You are missing something very obvious, Scott.  Obama was "chosen by the voters" in the primaries.  Apparently enough people think he is qualified to get him this far and I wouldn't discount that in a general election.  On the other hand, Palin was "chosen by McCain" (or the party) and he had MANY more better qualified candidates to choose from.  For that reason, your comparison is nothing more than repeating the party line justification. 

I like Palin, and I believe that if she were to continue in her current role for a years and get the experience necessary, she may develop into a candidate that we could get behind in a national election.  With all of the more experienced options available, I think it reflects poorly on McCain to have her as a running mate. 

You are correct to worry about Obama's lack of experience.  However, it is hypocritical to point to that in support of Palin.  At least Obama chose a very experienced running mate - McCain should have done the same thing.  McCain had a choice, and he wasn't very responsible with it.

I was waiting for the VP announcements to make up my mind for this election.  Sadly, I am still perplexed.