Does volunteer experience count:

My local woman officeholders have lists of volunteer positions they've held that are as long as your arm. See SandyGalef.com and CatherineBorgia.com. The only volunteer experience I ever heard about for Sarah Palin was that she was a member of the PTA.

Do you think volunteer experience counts? Does it say something about the person? Are people with community service, like Barack Obama, more appealing candidates in your opinion?