The Real Message about McCain and Palin

I don't normally pay much attention to Andrew Sullivan but his comments on Sarah Palin, coming from a conservative, are on point. It's not whether Sarah Palin actually will ever turn out to have the talent for the job. It's that nobody has any reason to believe she does. We'll skip the fact that there are reasons for a progressive, or just somebody who thinks teen pregnancy is not a desiderata, to be actively skeptical. Even those who think she may pan out must admit that she hasn't proven anything. Yet, the GOP has nominated her to be VP. For no reason except that a large portion of their followers, who vote based on litmus tests rather than ability, love the idea.

Sitting out here in Florence, on the Oregon Coast, I have come to know a number of elected city officials. We have about the same population as Wasilla AK. I like these guys, but I wouldn't nominate any of them to be President of the United States.

And governor of Alaska? That's been for 20 months. When you're an executive, you make decisions and time tells whether they were right. There hasn't been enough time. Alaska has a budget surplus and worries mostly about who to give it away to, although they are not shy about asking the lower 48 to subsidize them. Put simply, there has been nearly nothing about her resume that demonstrates her ability to handle the job she's running for.

So first, it's scary that McCain might croak and she'd replace him. Then it's scary that he might not and this is the sort of considered judgment we can expect from him. Either way, it's Obama '08.