A Comparison of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin

"On February 10, 2007 Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was symbolic since it was also where Abraham Lincoln in 1858 delivered his historic 'house divided' speech." Wikipedia

When Obama announced his candidacy he had only two years in the Senate under his belt, and almost the entire Democratic establishment was solidly behind Hillary Clinton. Most of the pundits and political experts were predicting that Hillary would coast to the Democratic nomination.

Hillary had name recognition, the support of the establishment, and a huge warchest. Obama had audacity and faith that the country was ready for the change that he represented.

If Obama was to make history as the first African American presidential candidate of a major party he had to overcome overwhelming odds. We all know how the story played out, in one of the most bitterly fought Democratic primary battles in history, Obama finally beat the vaunted Clinton machine.

The Democratic presidential nomination wasn't handed to Obama on a silver platter, he earned it fair and square. Historians and pundits can't claim that Obama reached such lofty heights because he is an African American, he persevered and ultimately prevailed in spite of the fact that he is black.

"On August 29, 2008, in Dayton, Ohio, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, announced that he had chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate." Wikipedia

Sarah Palin has only 6 years experience as a part-time mayor of a small town in Alaska, and one and a half years experience as governor of Alaska.

Sarah Palin made history as the first female vice-presidential candidate of the Republican party. McCain handed Palin the vice-presidency on a silver platter, she has done very little to merit such an important office.

Obama earned his place in history by the sweat of his brow; Palin is where she is simply by virtue of her gender. In a reckless and cynical move McCain chose her as his running mate to appease the GOP's right wing base, and to appeal to disaffected Hillary voters.

I hope that history will reward Obama's hard work, intelligence and good judgement, and that McCain's desperate gamble will result in overwhelming defeat

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.

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