Giuliani: Palin More Qualified Than Obama

Says As Mayor Of Small Alaska Town Palin Has Had To Make Decisions Rather Than Speeches

(CBS)  Speaking on Face The Nation Sunday, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was announced Friday as presumptive GOP nominee John McCain’s running mate, is more qualified to be president than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

“You know why? She had to make decisions,” Giuliani told Face The Nation anchor Bob Schieffer. “All Senator Obama has had to do is talk. That's all he does.”

Palin, who is 44 years old, has been the governor of Alaska for less than two years. Previously, she served two terms as mayor of the town of Wasilla, Alaska, whose population in 2000 was 5,470.

Citing her executive experience, the Republican National Convention keynote speaker called Palin “somebody of accomplishment” because “she's vetoed legislation, she's taken on corruption, and in her party, and won. She took on the oil companies and won. She administered a budget successfully.”

He also said Obama “is the least experienced candidate for president in the last 100 years."

“I mean, he's never run a city, he's never run a state, he's never run a business, he's never administered a payroll, he's never led people in crisis,” Giuliani said.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats but supports McCain, told Schieffer that McCain’s decision to add Palin to the ticket “is a little bit like opening a door and letting some fresh Alaska air into Washington.

“I think here he wanted to send the message, get somebody fresh, somebody really who represents the other America outside of Washington where people don't care whether you have an 'R' or a 'D' after your name, they just want you to get something done to help them deal with the problems they have,” Lieberman said. “And Sarah Palin comes from that other America.”

Carly Fiorina, a senior McCain advisor, called Palin “a person of great accomplishment” and suggested she excites women because she is “a woman trying to balance her work life and her family life, not to mention her incredible track record of reform and taking on, as she said, the good old boy network.”

Fiorina said Palin’s anti-abortion rights position would not keep former Hillary Clinton supporters from backing a McCain-Palin ticket.

“I think, frankly, the Democratic Party has done a disservice to women by trying to hold women hostage to the issue of Roe v. Wade,” she said. “The truth is the most important issue to women, all the polls say this, is the economy. Women are not single issue voters. Yes, there are some women for whom the issue of reproductive rights trumps everything else. But the truth is most women are not that way.”

Also appearing on Face The Nation, New York Times columnist David Brooks suggested McCain chose Palin to shift the focus from Obama to his ticket.

“You can see why McCain took her,” he said. “She risked her political career to take on the special interests in her own party, she took on the oil companies. She's like McCain. McCain wants to change this campaign from change to, from left to right, he wants to make it, 'I'm going to clean out the stables.'

“But then we see the risks,” Brooks continued. “She has no experience, basically. People are going to be nervous about her. And what it says about John McCain [is], some people drive the aircraft carrier, they have a big team around them. Some people take off from the aircraft carrier, they're lone fliers. John McCain is a lone flier. This was a 'lone flier' choice, it was risky.

"Do people want a risky president? The pluses and minuses are huge in this pick, and that's why we're talking about it.”

Giuliani said “there’s no question” that McCain would put the focus of the Republican National Convention “on the South and on Louisiana and Mississippi” because of Hurricane Gustav.

“Senator McCain has already indicated that it would be inappropriate to have celebrations, that things have to be scaled back,” Giuliani said.

Lieberman, chairman of the Senate's Homeland Security Committee, said, “We are 1,000 percent better prepared today than we were before Katrina.

“We have the full resources of the federal government prepositioned, supplies and equipment, communications equipment, and the resources of the United States military already on the scene helping to evacuate sick patients from hospitals,” he said. “So we are as ready as you could possibly be. What we have to hope and pray of course is that the storm does not go beyond the capacity of the levees to protect New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.”

---

Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.

[badidea05]

%u201CI mean, he''s never run a city, he''s never run a state, he''s never run a business, he''s never administered a payroll, he''s never led people in crisis,%u201D Rudy Giuliani

This could apply to McCain, Obama, & Biden. In fact, Palin is the most qualified of them all. McCain should put the "country first," and step aside. Palin should be at the top of the GOP ticket

[roadracer9x]

Gee... and why should we listen to this man whose only claim to fame was that he was mayor during 9/11? A man who had multiple relationships while married to another woman, angered most of NYC''s firemen and policemen, is estranged from his son and daughter, etc, etc. What a great role model for our youth! LOL. Believing him would be almost as pathetic as putting any credence in what Bush says.

[abby0802]

Giuliani has got to be kidding. Palin asked during an interview on CNBC "what does a vice president do?" She has NO experience that qualifies her to be vice president.
If Giuliani and McCain and the rest of the GOP think they can get the women''s vote because Palin is a woman they are insulting every woman in America and are sadly mistaken. Women are able to think for themselves and do not automatically vote for a woman just because she is a woman.

[samthetvcat]

---%u201CYou know why? She had to make decisions,%u201D---

Well that''s the rub - Barack supporters were trying to claim that because Illinois has more people and a greater budget than Alaska therefore Barack has more experience.

But leadership is about power, and the Governorship and the State Senate are co-equal branches of government. Barack as but one member out of how many hundred of the State Senate had the luxury of merely voting on other peoples legislation . . . or not voting for that matter; a Governor''s got nowhere to hide.

Palin''s bound to get more criticism of her record because she''s made more high-profile decisions that were more far-reaching, which rested solely on her shoulders and were inevitably more controversial.

Does the press always make such a big deal about Governors lacking foreign policy experience when they run for the White House? And why is it they never make such a big deal about legislators lacking executive experience?

Oh, for pete''s sake, Giuliani! A governor of Alaska for brief time, low population, etc., in contrast to a candidate who has served in the senate and has been addressing national issues. Also, Obama has met many heads of state of other nations who received him warmly. There is no comparison.

[stephand]

I agree with badidea05. Palin is the most qualified of them all. I watched her interview with Maria Bartiromo on CNBC. She is outstanding!

[pooglywoogly]

Giuliani is right- Obama is such a mystery because he literally has no record of either reform or bipartisanship (something you won''t see Bob schieffer take him to task on). Yet he is allowed by the media to run as a "change" candidate. Palin, on the other hand, actually has both a record of reform and bipartisanship. She can legitimately run as an agent of change. So look for liberals in the media to focus nonstop on her lack of experience. Apparently, if you''re Obama you can run for president on a record of doing nothing and the media isn''t concerned. But the media is deeply concerned about a VP with little experience (even though her experience as a reformer and bipartisanship stands head and shoulders above Obama).

[stephand]

Oh, for pete''''s sake, Giuliani! A governor of Alaska for brief time, low population...
-- posted by sesanders1

About the same population as Delaware

[erasmus81]

The thing that irritates me about Palin, is the fact that she keeps bringing up Hillary''s name. What does she think, that women are going to vote for her just because she is a woman? Does she think that women were just voting for Hillary because she was a woman? She is insulting women.

[tandalyn]

Any shred of respect I had for McCain is gone. He is a 72 year old cancer survivor. The probability of the cancer returning is very high. Picking a novice governor from a sparsely populated state, who has has to ask "what does the VP do" shows irresponsibility on his part and his supporters. Shame on you Mayor Guliani, everyone can see a political ploy.... McCain is trying to reestablish his maverick reputation, unfortunately who wants a maverick in the white house? Maverick to me means impulsive, non thinking. I do not want that type of mentally in the white house with access to a red button. This recent decision only proves he is either suffering from the beginnings of dementia or would put the USA at risk...

[apostasyusa]

PooglyWoogly

Read it and weep:

Obama uses constructive compromise to get things done.

Barrack''s 800+ bills from 8 years in the Illinois senate are very extensive. Barrack is the ONLY candidate to pass Healthcare reform.

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepag
es/2007/07/29/us/politics/20070730_OBAMA
_GRAPHIC.html

His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These included:

**the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law),
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, (became law),
**The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate,
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, (became law),
**The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, (In committee), and many more.

Next.

[apostasyusa]

"What does she think, that women are going to vote for her just because she is a woman? Does she think that women were just voting for Hillary because she was a woman? She is insulting women."

Posted by erasmus81


Yes...I think she is hoping to manipulate the electorate.

Nice post.

[stephand]

If McCain is suffering from dementia for choosing Palin then the whole democratics party is suffering from dementia for choosing Obama. Palin is more experienced than Obama

[mgbidi]

I agree. Palin for President!! She is more qualified than anyone running. GOP!! Hmmmm.

[pooglywoogly]

Since CBS news is so concerned about experience in this election when can we expect to see some in depth analysis of Obama''s complete lack of real experience? Where is Obam''s record of bipartisanship? When has Obama ever taken on his party? Where is Obama''s record of reform? Why isn''t CBS news asking the hard questions of the Obama campaign?

[samthetvcat]

---"Giuliani has got to be kidding. Palin asked during an interview on CNBC "what does a vice president do?"---
Posted by abby0802

Maybe that says more about you than about her, because there''s historically been a wide range of responsibilities given to VP''s, going from being assigned nothing more substantial than a warm bucket of spit to essentially running the country with the President being the puppet.

Anybody really have the answer to how much responsibility or deference Biden''s going to be given by Obama given that Biden''s the one with all the foreign policy knowledge and experience but given that the area of (LOL) ''expertise'' with which Barack feels ''most confident'' is foreign policy?

If you can''t answer that then I don''t see where you get off looking down on Palin. Given that she''s a fricken GOVERNOR, the reality is that she''s operating a level far higher than any of us . . . that would include you . . .

[samthetvcat]

---"The thing that irritates me about Palin, is the fact that she keeps bringing up Hillary''''s name. What does she think, that women are going to vote for her just because she is a woman? Does she think that women were just voting for Hillary because she was a woman? She is insulting women."---
Posted by erasmus81

How so? I''m voting for her and the large attraction is that she''s a woman . . . why is that insulting?

[paulstewart9]

It is pathetic who they trot out to try to make a case that can''t be made. If his arguments are true, then it means that McCain is not qualified either and should step aside for Palin.

I know experience has good value. It takes more than experience. It takes judgment and this VP pick just reconfirmed what smart people can see already.

Rudi''s diatribe will be repeated ad nauseum by the likes of other such surrogates and talking heads. And, it will be bought by the Republican troops who have been brain washed to accept whatever propaganda comes out of their mouths. It won''t work with objective right thinking Americans.

Palin is making a move that will certainly help her in future. It will not help McCain except possibly with his base - assuming she has no skeletons in her closet that come out to tarnish her perfect image to them (a mini-Cheney and a mom too although that part must be heavily delegated somewhere).

It does not change the fact it is reckless to put her a heart beat away from the office of CIC when the incumbent would, if elected, enter office with one foot in the grave. And Cindy McCain''s argument that she is qualifed because Alaska shares a border with Russia is priceless. I mean we all know what is at stake. That is not the issue, what we need is someone with the judgment and leadership skills to step in without blinking an eye. That sure is not Palin.

[samthetvcat]

---"Yes...I think she is hoping to manipulate the electorate.Nice post."---
Posted by ApostasyUSA

No I don''t think she''s hoping to manipulate anybody - it looks like a pretty direct offer to me . . .

[pooglywoogly]

Hey apostate- signing your name to bills that you neither wrote nor took the lead on doesn''t equal leadership. It sounds like power luches and schmoozing are more Obama''s forte.

[apostasyusa]

Awe....;(

These "lack of experience" charges aren''t fair!!

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla city council and one term as mayor. Plus she''s been Governor of Alaska for two years.

During her storied political career she made a controversial decision to close down a local creamery and let''s face it, going toe to toe with world leaders like Putin is not fundamentally different than holding your ground against an angry dairy farmer in rural Alaska.

[bjmaccc]

Its incredible what these has been politicians from the right will say to support an absurd idea...

hockey mom says meets with putin..ya right..
have these people like guillianni have not limits to what they expect us to believe?..its an insult

[stephand]

It is pathetic who they trot out to try to make a case that can''''t be made. If his arguments are true, then it means that McCain is not qualified either and should step aside for Palin.
-- posted by PaulStewart9

I don''t know about that - I think John McCain was a fairly senior military officer...

[petermpls1]

What kind of decisions? How much salt to put on the roads during the winter? How not to go over her 4th of July fireworks budget? What a joke. There are 17 MAYORS who have more constituents than Palin had as GOVERNOR.

Stephen, p u l l e a s e, Biden has spent numbers of years in the Senate of the United States, not Delaware. Also, Palin''s Pentecostal religious affiliation has me terrified; that''s all we need is for her to roll around in church and speak in tongues! No way...I do not want a religous fanatic anywhere near the Oval Office.

[pooglywoogly]

Regardless of her party speech, Hillary and Bill clearly don''t think Obama is qualified to be President. Obama is a myth that the media allows to stand purely because of his race. Obama wen''t to a racist church (until he got found out)and counts former terrorist as friends. Is that who you want in the white house?

[bjmaccc]

Its incredible what these has been politicians from the right will say to support an absurd idea...

hockey mom says meets with putin..ya right..
have these people like guillianni have not limits to what they expect us to believe?..its an insult

[mudcatii]

Mr. Schieffer,

You missed another opportunity to conduct a clinic in journalism. You seemed to be suffering from the after effects of your interviews of Wolfson and McAuliffe during the democratic primary. You should have been more aggressive and insisted that Mayor Giuliani and Senator Lieberman answer your questions about Governor Palin%u2019s fitness to be president instead you let them attack Senator Obama. You are the host of Face The Nation and must insist that your guest answer your questions before they engage in an infomercial. You must have some tapes of Dan Rather conducting an interview, use them. since Senator McCain chose Governor Palin over Lieberman, Guiliani, The Governors of Florida and Minnesota what doe it say about what he thinks of their qualifications to be president? Since it is clear that Senator McCain does not know where he is going any road or any body will get him to his destination, including Governor Palin. You missed a golden opportunity to insist that your guest truly Face The Nation. Lastly, reflecting on your commentary maybe that is why it is DFW and not FWD.

Everyone wants to know what will happen if something happens to John McCain and Palin gets to be president. I want to know what will happen if something happens to Biden and were stuck with Obama for president. I believe that this is the first time that the Democratic VP candidate is the one with experience and the Democratic Presidential candidate doesn%u2019t have any. Complain about Palin all you want, but at least she didn''t run for President twice and not make the cut. I would rather have a VP with no foreign experience that a President with no experience.

[samthetvcat]

---"I know experience has good value. It takes more than experience. It takes judgment and this VP pick just reconfirmed what smart people can see already."---
Posted by PaulStewart9

Now here is an example of voters who are being manipulated. The allure of Barack is that you get to feel bigger and better, sometimes than others.

Both Barack and Palin have little substantial experience which makes them woefully unqualified to be Commander in Chief - yet here they both are on the ticket. But with Barack on the top of the ticket with such little experience, he found it necessary to pick somebody who had some which was an explicit acknowledgment of his shortcoming. Like you''re all rewarding him for his pick without acknowledging that it was necessitated by his own experience inadequacy.

Biden and McCain are equals - Biden was picked to bring balance. All McCain did was the same - he picked a mirror of Barack, somebody with the ''star quality'' who gets people ''buzzing'', a fast ''up and comer'' with a great ''life story'' whatever. Palin''s a reflection of Barack.

People can''t stand in others what they don''t like in themselves - it''s the height of hypocrisy to be bashing Palin without seeing the same qualities in Barack. And self-indulgent . . . nobody''s swayed to hear Barack or team Barack being the pot calling the kettle black.

[apostasyusa]

Look at all you propagandists up in arms!! I love it! McCain is your maverick indeed!!! You can''t even predict what he''s going to do next, can you!!!

HAAA!!!

From the simulacrum:

"A man with her limited biography would clearly never have been considered. I think it will be difficult for Republicans to make any substantial arguments against affirmative action after this pick.

Affirmative action not for individual uplift but as desperate political maneuvering is a cynical betrayal of principals to gain power."

[stephand]

sesanders1 -
I don''t want a religious fanatic or one with close ties to somebody like reverend Wright either. I do not see Palin as a religious fanatic though.

[pooglywoogly]

If it''s inexperience you want, why get it from Palin is who is a heartbeat away from the presidency when you can get it from Obama as president?

[samthetvcat]

---"Everyone wants to know what will happen if something happens to John McCain and Palin gets to be president."---
Posted by Lola939

What''ll happen to if Barack gets to be President? Are you kidding me????? He''s got no foreign policy experience and no executive experience - and you all just blindly assuming he''s capable . . . why?

[mgbidi]

Palin for President and McCain for VP
Palin/McCain 08

[fmoolten-2009]

Commenting on McCain''s choice of Palin as a running mate, a number of Republican strategists termed it "bold" (translation: "He''s out of his mind"). The Obama campaign, with Hillary''s help, has been restrained - waiting to see whether Palin will self destruct, or the media do it for her - but if she proves to be an asset, they will probably criticize her credentials more aggressively. So far, polls indicate she may be a liability with independent voters.

Ultimately, the contest will be between Obama and McCain, with Palin as a momentary distraction, but perhaps a slightly greater disavantage than ordinary because of McCain''s age - 72 now and 80 by the end of the next two presidential terms.

Fred Moolten

[pooglywoogly]

Supporters of Obama have no logical basis to squawk about experience. If they were truly concerned about experience they never would have supported Obama.

[samthetvcat]

Man, it''s just sickening to hear Dems try and claim the mantle of compassion while the bash the heck out a Governor who happens to be female like she''s a pinata.

If it happened in a vacuum, it wouldn''t necessarily be so mysoginistic. But good golly, this is coming from people who trust a guy they really shouldn''t because he made their heart sing in a speech . . .

Disgusting . . .

[tbweb]

`Giuliani: Palin More Qualified Than Obama`

Yo Rudy, Palin just got her Passport last month, never even been out of the country! Palin has potential, Palin has a bright future, but Palin is not even close to being ready for Prime Time on the World Stage right now! That`s where the rubber meets the road! To use a metaphor, Palin is a premature political baby not ready for Prime Time!

[pooglywoogly]

If CBS news is truly concerned about experience, why do they give Obama a pass on his total lack of qualification to be president?

[xiyang-2009]

Giuliani should be More Qualified Than Palin.

[wiscon551]

OK: Rudy is spinning it because he has to and even he probably doesn''t believe it. Governor Palin is a bone for a certain demographic. So be it - that''s politics, cynical as usual. However, Karl Rove''s statement that Senator Obama would make a political choice for VP was incorrect. It''s actually Senator McCain who made that choice and it is one that, by all acounts, he did not want. Senator Lieberman was his pick. The sad thing, actually, is that this demographic continually allows itself to be manipulated by the current clique in the Republican party.

[apostasyusa]

From the simulacrum:

On August 10, Karl Rove went on "Face The Nation" to argue that Senator Obama would make an "intensely political choice" for Vice President without regard for the "responsibilities of president." At the time, Rove believed Obama would choose Tim Kaine, and argued against him by saying this:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he''s been a governor for three years, he''s been able but undistinguished. I don''t think people could really name a big, important thing that he''s done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it''s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It''s not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, "You know what? I''m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?"

And McCain picks Palin Governor of Alaska but Kaine Governor Virginia is small potatoes...

Come on neo-cons, get it together.

[luvienne]

Giuliani should not throw stones. He wasn''t good enough to even be considered for vp let alone President. Ny reject.

[samthetvcat]

Dems fancy themselves to be so smart too - actually Barack''s largest base is comprised of people who make less than $24k a year . . .

I wonder how much of their name-calling is just overcompensation for their insecurities . . .

Like for the first time in their lifetime they actually feel smart (?)

[pooglywoogly]

The church Obama attended until he got caught was the equivalent of black version of a KKK church. The media would never let (nor should they)a white candidate who attended a blantly racist church for 20 years get away with saying he wasn''t aware it was racist. Why the double standard?

[samthetvcat]

---"However, Karl Rove''s statement that Senator Obama would make a political choice for VP was incorrect."---
Posted by Wiscon551

Wow, so now Barack supporters are morally superior too? If it had been up to him, everybody acknowledges he''d have picked Kaine . . .

[db024024]

Let''s not forget that one of the VP''s primary duties is to preside over the Senate. How much experience does she have with parliamentary procedure?

I''ll bet Joe has a little more.

[pooglywoogly]

The media allows Obama to push the myth that he is bipartisan and reform minded even though his record shows the exact opposite. A true unbiased journalist would take Obama to task on these obvious inadequacies.

[actiscenei]

Excuse me, but doesn''t John McCain have exactly the same amount of executive experience as Barack Obama?