Zakaria: McCain’s VP decision is ‘fundamentally irresponsible’
From CNN.com: In a column appearing in Newsweek, world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria said he thinks it would be best for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, if Gov. Sarah Palin bowed out as his vice presidential running mate.
Zakaria says McCain did not put the country first in making his V.P. choice, and he says Palin is not qualified to lead the United States. …
CNN: You don’t think she is qualified?
Zakaria: No. Gov. Palin has been given a set of talking points by campaign advisers, simple ideological mantras that she repeats and repeats as long as she can. But if forced off those rehearsed lines, what she has to say is often, quite frankly — nonsense. …
Zakaria: Look, I’m not saying that she is not a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. It is just we are talking about a person who should be ready to lead the United States at a moment’s notice. She has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start.
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Filed under: attualità, culture, società | 13 Comments
Tags: Fareed Zakaria, John McCain, Sarah Palin, US Elections 08
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Sarah Palin is simply not ready… She may be a great admin person and a kind, decent, person, yet she isn’t prepared for the VP job. It was selfish (sexist and narcissistic too) of John McCain to choose her. John had so many terrific, qualified people to choose from! At this point it seems cruel considering what it will do to Sarah Palin’s political future and self esteem. If McCain wanted a woman he could have gone with Kay Hutchinson or Olympia Snow (what a remarkable personal story) – He’d have probably swayed me then… The way Sarah Palin answers questions by using up time and repeating the words of the question attempting to sound like she had some information about the subject… the sentences that led to nothing or the rambling thoughts… My stomach turned for the poor woman. Even if she does well in the debates Sarah’s already established herself as one of those “pull the string” dolls that’s programmed with what to say. Not only is she not ready now, it appears her mind isn’t one that would ever be ready to be president.
Some are saying that at the beginning of the Dem. Campaign Barrack Obama didn’t know all of the material as well, but what is being left out is that Obama has a brilliant mind capable of depth and nuance that he’s displayed throughout his life. Does the average person realize how difficult it is to get in to Harvard Law? Does the average person understand what the LSAT is and how high you’d have to score to be accepted? Or that Obama’s score was probably in the top 5-7 % of ALL lawyers who take the LSAT? It may seem a small point, yet I’m talking about the starting block. Barrack starts off with this mind that can take open many doors that most of us will never open. Sarah Palin went to 5 or more (lower level) Colleges just to complete a four year degree in journalism… This doesn’t make one confidant that Palin will do well with “on the job” training.
Palin is in way over her head. Not because of the media, but because of her total ignorance on vital subjects and her lack of depth and intelligence. I’m just an average mom of four. I too am honest, hate corruption, and I’m a Washington Outsider. I have held an executive director position with a million plus budget, yet, if someone asked me to be the VP, I would have the intelligenct to first blink… and then think… and then recognize – for the good of this wonderful, hurting nation – that I wouldn’t be the best choice. Ignorant people fool only themselves. Sarah’s abilities are such a farce that when I hear her talk about nothing significant leading to no place informed it elicits compassion and empathy from this average mom who supported Hillary and is definitely voting Obama/Biden.
As a female business woman, I wholeheartedly agree with Zakaria and the editor from the National Review with regard to Palin. Palin is an embarrassment to women and to her political ticket. I cringe when she speaks. Palin’s lack of a basic education, coupled with her complete lack of knowledge of foreign affairs and domestic issues is frightening. Is this the best woman the Republican party has to offer? Palin should voluntarily remove herself from the ticket due to “kid issues”. Our country is imploding, we need leadership from people who, at a minimum, understand the questions they are asked.
hard to get into harvard? obama got an affirmative action slot arranged by rev WRIGHT. otherwise he was not qualified. also, he had NO student loans.
obama has a brilliant and nuanced mind? where is the proof? life accomplishments?
he’s part of the chicago political machine. gang killings, the worst schools in the country are in obama’s state senate district. he pals with REZKO, AYERS, DOHRN, WRIGHT and many other extremist radicals.
where’s the beef?
obama’s wife michelle went to harvard and ended up being a bag lady for valerite jarrett in the daley city hall. that’s where she met REZKO who she introduced to obama,
why did obama’s law license expire in 2002? why can’t he find his original law license application?
if he did so well at harvard (like george bush) why has he withheld his records?
obama is a scam artists and a con man fully operated by marketing specialist and wordsmith david AXELROD the son of communists from NY.
who is zakaria anyway? he has done something for this country – i believe not. he is a piece of crap from no where whom you support because?
Dear Deroy:
You know not of what you speak! Though I find your remarks inaccurate, foolish, and downright bigoted, I endorse your right to exercise your freedom of speech. May I tell you that Obama didn’t meet Wright until after Harvard. May I further explain that anyone who gets into Harvard Law is probably, in terms of native intelligence, in the top 3% of the general population; I further inform you that to become editor of the Harvard Law Review probably means a student is in the top 1% of the general population, and perhaps the top 5% of the law school class. I would go on, but being the biased, and uninformed person you are, I won’t spend anymore time with you. Just do some research and thinking before you write.
The political process in this country appears to be deteriorating by the minute. I keep hearing about that invisible bar that seems to get lower and lower and, the more I watch the news, the more I feel that some of our leaders and potential leaders, are competing in a high school limbo dance. But, this isn’t high school and, I for one think that voters should demand the limbo bar be set higher than any politician can bend low enough to dance under.
While our country is in an economic melt down and pulling the rest of the world with it, we are facing the possibility of having a VP or even President, who is not just ill equipped for this very serious and demanding position but, does not seem to have a clue of its gravity.
Has the Bush administration made us numb to the standards we must set for our leaders today? This is not a high school class president election where good looks and a peppy personality can carry the vote.
Zakaria is right in my opinion. We must set higher standards for our leaders, especially for two of the most powerful positions in the world.
As a conservative Republican, I agree with everything that Deroy says. I also believe everything that Rush Limbaugh says. We conservatives were 100% behind George Bush for the first 7 years and we’re 99% or possibly a bit less now. You educated elitist liberals keep wanting intelligent presidents and vice presidents. Why should we have politicians that are smarter than us? You think Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, and George Bush weren’t that smart? So what? Now you’re after Sarah Palin. Why do we need a Vice President that’s been outside the United States? This is the United States of America! If people want to meet us, they can come here.
I totally agree with Zakaira. Palin is way out of her league. Party affiliation aside, it is blantantly obvious even with several more months of coaching she still won’t be able to talk intelligently about our financial crisis and international issues. McCain is about ‘president first’ at any cost, not ‘country first’ as he touts. He has no shame and throws whatever he can at his campaign. He is heartless, vain, and a chauvinist who has made a mockery of Palin, but she is still clueless. It’s too painful to watch or hear her. If she had any sense she would pack it up and go home to her family. A sensible woman puts family first.
Fareed is another one of those Obama Fedayeen/Mujahadeen who attack palin as unqualified yet turn the other way when looking at Osama’s record. Common, the guy spent two years in office and two years campaigning. When in office, he vote “Present’ over 130 times because it is too hard to vote yes or no.
These comments are a product of the Democratic mindset about the wishful thinking of the opposition. Palin, if she is so horrible, should delight the left and yet, they seem to be constantly calling for her dismissal. Why is that? I have reviewed the sometimes awkward replies to the patronizing interviewer, and found her Charles Gibson response right on. HE was the one who didnt have a clue what the “Bush Doctrine” was according to Krauthammer the originator of the term. In the Couric Interview her rambling answer was her attempt to respond to each point in the broad question Couric posed, as if under some bailout umbrella. Her awkwardness is not nearly so troubling as the “clean coal” gaff by Biden, or the 1929 Roosevelt(not yet president) on TV ignorance, or his Hillary is a better pick than I am phoniness. Those calling for Palin to step down are too full of pretense to be relevant. The joke is that any of the supposed conservatives are actually anything but Obamabots…nobody is fooled. The Cnn pieces are simply arrogance of the ELITE manifesting itself as support for the SNL humor.
I think zakaria is right .sara palin in her current form should not even be close to the white house.The american presidency is not for any jim and jack come on americans be serious you squandered the last eight years with a dim wit and you want to replace george bush with robotic parrots-come on america deserves better and no amount of insults will make sara palin qualify to be president.she is an indictment on johns judgement .both are useless -period.
Quite the contrary Deroy..Obama did not get into Harvard on Affirmitive Action. Actually, (if you did your research) you would have know that Obama didnt even put his race on the application!
As far as his life’s accomplishments..go to his website smart-guy. I’m not going to do your homework for you. If you truly want to know about Obama, which I dont think you do, you will do your research just like educated people do.
beside any partisan attacks and/ore preconceived positions, i think that ms. palin inexperience and lack of political skills is an unavoidable matter of fact. in all honesty, who wants her to be the vice in charge in an economical disaster like today’s? or in another possible kind of terrorist attack or war?
despite what we think of bush actions in these 8 years, the american presidency is a very very serious matter also on the international scene; the whole world is watching these elections and the US credibility is at its lowest level ever: who’s gonna trust the US anymore if ms. palin gets the white house? can we sincerely allow her to represent the country with other world leaders?
btw, looking forward to thursday eve vice-presidential (only) debate…