Ms. Palin, Can We See Your Passport, Please?

By Julie Schwietert On September 4, 2008 · 25 Comments

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Sure, the Matador editors have been a little bit obsessed with Sarah Palin over the past couple of days.

We’ve poked fun at Palin’s patriotism (she took things WAY further than a lapel pin; how’d you like that American flag bikini and the confident trigger finger?).

We wondered aloud how she could permit oil drilling in her state.

Amongst ourselves, we’ve debated her foreign policy cred.

But we’re not done yet.

Governor Palin, could you please show us your passport?

According to a New York Times article published earlier this week, Palin has only held a passport since the middle of last year.

Her reason for applying? She needed a passport in order to visit troops in Kuwait.

Blogosphere speculation abounds, of course, as to whether there’s any other ink in her passport, but as one Salon.com blogger noted, Palin can’t “compete with…Biden…who has been to every war zone in recent memory and logged plenty of time in every time zone relevant to our national interest.”

While some bloggers argue that her lack of a passport makes her MORE likeable (this from a guy whose screen name is “strung out“), Matador editors and passionate travelers know that travel is, in fact, an important veep credential.

And Palin doesn’t have it.

Photos: asecondhandconjecture (Flickr creative commons)

About The Author

Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator currently in New York, formerly of Mexico City and San Juan. She is Matador's managing editor and is the lead faculty member of MatadorU's travel writing program.

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Beth

I don't know if this is true but … I heard she said that she has spent time in Europe… a fuel stop in Ireland on the way to Kuwait. haha
Lola

Oooh don't get me started on this one! Still trying to process that VP decision….
Danny

That picture of her in the bikini and gun was widely proven to be photoshopped.
Caroline

duh, who wouldn't be able to tell tha it was photoshopped? pretty funny though.
Jason

So she hasn't "been to every war zone in recent memory". How many first term governors have?
Julie

Jason- That's not really my point. My point is that Palin doesn't seem to have very much travel experience or interest in travel, which should be a concern, particularly given our current president's travel resume and international IQ prior to assuming office.
Zach

You guys know that the American Flag bikini picture was a fake right?
Steve

90% of the east coast ivy grads probably have more travel experience. VP isn't about navigating baggage check in Brussels, or lying about snipers in Kosovo, or plagiarizing a British labor party speech (ZING), it's about character and Palin has that in spades. Biden is the moron who came up with the "let's split Iraq into three countries idea," trust me, we don't need any more international "genius" from him.
Tommy

Palin can't compete with Biden? She's smearing his dumb ass all over the floor… What a load of elitist garbage. Who paid the bills for Biden's world travel? I'm willing to bet its the US taxpayer. By your convoluted standards only lifelong Washington insiders are qualified to be elected.
Dan T

You libs are really stretching it trying to attack Palin. How much international experience did Bill Clinton have? Or does partying at Oxford count in your book?
Katie

Jason- How many first-term governors are running for Vice President? That's why it matters. I'm American and I'm in Europe right now for the second time in my life; international travel is eye-opening and gives one a completely different perspective on the world. How can a politician possibly understand world issues without meeting world leaders and/or traveling?
Julie

Actually, I only included one of my standards. (And no, lifetime experience in Washington definitely isn't one of them). As Katie indicated below, international travel (when it's outside of an all inclusive resort) is an experience that expands your understanding about politics, society, culture, and international conflicts. You don't have to have Washington experience to travel. All you need is a passport. And Palin didn't have one until July 2007.
Eva

How many first term governors have a shot at VP? No one's saying she should have the same amount of experience as Biden, but the near-complete lack of travel experience is pretty worrying. It's not elitist – no one's criticizing where she chooses to take her holidays, but I think, if she's really ready to be 2nd in command, she should have at least SOME foreign policy experience. (And no, governing a state that's "close to Russia" doesn't count. Thanks, though, McCain.)
Ksenia

Everyone who has traveled knows what a mind-changing, enlightening experience it can be. Those who did not travel and do not wish to do so can never understand how important it is, especially for a leader. On a different subject, has anyone noticed that the term "elitist" is usually used by mediocre, uneducated, uncultured people? I just find it funny
Rick

ahhhh… elitist is the new buzzword the junta uses to hide that trait in themselves this election cycle. Thanks. I guess I was still on flip flop.
Tommy

I am willing to bet that I have been in a lot more Countries than you can believe for a mediocre, uneducated, uncultured person. And yes Ksenia that IS quite an elitist attitude you are displaying. But it is to be expected from someone with your ideological perspective. Perhaps a good reading of Ayn Rands "Atlas Shrugged" would show you how I view your politics. But James Taggart would probably turn into a hero for you! What is "Funny" is how the default argument for a liberal is the ad hominem attack. I have traveled extensively to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. What I have learned is they have just as many problems as America does except they,for the most part, don't debate them out in the open like the USA. And if there is anyplace in the World I would want to live, it would be in the USA. The Ivy league lawyers who fill Washington may have Passports filled with colorful stamps but none of them have truly lived. Thats why Palin scares the Left and old guard Republicans, What happens if she is what she seems? Not the phony hope and change of George Soros's finger puppet that would be forgotten the minute Obama took the Oath of office. I would take a person who has actually had to run a City and State over someone who cuts secret deals in cigar filled rooms in the Senate Cloakroom any day.
Tommy

All you need is a Passport and that little thing called money. Unless you consider travel to Canada and Mexico world travel? Kids sort of cut into traveling around money. And I think if there is one thing we can agree on Palin has a lot of kids. But there is probably some sort of Lefty conspiracy that Palin is lying about being a mother too!
Eva

City? What city? You can't be talking about Wasilla…
Eva

Tommy, no one's saying she should have taken more extravagant family vacations. If she was a more experienced politician (and particularly one with an interest in foreign policy) she would have traveled for work – in which case, she wouldn't have to cut into her kids' Christmas present fund to do it. Given that she's not a very experienced politician, it would be nice if she'd been doing something else her whole life – and maybe some interest in the outside world would be a part of that. Yeah, she has lots of kids. That doesn't qualify her to be Vice President though!
Tommy

How do you view Obama's experience when compared to Palin? Realizing that he is running as the head of the ticket and has never held an Executive position in Government. It seems that a lot of people are grasping at straws to belittle a qualified person. This is the reason we have no real leaders in politics anymore. If you are going to allow Obama to rely on his 300 advisor's about Forigne Policy (as all Presidents do) why can't Palin?
Tommy

http://www.cityofwasilla.com/ Yes the City of Wasilla
Tommy

Oh crap!… I misspelled Foreign… Now the language police of the left are going to use that error to dismiss my whole life!
Ron

Gosh this post is really funny. Gee I've been to more countries then you have! My daddy has traveled more then your daddy. Are you serious?
George Dundas

why must you pass on lies as though they are fact ? The american flag bikini was a fake and Sarah Palin has had a passport for most of her adult life you are as bad as the idiots spreading lies and rumors about barack obama such as the rumor that he is muslim which we all know to be preposterous. it sure would be nice if we could decide a presidential election based on facts without dumbasses like you and your dumbass newspaper spreading lies all over .
CollazoProjects

We clearly noted that the bikini picture was fake. And as for the passport claims you're making, I'd be happy to review any evidence you'd like to produce that Sarah Palin has had a passport for , as you say, "most of her adult life." She herself admitted she did not in a recent interview with Katie Couric, and I cite my source in the article.

Ms. Palin, Can We See Your Passport, Please?

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