Caribou Barbie

Did you see the interview Sarah Palin had with Katie Couric on CBS? Yikes!! No wonder the McCain campaign is keeping her from the press, which finally seems to be waking up to this problem. More disturbing though is the thought she could be President one day. While I don't expect her, a governor suddenly thrust onto the national stage to be as well versed in national issues as Senators McCain, Obama and Biden after just a few weeks, I would expect her to at least be able to answer a question with a rudimentary, basic answer. That she can not disturbs me. It is not so much that she didn't know the issues facing this country that bothered me as her seemingly inabilityto still understand them. She is not qualified to run for the second highest office of this land.

Being governor of Alaska, a state with a population smaller than Brooklyn, is not the same as being a governor of New Jersey, Texas or Arkansas. She basically has the same executive experience as one of the many mayors of New Jersey's small towns. My father in law has executive business experience running his small radio communications company, that doesn't mean he has the skills to suddenly run CBS tomorrow, even though he watches the network on a regular basis. If Governor Palin can't handle Charlie Gibson, Katie Couric or even her own supporters throwing softballs, how can she handle Putin when he bombs Georgia again? How will she work with foreign leaders who already see her as just eye candy like Pakistan's leader did?

I'm not a Dick Cheney fan, but I wouldn't be too worried if he was suddenly President. He has been engaged in national and international issues for decades and would be an adequate President. Same for Al Gore if something had happened to President Clinton. Even Dan Quayle, who was also thought to be a lightweight, had some experience with national issues and, as I recall, was at least able to answer reporter questions (though not spell potato). But Governor Palin? Maybe 8 years from now, but not today. And, after this last round with Couric I think I am being generous.

Whether you agree with her or not is not as important as whether she can actually be President. Her running mate is a 72 year old former POW cancer survivor running for the most stressful job on the planet? Will he still be here in 4 years? What happens if we really do get a President Palin. As I said before, picking Palin was a great political move, but is it good for the country?

Yes, the role of the VP, which constitutionally is just to make sure the President is breathing and break ties in the Senate, doesn't require much, but when there is a chance that VP may be President, it is time to worry. And, as the recent financial meltdown has shown, we will need a leader who is not only engaged but also can understand what is going on. Senator McCain is intelligent and knowledgeable, Palin is not. Governing a nation such as our requires skills and an ability to make the right decision based on an understanding of the facts to make complex decisions, not just simply doing what your advisers tell you to do because all you are is an empty figure head. It requires a leader prepared to understand the issues facing him or her, able to partake in serious thought. I have yet to see a view from Governor Palin that would convince me she has these skills.

I like John McCain, though not his campaign (which reminds me of Gore's 2000 campaign filled will missteps because the handlers wouldn't let the candidate be himself). If he had won the nomination in 2000, I may have voted for him over Gore, but then I may not have. Though there were polices of his I disagreed with, I never doubted his ability to be President then. However, it is now 8 years later. He is 72 and has had health issues. While his mother is still around, both his father and grandfather died at much younger ages. While though those could be blamed on the stresses of WWII and Vietnam, both the stresses of our financial mess and Iraq will not be going away anytime soon and I worry about a President McCain making it to 2012.

There is a reason why some of the left leaning blogs came up with the nickname Caribou Barbie for Governor Palin (I think, I'v heard it many places). These are dangerous times, we can't afford an incompetent person running the show. As long as Governor Palin remains on the ticket, I will not vote for McCain. There are many competent conservatives who, while I may not agree with politically, are competent to step into the role of President if the need should sadly arise.