John McCain has accepted that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s executive experience is enough to be commander in chief, yet the Arizona senator previously dismissed similar experiences in the GOP primary battling former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R).
In an October 2007 GOP debate McCain touted his 25 year career and suggested that neither Romney nor Giuliani’s mayoral and gubernatorial stints were enough to prepare them for national security policy issues that the future president will surely have to deal with.
“I need no on-the-job training,” McCain said. “I wasn’t a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn’t a governor for a short period of time.”
Palin served six years as mayor of Wasilla before clenching her gubernatorial position in 2006.
Hat tip to Sam Stein, who provides video of the debate.
– Meghan McNamara