Palin critics ignore her skills

Reading David Distenfeld's Sept. 11 article, "Palin comparison," I found myself confused by his partisan doublethink.

Distenfeld and other Palin critics have furiously raised the spectre of experience in opposition to Gov. Sarah Palin's candidacy. Interestingly enough, such concerns have been unheard regarding the qualifications of their undistinguished candidate, who immediately started running for president the day he was elected to Congress.

Unlike Sen. Barack Obama, Palin has actual accomplishments to her name, not just speeches. Palin presides over a state with one of the most powerful executive branches in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. She has managed a $12 billion dollar budget, negotiated the construction of an enormously significant natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48, aggressively cut wasteful spending and fought corruption in her state.

And Obama? Well, he manages his campaign! It's a sad and telling sign when a candidate must point to his own campaign for higher office as evidence of his qualification for that office. Unfortunately, even this argument is comic, because it is Obama's campaign manager who is in charge of day-to-day operations, not him.

Regardless, Obama is not running against Palin for the presidency. He is running against Sen. John McCain. It is quite revealing that he has chosen to have this experience argument with the vice presidential nominee, rather than McCain himself.

Vikram Srinivasan

Trinity '10

Chair, Duke College Republicans