Well, Alaska was mostly saying valid phrases, albeit about topics completely unrelated to the question, and sometimes fractured. South Carolina was largely word salad. Of course, the intelligibility-of-response/importance-of-desired-job ratio was way low for both, and maybe favored SC a little.

She is in over her head. She cannot run this country is asked. Why has happened to this country? If this woman is our VP and McCain is our president, it is time to ask ourselves if this country really represents our beliefs anymore. The Republican party is a travesty and this election has become a sham. McCain should hang his head in shame when he looks in the mirror and sees what he has become.

Wow. I think I missed whatever point Alaska was trying to make. Or was THAT her point?

As Couric said, I think she just didn't know how to answer and fell back, somewhat ungracefully, into talking points.

I think "somewhat ungracefully" is somewhat generous.

...and what about South Africa and Iraq?
Funny...really funny and scaaaaaaaaary!

Nice to see Papa Carbone chiming in. Now I will have to be sure to watch what I say : )

Don't worry...you know: Freedom of Speech!

not to claim first! or anything like that, but i just want to note that this comparison seemed obvious to me a month ago, as quotations were starting to trickle out (the fact that palin was a beauty contestant is, of course, icing on the cake) --
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wayneandwax/2889454507/sizes/o/

too surreal

Go ahead and claim first! I probably saw it somewhere else and subconsciously pulled it out. And it seems to be a meme now, one of which I became a participant. Andrew Sullivan just posted this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhVGDy-ZXc

I dunno, I don't think Palin is as bad as people maker her out to be. She's energized Americans to take up an interest in the election--Americans who have every right to participate in the political system as we do. Is she a NE/Costal Liberal academic? Not by a long shot. But maybe that's a good thing. I mean, c'mon. We liberals have a lot to lean from the rest of the country. Like hockey. And premarital sex. Oh, wait...

Sheeeeeiit, I'm glad I'm living in Finland.

C'mon, who's suggesting that the red-staters shouldn't participate in the process? The objection is that Palin doesn't seem to know what she's doing, which frankly might piss me off if I were a social conservative. They are entitled to a candidate who doesn't bolster unfair stereotypes about rural people being dumb.

Does it not disturb you at all, snarf, that Palin is the first VP candidate in modern history who has not given a press conference after their selection? That she has done 3 interviews total, with Gibson, Hannity, and Couric -- none known as hardball interviewers -- and she crashed and burned during two of them on softball questions? This has nothing do with not being an East Coast intellectual, it has do with someone who was completely unknown potentially becoming #2 in the country without a fair chance for Americans to see her in a full array of presidential contexts.

When McCain's campaign comes up with an excuse next week to postpone or cancel the VP debate, as you will see, will you still think she's not as bad as people think?

Snarf was joking, right?

i agree. it's scary. interestingly (promisingly?), even the few softball pitches we've been thrown have been enough to start changing people's favorable impressions/rationalizations of her.

and, ok, first!

Let me be clear:

I think she is the single clearest reason why John McCain is completely unqualified for the position of President. If this is his signal to the American people about the sort of person he has trust in, in the off chance that there is a vacancy in the Oval Office, then there is no way that I can see ANY political party supporting the McCain campaign.

Andrew Sullivan was perfectly eloquent on Maher the other night, and it was nice to hear someone voice such an opinion about Palin. His views on religion, on the other hand...

My earlier post was meant to be satirical, but maybe was a failure in that effort.

Lorelei raises a more important point than my glib jab. Yes, the idiot center of the country has the right to full participation. But what does it tell us that much of the interior loves Palin, despite the clear shortcomings?

PS--I can see Russia from Finland. I'm going to be SecState.

Maybe you should be honored that I decided to interpret you sincerely -- but you do like to play devil's advocate, yes?

Sullivan is eloquent, but man does he go over the top.

I'm on retainer with the devil, yes.

I really like the term glib jab.

When McCain's campaign comes up with an excuse next week to postpone or cancel the VP debate, as you will see, will you still think she's not as bad as people think?

I'm surprised this is accepted by the peanut gallery without any skepticism and yet people tell me I'm over-reacting when I suggest Bush might use this financial crisis as an excuse to retain power.

How, exactly, did this woman get elected governor?

She got elected because she lives in Alaska. Nevada is similar to Alaska in many ways (big state, small population, lots of federal lands), and it doesn't take much to get elected to higher office. Long-term residency is pretty much the main requirement, plus a willingness to play with Big Business (whether it be casinos or oil companies).

If Bush had an approval rating above 50%, I might be worried about him trying such a stunt. But I don't see it happening with 81% of the country disliking him.

All I can say is we need immigrants in Canada--if the election turns out unfavourably you're all welcome...East Coast intellectuals and hockey Moms in particular.

Hey, at least she's not entirely getting away with it:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/220136.php

Bush will not retain power beyond inauguration day. There's no reason to think that he will.