Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

[Michael]

Hm, well it's tough to argue with that. Thanks for the clarification, pops.

[JL21]

I doubt the voters really care about the VP experience issue. It's not uncommon for a presidential candidate to pick a fresh up and coming politician. On the other hand, the possible lack of vetting and cynical reasons for the pick are upsetting.

Nuh-uh. Experience definitely preferred.

1960 Kennedy picked Johnson -- Nixon picked Henry Cabot Lodge

1964 Johnson picked Humphrey -- Goldwater picked Miller

1968 Humphrey picked Muskie -- Nixon picked Agnew

1972 McGovern picked Shriver* -- Nixon/Agnew

* after disastrous Eagleton pick

1976 Carter picked Mondale -- Ford picked Dole

1980 Carter picked Mondale -- Reagan picked Bush the Elder

1984 Mondale picked Ferraro -- Reagan/Bush the Elder

1988 Dukakis picked Bentsen -- Bush picked Quayle (very much the exception here)

1992 Clinton picked Gore -- Bush/Quayle

1996 Clinton/Gore -- Dole picked Kemp

2000 Gore picked Lieberman (ugh!) -- Bush the Younger picked Cheney

2004 Kerry picked Edwards -- Bush/Cheney

Pretty much all of these picks are experienced, Beltway insiders.

Never before has a more eloquent, thought-filled and thought-provoking post started with "Nuh-uh".

[wart57]

But isn't the vice presidency kind of like being the backup first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals? I mean it is a cool title to have and all but in actuality, you are gonna have a lot of time on your hands. I mean heck Gore had enough free time to invent the internet for cryin out loud.....

[KyCardinalFan]

Here's where I see the differences in experience for Palin and Obama.

Obama came onto the world stage during the convention in 2004. Even then people were saying he could run for president someday. Palin came onto the world stage last Friday. Some tv hosts were asking how to correctly pronounce her name.

The American people had a chance to "vet" Obama, along with the other Democratic candidates, for at least 19 months. McCain's people vetted Palin the day before the announcement.

Palin's been governor for 1-1/2 years. Obama has no executive experience. Obama has been a member of the Senate committee of foreign relations, Palin doesn't have foreign policy experience.

To me, the reason why it also matters for a VP to have experience, is because either one of these people could become president.

[Radbird]

GOP to have its share of stars, too


I wonder if Leroy is there as Charlie's fiddler???

[Michael]

I can't believe the McCain national spokesperson had the audacity to write the following headline:

Ignore the Chauvinists. Palin Has Real Experience.


It's so transparent and sleazy.

[docellis]

i really didn't care who won (at all) until Palin was picked.

[Richie Allen]

i really didn't care who won (at all) until Palin was picked.

You're such a chauvinist!

[stlouie_lipp]

Palin is getting crushed by the media. The pregnancy thing is funny, but doesn't have any consequence to me because it's just another Republican hypocrite.

How does her daughter getting pregnant make her a hypocrite?

[MrSaigon]

Palin is getting crushed by the media. The pregnancy thing is funny, but doesn't have any consequence to me because it's just another Republican hypocrite.

How does her daughter getting pregnant make her a hypocrite?

I just love the way the Democrats run a hypocricy free party. I also find less humor in teenage pregnancy than Snayke, though I do see a bit of irony here. My parents raised me not to drink and I go out sometimes, does that make my parents failures?