Friday, September 12, 2008
Two questions after the interview
Q1. Is it just me or was the “hubris” question astonishing for its, er, hubris? And if it's an acceptable question, then he'd better ask Obama and Biden whether they displayed hubris in thinking they could run considering that Obama's experience is pretty thin and Biden's is entirely as a member of the Senate, hardly a place where one learns how to manage budgets and people.
There's not much in the way of job training for the White House, when it comes right down to it. This year there are two oldish guys running who have a heck of a lot of experience though only as senators and two youngish people running who each have very little experience, the weaknesses differing but perhaps balancing each other out. Ergo, the question - and concern - is every bit as germane for Obama.
Just as a point of comparison, keep in mind that the revered and adored JFK had spent almost four years in the Navy and thirteen years in the Senate when he ran for the presidency. Not even as much as Obama or Palin. Hmmm.
Q2. Why is Palin practically the only focus of attention and questioning? Is it because the journalists didn't see her coming? (I did, but I don't register on their radar.) Because I wonder why they've decided to grill just this one v.p. candidate within an inch of all our lives? Is anyone grilling Biden? If history books and my memory serve, no one grilled or even paid much attention to Garner, Wallace, Truman, Barkley (who?), Nixon, Johnson, Humphrey, Agnew, Ford, Rockefeller, Mondale, Bush the elder, Quayle, Gore or Cheney, did they? Not to mention Biden.
So, please. ENOUGH. Let's discuss ISSUES. Remember them? The things that actually matter in terms of who we elect? Please.
| Obama (running for president) 14 years' experience — 4 as director of Developing Communities Project, 1 as Project Vote director, 6 as an Illinois state senator, 3 as a U.S. senator | | McCain (running for president) 50 years' experience — 7 in the Navy, 3 as Navy liaison to the Senate, 4 as a U.S. represenative, 21 as U.S. senator | | Biden (running for vice president) 38 years' experience — 1.5 as a corporate lawyer, 1.5 as a Delaware County councilman, 35 as a U.S. senator | | Palin (running for vice president) 15 years' experience — 2 as a sportscaster, 3 as a city councilman, 4 as mayor, 2 as chair of a gas & oil commission, 2 as chair of an ethics committee, 2 as governor |
Just as a point of comparison, keep in mind that the revered and adored JFK had spent almost four years in the Navy and thirteen years in the Senate when he ran for the presidency. Not even as much as Obama or Palin. Hmmm.
Q2. Why is Palin practically the only focus of attention and questioning? Is it because the journalists didn't see her coming? (I did, but I don't register on their radar.) Because I wonder why they've decided to grill just this one v.p. candidate within an inch of all our lives? Is anyone grilling Biden? If history books and my memory serve, no one grilled or even paid much attention to Garner, Wallace, Truman, Barkley (who?), Nixon, Johnson, Humphrey, Agnew, Ford, Rockefeller, Mondale, Bush the elder, Quayle, Gore or Cheney, did they? Not to mention Biden.
So, please. ENOUGH. Let's discuss ISSUES. Remember them? The things that actually matter in terms of who we elect? Please.
Labels: 2008 election, politics, tv
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