Today's CBS 'exclusive' Sarah Palin interview is frightening. She cites what most people thought was a comment in jest: "living next-door to Russia" as her serious answer for what constitutes her foreign policy experience. Oh, and it's not just Russia. Canada is a foreign neighbor too!

Then there are the rambling comments about the "good guys" and "bad guys" in the Middle East. As part of her accelerated preparation for VP, Palin had a private tutorial on diplomacy with Henry Kissinger. She said she would use the Kissinger approach in dealing with the "bad guys", but she got the whole strategy backwards when she described it!

When I was teaching American History in a privileged high school environment, my students knew I respected each of them without reservation. But they also knew I could lose patience with those who answered that Abraham Lincoln was the President during most of World War II. I have nothing but respect for Sarah Palin, but her comments are just like those high school airhead answers.

That's scary!

Palin is clearly in way over her head. The thought of her being VP of the US is truly scary! The only reason she was picked was to help McClain get elected at any cost. But then again, how scary is the thought of McCain being president?

"Country First", hardly, try "Me First" instead.

While I have been impressed with Sarah Palin's enthusiasm, speaking ability and energy, I cannot endorse her experience as being sufficient to serve "one heartbeat away" from the presidency of the U.S.

I received the following from a friend. In the interest of bi-partisanship, I'd say it applies to both Governor Palin as well as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and if I thought about it further, probably a number of other elected and appointed officials in our government...

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas
rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor
struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got
around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being
President . The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Palin is a post
turtle.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what
a post turtle was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a
country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on
top, that's a post turtle.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he
continued to explain. 'You know she didn't get up there by herself,
she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is
up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her
up there to begin with."

Trying to keep an open mind, but after watching the Curic/Palin interview & the Gibson interview, I agree Sarah is very unprepared for the job of VP or God forbid, the job of President of the U.S. It's clear that she knows little about U.S. history by the answers she gives (ex: Kissinger response). It was painful to watch Sarah trying to answer Curic's third request for Sarah to give some examples about McCain's attempts to reform government (McCain's been in Congress for 26 years and the chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee). Finally, Sarah's response to that question: I'll see if I can find a list to give to you (Curic). When Sarah's is flustered, she tries to skirt around questions by giving her "bottled responses", which do not have anything to do with the question. I think we're learning a lot about "confidence" lately (U.S. financial problems, etc.). I do not feel confident that the McCain/Palin team will make our next four years in government better years for all of us.

My post is not necessarily to make a case for Gov Palin, but I am amazed at the disregard for Sen Biden's constant inaccurate and inconsistant remarks, and I like Sen Biden, but I have the same uncertaintity about him as Gov Palin for sure.

I am also not a great supporter of Sen McCain but am totally scared by Sen Obama !

Point, I guess is that we have these 2 teams running...thats it folks. Until we get involved in the congressional elections this is what we will have.

Frankly, if you read about all 4 of them and their backgrounds and accomplishments, the ticket would be Sen McCain and Sen Biden, IF you are electing them based on the criteria you seem to be adhering to.

It seems that more than ever this election is about a direction toward socialism or capitalism. I think, and this is my opinion, that the dialogue about who is qualified and who is not should become almost secondary. Who will lead us to socialism or capitalism and what we want for this country is what should lead the requirements.

Just my opinion !

...it's that we are very, very close to the maximum amount of debt that the U.S. can afford to issue to finance our government. Our national debt now closely approximates the entire Gross Domestic Product of the U.S.economy for an entire year. Our debt amounts to about 20% of the Gross Domestic Prouct of the entire world economy for a year. The number is scary its so large.

Even though the members of Congress resist PayGo requirements, would like to continue to use earmarks and fund pork-barrel projects, act as though military spending is simply a "given", and so forth--things are going to change in Washington. And if I'm right, the changes will be big time!

The financial markets will discipline our elected officials--and us--by exhibiting a reduced appetite for buying our debt. Put in very simple terms, the events that resulted in the terrible situation in the credit markets have badly damaged both the creditworthiness of the U.S. as well as our ability to provide leadership and influence to world financial markets. The effect of that will be that our new President and Congress will be forced to operate government on a balanced budget basis. There will be only two ways to accomplish what the financial markets will force us to do--raise taxes or dramatically cut government spending.

We won't like either one.

In case you missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Yx-RhHb4g

I am not going to defend Gov Palin on anything but I suppose the lightness that we take with the MANY troubling answers from Sen Biden suggests that someone with all his experienece is allowed to make stupid comments,which is sort of ironic ! Not sure ironic is the correct word, but I suppose we are expecting more from Gov Palin than from a 1/4 century senator !

My initial impressions of Gov. Palin brought to mind feelings of "Northern Exposure." Now, listening to some of her recent comments, brought to mind feelings of "There Will Be Blood!"

I have a lot of respect for McCain, but Palin just isn't working for me. I imagine some of you have seen the picture of Palin on the internet that shows her in a micro mini skirt with a glass of wine. Combine that image with her remarks from the CBS interview, plus the fact that the campaign appears to be afraid to let her speak unscripted in public, and makes her appear like a complete airhead. Sorry, Palin supporters, but to me she appears to be in way over her head. I just can't imagine her VP, much less potential Presidential material.

Originally Posted by Bucco

My post is not necessarily to make a case for Gov Palin, but I am amazed at the disregard for Sen Biden's constant inaccurate and inconsistant remarks, and I like Sen Biden, but I have the same uncertaintity about him as Gov Palin for sure.

I am also not a great supporter of Sen McCain but am totally scared by Sen Obama !

Point, I guess is that we have these 2 teams running...thats it folks. Until we get involved in the congressional elections this is what we will have.

Frankly, if you read about all 4 of them and their backgrounds and accomplishments, the ticket would be Sen McCain and Sen Biden, IF you are electing them based on the criteria you seem to be adhering to.

It seems that more than ever this election is about a direction toward socialism or capitalism. I think, and this is my opinion, that the dialogue about who is qualified and who is not should become almost secondary. Who will lead us to socialism or capitalism and what we want for this country is what should lead the requirements.

Just my opinion !

Bucco:

I agree with you. I feel I am much better qualified to spend my money as I wish instead of our government. Freddie and Fannie is a good example where we let the government dictate that all Americans should qualify for a home mortgage regardless of income. I don't want to be more of a socialist country.

The debate between Palin and Biden will give us all a better basis for comparison between the two candidates.

In case anyone has missed it, we have just nationalized several financial institutions and are about to do the same with dozens more. That is, we are using taxpayers money to either own or financially support what had been private companies. "Nationalized", "socialized"...we are well down the path in a direction opposite capitalism.

What were the major causal factors? Lots of words have been used...greed being a good one, a broad erosion of our national business morality is an OK description as well. But as the result of political administrations that aggressively furthered "free market economics"...that is a minimum of governmental regulation or oversight in favor of free markets which were purported to be a more efficient system...greed flourished, moral standards in business declined and now we are where we are. Hopefully, we will learn from this expensive lesson.

After a long career as a banker, I can tell you with absolute certainty that regulation won't always prevent financial losses like we are experiencing. But regulation will definitely soften, minimize and contain such losses. The same can result from government oversight. But what's important about oversight by politicians is that it occurs at all. In the case of Freddie and Fannie it was the House of Representatives that was responsible for providing oversight. But when politicians act only with partisan intent, strong regulation would have worked better. Now instead of overseeing Freddie and Fannie, we the taxpayers now own them! And we will own them for a long, long while. Yes, we've socialized two of the largest financial firms in the U.S. More are probably on the way.

Which plays directly to the hand of Sen Obama who is, bar none, the single most liberal socialist candidate for high office this country has ever had ! Let the hand outs in the name of "our country's reputation" begin !

The Couric/Palin interview was shocking. Palin looked like a Barbie doll with
a prerecorded tape running. I thought Couric was having a hard time not correcting Palin's pronunciation of Iraq and Iran. Couric's face kept an almost constant look of stunned disbelief on it. Kahuna, post turtle does indeed come to mind. As for the debates, will there be one?