Jedediah Bila: Sarah Palin is 'certainly qualified' for 2012 run

'Sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity,' indeed
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In a rebuttal of Mona Charen's recent rant that Gov. Palin should not make a run for the white house in 2012, Jedediah Bila makes the case that the 2008 vice presidential candidate "is certainly qualified" to throw her hat into the ring for the next presidential contest:

First and foremost, let’s address one of Charen’s opening points as to why Palin should sit 2012 out. She stated, “Americans will be looking for sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity — not sizzle and flash.” Perhaps a walk down policy lane is in order.

As Governor, Sarah Palin actualized AGIA, the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, the largest private sector infrastructure project in North American history. Palin’s administration opened up drilling for oil and gas at Point Thomson for the first time in several decades. As Governor, Palin reduced earmark requests for Alaska by 80%, established Alaska’s Petroleum Integrity Office to oversee safe energy development, placed the state checkbook online, and reduced spending for Fiscal Year 2010 by over one billion dollars from Governor Murkowski’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget. Palin signed ACES, Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share bill, into law, incentivizing development and ensuring that Alaskans would receive a “clear and equitable” share of oil profits. She cut costs by selling a private jet purchased by the previous governor and saying “no thank you” to the Executive Mansion’s personal chef. She has served as Chairperson of the AK Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and Vice Chair of the National Governors Association Natural Resource Committee. Prior to her time as Governor, Palin served as Mayor of Wasilla, AK, and city council member in Wasilla. She has also been involved in running a commercial fishing business with her husband Todd.

“Sober competence, managerial skill, and maturity,” indeed.

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Charen made a weak case for Gov. Palin not to run, and Jedediah Bila counters each Charen point with facts and common sense to build a more compelling opposing argument.

- JP