What a great big bag of gas this woman is. She's a shallow, mean, little woman, who is convinced that the rest of us are going to hell. If it was the only alternative, I'd rather have four more years of W than this waste of DNA (which she probably doesn't believe in).

My wife is trying to keep me chivalrous toward her, which is hard, real hard.

But unlike most of us, once she gets through having bullshit her way through her lack of knowledge and gets back to her rhetoric her voice settles, her countenance lifts and she charges ahead as if nothing happened. That's not normal. Not good or bad; but definitely not normal.

Look, on the issues I would never vote for her. I also think she's woefully unprepared to be elected to high office, even if her understanding of Alaskan issues is good--she hasn't managed to pivot that into an understanding of national issues. BUT it's got to suck to work for people who so clearly despise you. There was a moment in the "meet the foreign guys" photo op where a reporter called a question about what she'd learnt and she seemed to want to answer, and talked to McCain, and he kept shaking his head. After a month of being treated like a nincompoop by her boss and everyone around him, why should she want 4 or 8 more years of the same? Why not break loose, take her base, and run with it? (In Alaska, building a national presence away from the looming goons who want to trap her into fundraising Barbie.)

Different subject: Jason Zengerle at the Stump has the brilliant suggestion that Chris Rock be given equal time after all Bill Clinton utterances. I second.

At the 2:40 mark: "We've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing."

I don't happen to agree with the idea that globalisation has been good for the U.S., I think from a long term perspective we've screwed ourselves...and that "free trade" as the salve for every economic woe has not turned out well.

But, what is wrong with her quote?

Now of course, that's a low, low bar, but the man did get elected twice. At this point it's hard to condition myself to the thought that we might actually be capable of doing better.

By itself, nothing at all. Surround it with the words on either side and it is apparent that she is floundering for something to say.

The average high school debater would do better than this. At least they study the topics before answering questions about them.

She might as well be saying eating vegtables is better for kids than eating ice cream.

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Perhaps, but while on the campaign trail (in 2000), Bush sounded pretty confident and was typically on-message. He didn't give up that facade until after the election.

Jeebus -- has she ever heard of the period? She speaks like she's IMing.

Olympic torch burnin, flame so sweet, the thrill of victory, the agony, defeat...

Ordinarily, I would view this as a typo, but Palin's oblivious bullshitting probably should be trascribed in oblivious orthography. Do people say "fronting" anymore?

She's very ambitious and wants the power of the VPs office (Then she can finally fire Wooten.lol) Her best chance is with this ticket. She wont be ready for president until 2016 at the earliest.

"Why not break loose, take her base, and run with it? (In Alaska, building a national presence away from the looming goons who want to trap her into fundraising Barbie.)"

She might be facing a recall in Alaska. She has effectively let the John McCain campaign invade Alaska and take over state government there. Alaskans are rabid Republicans. They hate outsiders coming in telling them what to do and they are fuming at Sarah Palin for sacrificing their independence for her national ambitions. Then there the matter of her Attorney General, the state's top law enforcer, advising people to break the law.

Is that the year brain transplants will be perfected? Because that's the only way Sarah Palin's meat will ever be ready for president.

By the way, Mr. Henry, as a Red Sox fan, let me take this opportunity to thank you for buying the team.

To be fair, I dont think she's dumb; she's just inexperienced. No one can cram for the VP in 2 months. Its just ridiculous. I guess you can argue its dumb to think that. But, I'd say its more overconfidence than anything. Many smart people do this. I see it alot with project estimates.

You might agree with Fallows in saying she's uninterested in national issues. But, I'd argue she'll be interested once she thinks that its possible to win on a national level. She's driven by ambition. If she could learn everything in 2 months to be VP she would. But, that's just impossible.

She could do it in eight. And by that time the Happy Jesus Campers will have come of age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CgvgjfwyPs

Mccain is a cowboy who jumps madly about without a plan or any consideration. And Palin doesn't know anything about anything.

I think this is a reasonable assumption, but I think she might actually be fairly dumb. Watch the exchange on Russia. It's over at Sullivan's site. She tries to elaborate upon how Alaska's proximity to Russia matters. At one point, she states that the Alaskans keep an eye on them.

I'm serious. She gives an answer that doesn't have anything to do with experience. It's just plain stupid. Full stop.

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

Putin should fly into Hawaii next week just to mess with everyone's heads. Then on to California! Or Oregon!

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah."

She had to stop herself because she couldn't remember the word "caricature," which was probably a Big New Word one of her handlers had given her for just this situation. And sweet Katie bailed her out with a Little Word that's easier to say.

Hilarious.

She is, to put it mildly, not smart folks. She is closer to being dumb as a post.

Whoever put her name on the consideration list needs to be fired, yesterday.

Would that be one of Fred's posts or one of Libertarian's?

OMG--audible snort of laughter that frightened my co-workers. Brilliant.

Gosh, it's so grody that we lost, John McCain, but can I keep all these neat dresses and pantsuits that John McCain's campaign bought for me?

Olympic torch burnin, flame so sweet, the thrill of victory, the agony, defeat..."

Beat me to it Stacy. I saw this post at work, and once I saw the title I immediately started tapping my foot and nodding my head to the beat. One of the best tracks ever.

Then I thought, Binary Star Waterworld Too. The saga continues, it only gets better!

Every interview Palin has given so far is another brick cemented into Obama's road to the White House. She is so transparently clueless in these interviews. From day one, I knew this pick would be disastrous for McCain. The woman IS one of the Christian hockey moms that surrounded me growing up in small town Leave-it-to-Beaver-land (thanks Bubs). That truly frightens me.

I think the McCain "preppers" for her, are basically ruining her - mainly for the reasons that she doesn't say something crazy, but what has ended up happening then, is they've produced a fearful, automaton, spouting vague talking points.

Emotionally, she is just afraid, afraid, afraid, and she looks for her talking points to answer the questions.

I agree, she is seriously over rehearsed and is so afraid of saying the wrong thing that she rambles through all the talking points at the same time.

They need to rise or fall on the woman they chose as VP and should let her be herself whatever that brings.

If these are the kind of qualifications that are acceptable for a vice president, then we may as well just have some kind of national lottery to decide who the president will be in the future and it should be open to everyone over 18 who is not institutionalized. Palin proves we are all potential presidential candidates, especially me because I've lived near the Mexican border for 30 years so I have some serious foreign policy experience.

There are two visual images that come to mind when I think of her:

1. Watching someone who can tread water but can't swim. You keep waiting for them to at least doggie paddle or freestyle, but they just tread water.

2. Sarah Palin, fittingly enough, is a point guard that can't shoot, can't dribble to her left, and only knows 3 of the plays. She can get her team fired up, and the coach likes her though. She reminds me of Jason Kidd in the half court -- everyone plays 5 feet off him because he can't hit long range shots. Obama and Biden just need to remind themselves though that if they get too close, she can drive right by them. Just back off and let her turn it over.

As someone said above, you can't learn this stuff in 8 weeks. I think she'll drown in the debate with any help from anyone. Maybe in 2016 after a term or two in the Senate.

America deserves better. When I hear this woman speak, I cannot even believe she is a vice presidential candidate. It is as though the GOP has finally decided that the president and vice president HAVE to be fools, so that the neo-conservative think tanks and the corporations can rule unhindered.

God help us. I can't even believe what is happening anymore.

Oh, and can we please get some of this at the VP debate: huh?

She makes Ahmadinejad sound like a world class orator. She is an embarrassment and when is she going to be called out for what she is?

I realize now why she bothers me so.

It's one thing to know about White Privilege. It's another thing to have it shoved in your face in the form of Sarah Palin.

Just watched this now that I'm home. Gotta love Palin lamenting the way partisan politics stands in the way of progress. I'm pretty sure I saw another clip, from this very same interview, where Palin mocks Obama, suggesting he'll 'put his finger to the wind' while looking for a solution.

Aside from being partisan, I want to second other posters' comments about what a joke it is to have this mental raisin, whose only insight after the monumental surprise of being offered the VP spot was not to blink, making fun of Obama. Really Sarah - no self reflection?

I honestly can't fathom how someone in her position isn't positively shitting bricks at the prospect of being in this deep and so far over their head.

A-mazing.

I wonder what foreign leaders think of her. Who could take her seriously? Actually, I hope the answer to that question is: Nobody.

It's really stopped being funny. She needs to step down from the nomination. Seriously.

Whenever I hear the word "bipartisan", I am reminded of this story:

"In America, we have a two-party system," a Republican congressional staffer is supposed to have told a visiting group of Russian legislators some years ago.

"There is the stupid party. And there is the evil party. I am proud to be a member of the stupid party."

He added: "Periodically, the two parties get together and do something that is both stupid and evil. This is called bipartisanship."

McCain's folks has to keep the lipsticked pig under wraps, 'cause a city wise 12 year old could take her on and win.