Seems like Palin has all the right stuff

But, let me see if I understand the reactions of Alaska's ever dependable Palin-opposers. She's not qualified. Is this a joke? How can she be prepared to be vice president? Her lack of experience does jump out at you. Running the state for less than two years hasn't prepared her for this. She's not ready for that 3 a.m. phone call.

Now I'll give these folks credit. Our governor's experience to be vice president is certainly a relevant topic. But, if we're going to talk experience, how about if we ask how Gov. Palin's experience matches up against, oh just for fun, let's say presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama?

After graduating from college, Sen. Obama worked for a few years as a community organizer. Then he went to law school and after that worked for five years as an associate in a law firm. During those five years he also taught some classes at a law school, wrote a book about himself, and served as a low-level campaign worker during the 1992 presidential election.

He was elected to the Illinois state senate and served for eight years. During this time he once ran unsuccessfully for Congress. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention while he was a "candidate" for the United States Senate. He was elected to the Senate and has now served there for a little over three years. A good portion of his three years in the Senate has been spent writing a book about himself and campaigning to be president. He has never served as an executive in any capacity, unless you count his stint as editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Gov. Palin served two terms (four years) on the Wasilla City Council, and a total of eight years as a government executive, two terms (six years) as mayor of Wasilla, and two years as Alaska's governor. If the naysayers think that Gov. Palin isn't qualified to be vice president, why in the world would they think Sen. Obama is qualified to be president? How can they keep a straight face voicing shock that Gov. Palin might be "a heartbeat away from the presidency," while at the same time they support putting someone with Sen. Obama's experience directly in the oval office?

As far as I am concerned, any way you look at it, Gov. Palin's run as the first female vice-presidential candidate on the Republican ticket is great for both Alaska and the nation. They can say what they want about her experience, but they can't reasonably question her commitment to changing the status quo, promoting the people's interests, and bringing integrity and ethics back to government.

She resigned a cushy high paying state job on the oil and gas commission because of the unethical conduct of her own political party's boss and then blew the whistle on him. She took the heat and the party fallout and then came back strong, winning the office of governor, and along with it the approval of an astounding percentage of Alaskans spanning the entire political spectrum.

She successfully championed Alaska's right to receive a fair share of the billions in profits that are earned by the likes of Exxon off Alaska's oil, and then successfully championed sending some of that tax revenue back to the people of Alaska, the folks who pay about 70 cents more per gallon for gasoline than the average driver in the Lower 48. Maybe lack of experience in the old game of politics is a good thing.

Regardless, I find it hard to understand how anyone in Alaska can say anything about Sarah Palin's run for vice president other than, "You go, girl!"

Kevin Clarkson is an attorney in Anchorage.