Their roles in Obama's adult life do indicate certain things about his character and judgment.
Just not enough, in my own personal opinion, to make a big difference in my decision of whether to vote for him or not.
The fact that Palin enthusiastically submitted to the ministrations of a witch exorcist at a church service is a factor in my book. But again, not enough to have a significant effect on my opinion of her.
I've concluded that Palin has in fact been getting a bad rap in the media. If you read the entire transcript of the Biden-Palin debate, she doesn't come off that badly. She sounds like a typical politician. Her syntax is awkward, but I don't believe eloquence and a polished delivery are important qualifications for a vice president. I do believe the media has seized upon a few juicy morsels of things she's said and are hammering them over and over.
I do strongly dislike her politics and her ideological and philosophical world view and I'd never, ever vote for a ticket that had her on it. But she's no moron.
