The Bell Tolls for Sarah Palin and Conservative Columnists Ring It
One cinderella story may be in its final chapter. After Sarah Palin’s underwhelming interview with Katie Couric of CBS, which aired Wednesday and Thursday night, conservative commentators began distancing themselves from their vice presidential candidate.
Nationally syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker called for Palin to step down Friday, saying she didn’t have the necessary experience.
“As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.”
Parker is a lot less enthusiastic about Palin now than she was after her speech at the RNC. She wrote then:
“Palin brings more to the ticket than the possibility of a few female voters. She has animated voters who had little enthusiasm for the race. She has given them the very thing Democrats have been enjoying the past several months: hope and change.”
OK, so maybe this experience thing does matter a little! Jim Geraghty, writing on the Web site for the conservative magazine the National Review, held out hope Friday that Palin could get up to speed fast.
“The question is, how fast can Palin build on that knowledge base? What’s her learning curve? If, God forbid, she had to take office in February 2009, there would be understandable concern. A year later, she’d have a much broader range of policy knowledge. Two years later, it would be even broader, and by 2012, she would be as versed in national policy as almost anybody in Washington.”
Geraghty has given Palin four years to become as knowledgeable in national policy as most of the people in Washington. That’s reassuring.
Conservative columnist for the Washington Post George Will argued in early September that experience was crucial, and predicted Palin’s lack of experience might be her downfall. “By his selection of Palin, [McCain] got the enthusiasm of the base. But what has he got in Palin? In coming days he and we will learn from a stern teacher, experience.”
Last week David Brooks, conservative columnist for the New York Times, wrote a vice presidential pick with experience was crucial, and concluded Sarah Palin didn’t have it what it takes.
“Sarah Palin has many virtues. If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness.”
I wouldn’t describe the Sarah Palin shown in the below clip as brash. Overwhelmed and out of her league? Most definitely.
Will other conservative commentators begin to criticize Palin, or will they circle the wagons on her behalf? Each day she gets more and more difficult to defend.
There’s no question John McCain tossed a hail Mary pass when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. But the game isn’t over yet.
More from this category
- Daily News Roundup: And We All Fall Down!
- Angry Asian Man: Asian Gangsters, Thugs and Hookers in Crank 2: High Voltage
- Daily News Roundup: We’re BAAAAAACK
- Cheap Thrills: From Desegregation to Our First Daughters’ First Day
More from this author
- Media Watchdog: Obama & the Press
- Daily News Roundup: The Internets are in Troubles (and So Is Everything Else)
- Media Watchdog: Is Meet the Press For Mature Audiences Only?
- Daily News Roundup: We Luv Corrupt Politicians
Subscribe to this author
All of the other emotions one has experienced with regard to Sarah Palin just give way to pity after watching this interview. Carville was right, she really is “uniquely and supremely unqualified” for national political office. I mean, when the National Review is pushing the panic button, you know the Republicans have a problem that’s only going to get worse.
In retrospect, coming out with guns blazing at the RNC awoke a sleeping giant in the media. Left or right, Democrat or Republican, no one likes being called out. It was a reckless maneuver that helped create Gibson’s Bush Doctrine question and the countless times Couric asks for specific examples to back the regurgitated talking points Palin puts forth in her initial responses.
This one’s a slaughterhouse. I would love to watch Tucker Bounds watching Katie Couric watching Sarah Palin stammer and stutter her way through the Couric interview. Total train wreck.
I will tell you up front that I am a lifelong Democrat but I find no comfort in writing this comment for there is a REAL chance that this woman could be elected to office should McCain win the election. Even more disconcerting than that is the fact that she could become President if McCain does not finish office his term which is not of of the realm of impossibility.
I do believe that she is a talented official and has probably done a lot for her state of Alaska. She has not, however, reached that point in her career where she is qualified to be Vice President or, God for bid, President. Her answers to Charles Gibson and Katie Couric are evidence of that. Her inability to coherently answer questions that any “seasoned” politician should be able to answer was obvious to someone with a third grade education. Also in her answers, she would move from one thought to another which could indicate a lack of focus. Finally, her command of the English language when she tries to be “folksy” comes over quite disconcerting. It is difficult for me to take her seriously so I can only imagine what type of impression that she would leave on a foreign dignatary.
All of this is the direct result of John McCain’s extremely “bad judgement” in selecting her as his running mate. He obviously did it because of the lack of enthusiasm of many republicans regarding his candidacy. He tried to pick someone who would “ignite” his base and initially his trick worked. However, it was extremely “wreckless” of him to select a candidate who was not vetted properly especially at a time when he pretends to continually say that he is concerned with “country first.”
John McCain has probably done more harm to a woman whose political career “could” have been promising at some point in the future. However, by placing her in th limeligt now when she is obviously not ready, he has probably ruined her career but he doesnt care because John McCain selected her because he is thinking of “John McCain first” and not “country first!”
Jack Sannino
It,s interesting how certain parts of the press are saying that Sarah Palin is on the downslide. Is there a hidden agenda here? After all, Joe Biden is molded from the Gerald Ford school of goofy! To be honest, I would not vote for either one of these goofballs. Is this the best that America can come up with to lead our country? For anyone in America to even consider voting for McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden just goes to show that we as a nation are as a whole on the downslide! See if you don’t agree eight years from now (probably before).By the way some of us are still waiting for Obama to prove that he is actually an American citizen and qualified to even run for President.
This Blog is a perfect example why people shouldn’t read blogs. It’s nothing but regurgitated opinions from other news stories or other blogs. I you have a coherent opinion of an issue it would seem that it could just put down in words, but time after time I read blogs and all you see is quote after quote of other writings.
Sorry to be so critical but, I was a little disappointed.