Reader comments
4 in 10 say Palin has enough experience

Ok! Let's get some perspective here.

Palin has 19 months experience as a governor of the smallest state in the Union with 9 of those months pregnant!

Prior to that she was a member of one of Alaska's energy commissions where we still don't have all the facts vetted to the public as to her activities, only those points that serve her campaign bid, nothing else!

She's about to face a subpoena for firing someone over a personal issue in a circumstance that should have had nothing to do with 'personal' issues!

She believes in this weird 'abstinence' education but her daughter is pregnant anyway, and she herself conceived out of wedlock! Talk about hypocracy!

She is such a far right wing-nut on abortion that she's out of step with a majority of pro-lifers themselves! Myself being one.

Worse yet, she's a heartbeat away from Commander in Chief, which could happen while she's pregnant (and yes, she'll get pregnant again) with hormones flying all over the place... I DON'T THINK SO!

She is a female version of the petty, self-centered, vindictive Bush.

Yes! Palin caps the saying, "4 more years of Bush"

Again, I DON'T THINK SO!

How much experience does Obama have?

I personally, as a moderate Republican living in a small Utah town, was turned off by Palin's performance at the convention. She seemed to set a poor example of small town/rural life, calling her husband "First Dude" and equating working mothers active with their children's outside activites as "pit bulls with lipstick." While all funny, it is not the image we want to project in rural America. When Cindy McCain introduced her with her description as a "gun toting, moose-eating" woman, I could just see our international allies cringing as to what they'll be dealing with in international affairs. Palin's frontier, backwater image may play well with right-wing Republicans, but we can't allow 21st century America turn back the clock when we have so many serious issues at stake -- getting America off oil; emerging technologies in solar, plug-in vehicles that with government help could create local high-tech jobs; fixing our troubled economy; repairing relations with foreign nations; reducing American-backed torture in our foreign prisons; expanding healthcare; creating a pro-business agenda to get America's economy back to work; etc. Republicans should be touting skills that can solve problems -- not create negative images of small-town/small-minded frontier life! It is insulting!

There is no question that Senator Biden has the experience, but, does Barak Obama? It is not Biden that would be president. Remember, if Palin is a heartbeat away from being president, so is Biden!

1 in 10 say Obama has enough experience.

This is the most divisive, polarizing choice of a VP in our lifetimes. She is not qualifited to be President. Her experience is not the only question. Her extremist views and her lack of deep, reflective thinking will lead to easily persuaded, poor decisions. In her 19 months or so of being governor, she has demonstrated a certain "reed in the wind" characteristic. As VP she will be able to contribute little, and if she becomes President, she will be someone's puppet, top be sure. She has no clue about the Washingtion environment and institutions, and she'll be eaten alive.

McCain has broke one of his campaign promises and he hasn't even been elected yet. During the primaries, because of his advanced age and history of cancer, he promised to choose a running mate who would be experienced enough to take over in a heartbeat. He did not do this. How can anyone trust this guy to do anything he has promised? Once someone shows you who they are, you need to believe them.

Why do media outlets feel compelled to keep printing different versions of this story? Newsflash: Most people also think I'm not ready to be president. Luckily both Governor Palin and me aren't running for president.

Maybe we need a new system for this country. John McCain for king and Sara Palin for queen.

4 in 10 think that a person who was a mayor only 2 years ago of a small town in Alaska has learned enough to have her finger on the nuclear button?

4 in 10?

it should be 0 in 10. She is untested, unvetted, and will avoid the press from here on it. We will get photo ops, photo ops, open blouses, and a cute family photo (but do not ask about the family errors please).

McCain has insulted us. Vote democrat and send back the message: you need to do better to get our votes.

4 in 10, eh. disgusting. should be 0 in 10.

If she wins, she'll be Vice President for four years. Plenty of time for the marriage soap opera between her daughter and this kid to play out. Does anyone expect this marriage to last? Will it be a good thing? I can see the headlines now.

Well it's a good thing that she isn't running for President then. No one votes for a candidate based upon who their VP is.

She is beter than Bush! Has Cheney by 30%(He only has Utah and Wyoming)

Just a fishing expedition to produce some damaging data that is really meaningless. Like the man that drowned in a lake that had an average depth is .1 inches. . .Go figure - Statistics can lie because they are manipulated to Lie. Just ask anyone that has taken stats, or as most call it sadistics.

She has a higher rating than Bush!!

Sarah Palin has more executive experience than the entire Democrat ticket put together. She's smart, tough, capable and has an 83% approval rating in her state. There must be some reason for that

Gosh, this wasn't supposed to happen. We've all known for years that Hillary was going to be the next president or, at least, the first woman vice president. The first woman vice president can't be a conservative. That's not the way it was supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a liberal, pro-abortion, feminist--not a hocky mom. RIGHT?

Gloria Steinem says that the only thing that Sarah Palin and Hillary have in common is one chromosome. THANK GOODNESS!!!

I'm really having a hard time wanting to vote for anyone in this election. After listening to the debates (both republican and democrat) I just can't stand John McCain -- It just makes me sick when I see his chubby little cheeks pooching out from his fake, stab you in the back, smile. Sarah Palin brings a bit of like-ability (and glamour) to the ticket, but I just can't see her taking over as president if need be. Then there's ch-ch-ch-change to socialism Obama whose had even less experience than Palin, and then there's the nuts in the constitution and libertarian parties. What we need is a new party whose candidates are vetted over their lifetime for honestly, consistency in living and governing according to their solid conservative principles, and fidelity in their marriage and personal lives, but alas, there would probably be no one that could survive that kind of vetting in government!

Palin has a lot of experience, all right -- as a liar. She TOOK THE BRIDGE MONEY. "Thanks, but no thanks (but thanks)." She DID NOT MAKE THE GAS PIPELINE HAPPEN. BP and Conoco did it despite her.

Wow! Amazing what difference a headline and subhead can make. The headline takes the most negative stat from the survey and highlights it--fair enough, they're trying to get Utahns' attention. But the subhead declares: "She has little impact on the ticket people support, poll finds ", yet the article (still slanted wording) informs us that "By just 6 percentage points, people say her choice makes them likelier to vote for than against the McCain ticket." Well, pardon me splitting hairs, but 6% is not within the margin for error--elections won by 6% are said to be substantial. McCain was looking for that "extra something," and by gum, even after just a week, looks like he's got it.

As far as the headline, it's significant that the survey either didn't think to measure, or ABC elected not to reveal, whether the respondent thought Obama had enough experience to be president. Maybe Hillary's and McCain's campaigns are right--perhaps there is discrimination practiced against women candidates by the media. Even though it's patently obvious that Sarah Palin has more executive experience than Obama, they very carefully don't contrast the two.

Beginning to wonder if that "glass" ceiling is Lexan or Plexiglas instead.

If John McCain really thinks that Sarah Palin is more qualified and experienced than Mitt Romney, then McCain's poor judgment makes him not fit to be president. If John McCain doesn't think Palin is qualified, but knows she'll help him with evangelicals, then McCain's cynicism makes him not fit to be president.

McCain is 73, he has malignant melanoma cancer, there is statistical chance of him becoming incapacitated over the next four years. Why would he choose this gimmicky candidate of dubious family values to possibly become Commander in Chief?