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Category: Readers' Opinions

The experience gap

Oct 08

6:23 AM

Though everyone is centered on the question of Gov. Sarah Palin’s knowledge of all things Washington, I believe they have missed the point. It is not what you know, but how you use what you know.

Sen. Joe Biden, though likely more experienced in the facts of domestic and global issues over the past few decades, has used that knowledge along with his Democratic associates to raise our taxes and increase wasteful spending of our dollars, to expand government along with its inefficiency and corruption, to empower poor financial practices that we have seen come crashing down this year, and to continuously restrict efforts toward energy independence, including offshore drilling and nuclear power. As a result, we see a Democrat-controlled Congress with an approval rating barely in the double digits.

Gov. Palin, though a “lowly” state executive and Washington outsider, has used her knowledge to successfully take on corrupt government and business, to get tax dollars back into the hands of the people, to control government waste, and to promote energy measures that have brought more profitability to Alaska and initiated efforts toward energy independence that will serve the entire United States. As a result, she has an 80 percent approval rating, the highest in the country.

In her few years of public service, Gov. Palin has obviously learned fast and wisely used what she learned to benefit the people and the country. Sen. Biden, with all his insider experience and knowledge of 36 years in office, apparently hasn’t learned much, and the country has suffered for it. It simply illustrates that it is time people learned to vote for those with more wisdom than words.

Ira White

Portsmouth

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Dennis

Submitted by am81430 on Sun, 10/05/2008 at 8:53 pm.

one interview with Obama demonstrates more knowledge than Palin has been able to convey throughout her whole campaign. You can't be serious.

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Palin

Submitted by dennisb54308 on Sun, 10/05/2008 at 11:21 am.

I read all of these comments of Palin's lack of knowledge. Show me where Obama has such a store of worldly knowledge? People better take a good look at the whole candidate and their record and not just their promises of more entitlements.

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Just Imagine

Submitted by Ol grumpy on Sat, 10/04/2008 at 12:09 pm.

Suppose Clinton and Palin had joined forces? Both are probably smarter
than what we have running and have more common sense? Clinton could have
schooled Palin in the shyster politics of Washington D.C. and Palin could have kept Clinton in check with her moose rifle. That would have made a real exciting campaign.

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Doesn't work that way

Submitted by Ira Tateu on Sat, 10/04/2008 at 9:32 am.

"You bet I would, if the one that finished last has a better success rate because he uses what he knows more efficiently."

That is rarely true. I work in business and finance and those who have performed better at the academic level rarely are able to compete w/ those who scored lower in the real world. Results are all that matter.

Regardless, the man seems to have done pretty well in his lifetime. What is that you do?

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Bill you're comparing apples and oranges

Submitted by brpster on Sat, 10/04/2008 at 8:23 am.

and missing the point of the letter. Now had you said would I want a brain surgeon that finished at the bottom of his class instead of one that graduated number one. You bet I would, if the one that finished last has a better success rate because he uses what he knows more efficiently.

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It is not what you know, but how you use what you know?

Submitted by Bill Mitchell on Sat, 10/04/2008 at 7:31 am.

That is patently ridiculous. Would you want your excellent lawn maintenance person performing brain surgery on you? Of course it's what you know. That's why Bush has proven to be such a horrible president. A decent fellow yes. A decent president, no. I sometimes think we deserve what we get in this country.

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