Tale of the Tape: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama

In light of a comparison chart / table circulated to me. I had to research as best I could using Google, Washington Post Fact Check, The PolitiFact Checker of the St. Petersburg Times, Wikipedia, and the candidate’s own web page. I tried to get to:
The Truth of the Matter:
Full name Sarah Louise Heath Palin true. Barack Hussein Obama II true and so what if it is
Nickname Sarah Barracuda true from basketball playing days. Barry Obama; “The One” not quite true, Barry is in his high school yearbook. I can’t find a source to confirm about “The One”
Public opinion Smoking hot in a “naughty librarian” sort of way. By what opinion poll? May be The Messiah. According to who? I see neither of these “public opinions as being a positive to either...
Age 44 and 48 are true.
Children Palin - two sons, three daughters true. Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, Trig. Sounds like an Australian soap opera cast. Obama - two daughters Malia Ann, and Natasha.
Religion/Church attendance Palin’s Evangelical Christian; attends Juneau Christian Center when in Juneau and grew up attending Wasilla Assembly of God. True.
Other famous Assembly of God Members include:
- Jim Bakker - once popular PTL televangelist (defrocked by AG after sex/financial scandal), - Jimmy Swaggart - televangelist; instrumental in exposing Jim Bakker scandal; soon thereafter scandalized himself after being repeatedly caught with prostitutes
- Tammy Faye Bakker - former wife of Jim Bakker and PTL co-leader; featured in film The Eyes of Tammy Faye
- Benny Hinn - televangelist; TV faith healer
- Jack Coe - AG minister and faith healer
- Jerry Lee Lewis, once married to his own underage cousin
- and of course Elvis “The King” Presley
Obama Attended Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years, a “black liberation theology” church formerly led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright and governed True. In his own words, his mother kept a Bible, The Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita on the shelf with books of Greek, Norse, and African mythology. She taught me that no one religion had a monopoly on God.

Current Job Governor of Alaska true. with a population half that of Rhode Island. Junior Senator from Illinois true. with a population of 12,831,970 fifteen times that of Alaska
Previous Public Jobs; Palin - Mayor of Wasilla, AK (1996-2002) True; 9th largest city of Alaska, pop.6,000 then. President of Alaska Conference of Mayors; true 80 members. City Council member (1992-1996) True. Obama - State Senator (1997-2004); true Community Organizer true in South Side of Chicago. I am proud to say I am a community organizer too, but not in Chicago.

Executive Experience Palin - Governor for 2 years; Mayor for 10 years True. Obama - matches that of Biden, Clinton, and McCain. Elected the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, a full-time volunteer position functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising the law review staff of 80 editors
Foreign Relations experience Palin - Governor of state that borders Canada and Russia. Part True. The state does share a border with Canada, but only a waterway with Russia. There is no record found of her traveling to either capitol for any sort of talks with either of the countries leaders. She may have had talks with the Immigration officials at the border of the Yukon Province when she went moose hunting. Passports were not needed at the time. Obama - Chaired Senate subcommittee on Europe True. once gave a speech to 200,000 screaming Germans True, Obama has been to Germany, Jordan, Israel, France the United Kingdom, Iraq and Afghanistan. It also proves he has a passport.
Military Affairs experience Commander in Chief of Alaska National Guard. sort of true. The Guard is a Reserve Component of the U.S. Army and would under the command of the President. Although, the Guard can be called up by the Governors in times of state wide emergencies such as floods and earthquakes. Neither of which has occurred during Palin’s term so far. Son is enlisted Infantryman in U.S. Army. True and is being sent to Iraq. Obama - None. True. But maybe he will meet Track on one of his trips to Iraq.
Private Sector Experience Sports reporter; True for KTUU-TV in Anchorage, Alaska. Salmon fisherman True. Help with her in-laws commercial fishing business. Obama - Associate at civil rights law firm True. Fighting for the Civil Rights of All of Us.
Speaking ability; Beautifully executed initial stump speech in Dayton, OH hockey arena without a teleprompter Partly True. the first part being an op.ed. with over 50 Google references link to the same posting. I once heard an actor deliver the entire role of Hamlet including the famous soliloquy “To Be or not to be”. I also once heard a dog barking Jingle Bells. Obama - No answer as there is no “fact” stated only the entry “An enter...wait—did you say without a teleprompter??” I am sure Obama has delivered a speech without a teleprompter.
Spouse’s name: True on each count. Todd Mitchell Palin and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama

Spouse’s occupation: Salmon fisherman; True. Commercial Fisherman. Former very well paid Union worker BP Oil True. Michelle Obama - Vice President for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals; former Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago; True. Maybe she should be the VP pick ya, think? Former Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies; former Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago; former associate at Sidley Austin law firm
Reaction to spouse’s political success Todd Palin - Quit 17-year BP oil job when BP became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with wife’s administration. Partly True as far as I can find. He did quit in his own words to work part-time for the union and make more time for the family, since his wife was now the bread winner. Michelle Obama - Promoted and given 160% pay raise by UoC hospitals within months of husband’s election to U.S. Senate; The 2006 10-40 states her salery was $273,618. Employer received $1,000,000.00 federal earmark, requested by husband, after her promotion. Unverified. She did quit a job with a supplier to Wal-Mart after Obama criticize Wal-Marts anti-union efforts.
Coolest thing about Spouse; Tesoro Iron Dog Snowmobile race champion (longest snowmobile race in the world); In 2008, while defending his championship, was injured when he was thrown 70 feet from his machine. He was sent to the hospital but still finished in fourth place All True. Michelle Obama’s Sister of Oregon State University head basketball coach Craig Robinson True. Michelle is also an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Most Courageous Moment in Public Service: Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman True. Obama - Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002. True and he also opposed the war a gutsy move when so many supported it.
In Current Office Because...Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment. un-confirmed op.ed but She had the most votes. Obama - Republican opponent was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal. Un-confirmed op.ed. He got the most votes over Allen Keyes who did not resign.
Theme: McCain / Palin - Change and Clean Government Hope and Change; True, but it sounds like plagiarism of.. Obama’s - “Bringing Change from Outside Washington”

What they’ve done to live that theme: Palin - Replaced entire Board of Agriculture and Conservation because of conflict of interest; True. Resigned from position of Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose corruption among members of own party. True. elected to run with a 26 year incumbent Senator. Obama - Selected 36-year incumbent Senator as running mate
Family Affairs: Palin - May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner because he did not fire her ex-brother in-law during a messy divorce and child custody battle. True she is under a state bi-partism ethics investigation. She may have had an affair with a former business partner of her husband but he has had the divorce papers sealed. Superior Court docket Number 3PA-07-01581C1 in the Matter of: Richter, Scott Alan, and Richter, Deborah Marie motion to make case confidential. Obama - Often says, “I am my brother’s keeper”; Unconfirmed op.ed. Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year. Step Brother and that is a good living in Nairobi.
Union affiliation: Union member, married to Union member. True. Obama - Endorsed by a union True hasn’t needed a union Job.
Iraq and Troop Support: Palin - Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq; Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany; visited AK National Guard soldiers [being] deployed to Kuwait; Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman True. Obama - Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators; almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead. Barely true. it was a gym and The decision to cancel was made after the Pentagon raised a number of issues about its policy against campaign activity at a military base — including visits by campaign staff or any media coverage or speeches. As a sitting senator, Obama was welcome to visit troops, but no one on the campaign trip with him, including a retired general who is advising his campaign, could go along. So, if Palin is using her visits for policital hay, so Obama be allowed to do the same.
Bipartisan/”maverick” credentials; Palin - Married to a non-Republican; Exposed corruption within own party; Campaigned for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell against corrupt GOP congressman Don Young; Called out Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK) to “come clean” about financial dealings that are under fed investigation. True. Obama - Talks about bipartisanship. True, so does McCain who voted with the White House 88 - 90% of the time.
Legislative Record: Palin - Passed a landmark ethics reform bill; True. Used veto to cut budgetary spending; True. Prevented “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars. 1/2 truth. By the time Palin pulled the plug on the Gravina bridge project in September 2007, much of the federal funding for the bridge had already been diverted to other transportation projects. In other words, Sept 2006 she wanted a bridge and lobbied for the money, got the money cancelled the bridge, kept the money anyway. Obama - Voted “present” over 100 times as IL state senator. True. Obama has sponsored 136 bills since Jan 4, 2005. The other guys record? Senator John Sidney McCain III repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff.
How they dealt with corrupt individuals in home city/state: Palin - Exposed legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders; True. Campaigned against corrupt GOP Representative; True. Ran against and defeated corrupt incumbent governor in GOP primary. True. Obama - Launched political career in home of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (and still refers to him as a part of “mainstream Democratic Chicago”; about 1/2 true but, Both Obama and Ayers were members of the board of an anti-poverty group, the Woods Fund of Chicago, between 1999 and 2002. In addition, Ayers contributed $200 to Obama’s re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate in April 2001, as reported here. They lived within a few blocks of each other in the trendy Hyde Park section of Chicago, and moved in the same liberal-progressive circles. Is there anything here that raises questions about Obama’s judgment or is this just another example of guilt by living in the same town? Purchased home with help of convicted felon Tony Rezko True. But Obama paid full fair value for the property. Again, this Obama was too trusting of a neighbor.
Guns: Palin, Lifetime member of NRA and avid hunter: True. Palin likes to kill things. She has also been known to hunt wolves from a helicopter. video can be found on YouTube of Palin firing an M4 at a military firing range. A photo is being circulated of her holding a rifle while wearing a “Flag” bikini. Obama - Worked to pass legislation in Illinois that would prevent all law-abiding citizens from owning firearms. True, and it would also ban all non-law abiding citizens from the same thing.
Earmarks: Palin - Opposed “Bridge to Nowhere” project; 1/2 truth see above. She kept the money rejected the bridge. Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects; LOL LOL LOL see previous. Campaigned against porker Don Young (R-AK) in 2008 primary True. Obama - Secured federal earmarks for wife’s employer and for campaign bundlers. Can not verify true or not.. But McCain uses more money from bundlers than does Obama.
Abortion; Palin - is against giving a woman a Choice. gave birth to 5th child knowing that he would have Down’s syndrome. True and good for her. Obama - is Pro-choice; only IL state sen. to speak against the Born Alive Infant’s Protection Act, which required medical care to be given to live infants who survived abortions. Tricky to answer. part yes part no. part present but not voting which can mean the same as voting no. But on wedge issues it is an ambush to start with. Bills are introduced and worded in ways, and amended with such other issues, that one could vote to spend $600,000 on a bridge to no-where bill, which also has a provision to stop mothers from free choice. To vote against the bridge votes against pro-life.

Energy; Palin Believes energy independence is a matter of national security; True, so does a lot of people, including Obama. For drilling in ANWR, which is in her state. True, even though a Republican lead congress was against it for the last 12 years. Obama - Says Americans should “get tune-ups” and “check tire pressure”; True, and so does the AAA, and all automotive mechanics, tire manufactures and highway safety departments. It is a very good idea. Says “we can’t expect the world to be okay with” our use of heating and air conditioning. True. we use 75% of the worlds resources for 25% of the population. Obama favors new energy resources.
Environment: Palin - Chair of Alaska Conservation Commission (2003-4); True. Announced plans to create sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in AK. True. But welcomes drilling in ANWR in spite of a Republican / Democratic Congress unwilling to let her do it. Obama - Talks about the environment a lot. True. with AL Gore and Ed Beagly Jr. Two leading environmentalist.
Athletic prowess: Palin - Runs marathons So does Oprah. Obama - Has reporters tailing him to the gym. True. They both workout.

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