The Emperor's New Clothes

I have seen the liberal pundits wail in print today about the inexperience of the pick for Vice President - Sarah Palin. It is not without some merit that her youth and inexperience should be noted. Columnist Richard Cohen writes, "-she is eminently unqualified to be president of the United States. That 3 a.m. call had better be a wrong number." Well, well, I wasn't aware that vice presidents were to be the recipient of the 3 a. m. call. I somehow thought that was supposed to be the president.

This would be a good time for Democrats to go back and read Hans Christian Anderson's ageless fairy tale entitled "The Emperor's New Clothes". I think Mr. Cohen's remark is just as aptly applied to the Democratic nominee from Illinois. Obama by any reasonable standard doesn't have the knowledge and experience to receive the 3 a.m. phone call. Will he have Biden on speed dial and quickly forward the call?

The office of President of the United States is in the executive branch, Mr. Cohen. Experience in an executive capacity is a bit different from casting a vote on the Senate floor, especially if it involves flying hastily in from the campaign trail to vote on legislation you've probably not read. I'm afraid most of us would not count for much being a community organizer in Chicago as executive experience. I'm afraid "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" is canceled and his "phone a friend" option is rather suspect in the White House. Obama has the weakest credentials of any candidate I can remember, which goes back to Franklin Roosevelt. FDR had been a governor, Truman a Vice President, Ike a military commander, Kennedy a military commander, Johnson a Vice President, Nixon a governor, Ford a Vice President, Carter a governor, Reagan a governor, George H W Bush a Vice President, Clinton a governor, and George W Bush a governor. Only John Kennedy came close to Obama in his lack of executive experience at a significant level. So this is the man who is eminently qualified to be the president of the United States. Mr Cohen, the Emperor has no clothes on.

Then comes Sarah Palin, who by the way, is a nominee for vice president, not president. She has been a city mayor and a state governor. Every mainstream media report I've seen has referred to her as a first term governor. Pardon me, didn't Senator Obama first get elected in 2004 - since senator's have a six year term, doesn't that make him a first term senator? His record reflects a total of 143 days in attendance when the Senate was in session. Foreign policy experience? He might as well say he got it by sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express. He went on a rock tour to Europe and the Middle East and after being prodded visited Iraq, pressed a little flesh, and performed in Germany where he dissed the wounded soldiers to shoot a few hoops.

It is a shame that the left wing's desire to have an articulate, Harvard educated, black president has clouded their vision. Guys! The emperor has no clothes on.