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2008-08-31 Home Front: Politix

Tale of the Tape: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-08-31 03:05|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Here is the theme that I would like to see pounded home over the next nine weeks, in comparing and contrasting Palin with Obama:

Given where each of them started, upon award of their highest university degree - that is, given the hand of cards they were dealt, upon entering post-academic adult life - what did they EFFECTIVELY accomplish in their public life, up until now.

Obama was dealt pretty good cards - he left prestigious Harvard University with Juris Doctor degree in 1991. Palin graduated from Idaho State University with a BS degree in 1987 - nothing wrong there, but not exactly a classical scenario of great prestige.

Now - with the cards they were dealt - how effectively did the two play their hands?

Obama, with his prestigious Harvard degree - goes back to Chicago - and accomplished exactly what? How is Chicago a better place to live or do business - because of the influence of Barak Obama? Did he inspire great strides in education? In housing? In nutrition, or public health? What - exactly - did he cause to happen - through his own application of energy and drive? I have yet to hear of anything. I understand that he administered (via the Annenberg Challenge) huge amounts of money and several years of time on education reform - with the result of virtually no improvement. I understand that he played a role in the creation of what ended up as virtually slum housing. With his high-powered Harvard graduate degree - he accomplished virtually nothing for his community. What he did do was endear himself to a Democratic Chicago political machine, that took good care of him. But - he generated virtually zilch in the way of community betterment.

Then we turn to Sarah Palin. Taking the cards she was dealt, she headed back to Alaska, and - starting at the bottom - starting cleaning things up and bringing about serious change. She did not do this with the enthusiastic help of a polished political machine behind her. Instead - like a salmon battling its way upstream - she had to fight tooth an nail for every success. She lowered property tax rates, fought corruption, improved tax revenues from the oil industry, and drove home an international agreement with Canada to put in place a major energy pipeline to carry petro energy to the lower 48 states.

In every way that I can see, Obama appears to have taken the enormous advanatage that he started with - and done virtually squat with it. Palin took an average set of cards, and leveraged it to accomplish a substantial string of noteworthy accomplishments.

So - based on personal history - which one is most likely to take whatever he or she starts with, and generate meaningful improvement for the community (nation) that elects him/her?

My money would be on Palin. She has no enormous, ravenous hometown political machine to pay back. She can get on with what is best for the country.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2008-08-31 08:31|| 2008-08-31 08:31|| Front Page Top

#2 Palin is a real life person. That is the kind of experience that is most needed in Washington. There are FAR too many careerist politicians that are just biden their time cloistered in the echo chamber beltway groupthink. Conventional wisdom has it that only THEY are experienced enough to rule. That is incorrect. A real person, with real principles, one who instinctively knows right and wrong can learn all the briefing book stuff. Compare that to policy wonks at the State Department.

I am totally comfortable with Sarah Palin, lifetime member of the NRA, ability and experience to lead should need arise.

Posted by Slats Glans2659 2008-08-31 08:52|| 2008-08-31 08:52|| Front Page Top

#3 "There are FAR too many careerist politicians that are just biden their time cloistered in the echo chamber beltway groupthink."

*snort*

Good one, slats. That's gonna leave a mark.... :-D

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-08-31 11:46|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-08-31 11:46|| Front Page Top

#4 you mean like McCain?

Posted by Pliny Sleash8027 2008-08-31 11:49|| 2008-08-31 11:49|| Front Page Top

#5 Barack Obama chaired the Harvard Law Review but didn't write a signed article for it.

He was a senior lecturer at a top 5 law school but didn't write a single, scholarly article.

He was a community organizer in a poor region of a major city, but didn't contribute to correcting a single major problem.

He chaired an educational reform foundation but didn't reform education where it was desperately needed.

He was a state senator who didn't sponsor a single major piece of legislation.

He is a sitting U.S. Senator but hasn't sponsored a single major piece of legislation.

Someone (Pliny?) point to me one substantial thing Barack Obama has done -- one thing I can point out to others. A school, a park, a major reform, a major bill, something.

You can't.

Posted by Steve White 2008-08-31 16:12|| 2008-08-31 16:12|| Front Page Top

#6 well said, Steve.

Posted by Betty Grating2215 2008-08-31 16:17|| 2008-08-31 16:17|| Front Page Top

#7 Sarah Palin is, in hindsight, the perfect outside pick by the McMaverick. Meanwhile, the highly vocal and glib candidate of supposed "CHANGE" settles for a careerist hack like Biden. ROTFLMAO

Posted by Slats Glans2659 2008-08-31 16:40|| 2008-08-31 16:40|| Front Page Top

#8 it appears Pliny The Lesser has fled. Perhaps Mom needed her computer back for eBay

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-31 16:41|| 2008-08-31 16:41|| Front Page Top

#9 Meowww, Frank. :-D

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-08-31 17:24|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-08-31 17:24|| Front Page Top

#10 ;-)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-08-31 17:30|| 2008-08-31 17:30|| Front Page Top

#11 Plinys shift was over and since he's a donk, I'm sure he punches out promptly.

Posted by Mike N. 2008-08-31 17:53|| 2008-08-31 17:53|| Front Page Top

23:53 Pappy
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23:47 bigjim-ky
23:36 Pappy
23:20 Betty Grating2215
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22:56 tipper
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21:48 Frank G
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20:53 SteveS