Krauthammer doesn't like it.
Obama was sagging because of missteps that reflected the fundamental weakness of his candidacy. Which suggested McCain's strategy: Make this a referendum on Obama, surely the least experienced, least qualified, least prepared presidential nominee in living memory.
Palin fatally undermines this entire line of attack. This is through no fault of her own. It is simply a function of her rookie status. The vice president's only constitutional duty of any significance is to become president at a moment's notice. Palin is not ready. Nor is Obama. But with Palin, the case against Obama evaporates.
Interesting, but there are two significant fallacies in those paragraphs.
IIRC, Charles, the election is for a President, not a Vice-President. (First graf.)
In the second graf, Charles asserts that "Palin is not ready" [to assume the Presidency.] That's an assertion with scant foundation. Two words: Harry Truman.
It's possible that Krauthammer simply thinks that only Washington Insiders could possibly become Presidents. That's a thesis which requires a lot of defense--more than Charles could possibly deliver.
The experience thing is not a very good indicator anyway. Judgment is a much more important indicator.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Obama is not his lack of executive experience, but his total lack of judgment in who he associates with and his radical ideas. If he had been a Governor or a Mayor likely it wouldn't have impacted his moral problems and lack of insight. Gov. Clinton's executive experience certainly didn't overcome his liabilities.
Bush 41 had about the perfect resume with experience and foreign policy wise and it did not make him a great president. If anything his experience made him more likely to compromise and not to hold firm.
So I never thought hitting Obama on experience was the best way, hit him on his judgment, association, and radical ideas.
As for Palin I am much more likely to trust her judgment on matters than many other people who have even more executive experience than the ample executive experience she does have. Ridge had more exec experience than her, but I wouldn't trust him at all.
To paraphrase Buckley, I would rather be ruled by anybody in the phonebook at Wasilla, then pretty much anybody in the phonebook in D.C.