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Voters, former diplomat: Palin not ready

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 31, 2008 06:57 PM

Sarah Palin continues to draw enthusiastic crowds, usually bigger than her running mate's, but there are new signs that her selection as the Republican vice presidential nominee is backfiring.

A New York Times/CBS News poll published today found that increasing numbers of voters have doubts about Palin's readiness; 59 percent of voters said she was not qualified to be vice president, and nearly a third said the candidates' VP picks would be a major factor in their vote.

And former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, whose endorsement John McCain has brandished to rebut Colin Powell's support of Barack Obama, strayed way off message.

In an interview Thursday with National Public Radio, Eagleburger was asked whether Palin could assume the presidency during a crisis.

"It is a very good question," he said before pausing and adding with a chuckle: "I'm being facetious here. Look, of course not."

"I don't think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reigns of the presidency. I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?

"Give her some time in the office and I think the answer would be, she will be [pause] adequate. I can't say that she would be a genius in the job. But I think she would be enough to get us through a four year... well I hope not... get us through whatever period of time was necessary. And I devoutly hope that it would never be tested."

UPDATE: On Fox News Channel today, Eagleburger tried to backtrack.

"I made a serious mistake yesterday," he said. "I was quoted correctly. I wasn’t thinking when I said it. In fact, I was discussing it -- foreign policy, and this was in that context. And I was just plain stupid. And if I have given the flimflam artist, Barack Obama, some success with this, I am deeply apologetic. I did not intend it."

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Mr Eagleburger tells us if we want four more years like the last eight, Palin is fit to serve. That is quite an endorsement. Don't you agree John McCain?

Posted by Ron M October 31, 08 11:17 AM
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For your brother-in-law. It's not just far-left, liberal whackos who think SP is in way over her head.

Posted by charlie October 31, 08 12:00 PM
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Even hardcore McCain backers have trouble selling that twit as VP. Some day maybe she will be adequate! Yay! We hoped Bush would be adequate some day. Eagleburger all but admits Bendedict McCain put politics first, not country first.

Posted by adequate american October 31, 08 12:17 PM
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This article is junk.

Posted by chris burkmenn October 31, 08 12:20 PM
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I want to know how Rush the pig reacts to such statement. I bet he will say it is all about race but he forgets that Eagleburger is white. Ha Ha

Posted by bborg October 31, 08 12:28 PM
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I guess he could not bring himself to lie. Let's hope more people can be honest and care more about the country as a whole rather than their political parties.

Posted by Pam October 31, 08 12:29 PM
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Face it folks, John Novocaine is done. Palin is the one who stuck the fork in him.

Posted by GreyMatter October 31, 08 01:13 PM
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This article is a "quote" from a McCain supporter, so how can it be junk??? Sarah Palin is only ready for one thing: to return to Alaska. Vote Obama/Biden on Tuesday to make that happen.

Posted by Debra October 31, 08 01:25 PM
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Sarah Palin is a dinosaur. Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson showed us the real Palin very well. She should have finished grade school at least. Voters know this and that's why America votes for Obama and not McCain. McCain is guilty himself by his poor judgment in picking a Bozo like Palin in the first place.

Posted by buzziea October 31, 08 02:28 PM
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This is too good. It's fun to watch his campaign collapse so fast!

Posted by gizzle22 October 31, 08 03:25 PM
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The truth is finally coming out. Gov. Palin is a complete embarrassment to the ticket. If the Republicans feel she has the experience and the intelligence to serve as VP, prove to the 59% of the people who believe she is not ready that we are wrong by having her do a press conference or appear on a credible show like "Meet the Press" . Her campaign will not take that chance because they know that if she does her ignorance and incoherent sentences would reveal that she is unbelievably inept and she would lose even the respect of people from the Republican party. Therefore she sticks to doing interviews with biased journalists (does anyone with a brain not realize Sean Hanity is a joke?), read speeches and act like regular folks to appeal to those blindly following her. So completely sad those people are enamored and can not think for themselves. What I dislike most is her sarcastic tone and divisive style which I do not want in a candidate.

Posted by Jack F October 31, 08 04:44 PM
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Anyone with any dignity, especially a Republican, has to acknowledge the obvious--that Palin is not ready, and will likely never be a good candidate for national office.

Posted by Sarah C. October 31, 08 06:36 PM
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I love the comback of the word "flimflam." Ghouliani used it the other day too. That king of talk will definitely convince the Undecideds-if they were born in 1912.

Posted by Mike October 31, 08 07:47 PM
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The Democrats should pay attention to William Ayers book dedicated to Bob Kennedys killer.And by the way which tax cut is real,$250,000.00,$200,000.00,$150,000.00,or $120,000.00. It's going down each day as the election is near.

Posted by skmj November 1, 08 12:18 PM
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I am a lot more concerned that Obama is not ready to be President than Palin, a vice presidential candidate, is not ready. Obama is not ready. So vote for McCain!

Posted by mk November 1, 08 02:17 PM
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Don't be concerned mk. Obama has been leading America for the last year. Nobody pays attention to Bush anymore but Obama's ideas of being aggressive in Pakistan and Syria, shifting forces to Afghanistan, diplomacy with Iran and negotiating an exit with Iraq are already underway by the current administration even though Bush used to be against them.

Posted by Obama the Leader November 1, 08 05:58 PM
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