For all the talk that Gov. Sarah Palin is in over her head, there’s more evidence that the pitbull in lipstick may be over her head as the Republican candidate for vice president.
Yesterday Palin went into seclusion at Sen. John McCain’s ranch in Sedona, Ariz., for three days of intensive preparation for Thursday’s vice presidential debate against Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.
Three days. That’s a really long cram session.
The amount of time and staff needed to prep the Alaska governor “was evidence of concern among McCain’s associates that Palin’s early triumphs – a well-received convention speech, her drawing of big crowds – has been overtaken by a series of setbacks,” writes the New York Times.
Her interview with Charles Gibson was cringe-inducing, but passable. She hit all the points necessary. Her interview last week with Katie Couric, not so much. Lots of repetition and filibustering, so much so that Couric, showing remarkable restraint, had to finally ask her to just answer a question. (Interview: part I & 2)
Palin won lots of plaudits when she was presented to the national stage by McCain about a month ago. But Republicans are going on the record with their concerns that she’s just not ready.
“I think she has pretty thoroughly – and
probably irretrievably – proven that she is not up to the job of being president of the United States,†David Frum, a former speechwriter for President Bush who is now a conservative columnist, said in an interview with the Times. “If she doesn’t perform well, then people see it.America is waiting with bated breath for Thursday. Wait, make that American and Saturday Night Live. Because if Palin performs in the debate as well as she did with Couric, SNL will have even more fodder this weekend.
Poll also show that the number of Americans who think Palin is not fit to be president has increased since McCain introduced her as his running mate, the Times also said.
Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director of BlackEnterprise.com.