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On Palin, briefly October 22nd, 2008
Tom Giovanetti
We avoid overt electoral politics at IPI as best we can, so there's not been much on this blog about the personalities involved in the Presidential election.

And we make it clear that political opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers, and not that of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).

That being said, the most fascinating thing about the election to me has been the reaction to Sarah Palin.

I can tell you that, at IPI's offices when we watched her first public speech after being chosen by John McCain, there were literally tears in some eyes around the conference room table. It was astonishing to see such an impressive woman come almost out-of-nowhere onto the national scene and breathe such life and excitement into the campaign.

But others reacted just as viscerally in a negative way.

To those conservatives who have been so critical of Sarah Palin's qualifications and preparedness for office, I must ask: If William F. Buckley would rather have been governed by first 2,000 names in the Boston telephone book than by the Harvard faculty, exactly why do you feel so strongly that Sarah Palin is unqualified for the Vice Presidency?

Are you more elitist than William F. Buckley?

As a voter, my problem with Obama is not his inexperience, but that I disagree with him on the issues. Similarly, Biden may have lots of foreign policy experience, but he's been wrong more often than he's been right--at least in my personal opinion. I disagree with them. It has nothing to do with experience or qualifications.

Similarly, I'm leery of McCain because of his positions on so many issues, and DESPITE of his experience.

I think this is true of others as well. I don't really believe that people's problems with Palin are because of her qualifications or experience. It's beyond dispute that Sarah Palin is not only more qualified and experienced than Obama, but she's more experienced and qualified than almost any other Vice-Presidential candidate in recent memory of either party.

So I don't believe it's about qualifications or experience. I think other dynamics are at work here.

Posted in  Politics  || 0 Comments »
Author: Tom Giovanetti || Location: Lewisville, Texas, USA

 

  
 
October 22nd, 2008

On Palin, briefly

Posted in  Politics 
Author: Tom Giovanetti || Location: Lewisville, Texas, USA

We avoid overt electoral politics at IPI as best we can, so there's not been much on this blog about the personalities involved in the Presidential election.

And we make it clear that political opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers, and not that of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI).

That being said, the most fascinating thing about the election to me has been the reaction to Sarah Palin.

I can tell you that, at IPI's offices when we watched her first public speech after being chosen by John McCain, there were literally tears in some eyes around the conference room table. It was astonishing to see such an impressive woman come almost out-of-nowhere onto the national scene and breathe such life and excitement into the campaign.

But others reacted just as viscerally in a negative way.

To those conservatives who have been so critical of Sarah Palin's qualifications and preparedness for office, I must ask: If William F. Buckley would rather have been governed by first 2,000 names in the Boston telephone book than by the Harvard faculty, exactly why do you feel so strongly that Sarah Palin is unqualified for the Vice Presidency?

Are you more elitist than William F. Buckley?

As a voter, my problem with Obama is not his inexperience, but that I disagree with him on the issues. Similarly, Biden may have lots of foreign policy experience, but he's been wrong more often than he's been right--at least in my personal opinion. I disagree with them. It has nothing to do with experience or qualifications.

Similarly, I'm leery of McCain because of his positions on so many issues, and DESPITE of his experience.

I think this is true of others as well. I don't really believe that people's problems with Palin are because of her qualifications or experience. It's beyond dispute that Sarah Palin is not only more qualified and experienced than Obama, but she's more experienced and qualified than almost any other Vice-Presidential candidate in recent memory of either party.

So I don't believe it's about qualifications or experience. I think other dynamics are at work here.