New Haven Independent

Yes, I said “target.” Good journalists go out hunting everyday for snippets of truth and illumination. Sometimes we come home empty-handed.

Take Sarah Palin for example.

It was mind-numbingly painful, truly painful to watch her flop around like a fish out of water in her most recent interview with Katie Couric. Yes, that Katie Couric.

Consider Palin’s response when asked about her foreign policy experience, her state’s proximity to Russia and if she had any experience negotiating with the Russians:

“We have trade missions back and forth,” said Ms. Palin. “We do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, 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 our state.”

What? This clearly mindless babble is from a woman who would be vice-president. It would be only laughable except that she will be one heartbeat away from running the U.S..

And this is the same individual who readily and freely admits that she can think of no instance where U.S. Sen. John McCain, who now insists he has supported regulation of Wall Street, in fact actually has. It is always a good idea to know what your running mate has done, or thinks.

But it gets better. Asked if American is on the verge of a depression if Congress fails to pass some sort of bailout legislation to shore up Wall Street, we got this:

“Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this, as it’s been proposed, has to pass or we’re going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. But there has got to be action taken, bipartisan effort, Congress not pointing fingers at this point at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.”

This from the woman who would be one heartbeat from the presidency.

Which brings us to the real question: how competent is John McCain to lead the country if this is the best he can come up with for vice-president? There is no shortage of intelligent and thoughtful individuals in the Republican Party. We may have philosophical differences but that isn’t the point. There are terrifically qualified individuals in both parties who would make great vice-presidents.

Barak Obama picked one.

John McCain appears to have picked the least qualified individual he could find simply because it was good politics, it would generate buzz and might get him a vote or two… not good statesmanship or potentially good for the country. It is politics at its worst.

Ms. Palin and her handlers will do their best to keep her away from journalists with hard questions. Maybe we should start with the easy ones. Try: “What intellectual, professional and experiential qualifications do you think you possess that make you a suitable candidate for vice-president? And please detail a few of each.”

I suspect the answer would be both illuminating and truly terrifying.