Experience Doesn’t Matter For the No. 2 On the Ticket—or Does it?

Even after eight years of service in the Illinois State Senate, where he served as chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee; after almost four years of service to the nation in the U.S. Senate, where he served in several committees, including Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, Veterans’ Affairs, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and as Chairman of the Senate’s subcommittee on European Affairs; and after 18 months of the most intense and critical scrutiny while on the campaign trail, Republicans are still saying that they “don’t really know who Barack Obama is.”

Well, after four years of being a Mayor of 9,000-souls-strong Wasilla, Alaska, a stint that resulted in a calamitous $20 million debt; after one year as Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; after 18 months of governorship of a state with fewer people than the State of Delaware; and after two whole days on the campaign trail, please indulge me when I say that we “don’t really know who Sarah Palin is.”

Of course, Republicans have had 18 months to build “their case” against Barack Obama, including tons of mud and sleaze.

Although it is only two days into Palin’s campaign for the Republican Vice-Presidency, there are already several reports and allegations that have surfaced against her:

There are reports that Palin is under state investigation for abusing her power in firing the state Public Safety Commissioner for refusing to dismiss a state trooper involved in a nasty custody dispute with Palin’s sister; and the man hired to replace the Commissioner is already charged with sexual harassment for hugging and kissing his subordinates.

She has sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species—she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska.

Palin is strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest.

Palin thinks creationism should be taught in public schools.

Just about a month ago, Palin said:

But as for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.

But we are not here to probe into those reports and allegations—there is plenty of time for that. Palin’s question as to “what is it exactly that the VP does every day?” brings us back to where we started, Barack Obama’s and Sarah Palin’s relative experiences to be President of the United States.

But, wait, I thought Palin was only running for the vice-presidency.

Or, as Charlie Black, one of McCain’s top advisers is quoted as saying in today’s New York Times: “She’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years…”

Or, as a letter to the editor writer in this morning’s NYT said:

The Republicans’ inexperienced candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, is No. 2 on their ticket. The Democrats’ inexperienced candidate is Senator Barack Obama, who is at the top of the ticket. That’s a world of difference.

But, what if Palin doesn’t have four years to “learn national security at the foot of the master.” What if Charlie Black’s “Master,” God forbid, is not around for four years?

And, what if, considering McCain’s age, his history with skin cancer, and the uncertainties of life, that letter writer’s “world of difference” suddenly and cruelly becomes a “heartbeat of difference” as of day one of a McCain presidency?

What has suddenly happened to the concerns Republicans had about Barack Obama: that the Presidency of the United States is not the time or the place to learn about national security, or how to be a commander-in-chief, or how to deal with an international crisis?

After months of savaging Barack Obama for his alleged inexperience, have those concerns suddenly evaporated now that Republicans are about to nominate for Vice President of the United States, a position a heartbeat away from the presidency, a person with zero national experience, zero national security experience, and zero foreign experience?

“Experience doesn’t matter.” That is exactly the case McCain and Republicans are now making.

Oh, but, as the New York Times reports: “[Ms Alaska] hunts! She fishes! She eats moose burgers! She can gut a salmon as well as dispatch an incumbent governor! She’s a rural mother of five who clings to guns and religion -– exuberantly!”

OK, you got me there.