Sarah Palin: Is She Qualified to Be VP?

Digging for a reason to nix Sarah Palin as the first female vice president in history, pundits are posing the question: "Is Sarah Palin qualified to serve as our country's first female vice president?" Interestingly enough, I cannot recall an election in my 53-year lifetime when the qualifications of the vice presidential nominee has ever undergone such intense scrutiny.

To answer the question, "Is she qualified?", let's turn to history for the answer. Since the dynamics of presidential races change dramatically over time, I will only roll the clock back to the turn of the 20th century. Here I will start to examine the qualifications of selected vice presidential candidates, both Democrat and Republican. I will also present some fun facts that'll help shed some light on some of the qualifications of past presidents.

To start, we will focus on the four vice presidents who took over the office of the presidency after 1900.

Theodore Roosevelt (Republican from New York) became president in 1901 after William McKinley's assassination. Before becoming vice president, Theodore Roosevelt served as governor of New York.

Theodore Roosevelt was known as a historian, naturalist, explorer, hunter, soldier and author. He wrote 35 books on subjects such as outdoor life, natural history, naval history, political history and the American frontier. He is the namesake for the "Teddy Bear."

Calvin Coolidge (Republican from Massachusetts) became president in 1923 after Warren G. Harding died of either a heart attack or stroke.

Calvin Coolidge held a number of offices in local level government: City Solicitor; City Council, Clerk of Courts. Coolidge eventually served as a Massachusetts congressman and senator and finally Governor of Massachusetts.

Calvin Coolidge was a happily married, low key man known as "Quiet Cal." A lawyer by trade, he felt that he served his clients best by staying out of court. His life seems to be underscored by a devotion to public service.

Harry Truman (Democrat from Missouri) became president in 1945 after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office.(Republican from Massachusetts) became president in 1923 after Warren G. Harding died of either a heart attack or stroke.

Harry Truman was a high school graduate and never earned a college degree. As a young man, he worked on the railroad and slept in "hobo camps." Truman served as an artillery officer (Captain) in WWI. He started his political career as a county judge and was eventually elected to the Missouri Senate.

As president, Harry Truman ordered that the atomic bomb be dropped on Japan, which is credited with ending WWII in the Pacific Theater. He has been rated by historians as one of the top 10 best presidents in history. President Truman made the slogan, "The Buck Stops Here," famous, which was placed prominently on a small sign on his desk in the Oval Office.

Lyndon B. Johnson (Democrat from Texas) became president in 1963 after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Lydon Johnson briefly taught public speaking and debate in a Houston high school, then entered politics serving as a congressman and a senator. Johnson garnered dubious fame for his service during WWII where he won the Silver Star (the military's third highest medal) after serving as an observer on a war plane that was engaged in hostile fire for 13 minutes. It was later dubbed, "The most under deserved Silver Star ever awarded."

Johnson was infamous for his heavy-handed political style, known as the "Johnson Treatment." Johnson inherited the woes of the Vietnam war and declined to run for reelection because of it. President Johnson was best known for crafting the "Great Society" era that included the civil rights reforms, the War On Poverty, Medicare, Medicaid and educational programs.

Gerald R. Ford (Republican from Michigan) became president in 1974 after Richard M. Nixon resigned office in 1974.

Gerald Ford was a lawyer before serving as a congressman from Michigan for 25 years.

Gerald Ford graduated from law school and served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Despite the incessant gaffs about his clumsiness, president Ford was perhaps one of our most athletically inclined vice presidents of the 20th century. He turned down contract offers from two professional football teams and he was also a boxer and an avid golfer who once scored a hole-in-one.

Gerald Ford was also devoted Boy Scout who considered his service in the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved the program's highest rank of Eagle Scout, to be one of his life's greatest achievements.

Gerald Ford was the longest living president in history; he was 93 years old when he died in 2006.

Some other interesting facts that include our 42 former presidents, as well as our current president:

-- 25 were lawyers.

-- 15 were senators.

-- 18 were congressman.

-- 18 were governors.

Of the four vice presidents who became president after 1900:

-- 2 were lawyers.

-- 1 was a former senator.

-- 1 was a former congressmen.

-- 2 served as both former senators and congressmen.

-- 2 were former governors.

-- 3 were soldiers.

-- 1 had only a high school diploma.

The other occupations that these four vice presidents held before entering public service were: Rancher; Farmer; Haberdasher; Judge; and Schoolteacher.

Two of the presidents who served after 1900 were rated by historical academics and political scientists in the top ten presidents of all times, they were Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) and Harry S. Truman (Democrat).

President Eisenhower had no previous political experience--serving only as the Supreme Allied Commander during World War II as his calling card.

Harry S. Truman was vice president for less than three months before taking over the presidency when Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office. President Truman had only a high school education.

One of the most popular presidents of the last century was Ronald Regan (Republican); his qualifications before becoming president were actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild, corporate spokesman and governor of California.

Another hugely popular president of the late was William J. Clinton (Democrat). His qualifications were that he is an attorney and was governor of Arkansas.

The youngest person to ever serve as president of the United States was Theodore Roosevelt; he was 42 when he assumed the office after William McKinley was assassinated. John F. Kennedy was the youngest elected president; he was 43 when elected.

These sorted historical facts bring us back to the question, "Is Sarah Palin qualified to be vice president?" That is only a question that you and if she is elected, that history can answer.

Sarah "Barracuda" Palin is not a lawyer, however, she does have a Bachelor of Science degree in communications and journalism. In her pre-public service days she worked as a sports reporter on television. She also helped manager her husband's commercial fishing business.

Ms. Palin eventually served for six years as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (now Alaska's fifth largest city). She could not serve beyond six years because of imposed term limits on the office. In 2006, Sarah Palin became the first female and youngest governor elected in Alaska's history. Sarah Palin also has an 85% approval rating as Alaska's governor.

When historians rate past presidents on their performance in office, they use the following criteria: past (presidential) achievements, leadership qualities, failures and faults (such as corruption). Perhaps we can rate all vice presidential candidates on these same qualities. Ask yourself the question: "How does Sarah Palin (or any other candidate) hold up when scrutinized in these areas?"

I judge my candidate on what I call the entire package--their general character, how they present and whether they stick to their guns regardless of the political consequences. Personally, I look unfavorably on any politician who changes their views, opinions and stances based on which way the political wind is blowing. History reflects favorably on past presidents who stood their ground--regardless of public opinion.

I also want to know how my president or vice president will hold up in a crisis. Here, I believe that each president or vice president's place in history is dictated by history. Whoever they are, our top leaders are tested by what history throws at them. They either rise to the occasion or stumble and fall.

Remember, one of the best presidents in history was Harry Truman--he took over the presidency after being vice president for less than three months. He ordered the only use of nuclear weapons in the world's history and helped end WWII in the Pacific. This from a president with minimal political experience and a high school education.

So, you be the judge. Does Sarah Palin stack up? Is the question "Is she qualified?" or is the real question "Is a woman qualified to be vice president?" One has to ask why Hillary Clinton didn't get nominated as the presidential candidate for the Democrats. She had ample experience: She is an attorney. She was first lady for eights years. She is a senator.

The question that hangs in the air is, why is Sarah Palin perhaps one of the most closely scrutinized vice presidential candidates in history?

I hope this small snapshot of history shows that while some prior public service is helpful, if not essential to being qualified to be elected to the vice presidency, it is not the only yardstick that one should use. Past performance, character, how one owns up to one's past mistakes (and we all make them) and how one makes up the collective vice presidential "package," not gender, should guide which handle you pull this coming November 4.

Source for some of the facts used in this article: Wikipedia.com