by John Nichols

Now that the Republican National Convention is done, there is much
speculation about how Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will respond to
questions from the media that she so pointedly attacked in his
Wednesday night speech to delegates who cheered her “here's a little
news flash for all those reporters and commentators” announcement
that “I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion -- I'm
going to Washington to serve the people of this country.

The interviews with Palin will be important. And everyone I’ve talked
to from Alaska says that she will handle them ably. This is not a
woman who is going to stumble on the “gotcha” questions. In fact, she
will tear into them with the relish of the lipstick-wearing pit bull
she described Wednesday night.

I’m more interested, actually, in the next serious sit-down interview
with John McCain.

There’s the set-up for the question McCain needs to answer: The talking-
point message from the McCain-Palin campaign and its enthusiastic
acolytes is, to quote former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, this:
“Sarah Palin has more executive experience than the Democratic ticket
combined.”

That message was tweaked out by Palin’s chief vetting agent at the
convention, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, who claims "the Democrats'
presidential candidate has zero experience. He's never led any city,
never led any state. So our vice-presidential candidate has more
experience than their presidential candidate has."

Palin, says Lingle, "is a proven leader on local level as well as the
state level, she's had a balanced budget, she's had to deal with
every issue from the environment to energy and healthcare to
education and public safety, and she's done it in a way that every
governor does, which is: you make the final decision for which you'll
be accountable.

"It's not like being in Congress, where no one might know you're
responsible," argues Lingle. "When you're a governor you're the one
to make a decision. It's a great, great preparation for a job such as
vice president."

Fair enough. Let’s accept the experience argument.

Which brings us to the question: “Mr. McCain, the argument of your
campaign is that the McCain-Palin ticket should be elected because it
has more executive experience than the Obama-Biden ticket. But you
have no executive experience, while Sarah Palin does. So what
executive role will Sarah Palin play in your administration? Will she
be in charge of energy policy? Of social policy with regard to
abortion and gay rights? Of foreign policy?”

And if McCain suggests that he will put Palin in charge of a task
force or a study group, the follow-up must be: “But that’s just
writing a report. Your campaign is pinning the argument for your
election on the executive advantage that Sarah Palin brings to the
ticket. So, again, what job will this essential executive have in
your administration?”

no comments?

wh9ich one wrote this?

John Nichols may refer to:

John Nichols (American writer), author of The Milagro Beanfield War
John Nichols (American journalist), writer for The Nation
John Nichols (diplomat), British diplomat and Ambassador to Switzerland
John Nichols (Worcestershire cricketer), English cricketer
John Nichols (journalist), American journalist and media activist
John Nichols (linguist), professor of indigenous North American languages
John Nichols (musician), former member of the indie rock band Low
John Nichols (politician), 1800s American politician
John Nichols (printer), English printer and author
John Conover Nichols (1896–1945), United States Representative from Oklahoma
John B. Nichols (1931–2004), aviator and writer
John G. Nichols, mayor of Los Angeles
John Treadwell Nichols (1883–1958), American ichthyologist

it does not matter if mccain wins, or obama wins.........our country will not be better off, no matter which one wins

That is funny that this is all you can come up with, pitiful