The Editor’s Desk

your article on palin applies directly to obama: "It is, rather, about the pursuit of excellence no matter where you started out in life. Jackson, Lincoln, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton were born to ordinary families, but they spent their lives doing extraordinary things, demonstrating an interest in, and a curiosity about, the world around them. This is much less evident in Palin's case.' mr. obama has no experience in leadership, no world experience, and has never done an extraordinary thing in his life.--AND HE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

Dear Mr. Meacham,

It is a fine thing to discuss "The Palin Problem", but the "problem" is, in the same article, you continue to support the view that John McCain is an honorable, devoted public servant and all around good guy. I know you have read the Rolling Stone article "Make Believe Maverick" by Tim Dickerson
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

Is there anything is this article you would care to dispute?

So, I am puzzled. I have enjoyed your articles and commentary for many years. But what America needs now is honest and in depth analysis. Not seeing it. Disappointed, to say the least.

M. Garrett
South Jordan UT

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/55_say_media_bias_bigger_problem_than_campaign_cash
55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem Than Campaign Cash

http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2008/cyb20080819.asp
Media Credibility Plummets, Just 30% Believe 'Most Trusted' CNN

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/51_say_reporters_are_trying_to_hurt_palin_39_say_she_has_better_experience_than_obama
51% Say Reporters Are Trying To Hurt Palin; 39% Say She Has Better Experience Than Obama

Dick Cheney notwithstanding, and discounting the very slim chance that the "heart beat away" will become relevant an any first term, remember what the real job is that Palin and Biden are campaigning for. The vice presidency has been more a target for jokes and ridicule than a sought-after job. George Clinton, who became Thomas Jefferson's Vice President in 1805, called the job a "respectable retirement," after 18 years as Governor of New York. In 1848, Senator Daniel Webster turned down an offer to be Zachary Taylor's vice-presidential running mate, saying, "I do not propose to be buried until I am really dead." And John Nance Garner, Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President for his first two terms (1933-41), said the job wasn't worth a bucket of warm spit. (Actually, he used a cruder word than that.) John Adams, the country's first Vice President, famously called it "the most insignificant office." Al Gore described the job as that of "the nation's mourner," as one of his main functions was to attend the funerals of deceased world leaders and dignitaries. And McCain correctly stated that the constitutional duties of the job were to cast votes in the Senate in the rare case of a tie and to enquire every morning as to the health of the President, a fairly accurate description. In fact, from a Constitutional perspective, the VP has no other duties or powers. You hear it said in the news all the time: people vote for the top of the ticket.

The media is making more of it this time because they think it works for Obama by distracting from his own total lack of experience. Problem is, as both H. Clinton and J. Biden pointed out, with Obama, that lack of experience is out of control on day one. Indeed, as Biden stated when addressing Obama's total lack of qualifications, "the Presidency does not lend itself to on the job training." But Palin is not running for the Presidency, and according to Walter Mondale, the VP slot does in fact amount to on the job training. As Mondale, Carter's VP, once notably said when subsequently running for the Presidency, "I learned an awful lot as Vice President that I didn't know as a Senator."

Where is the article about Biden's long standing relationship to the credit card industry, or the stalled credit card reform bill, passed by house but dead in the Senate, where Biden "works." (And opposed by Bush. Idiot)

See also:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/55_say_media_bias_bigger_problem_than_campaign_cash
55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem Than Campaign Cash
http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2008/cyb20080819.asp
Media Credibility Plummets, Just 30% Believe 'Most Trusted' CNN
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/51_say_reporters_are_trying_to_hurt_palin_39_say_she_has_better_experience_than_obama
51% Say R

How can you say that Palin won the debate? Just about every poll and pundit called it for BIden, as did most of the independent voters out there. To suggest that she did more than succeed beyond not looking like the utter fool she has been the last few weeks is not only inaccurate, it's crap journalism. You should feel fine to comment and editorialize, but where is the proof that Palin won? The actual proof out there, Jon, says that Biden won. Overwhelmingly. But I guess Bill O'Reilly guilted you into thinking that you hvae to be 'fair and balanced.' Even if it means BS reporting.

Let us stipulate this right off: Sarah Palin exceeded the very low standard that was set for her. That is an independent matter of whether she won her debate with Joe Biden, which she did not. Joe Biden, in a measured and dignified manner, spoke more clearly and spontaneously, was more persuasive, and provided more compelling and relevant information than did Governor Palin. Further, he did so while showing calm poise and while respectfully cooperating with the rules and structure of the debate. Governor Palin, on the other hand, ignored the questions that were asked of her in order, at best, to produce rehearsed speeches, or to ramble through fragments of talking points until her time was up. The fact that she avoided making a fool of herself ought not to be considered an impressive feat. What is noteworthy is that in order to avoid such fatal gaffs, she had to abandon the structure of the debate and take refuge in trembling through mini-speeches that were better suited to being shouted from the back of a train to a partisan crowd than they were to being presented to a national audience trying to judge the merits of these two vice-presidential candidates. Your conclusion that she won by not imploding is too reminiscent of similar evaluations of our current President after his presidential debates ??? and where did that get us? How about we hold these tickets to Presidential standards? How would you think she measures up then?

She should be referred to at all times as Governor Palin. Somehow the fact she is a Governor has been lost.

Foreign policy? Her remarks on Darfur were not rehearsed. The facts flowed out of her mouth with ease. Who knew Alaska had so much money going there?

Katie Couric and the magazine loop?!? That confuses me. How would Katie have spun it if Governor Palin had said her best reading lately was the Alaska State Budget, the Energy Budget, the Windfall Profits issues, the Transportation Budget? I don't expect my Governor to have a great deal of time to read anything non State related. I expect him to be concerned about our off shore drilling, port security, highway transportation, bridge safety issues. The list goes on. Katie is being allowed to reduce Governor Palin to a bonbon eating, Field and Stream reader ditz. But if Governor Palin had given these items as example she would have been labeled 'too State focused', not international. Even though her State budget and affairs have International ramifications!

We think we are suffering from lack of understanding the State of Alaska. We know it is cold, has weird daylight hours, and has Eskimos and challenging endurance races. To most people that is it.

When Governor Palin talks about knowing the "Northern Slope", she is not talking skiing. The next time any of us takes a bite of our salmon maybe we should consider where it came from and the fierce competition with neighboring NATIONS in getting it to our tables.

How about the land/natural resource grab for the goodies that has started in the Artic Circle now that the ice is melting. Several Nations want to plant their flags on our future natural resources. Who knows this better than Palin? Alaska is in the Artic Circle with an up front seat in this upcoming battle.

Technology. Take some time and look up the WELL developed Aerospace and Defense technology Alaska ALREADY has worldwide. We have many Alaskan companies right here in Huntsville, Alabama where I live. One is less than a mile from my home. Once again it is easy to think they all live in igloos!

Her deportment is excellent. Notice she shook hands with Biden up front and he leaned in to hug and she backed off. She marked the territory. Nothing 'too' personal. She even asked his permission to call him Joe as she inserted the knife.

Her kids are still in public schools. Good grief! Governor Palin???s husband took a leave of absence from a ???paycheck??? job in a processing facility just 5 weeks ago! Obama needs to get real. Out of touch on jobs? He is!

We don???t care if someone doesn???t have all the answers. We want someone that asks questions! And yes we think Governor Palin KNOWS the questions to ask. We want someone to ask every person in Washington ???Well, doggone it! Why did you do that? Just exactly how did you think it would benefit the public? She has proven she does this well.

There you are!?????? since I do not think the masses have been clamoring for it,

I attended Columbia Journalism School when Oz was there, when Fred Friendly was there, when Benno Schmidt taught the First Amendment course there. Twenty years later, I still consider myself blessed. While no longer a member of the Fourth Estate, I remain proud of journalism and all that my peers do and continue to fight for - and I am appalled at the striving-for-mediocrity, finger-pointing-blame of Joe Sixpack. We have no one to blame for the choices that we make - be they the relationships we choose, the media we consume or the votes we cast. As Thomas Jefferson, de Toqueville or a philsopher far brighter than I'll ever be once said, The body politic deserves the government it gets. Quit your griping, learn to read and decide on your own filters. That's why those giants from Journalism School imparted too all of us so honored to be in their presence.

To have different standards for the male and female participant in a debate strikes me as the epitome of sexism.