2008-09-02T19:30:28Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > This is incorrect. If the debate is about experience, McCain now loses. He can’t say Obama’s not ready without admitting that he made an inadequate Veep choice. If this is true then Obama can not claim to have good judgement because he choose Biden who voted for the Iraq war. By your reasoning since he has no experience , no acccomplishments, and no judgement , there are no reasons to vote for him. Unlike most of the people in this I remember back when Dan Quayle was thought by many to be unqualified and he had more that a decade more experience in national office than Obama does. I don’t think McCain was counting on this debate to happen but he must be over the moon about how it has played out. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/57 "2008-09-02T19:31:23Z")
If she were a man, she would never have been chosen. Attempts to puff up her record and argue with a straight face that she’s anywhere near as qualified as Obama are laughable, and would still be laughable if she had a penis instead of a vagina. I would have said the same thing if Obama had chosen Tim Kaine as his Veep. I was very worried he would do that and was relieved when he didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/58 "2008-09-02T19:31:52Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Let’s look at some other Democrats who have run for office or been President, who didn’t get the snickering ‘no experience’ label: > > - John Edwards. When he ran in 2004, he was in the middle of his first, very undistinguished Senate term. He had NO other politcal experience, and no executive experience. No foreign policy experience, either. And what’s worse, he was on Gore’s short list for VP candidate in 2000, when he’d had a grand total of about a year in politics. > > - Jimmy Carter. When he ran for President, his resume wasn’t even as good as Palin’s - he was a one-term Governor of Georgia, and his main claim to fame was that he was a peanut farmer. > > - Barack Obama. People now like to tout his 18-month campaign as ‘executive experience’ comparable to being a governor, which is fairly ridiculous. But even if it weren’t. he sure didn’t have it when he announced his candidacy. No one on the left complained about his experience then, and two years ago all he had to show for his experience was a few years in the Illinois state senate and a couple of years in the U.S. Senate. You think Edwards, Obama, and Carter _didn’t_ get labeled as inexperienced? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/59 "2008-09-02T19:34:26Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > If this is true then Obama can not claim to have good judgement because he choose Biden who voted for the Iraq war. He voted for it initially, but came around against it (he was taken in by Bush’s cooked intelligence), and he was chosen for his expience and credentials. Palin was chosen for nothing but her vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683/60 "2008-09-02T19:34:48Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (looking back on all of the posts questioning Obama’s qualifications, including those posted by you) Nope. Were she a man this NEVER would’ve happened. ;rolleyes: I think it’s fair to question someone’s experience. It’s fair to question Palin’s. I myself have said that her resume is pretty thin. What I’m talking about are the over-the-top sneers about how _obviously_ unqualified she is, so much so that picking indicates that McCain has no judgment whatsoever. We had Shayna calling her ‘Princess’, and people saying she’s an absolute joke of a pick. She may or may not be qualified. But her qualifications aren’t so different from those of other major candidates that she warrants being treated as a joke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-palin-mccains-stroke-of-genius/461683.md?page=4)