It took me three attempts to watch Palin struggle in her interview with harmless Katie. I had to stop and restart later because I was so embarrassed for Sarah. So . . . No. Palin is not ready. End of discussion.

Ok Fareed,
so are you going to rip on loose-lipped Biden or just talk crap about Palin since you an obvious Obama supporter?

Agreed! She can't form a coherent sentence, and answer a simple question. I am embarrassed for all women every time I watch her speak.... It's just painful.

Right On Fareed !

AS I said before in another post. McCains choice of VP is orders of magnitude worse than even Dan Quayle. Dan Quayle at lest had some rudimentary idea of teh dynamics of foreign policy.

This women is straight out of Kill of them Rag Heads, Love of Leave It Ignorant Red Neck America. What an embarrasment she is to the fine people of this great nation.

I just can't believe that John MCain could have chosen a person this ignorant of the world in which we live. Her views on this are so very simplistic that I am starting to believe It just might another Karl Rove trick to bring expectations of her down to absolute 0% so that all she has to do in the debate with Biden is pronounce her name correctly and her ignorant loyal supporters and her supporters in the press will decalre her the victor !

I wonder if Todd will playing teh role of Joe Biden in the rehearals so that she would cry and realize what a buffoon she really looks like. What a disgrace she is to all the intelligent well versed and well read women of this country !

Fareed,
Maybe you should be asking this same question about Obama since he is in the top spot of the dem ticket and has no experience what so ever. The truth is the only reason he did any good in the debate was because he took a whole week off and studied and was grilled. He has no foreign policy experience at all so he is in the same boat as Palin. The BIG difference is that she isn't at the top of the rep ticket like he is on the dem. So him being at the top of the ticket means if he wins we have someone who has no clue that will be running things from day one. That is more scarier and worse for our country than Palin ever could be! Why aren't you ranting about that Fareed!?

Cindy...Ga.

Cindy,
Obama serves on a committee which is responsible for oversite in Afghanistan. On a clear day Palin mught be able to see Russia with a pair of high power binoculars...... or maybe she could use the telscopic site of her semi-automatic AR15 which she uses to kill defenseless animals to see Russia. Let's get real here !

Is Palin ready? Of course she isn’t. Her vocabulary is limited to the mirror image of a fifth grader, if that high and she doesn’t hold a candle to Joe Biden, or Barack Obama in public relations, foreign relations, or common sense. When Mc Same called her to ask her if she would join his campaign as his VP running mate, her talking over the crowd at the county fair should have been a sign, but maybe Mc Same can’t read people like we can. To sum it up she is not ready now, and she never will be as long as she continues to answer questions that examine her ability to run this country, or assist Mc Same in doing so like she is in a beauty pageant. She’s too slow to be in this race. Ask yourself another question. Is Palin smarter that a sixth grader? We can't aford to have another C average in the white house.

But Cindy- Obama has Biden to look to on things he might not have a lot of experience in. Biden may make some dumb mistakes like the Roosevelt on the TV thing, but he does have experience and not to mention the fan-favourite Bush is ALWAYS flubbing things.

No... Palin is not, nor do I believe will she ever be, ready to be this country's Vice President, or god forbid should McCain die in office... President.

I agree that Palin is not qualified for the job; I have no idea why McCain would pick her as she is probably going to cost him the election. But, in all the hoopla about her inexperience and being 1 heartbeat away from the presidency, what about Obama? He is lacking experience also – he was a state senator – she was a mayor; he was a first term Senator in DC; she is a governor with an 80% approval rating. Obama won't be one heartbeat away either – he will be the President. With everything that has happened recently with Russia, Iraq, the financial markets, etc. Obama's inexperience troubles me more each day.

If we are going to talk about experience lets at least talk about on both sides of the aisle – Obama has a wonderful dream but the question remains does he know how to implement it? And how is he going to do it – in other words, where's the beef?

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

Cindy

Wake up – it's not Obama problem that MCain made a poor choice to gain women votes. There are woman who should have been on both tickets, some in the top spot. Bottom line here is Palin is nice, but she is not ready.

Ugh... I am so tired of people telling me that Sarah Palin's qualifications don't matter just because she is not at the top of the ticket. Really? The women could assume the presidency if, God forbid, something happens to John McCain. Just as Joe Biden needs to be examined, so should she. As I see it, the Republicans have made a joke out of the entire election. First Fred Thompson, then Rudy's little stunt in Florida, next it was Mike Huckabee's unwillingness to get out even though it was impossible for him to win(John King showed us that fifty times on his magic map) , and now Sarah Palin. What happened to "country first"? Palin didn't even make sense that entire interview, and I really don't think she even answered any of the questions. How did Katie keep from laughing(or crying)? I really hope Anderson and the Best Political Team can get their hands on her so the American people can get some more answers, because right now, it's just embarrasing.

The truth is that was one of the most embarassing displays of a political figure EVER, and she HAD been hiding for weeks to prepare for it. Obama may not be an expert on foreign policy but neither was Bush or Cheney really, especially looking back. Obama at least comes across as a competent figure, not withstanding your point regarding his experience. In the end I think it all comes down to knowing that Obama will change the direction of the country in more ways than McCain. Not to mention that his age is frightening when you consider the Vice presidential candidate.

Cindy, The difference is clear. the focus on Palin is so strct because the chance of her being the next president is so high. John Mccain with his various health issues and age is what is stearing the focus on her. Obama is not as "experienced" as John Mcain, but at the moment we dont need experience from years in congress, we need change. John Mcain and Sarah Palin are not about change, Mccain has shown that he supports Bush the majority of the time, and from mccain himself, Palin knows who she works for! She is being used as a tool to get him votes, but the scary point is that if she was to become president she is most obviosly less qualified than Obama.

P.S. You know, John McCain's choice of Palin might just be a reflection of what low regard he actually has for the women of this nation !

@cindy..Its not just the fact that Palin has no foreign policy experience. Palin has no idea what she is doing at all. Every interview she looks horrible. She has very little knowledge about many issues america faces today. Obama is a well educated man and knows what he is talking about. To say that Obama is less experienced than Palin is ridiculous and you know it. I think your partisan views are blinding you and most republicans from the truth AND facts.

I think it is a joke that palin only give 3 interviews so far i mean she will be vice president the people have to know more about her bacause just think this scenario... McCain is over 70 and maybe not life over the next 8 years and who is president then...palin. To me this is really scary

Two points. Biden may be prone to straying from the script and saying precisely what he thinks however his words are lucid, his thoughts coherent, and more often than not his off the cuff comments also happen to be true. Second, while Obama may not have a long resume with respect to foreign affairs he is articulate, well informed, and his opinions in this area are well reasoned.

Sarah Palin is woefully unprepared and McCains's decision to place on the bottom of the ticket was indeed "reckless" (The Economist).

Why does everyone get so upset when someone writes something negative about Palin? Has anyone paid attention to the news lately? They were all over Biden for his slip ups: the "terrible ad" he didn't approve, his view on Pakistan (which contradicted Obama's).
The BIG difference on the Rep. Ticket and Dem Ticket:: This inexperienced, backwards-thinking candidate is one 72 year old heartbeat from the Presidency. If McCain is elected and then dies in office, we're left with Palin...God save us. At least if Obama is elected and dies in office, there's Joe Biden to pick up the slack (he has the foreign policy experience Obama lacks).
Palin is merely a pretty face (and a woman) and a shameless tactic on behalf of the Republican party to garner votes from disenchanted Clinton voters. How do women not find that insulting?
I agree with Fareed's assessment and think Palin is the "wrong woman with the wrong message."

Joe Biden will have to be careful with her, can't attack her . He will not look good if he does, he doesn't have to. She will trip herself up.

I am ready for some intelligence and common sense in our leaders. We need a commitment from our leaders that they are going to do the right thing for the American people whether our not it is popular. We don't need our leaders to be there to further "their"agenda and those of their close supporters, but for all Americans. If you think that Sarah Palin and John McCain can do that, then you should vote for them. We as voters need to use our intelligence and common sense in picking our leaders. Let's try to focus on the issues!

Couldn't have said it better myself. In her case, though, this discussion is not even about experience; it is about intelligence. If you don't know something, keep your mouth shut and consult someone that does. As a republican in the past, I can tell you that the lack of experience Obama has is made up ten-fold by his ability to have rational thought. My (our) president, with the decisions today, will have to think on his/her feet, because we are in uncharted territory. No amount of experience will be able to prepare someone for this position. In response to the top spot on the ticket argument and Obama, McCain would be the oldest president inaugurated if he wins. Palin should be considered more than ever as a potential President.

Maybe because Obama wasn't selected by one man to be on the ticket. Obama was selected by MILLIONS of American Voters. HUGE difference. Obama stood shoulder to shoulder and secured the nomination.

Millions of American Votors selected Obama to head the ticket.
One man selected Palin.

Right on Fareed!

As a woman, it is disturbing to know that this is what the Republican party, and John McCain, has offered as a "viable" female VP candidate. If he wanted a woman who was capable of the issues, and didn't ramble random junk, then he would have chosen Sen. Olympia Snowe or a host of other Republican female senators or governors around the nation. He did not need to have this nitwit as a running mate. It shows his lack of care in asking capable women to be his VP candidate. It is a slap in the face to all capable women who have a different set of beliefs. Comparing Gov. Palin to Sen. Obama is useless – he sits on the foreign relations committe in the Senate, and has been on several trips outside the country (heck, before he became a senator he needed a passport!) and has spoken with political leaders about the issues that around the world that affect us at home.

This blog is spot on in its assessment of Gov. Palin's qualifications. Even the Republican pundits have their doubts about Gov. Palin, and some have completely abandoned the idea that Gov. Palin's vetting was ever rational – let alone voting for her. I am glad that people are able to see how she is not capable of forming a coherent thought on her own.

i don't think it's very smart for people to compare Obama to Palin. Obama is a J.D. magna cum laude and former President, Harvard Law Review ....Palin was runner-up in a beauty contest!

Obama served 8 years in the Illinois Senate (Illinois has a population of more than 12 million) –she served 4 years as a board member and 4 years as Mayor of a remote small town in Alaska (population <6,000). He has served as a member of the U.S. Senate since 2004 where he served as Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs while she's been Govener of Alaska (ranked 47th of of 50 states for population) for the past 20 months and had time to have a baby.

The only thing that I believe truly distinguishes her from the "...ordinary Hockey Mom...." she claims to be is ambition that is out of control. She's sort of a 'Hockey Mom' with ambition on steroids.....

I don't think she's qualified in any way.......

It's so funny how people are blinded by their political parties. I vote for the best candidate. I've voted for Reagan, Bush Senior, Clinton, and even Perot (don't ask)! But how can you be so blinded by your political party that you can't see that this was a bad move for the Reublicans. She's just not ready! I can't believe that in their haste to get a female on the ticket in hopes of picking up the disappointed Clinton supporters that they couldn't find someone more qualified. And yes Cindy, Obama did study for the debate, as did MacCain, as will Biden and Palin. You'd be a fool to go into a debate and try to answer all the worlds problems off the top of your head! But if you'll just step back and look at this objectively...with your brain, not your heart, you'll agree that she's not ready!

Neal, WA

I respectfully suggest that you do your research. I am a Republican, and proud of the numerous women within the republican party that are fiercely intelligent and knowledgeable enough to be Vice-President. Sarah Palin is NOT one of them. I am NOT voting for Senator Obama, but have a great deal of respect for his, intellect, character, wisdom and YES, he is extremely knowledgeable about foreign affairs AND is currently a member of the Foreign Realtions Committee. ALthough I am a republican, I am an AMERICAN first, and I given our current economic crisis, as well as our foreign oublic realtions crisis, we can ill-afford to make a huge mistake this year in choosing politics over principle.

Read and do your homework....Sarah Palin is an embarrassment to the strides and accomplishments that women have made..

One of most the important executive decision that McCain will ever have to make is his Vice President. He had the judgement to chose Palin. I think that says it all. Judgement does matter, and McCain failed.

As proven in Washington over and over on a daily basis, decades of experience does not translate into intelligence. Obama may not have decades of experience but at least he has many years in the Senate, is intelligent and articulate, and has a rational view of the world. With as come and go as McCain's health issues are and the added stress and pressures of the top office, that puts Palin just a breath away from being "leader of the free world". I do not feel she is ready for either position in the least nor can she provide any productive advice serving as VP. It's sad but she's just a trophy VP such as Quayle was, chosen solely to help with a certain demographic in the campaign. This is only the second time I won't be voting for a Republican for President. My wife, currently on her second tour in Iraq won't be either.

Cindy,
Read the quote from Palin. It's gibberish. She seems to think Russia will invade the U.S. through Alaska.
What experience Obama does have is at the national level, not the state level. Even if he is inexperienced, he is at least intelligent and interested. Palin isn't troubled by either of these attributes.

I can admit it now and all along, Palin is nothing but a GLORIFIED MAYORAL candidate.
I don't care if she is Alaska's Governor, for every good thing they claim she has done, there are many missteps and flat out mistakes she has made.
I have no respect for her smug and overly familiar and comfortable tone she seems to revel in. She carries all of this as some sort inherent right she has EARNED, NO, Palin may be good for rallying up some of the GOP base, overall she is in way over head.
To transpose her logic and ideology on the whole of the America is a logistical nightmare if it can even be worked through.
But alas, she is only the VP candidate, she only needs to make complete sentences and the Republicans will claim she did a magnificent job and she is a Maverick.
Sure, when she has lowered expectations to rock bottom, where else can she wind up but the BIG WINNER.

Cindy, there is a big difference between Obama and Palin. Obama wouldn't make and defend such an absurd remark. As to his studying all week for the debate, I think that shows he is committed to doing the best he can. How can that be interpreted as a negative? Honestly, I don't get Palin's popularity. I hear people saying that she is "one of us"? What does that mean? I'm not prepared to be President, nor are any of my co-workers, friends, family, etc. Obama doesn't have the same experience as McCain but he clearly is intelligent, focused, and not nearly as impulsive as McCain. These attributes should be a requirement for the Presidency shouldn't they? Looking back over the Bush years however, I'm not so sure. That's what you get when you elect someone based on whether or not they would be good to have a beer with.

As a republican I am ashame of this pick. She has not demonstrated any leadership abilities nor knowledge of foreign or domestic policies from what been presented (which is very little). I'm also disappointed in the McCain for picking her because he's not thinking about "what's best for the nation" if he wins. Having her as #2 would be extremely discomforting. I wonder what exactly goes on in Alaska???

Palins ambition is only overshadowed by her ignorance.

Let's hope this power-hungry idiot never has the opportunity to further damage this country.

Amen to Terry. Good points. Those saying Obama is somehow in the same league as Palin are either profoundly ignorant or disingenuous. Either stance is a poor one to support Palin. I wouldn't put Palin in office just because another candidate doesn't fit my expectations. Palin's total lack of qualifications for such a lofty public office utterly scares me. And that the GOP and McCain are totally ok with this scares me more. This is not a time to do knee-jerk reactions. Tell me this, Michael of NC, would you be just fine with her as your president if Putin or another 'real-deal' leader decided to test her? She'd better have some massive back-up to deal with such a scenario, and I don't want the reserve to do the job, I want the one in office to do it.

To Michael of NC and Cindy of Georgia:

PLEASE understand Fareed's comments are not meant to smear Palin. His comments represent objective truth. How can anyone watch her interviews and think she has even a limited command of the subject matter? Conversely, when one watches Obama, he shows just the opposite.

It is time for Americans to wake up, pull together and leave this Republican & Democrat party loyalty behind. We are first and foremost Americans and we have to be objective, seeing things as they are; not what we wish them to be.

Kate from SC

( Who, by the way, is an independent thinking American that, quite frankly, thinks what is going on in our country today [on many different fronts] is scary as hell. For weeks and months, we have been told that everything is "sound". So how did we get to this latest crisis of incredible proportion so quickly?)

Cindy: It is absolutely relevant that we look at Palin's qualifications as a president, because it could very well be that she would have to step in if McCain were to fall ill given his age. This is not an effort to put down McCain for his age. given that insurance companies would deny someone coverage because of their age and likelihood of death, then I think it's relevant to suspect that given the challenges ahead for the next president, he may very well be putting his health at risk given the levels of stress he would experience. so, yes, we must evaluate Palin's qualifications to lead the country. being that her stump speech goes unchanged in every town hall she does, her interviews have been an embarassment thus far, the prospect for Palin as the most competent next in line for the presidency looks incredibly grim at the moment for most Americans.

I have read a lot of articles that try to compare Palin to Obama, but I can't see the comparison Obama can think on his feet when he needs to; but, Palin on the other hand is like a complete "Airhead" when asked simple questions she give answers that can only be understood by another "Airhead" She may have some constructive answers on Thursday night. Because she will be drilled night and day for three days on what to say but, what happens when she is VP of our Nation or God forbid President. She will be criticized and scrutinized and we as Americans can’t explain away all her goofs, as ploys of a liberal media. I wish that Senator McCain would have picked someone who could perform not just on day one as she has said many times in her speeches she will be ready to do, but during the election process as well.

Fareed, I've read all your books and am a huge fan on your work. I found this article on the Newsweek website yesterday and was so please to see that a reasonable person such as yourself could come to this conclusion about Palin. Reading it confirms that YES, people are not afraid to come down on the side of critical thinking and rationality. She's not experienced and choosing her is against everything McCain clammers on about. Your comments give credit to the rest of us saying the same thing!
Also- I love your Sunday show, GPS, but I hope you appear on 360 more often! Seeing you on the show in the first place exposed me to your marvelous books, which in turn got me hooked on global politics. In fact, as I write this, I'm waiting for my International Relations class to start!

Watching that interview with Katie Couric was very painful. She has shown her lack of knowledge in the world around her. The fact that she didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was to agree or disagree with it really proves how ignorant she is. Seeing her answers in print proves that what she said was meaningless ramble as she tried to put a coherent sentence together.

Fareed:

I have always respected you for the informative interviews you do, along with the depth of your knowledge on many subject matters. It saddens me to see that you are jumping on the bashing bandwagon.

Susan
Phoenixville,PA

The closer the election gets along with all the economic woes and Russia invading Georgia, I am very worried about whether either Presidential candidate is up to the challenges coming down the road. Palin certainly doesn't have enough experience and if McCain was smart he would get her to bow out and get another VP candidate. Yeah, its late in the game for that but this election hasn't gone by the book anyway. Still, that leaves Obama – it would be nice if his resume was a little heftier to go with that dream of his.

Please, Please...take it "easy" on her...remember..if something happens to McCain... we'll have to explain to Palin that she will no longer see Russia from her house.

You know Ed, that's not that bad. Plus, how do you think I feel as a Conservative when I hear her speak?? I feel bad! LOL!!

I'm not complaining that she can't be a good Vice President or anything like that but if she can't get a good interview, you know people are gonna make fun off her, they already have!! But I gotta say though, that was funny how she responded when Katie asked her about the bailout. That's like someone telling you what's the difference between a basketball game and a baseball game...and no, you don't say the size of the ball, LOL!! Ohhh man, that's what I gotta deal with...

We have to think about the effect of this discourse on our children. Are we really willing to dumb down the level of political discourse in this country? Mrs. Palin is an example to our children.

Why does everyone keep focusing on this lack of experience? Experience at what? Being president? Only incumbents can make that claim. What about being a senator or a governor or the head of a company prepares you for being president? Nothing! Did being the governor of Texas prepare George Bush for 911? Being president is supposed to be something we can all grow up and do. At least it used to be. These days you have to have half a billion dollars, be photogenic, spout a soundbite at the drop of a hat, and present some bogus resume that doesnt really have much to do with the job you are applying for. What we need to focus on is intelligence, stamina, ethics and hey it wouldnt hurt to actually have someone near or even in the office of the president who has something approaching a real life experience. My vote is on the barracuda hockey mom and I am a democrat. She is so far to the right of me, sometimes I cant even see her point of view but I do see someone who has been dropped into the middle of the most public forum in the world and she is still standing. She is articulate, smart and very, very brave for walking into this brick wall we call the american press. Go Palin!

Trying to compare Hillary Clinton to Mccain's adopted daughter Sarah Palin is a moral crime which not only demeans American women but also fools everybody to think that this is the best America can offer. There are so many competent Republican women who could have filled the void John Mccain was looking for; Olympia Snow, Elizabeth Dole, Kay-Bailey Hutchison. I must admit that watching the interview with Katie Couric was the only time that I have been nauseated. Surely we can do better that that. Look up America, neither my symphathy for Mccain for spending those cold nights as a POW nor my sympathy for Sarah Palin( man! she was sorry) for the untimely straight up rotten perfomance should sway your vote. Seriously we are where we are today as a result of the misguided policies of George and Mccain Bush. For me putting a republican who shares virtually everything with Bush in the white house again is like going back to the same doctor who cut off the wrong limb the last time you went to him. I pity whoever will make that choice.

Hey all you GOP women, is Sarah all that you have and proud of ? Could y'all not have done better " someone that acts and behaves like a 10th grader, is an insult to all women with normal intelligence.
All the woman can do is dress a moose and read scripts.

McCain only picked her as a political choice. He thought he could pick up some of Hillary's angry voters, well, it backfired on him. Now, he stuck with her. Since this is his first presidential type of decision, he is showing what kind of president he would be. A trainwreck type of President! He didn't think about the American people, he only thought of himself being President.

I hate to say this, but if Barack Obama was not black, there is no way in any world this woman would have been chosen for this ticket. It speaks to the racism that John McCain is counting on that he believes people will rationally put their lives and the lives of their country in jeopardy by voting for his 72 year old self and an amateur over voting for Barack.

In no other combination of candidates would anyone rationally put an ex beauty queen up against anyone with any kind of experience. I don't care that she is a governor–it's of Alaska people! How can she begin, in her 17 months as governor, to speak to issues that people in the lower 48 deal with everyday? She has absolutely no way of knowing. And it might even be better if she were at the end of her first term. She's still in her honeymoon period!

I can't believe that anyone is suicidal enough to put McCain in office after he just showed you, for the 9th time, how stupid he thinks you are. He's old, she's way out of her league and especially now, we need lucid leadership. If he really cared about this country and believed we had any sense, he would have chosen a different woman if he felt he needed to choose any at all. BUT HE DIDN"T PEOPLE. WAKE UP. He's a trigger happy dangerous man.

Fareed,

McCain's selection of Palin as a running mate is an insult to every qualified woman who ever lost a promotion to a pretty air head who grabbed the old man's attention by being cute. Intelligent and qualified women have to fight to be taken seriously in so many professional settings. She just set us back 30 years. She validate the strategy of promoting a woman as mere window dressing for other misogynistic older white males of McCain's ilk.

She needs to go home before she sets intelligent women back even further. She shouldn't be able to ride into the white house by being cute. Every time I hear people defend her I cringe. Women should not be held to a lower standard than men for high office, and you can not possibly convince me that a similarly unqualified male would have even been considered. Comparisons to Obama's qualifications are nothing short of ludicrous as others have pointed out. Obviously, those who defend Palin are blinded by their own projection of an idealized woman who does not threaten their own intelligence. Just sad.

I truely feel sorry for Sarah, because she is SO unqualified, not JUST unqualified. Her ambition to be someone important has overshadowed her logical thinking (if she has any logic) to the point she, like McCain is willing to get up in front of millions of people and make a lying fool of herself with her ramblings on about anything and nothing in peticular. She has learned only one thing from John McCain and she learned that very well and that is how to lie with a straignt face, but then, with the way her political carreer was headed in Alaska perhaps she knew how to do that with out his coaching. It is pitiful to see her running her mouth, saying things that make NO sense just so she can be in the limelight. I think this little ditherheaded girl needs to go back home and watch those Russian planes fly over Alaska.

I really do not understand the "shock" over Palin's complete lack of qualifications. Is this a surprise to anyone, REALLY. For God's sake look who picked her-a man who doesn't even know how to send an email, graduated the bottom of his class DECADES ago, believes the Constitution should be upheld in it's original form (a document written over 200 years ago by slave owning colonist who didn't want to pay their taxes) His only qualification apparently is that he was a POW and he is old and conservative.

But I digresse, point is OBAMA 08!

Fareed,

She thinks the Bush Doctrine is simply "his worldview." She contradicts McCain's stance on dealing with possible terrorists on the Pakistan border. She has shifted her stance on the Iraq war to "I don't know that much about it" to "it was done to acquire energy resources" to "it was a mission from God."

She obviously has no experience whatsoever in international politics, and it shows more and more every day in her simplistic phraseology and repeated meaningless catchphrases. Whoever thinks that she actually harbors any high-level thinking in this area is sorely mistaken.

Why would Putin fly the long way around the world when visiting the US? Wouldn't it be faster to go from Moscow to DC via the Atlantic? Does he even fly over Alaska??? Not that it would somehow validate her point if he does fly over her on his way to interact with real leaders.

Many people commenting here are conveniently ignoring the most important factor in this election: basic intelligence. John McCain graduated second-to-last in his Naval Academy class of nearly 900 midshipmen. He may have been a jet pilot, but he was also a jet pilot who got shot down. This man has survived politically by maintaining a broken record of 'talking points' which he uses as pat answers whenever confronted with a complex issue. Unfortunately, his chosen running mate, Sarah Palin, makes him look like a political savant. I've never anyone, man or woman, running for high office who is as inept and uneducated. She doesn't even have the intellectual skill to dodge an easy question, but rather goes off on rambling dissertations that sound like they were written by Lewis Carroll. I don't care how inexperienced Barack Obama may be. The guy graduated top in his class Harvard Law, was president of the Harvard Law Review, taught Constitutional law, and is a proven intellect. Haven't we all had enough of half-witted politicians in the White House?

Sara Plain is taking the "Idiots Guide to Being the Vice President" course as written by Dick Cheney. Her job, if elected, will be as follows: "The vice president serves as president of the Senate, formally presiding over Senate deliberations." Why doesn't someone ask her to explain exactly what the Vice President does in the Senate. Or, will she "get back to ya on that one" also?

Sara Palin has been exploited by John McCain. She should wise up, go home, be a good governor, run for Senate or a seat in the House, get experience and wisdom and try again 30 years from now.

It's really ironic that republicans accuse Democrats of being elitist. Here, they've chosen someone from a small town, and they keep trying to fill her up with slick, Washington talking points that are meaningless. If McCain's campaign would chose a position on issues, then Palin wouldn't seem so lost.

I also think it's horrendeous how they are using Palin, first to use her charisma to energize their dead campaign, now, to let her get bashed by the press to energize their campaign.

Why have they not spent any time explaining their platform to her? She is small town america. If she can't understand all their double talk, maybe small town america should take a clue from that.

I think we should let the system play out and allow Sarah Palin to succeed or fail on her own merits. I am following trooper gate and the fact that none of the deposed witnesses showed up is not forthcoming and transparent. This reminds me of Dick Chenney tactics. I do have to admit that watching her interviews is not encouraging. I think when SNL spoofed her asking for a lifeline to call for one of her questions they were overstating her inability to think outside of a scripted format. Thursday's debate should be very telling for both sides.

Can anybody make a logical argument?
Obama is not qualified to be President to argue that he is...is not supported by the facts. Arguments that Palin is qualified are also not supported by the facts. Just because you feel something does not make it true...WAKE UP AMERICA!

John McCain's mantra of "Country First" rings completely false by his selection of the offensively inept Sarah Palin. He is so arrogant to assume that women will embrace such a ridiculously bumbling and unqualified candidate.

All I can say is that this Independent female voter will not only vote for Obama but so will my teenage daughters and elderly mother. We are intelligent women who are not fooled for one second by this sad charade.

Gov. Palin is not ready and as the smoke clears from her whirlwind entrance to the national stage, it's becoming more and more obvious. I wish for her sake she had been given the opportunity to speak at the GOP convention so people could see her a bit, prepped like Obama was, and then, maybe in four years, hoisted into the national arena. It's almost embarrassing that people consider her a real contender. But hey, you'll have that

I am also a mom and a school board member...why didn't they ask me?

Oh, right.

While all of this is true, I fear that Joe Biden, trying to bend over backwards not to offend, will not do well and Palin will come off looking better than she actually is. Everything in this article is true. However, I have heard Biden say some things that are in conflict with the Obama plan, specifically not supporting clean coal, and Palin may well gibber her way out of serious responses in the debate. I trust that Biden will make himself aware of all of Palin's energy policies and be able to counter them. She will most likely focus heavily on that, and there are good arguments to her policies as described in many recent articles and interviews. I also wonder if the questions for the debate will be dumbed down to accommodate her. There has already been a concession not to have the candidates debate each other across the podiums and so I am concerned that the debate will not be a true test of ability, knowledge, and leadership because Palin is lacking in all three to varying degrees.

Accuse me of ageism but I think that age is definitely an issue. Most companies are trying to get rid of you once you hit 65 or so. Can you honestly tell me if anyone who is over 70 can handle the mental and physical stress of the presidency ? Think about it!!!

To joao:

"Please, Please…take it “easy” on her…remember..if something happens to McCain… we’ll have to explain to Palin that she will no longer see Russia from her house."

If she ends up in the Oval Office, I'm afraid she'll be able to see the Russians from the front lawn...

Look at the diversity of these comments. There are women and men; there are people with a conservative point of view and people with a liberal point of view. There are Republicans and Democrats. There are people from all regions of the country. Almost without exception, they are appalled and ashamed of Palin's lack of qualifications and ability to think and speak. Is she becoming the most unifying theme in this election?

Palin is more expericenced to be v.p., then Obama is to be president. Obama is shameful,promising the moon, and can't deliver nothing, Just an empty suit. why in the world would anybody vote for a democrate. Nnacy Pelosi is a very good reason not to vote for a democrate. The most do nothing congress in history. Way to go on that bail out bill today Pelosi.

Fareed, I wish you could be on the CNN panel following the VP Debates this Thursday. You, Michael Ware, Christiane Anampour, and Jeff Toobin are my political dream team.
Great article.

John will teach her all she needs to know about foreign policy...She's a fast learner, she follows thru, If she doesnt' know the answer, by gosh she finds it out and quick! She is one of us...School of Hard Knocks! She knows common sense from memorized words and that's what we need. Someone that's been there, and done that and has a yearning to fix it!!!!! If she were rich, she would remind me of Perot! He would have cleaned out all these dirty pollys!!

I think Gov. Sarah Palin comprehensively made an accurate answer to the question using her common sense and an instinct of being an exemplary commander-in chief of her state whose first and foremost duty is to protect and defend " the last frontier state" against any threat from Russia . As can be gleaned from the reason given by Gov. Palin, her foreign-policy experience with Russia would be to secure Alaska from Russian intrusions as this state which is almost contiguous or connected by land to Russia would serve as an entrance or gate for the Russians to attack by land or air the mainland U.S.A. in case of an armed confliclt between the two countries. As this concern with Russia constitutes a national -security issue it is obvious that she needs the military expertise of the national government to keep an eye of the Russian military buildup near the border.

I like sarah Palin and i was looking at her interview about russian border next to alaska, honest i felt so sorry for her , poor miserable soul , GOD bless her .....ZEE

Fared, you said it all! Unfortunately, I agree with you. I'm an Obama woman myself, but I hate to see people humiliated. Seriously, the answer she gave to Katie regarding the $700 billion bailout was the exact type of answer I would give- because I really have no idea about the economy and the financial system and whatnot. The difference between me and Sarah Palin though is that I openly admit that, plus, I'm not running for VP! I'm not good with small talk and I can't BS for the life of me, so this is why I'm not in politics. Maybe Sarah Palin should learn that lesson herself and resign as the Republican VP candidate, before it gets any later!

Pertaining to the issues, she display a total lack of knowledge and preperation. Seeing her interview with Katie Couric leads me to question how she ever got elected as a senator. I cant vote for her just because she's a pretty face, but some people will.

Any politician can make a misstatement, but Sarah Palin does not just make mistakes when she isn't scripted, she is incapable of exdpressing a single cogent thought. It's not about experience because Inexperience can be remedied with time, but someone who honestly doesn't grasps concepts is frightening. The McCain handlers were smart to keep her sequestered for a long time because as the old adage says "REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT OF AS A FOOL, OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT". If McCain really puts country first, he would reconsider his running mate.

The American news and the world economic crisis is rather scary. We have been hit badly now. The stocks plummeted yesterday , God knows whats happening today.Could one single man or system have brought this upon the world, or was it a serious defect in the financial systems across the world who were in the job of speculations and high risk loans ? I do believe it is the latter. The get rich quick investors are now shedding crocodile tears. Who asked them to buy stocks in the first place.Was there necessity other than greed ? Objectively, a financial system in crisis has a snow ball effect. It hits every aspect of our lives.We all have bad days ahead.

As for the American elections. Whoever wins one thing is clear. The animosity , the sexism in US politics is disgusting . We saw Hillary being pilloried and now Palin is …there has been incomparable negative media publicity of these two women which has really struck me hard.Which candidates are capable is a matter of national interest, surely , but this has gone beyond everything. The denigration, the attempt to pull to pieces , the belittling, the slander, the disparaging reporting on Hillary and Sarah is outrageous and deplorable . No such scorn has been heaped on O , or M or that clown Biden.

THATS my issue.