The biggest problem I have with the crowd who says they like Palin because she's just like them, meaning, a "normal person" is that the jobs of President and Vice President are so complex that not just anyone can handle them. Would you want a brain surgeon to be just like you? Probably not, so why do people want the President/VP of the US, likely the most difficult job on the planet, to be just like them? These people need to have serious critical thinking skills, the ability to manage many differing constituencies, weigh multiple options and make decisions that have international implications in perhaps a very short period of time, and deal with people from other countries who have worldviews entirely different than theirs. They also need to demonstrate knowledge and curiosity of the world around them. That's not a normal skill set, and a normal person shouldn't be employed to handle these situations.

I don't have a problem with Palin's experience as governor of Alaska or as mayor of Wasilla. It also doesn't bother me that she doesn't have a degree from an Ivy League school. The problem I have with her is that she doesn't seem to demonstrate that she has any curiosity about the world (why had she never traveled outside the US until recently?), or has even thought about it until she was tapped as the VP nominee, and doesn't deal well with people who disagree with her. How can she handle foreign policy, work with Congress, or help solve the many problems this country has if her worldview is so narrow?

The "Obama has less experience than Palin" crowd are becoming tiresome. Obama has demonstrated all of the above at some point, whereas Palin hasn't. It has nothing to do with their relative experience or inexperience in their professional lives.

And as far as the people who don't really seem to understand what being an intellectual means, it has nothing to do with how much schooling a person has had. One of my best friends only has a high school diploma but is extremely well-read and is a very thoughtful person. I'm not any smarter than she is despite the fact that I have a master's degree and she doesn't even have a bachelor's. It's all about a person's willingness to learn as much as possible about an issue, person, etc. in order to make an informed decision, the ability to admit you might be wrong about something and change your mind if that's the case, and having curiosity about the world around you. It's not about being the kind of person who doesn't let facts get in the way of his/her opinions.

Personally, I like to learn from people who have far more knowledge about a subject than I do. I'm not intimidated or insecure around people who are smarter than I am, but I suspect the "just like me" crowd are, which is why they like Palin but despise Obama and Biden.

We get it. You like to hear yourself write. Why don't you try engaging people on the facts?

Anybody who looks at the facts knows that the Republican track record on fiscal responsibility is shot. Your party took away one of it's most admirable qualities: Fiscal discipline. Dick Cheney said that Reagan proved deficits don't matter. George Bush and the Republican congress presided over the largest expansion of government post WWII.

Palin left her city in massive debt. It would be interesting to see how she would govern without the oil companies cutting massive checks to every man, women and child in Alaska.

Go ahead and lament when the straw people hold you and your party accountable to it's core principles. How superior of us.

You guys just can't stand that a smart woman who is not an east coast elitist is up for VP.

"a person devoid of qualifications"? Funny I was thinking the same thing about the Democratic Party. They have nominated a person for the PRESIDENCY who is also devoid of qualifications. Two years as a senator (let's face it, he hasn't been to work in the past two years) does not a president make. He is all rhetoric with zero substance and/or real experience. I am one of the few democrats I know who isn't drinking the Kool-Aid. This is the best my party can do? First international crisis we face and Barack will be a deer in the headlights, clueless. As for Palin, she is also devoid of experience but she isn't running for president.

Bravo and well said Joe Conason.

It's amazing that Republicans still hold fast when everything is sliding around them. Seems that's why we're in this mess to begin with.

Palin's secretive, obstinate and aggressive nature is not attractive. And that's what you notice when you turn off the tube and just listen and read.

Miss Alaska will not assist Americans in the economic recession or war crisis.

She's looking out for her own - the wealthy elite, that is, whether intellectual or not.

...so why complain about Bush. We get the government we deserve, and after promising a tax cut pre-election Clinton raised taxes one month post-election. CreamO has a lot less experience than Sarah so why discuss it, Joe? Just more Palin bashing since the libscum won't have Bush to bash. Buckwheat has been interpreted as racist so I changed to CreamO.

More like dumbing down of Salon political commentators. As I understand, the only qualifications are age, citizenship and lack of criminal record. All current candidates qualify.

Now if you ask, who best to select: The GOP VP candidate has far more experience in an executive position than either the Dem VP candidate (30+ years suckling at the breast of the taxpayer - oh, I forgot, he's trained as a lawyer), or the Dem candidate for the top executive position (registering people to vote and years suckling at the breast of the taxpayer - oh, he's lawyer trained as well, interesting).

Perhaps, I'm missing something here. But, then again, I haven't been lawyer trained and I'm not so blinded by color that I can't see the light.