Sarah Palin's Foreign Policy Experience?
Here's my first substantive post. I saw a piece in the paper today and just have to dissect this. The story is an AP story, no author attributed, it appeared in the 9-19-08 Morning Call, page A5. I don't want anyone saying I did not attribute this. :-)
Small headline in the paper -- "GOP Sen. Hagel says Palin isn't qualified." The article is quoting Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as saying Sarah Palin lacks foreign policy experience and it is a stretch to say she is qualified to be president. The article also says that Sen. McCain and other Republicans have defended Gov. Palin's qualifications and cite Alaska's proximity to Russia.
Now let's go through this story.
First, if lacking foreign policy experience renders one unqualified to be President then shouldn't Sen. Hagel also be saying that Sen. Barak Obama is not qualified to be president? After all Sen. Obama actually is running for President. Gov. Palin is just a Vice Presidential nominee.
Second, let's say the McCain/Palin ticket is elected and a tragedy happens which leads to Gov. Palin becoming president. Under our Constitution she can name a VP. Why wouldn't we suppose that she'd pick someone who can offset her weakness in foreign policy experience, the same way Sen. Barak Obama picked Sen. Joe Biden to overcome his lack of foreign policy experience?
Third, Sen. Hagel mentions the fact that Gov. Palin just got a passport as one of the reasons she lacks foreign policy experience. Does that mean then that since neither of the Democrat candidates has ever visited Alaska those candidates are unqualified to comment on drilling in Alaska? Which area do you feel is more important for a candidate to have experience right now -- energy policy or foreign policy?
Fourth, isn't it true that Sen. Obama was critical of the Iraq war before he ever went to Iraq? If we follow the logic of Sen. Hagel's comments, then Sen. Obama's comments on Iraq before he went there were without merit. It is interesting to note that Sen. Obama's comments on Iraq have become more moderate since he actually went there and met some of the troops and the US commanders.
Finally a comment about the remark that Sen. McCain and other Republicans cite Alaska's nearness to Russsia when defending Gov. Palin on this point. Are they really saying that? Oh puhhhleeeeaaaze! That is just ridiculous. Just admit that the Governor's experience on Foreign Policy is just a bit behind Sen. Obama's and move on to discussing the strengths she brings to the ticket and how those compliment Sen. McCain's strengths.
Governor Palin's strengths are on domestic issues and, the last I checked, the US economy is a more important issue right now than any foreign policy issue, and that will be true for at least the first year of any new administration.
Small headline in the paper -- "GOP Sen. Hagel says Palin isn't qualified." The article is quoting Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as saying Sarah Palin lacks foreign policy experience and it is a stretch to say she is qualified to be president. The article also says that Sen. McCain and other Republicans have defended Gov. Palin's qualifications and cite Alaska's proximity to Russia.
Now let's go through this story.
First, if lacking foreign policy experience renders one unqualified to be President then shouldn't Sen. Hagel also be saying that Sen. Barak Obama is not qualified to be president? After all Sen. Obama actually is running for President. Gov. Palin is just a Vice Presidential nominee.
Second, let's say the McCain/Palin ticket is elected and a tragedy happens which leads to Gov. Palin becoming president. Under our Constitution she can name a VP. Why wouldn't we suppose that she'd pick someone who can offset her weakness in foreign policy experience, the same way Sen. Barak Obama picked Sen. Joe Biden to overcome his lack of foreign policy experience?
Third, Sen. Hagel mentions the fact that Gov. Palin just got a passport as one of the reasons she lacks foreign policy experience. Does that mean then that since neither of the Democrat candidates has ever visited Alaska those candidates are unqualified to comment on drilling in Alaska? Which area do you feel is more important for a candidate to have experience right now -- energy policy or foreign policy?
Fourth, isn't it true that Sen. Obama was critical of the Iraq war before he ever went to Iraq? If we follow the logic of Sen. Hagel's comments, then Sen. Obama's comments on Iraq before he went there were without merit. It is interesting to note that Sen. Obama's comments on Iraq have become more moderate since he actually went there and met some of the troops and the US commanders.
Finally a comment about the remark that Sen. McCain and other Republicans cite Alaska's nearness to Russsia when defending Gov. Palin on this point. Are they really saying that? Oh puhhhleeeeaaaze! That is just ridiculous. Just admit that the Governor's experience on Foreign Policy is just a bit behind Sen. Obama's and move on to discussing the strengths she brings to the ticket and how those compliment Sen. McCain's strengths.
Governor Palin's strengths are on domestic issues and, the last I checked, the US economy is a more important issue right now than any foreign policy issue, and that will be true for at least the first year of any new administration.
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