Sarah Palin must go, conservative columnist Kathleen Parker opines

This just in: Sarah Palin has NOT given up her spot of the Republican presidential ticket.

Nor do we expect her to.

But we broach the prospect simply because a nationally syndicated conservative columnist, Kathleen Parker, has called for Palin to do exactly that.

Parker's piece showed up at midday Friday on the National Review website (you don't get much more conservative than that) and since then has generated lots of buzz (and been picked up, not surprisingly, by lots of liberal blogs).

The columnist, who resides in South Carolina and posts regularly at Townhall.com (another conservative outlet), was high on Palin earlier this month in the immediate aftermath of her selection as John McCain's running mate.

In a commentary following Palin's boffo speech at the Republican National Convention, Parker wrote that the Alaska governor had shown "strength, conviction, determination, confidence, a willingness to rumble and fearlessness."

Now, in the wake of Palin's less-than-well-received Q & A with Katie Couric of CBS, Parker writes:

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted. Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there.

Parker, who if nothing else has increased her visibility, concludes her column with her call for Palin to "bow out [of the national race] for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn."

Those on the left with a conspiratorial bent may wonder if the latest developments in the Palin saga are part of a hidden effort to create an environment in which she can't help but exceed expectations in her Thursday debate with Joe Biden.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Anna]

I feel sorry for Sarah.

[Tex...]

Sarah PLEEEZZE don't go!
You crack me up with your shallow stupidity.

Don't BLINK! Whatever you do...just keep opening that sweet little uneducated mouth.

Your doing former beauty queens evrywhere very proud!

[AndrewP in WA]

There is no conspiracy. The Right is indeed trying to lower and lower and lower expectations for Sarah Palin's debate against Sen. Biden. Without any place to go but up, all Gov. Palin has to do is keep from setting the podium on fire, and she wins. Sen. Biden had better be ready and sharp, or he might be viscerated by her win at all costs approach. Do not underestimate her appeal. She has that Reagan-esque quality that says, "I don't care about her position on the issues, I just like her." The American public is just that gullible. Keep hope alive and watch out. We Dems have a lot of work to do.

[frieda]

I have seen her debate with Alaska's ex governor and she is completely different than what I have see so far through these interviews...

Are they intentionally coaching her to be like that? this is NOT Palin I know in Alaska

[coatesmoe]

I thought the Bush act was hard to follow. Now we have McCain and Palin as top clown act. Is there no one out there looking out for the USA.

[Jenn]

You feel sorry for Sarah Palin because she is under-educated, under-prepared, and constantly in a position to do nothing but embarrass herself? Of course, she doesn't even have an advanced degree beyond her undergraduated degree (that took five school changes to accomplish), so how could we expect her to speak particularly intelligently on such a high level? I only feel sorry for her that she was not smart enough to turn down the position.

[judithod]

Parker judges Palin too harshly. Palin has been the object of derision by the mainstream media and has been submitted to far more vetting than Obama over the course of his 20-month campaign. I believe Palin is getting her bearings in dealing with the media as well as with the national attention. After all, she's only been in the spotlight since the Republican convention. What is more concerning is Biden's stupid gaffes. For a man who's been in D.C. forever and is supposedly savvy, he's demonstrated an amazing ignorance about the Democrats' platform and Obama's positions.

[Blondshag]

What is the media's problem?

Do you really believe that Palin is going to tell you everything that she plans to talk about before her debate happens. No indeed.

When Palin has her debate ~~ America will truly see just what Palin is made of. Palin will eat Biden alive and I hope that she does.

GO----PALIN!!!!!!
GO----MCCAIN!!!!!!!!

TIME FOR MCCAIN AND PALIN TO REFORM WASHINGTON'S CORRUPT GOVERNMENT!

[Della Halper]

I wish Kathleen Parker and the rest of her ilk would just keep their opinions to themselves. It used to be that women from the South were polite. I just wish Kathleen Parker were a Democrat. Then her egotistic rude and totally unappreciated statements would be expected. You know Kathleen, it's not too late to change parties.
I mean this kindly. Sincerely, Dr. Della

[Anthony]

Will Andrew Malcolm replace her?

[palintologist]

this is the george w bush strategy. set expectations below 0 and come out semi coherent and people will applaud her because they want her to succeed. she's got a growing fansite. i even saw a website called http://www.womenwholooklikeSarahPalin.com .. she'll run for president in 2012. This is a repeat of the reagan revolution, folks.

[Jeff in Florida]

I have been thinking for a couple days now that (seriously folks) there is no way she is as stupid as she is presenting herself. She can't be! So, t his leads me to the idea that some others are starting to embrace that perhaps this has all been an act to date. What is not being said is that if this is the case, SHE could be the October surprise that may put McCain in the driver's seat come November 4th.

[Dean Smith--Palm Desert, California---USA]

Sarah Palin has betrayed feminism. She has a husband, children, and a career, and has accomplished all this without a Government Program, without crying on Oprah, and without gaining 40 pounds. No wonder feminists feel inadequate. And-oh-by-the-way, have you noticed the "Man-Glow" constantly surrounding Todd Palin.
SARAH ROCKS!!!

[Linda]

How anyone can believe that a McSame/Palin ticket will "reform" Washington must have a few screws loose. On the one hand we have a wrinkled old white man who has loooooong been a VERY PART of the corruption and on the other, an inexperienced, uneducated nitwit.

Bring intelligent leadership back to the White House - Obama/Biden!

[James]

[i]"Parker judges Palin too harshly. Palin has been the object of derision by the mainstream media and has been submitted to far more vetting than Obama over the course of his 20-month campaign."[/i]

We're in serious trouble if the average American voter sees the through the lenses that [B]judithod[/B] is wearing. To say that Palin has been subject to more vetting than Obama is, at best, wishful thinking or revisionist history. At worst, this kind of thinking is delusional and void of reasonable judgment and common sense. Sorry, but Parker is not judging Palin too harshly; I'm glad that conservative columnists and others are finally saying what is becoming painfully obvious to millions of Americans and the world community: Sarah Palin should not be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

The reckless judgment that McCain has shown by selecting Palin as his running mate may have excited his base of right-wing conservatives and evangelicals, but it is anything but "country first." This decision alone, to say nothing of his negative campaign and bizarre, erratic behavior, is reason enough for American voters to reject them on Election Day. In my wildest imagination I didn't think that any pair could be more disastrous to the United States than Bush/Cheney. Well, my friends, we're looking at it when we see McCain/Palin.

[jack]

I was on the fence before McCain selected Palin but now I am no longer on the fence. What could he possibly have been thinking? I could never vote for him now, though I am hardly an Obama supporter but after showing such poor judgement by selecting Palin I don't trust his ability to make better decisions as President. He has no chance of winning the election after his decision to select Palin as his running mate. I have nothing against a woman running and winning a Presidential election but she is out of her league. Why didn't he select Condoleeaza Rice - now that would have been a winning ticket. Palin needs to step down and NOW. She can't even hold her own in an interview with Katie Coruc.

[DoBo]

Couric: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundary that we have with Canada. It's funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don't know, you know … reporters.

Couric: Mocked?

Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space 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.

[Ann]

I was thinking the same thing for a while now. She should bow out.

But after McCain's debate, I don't want him in the White House anymore than her. Forget replacing her. I think he's deceitful and obvious in his evasiveness and overbearing. I thought he was lying too often. And he spoke over the other guy when he reminded McCain of some of his own doings. Like saying "the fundimentals of the Economy are strong" (which he previously said he ment the American Worker. Please. We are breaking our backs to keep up with things.
He didn't want that to be heard so he spoke over it.
Then He said "who would vote against clean renewable energy", after it was just said that HE did...twenty something times!
Where is there content here? Cover ups and empty lines.

so he kept a seemingly calm demeaner when he lied about the other guy. Just make things up as you go, "the great unwashed" don't know, not after all we have fallen for already-- I hope that they can see through this and wise up as I have. The country is at stake here.

[Claudette]

Shame on you, no better than your Holllywood counterparts.

Sarah is wonderful, you are not.

[gg]

I know you all want to comment on specific stories, and that’s cool. However, I just wanted to give you something to think about. In this election, I decided to seek alternative news sources to see what other people are saying. In that quest, I decided to go to Fox News. What a joke. I know, I should have known better, but seeing the whole picture is important. My experience with Fox News is that it’s a waste of time. They only publish their own viewpoint, they refuse to publish any comments to stories that oppose their own beliefs, they censor all comments, and they are completely prejudiced in their reporting. Seek alternative views on any other source than Fox News. Don’t waste your time. What a joke!! And who really cares about Palin. I have said from beginning, she is a side show, she is insignificant in this campaign. Flash, over. noone cares

[Eric Dondero]

Of course. Why should we be surprised. Sarah Palin is a libertarian Republican. Conservatives have long been suspicious of us libertarians in the GOP. Palin is one of the highest ranking elected libertarians in the entire Nation, right up there with Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, AZ Cong. Jeff Flake, and California's Tom McClintock, each one of whom make staid and stodgy Conservatives very nervous at times. Ditto for libertarian Republican Sarah Palin. Of course, some Conservatives are going to bash her.

[Kate]

Well she really does not seem qualified at all to be in the VP slot. For the republican party to want to win so bad I am really surprised at this pick. She is nice no question, good for Alaska but a step away from President during this time - No way.

[Patty Z]

The republican party is seeing that she is not ready.

[Richard]

I say Kathleen should be the one to go!

Just who is she anyway? I mean really?

Hang tough Sarah!

Take a hike Kathleen!

[richard schumacher]

Selecting Palin is part of McCain's secret plan to destroy the religious ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party. They will follow her over a cliff. McCain doesn't actually care much whether he gets elected President.