Does it matter whether a person who could become President of the United States can put two sentences together in a way that makes sense? Apparently, it does not. At least not to 4 out of 10 people.
A poll taken after the Palin/Biden debate last week showed that 4 out of 10 respondents felt that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was qualified to become president. (Some 77% of respondents in the same poll said that Joe Biden was qualified – but that’s another matter.)
I bring this up because I listened carefully to what Sarah Palin said in her debate with Joe Biden.

For instance…Ms. Palin was asked about the role of the vice-president in our government. You will recall that our current vice-president, Dick Cheney, says that his office does not belong to the Executive Branch of government, and thus us not affected by the same rules of record-keeping and disclosure as the White House.
The governor appeared to take pains not to criticize the sitting vice-president, which must have made it just a bit difficult to answer the question. She said that she found in the Constitution the authority to increase the role of “the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate.”
I’m sorry? Excuse me?
In other words, the authority to establish the role of the vice-president lies with the vice-president, and not in the Constitution? Hmmm…
At another point Ms. Palin repeatedly complained about government regulations getting in the way of the private sector — then 30 second later declared that the government’s financial bailout plan “has to include that massive oversight that Americans are expecting and deserve.” Hmmm…
I’m sorry? Excuse me? Wouldn’t that be, uh… government regulation of the private sector….?
Speaking even more directly about the Wall St. fiasco Ms. Palin declared:
“One thing that Americans do at this time, also, though, is let’s commit ourselves just everyday American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say ‘Never Again.’ Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those managing our money and loaning us these dollars.”
I’m sorry? Excuse me?
When the debate moderator asked the candidates under what circumstances they would bring nuclear weapons into play in world events, Gov. Palin replied: “Nuclear weaponry, of course, would be the be-all, end-all of just too many people in too many parts of our planet. So those dangerous regimes, again, cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, period.”
I’m sorry? Excuse me?
We weren’t talking about other countries, Governor. You were asked under what circumstance you would have this country bring nuclear weapons into play. Oh, gosh, forget it…(wink)
Is this person ready to be president of the United States?
You betcha.
I am left wondering (or “wonderin'”, as our g-droppin’ VP candidate would say) who are these four people out of ten who see this kind of reasonin’ as somethin’ we wanna see in the White House? Is this what the hockey moms and Joe Six Packs think is needed in the highest office in the land? Have we not had enough bumblin’ in there already?
Hmmmm….
Meanwhile, the McCain/Obama second debate last night really well, I thought. Both candidates spoke fluently and intelligently, and many viewers called it a “draw.” And onward we go. The final debate in eight days. And just four more weeks until this whole contest is over. I’m really looking forward to that.
Have a nice day.