Is Sarah Palin qualified to be President of the United States?

[minionofmidas]

My newspaper pretends that this pick was a big surprise.

When she was listed on all the shortlists, and the only reason I didn't think it likely was that it seemed too obvious, including too obviously pandering.

[minionofmidas]

It does not appear that she is.  Palin's resume seems similar to that of Tim Kaine except the state she governs is even smaller.  I was opposed to a Kaine selection by Obama.  She is going to have to do some serious cramming to get up to speed on foreign policy/national security and I just don't think she has the time.  Biden will kill her on this issue during the debates. 

Palin's level of information is not going to be lower than your average voter's.

[minionofmidas]

It does not appear that she is.  Palin's resume seems similar to that of Tim Kaine except the state she governs is even smaller.  I was opposed to a Kaine selection by Obama.  She is going to have to do some serious cramming to get up to speed on foreign policy/national security and I just don't think she has the time.  Biden will kill her on this issue during the debates. 

Palin's level of information is not going to be lower than your average voter's.

It doesn't matter.  Voters will see from her biography that she has little background on the issue and if she makes misstatements on foreign policy, the media will make sure people know.  It will reinforce the perception that she is out of her league on national security.  Kaine would have come under the same scrutiny.

Kaine is a Democrat.
If it didn't sink Bush, for chrissakes, it won't hurt a runningmate of McCain's.

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Ah, that may be true.
Anyways. We'll see.

[minionofmidas]

It does not appear that she is.  Palin's resume seems similar to that of Tim Kaine except the state she governs is even smaller.  I was opposed to a Kaine selection by Obama.  She is going to have to do some serious cramming to get up to speed on foreign policy/national security and I just don't think she has the time.  Biden will kill her on this issue during the debates. 

Palin's level of information is not going to be lower than your average voter's.

It doesn't matter.  Voters will see from her biography that she has little background on the issue and if she makes misstatements on foreign policy, the media will make sure people know.  It will reinforce the perception that she is out of her league on national security.  Kaine would have come under the same scrutiny.

Kaine is a Democrat.
If it didn't sink Bush, for chrissakes, it won't hurt a runningmate of McCain's.

U.S. Politics in 2008 is a completely different political environment from 2000, when Bush first ran.  And McCain is 72 years old, so the abilities of his successor are more of a consideration than usual.

Should theoretically be. Not sure they will be.

[minionofmidas]

We tend to hold our leaders to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.

Prior to 2007, she had only visited one international country, Ireland (according to her press secretary).  Canada was not mentioned. 

Palin was born in Northern Idaho and spent her early childhood in Skagway AK, so avoiding a visit to Canada would be no mean feat.

[minionofmidas]

ut being a rural mayor and, let's face it, governor for a good chunk of her adult life, her odds aren't great.

Don't see why being a rural mayor would be any more of a problem in that area than a city one. It's not as though urban (and suburban) local politicians are especially noted for their lack of parochialism.

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I grew up in a row of converted agricultural labourers cottages in the middle of nowhere, next to a minor road and lots of fields (mostly used for grazing sheep).

Wasilla isn't "rural" really. By northeastern standards certainly, but by Alaskan standards that's suburbia.

[minionofmidas]

ut being a rural mayor and, let's face it, governor for a good chunk of her adult life, her odds aren't great.

Don't see why being a rural mayor would be any more of a problem in that area than a city one. It's not as though urban (and suburban) local politicians are especially noted for their lack of parochialism.

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I grew up in a row of converted agricultural labourers cottages in the middle of nowhere, next to a minor road and lots of fields (mostly used for grazing sheep).

Wasilla isn't "rural" really. By northeastern standards certainly, but by Alaskan standards that's suburbia.

Is Wasilla near Anchorage then?

Quite so.

This is a map of the State Senate district Wasilla is in.



That grey line in the south is the Anchorage City boundary (note that the continuous urban built-up area of Anchorage lies slightly outside the map to the southwest, though). West-east extension of this map is 65 miles.