WALL: Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!

This strikes me as wishful thinking on your part. Her problems seem to run much deeper than simply being over scripted. Her speech at the convention was excellent but it was a script. Her performance at rallies have been great, but are essentially a rehash of her convention script. It's when things aren't scripted that she stumbles, in both foreign and domestic policy. She not only struggles to grasp the question at times but also to formulate complete sentences. While she has done much better in her Alaska debates and interviews, those were very easy, and I noticed that she was able to get away with overly simplistic answers that won't satisfy the national press. They can complain that this is "gotcha journalism" but look, the world plays "gotcha" as we are sadly learning this week.

Can anyone honestly say that Sarah Palin is ready to take office on day one? Never mind the fact that McCain is 72 years old. This should be the most important question that any presidential candidate should ask about a potential vice president, (who basically is a potential president). Tara, you mentioned that Sarah should admit that foreign policy is not her forte. My God! That is one of the most important aspects of the presidency. Or for that matter someone who potentially will have to take over as president. At least in the case of Barack Obama he has the verbal polish and the background knowledge to deliver a concise statement regarding foreign policy. He at least has a plethora of experience, (albeit, less than John McCain), in dealing with people of world consequence. He has also demonstrated that he can command respect internationally. Can you honestly say that about Sarah Palin on day one? I think at least Kathleen Parker is truly putting country first and not party unity or ideology. What will you and your collegues say next when she bombs in Thursdays debate? I think the best thing Joe Biden can do is to have very succinct answers and let Sarah talk away.

Tara, You're comparing the VP candidate to the Pres. candidate's wife! Does that not strike you as telling of a fundemental problem with Palin? She's not supposed to be window dressing, a side show, an inconsequential personage who is not expected to partake in the daily dealings of the most powerful country in the world! But your comparison puts her solidly in that category! Defer to the experience of the the Pres. candidate? You betcha. Not being able to articulate your own thoughts OR the overscripted thoughts that you're supposed to espouse? That is the surface of a much deeper problem. I agree with dempsy's comment that she did well with the script during the convention (that was on the teleprompters), it's the real act of thinking and speaking knowledgeably that she has a problem with. I believe that once again, as on the night of the convention, her political life (and McCain's?) is on the line Thursday night and we will see if she can make it through on her own, without a set script and without a teleprompter. I have the sinking feeling that after Couric's interview there is blood in the water and that she will be given tough questions designed to expose this potential weakness of mind. I hope she doesn't complain about having to "go first" with the tough questions a la Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

You libs just don't understand. We like her because she is honest and real. No one on the left approaches heh in these qualities.

Leaders surround themselves with good people and let them do their job. Leaders make principled decisions. Governor Palin has demonstrated she can do both. So yes, Governor Palin is ready to take office on day one. Senator Obama: has routinely voted "present", demonstrating that he can't (or won't) make a decision, and has extremely rarely even held a hearing of the Senate subcommittee he chairs, demonstrating that he can't (or won't) lead. So I just don't get it: we're supposed to be okay with Senator Obama as President, when he has no experience, but not comfortable with Governor Palin as Vice President, who does. Governor Palin is needed precisely because she's a woman of principle who is *not* part of the Washington culture. But let's throw out the issue of experience. Obama-Biden will take this country further down the path of socialism; McCain-Palin will not. If Obama-Biden are not shown as up by 10 on Nov 3rd - it's over for them.

" ds80," have you been asleep the past eight years? Your argument that she only needs to surround herself by good people and just focus on making principled decisions is exactly the argument made in for George W. Bush, and look what happened! No! She needs to be smart, curious, knowledgeable and quick enough to keep up with the smartest in the room. Stop lowering the bar!

Yeah, but let's get to the real question about this debate--we have a moderator who has an upcoming flattering book about Obama coming out around Election Day. And so how do we expect this to be a FAIR debate for Palin? I don't think so!!!! Just another example of how the media stacks the deck.