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

[David]

To any thoughtful person, Palin's performance in the Couric interview was shockingly poor. Much of it was incoherent, a sign of person way over her head. Kathleen Parker's conclusion is based on a fair and reasonable appraisal of Palin. What is even more shocking to me is that anyone could come to Palin's defense.

[geek]

Governor Palin brought this upon herself. After being flattered to be asked, she should have known better than to say yes.

Senator Mc Cain showed poor judgement for asking her.

It is abundantly clear she not only is lacking the background, but cannot think on her feet. This has noting to do about her being a regular mom or from a small town. I know numerous women who are smart, can speak intelligently about the economy, national security, human rights.

Senator Mc Cain's famous shoot from the hip is a real problem and Governor Palin is just the poster child.

[jay]

Any candidate, of protected class status or not (this includes but is not limited to age and gender) who is put up as candidate, riding on one or another characteristic alone, can not be fit for the job. We've had too many miscreants from the Republican party this last quarter century and there is no sign they have a suitable candidate. Crooks, actors, drunks & puppets. Now they give us the old ring leader and his lovely assistant. Just smile honey, the camera loves ya.

[boone]

palin will destroy old joey boy

[Phil]

So here it goes... if Palin fell apart in an interview with Couric.. how well do you think she'll do against Biden.. C'mon AMERICA.. are we that ignorant to vote for this GOP ticket? Haven't we had enough with George W..aka BOZO for the last 8 years??? WAKE UP to something called "reality". The realiity of us losing our homes, losing our jobs and breaking our backs in the process? McBush & PingPONG Palin will drive the country down without even thinking twice about it. Shame on them!

I am a registered REPUBLICAN and feel so embarrassed for this McBush-Palin who are no better than a pair of clowns!

[P. Scott Cummins]

The tactics involved in presidential politics are fascinating. The fundamentalism in liberal dogma dominating the news media similarly amazes all of those not caught up in the groupthink of comradeship which marks its quaint decline. All I can say is, "you go" L.A. Times and "you go" Sarah Palin! See you in January!

[John R.]

It's Sarah Palin and her Thoughts to Nowhere!

As an Obama supporter, I hope she doesn't drop out. She's the albatross around John McCain's neck.

[Joe Shea]

Well, there's a precedent or two in dumping a VP pick before the election - Tom Eagleton, for one. But Palin, unprepared and unable to lead as she is, may be better than second choice. A lot of the right wing is touting Mitt Romney, but I wish we coul;d publicly dissect Bain Capital Mgmt. and its venture capital clients and see what has happened there in the past year or two. The right might feel differently - they might feel wrong.

[bse5150]

I am voting for Sarah because she supports what I believe in - God, Guns, American Oil, Restrictions on Abortion, Less Government, and a Strong Defense. Which is the exact opposite of Obama. Simple as that.

[Andy Bradshaw]

It looks like she wants to become this year's David Brock and broaden her readership.

Parker is in a tough business and "I was a conservative werewolf" books do sell rather well.

Look for her on the board of Media Matters this time next year.

[olive]

She had 2-3 weeks to come up with a better answer (about Russia) that everyone joked about--surely she had to have known it would come up in Katie Couric's interview. It baffles me why no one in McCain's camp gave her something intelligent to say. I used to like McCain, but by his choice of a running mate, which obviously was made for reasons other than what's best for the US, my opinion of him has plummeted. I've never voted , but the possibility of this woman running the country scares the crap out of me- I registered immediately. If they win, she won't have the executive power Cheney has created for the VP office, she'll be used like Dan Quale, sent off to visit elementary schools, teaching children how not to spell potato.

[Ward Collins]

jJealousy. Sarah Palin is above the trash of the media . Katie is a has been and Sarah is the new kid on the block. Get over it. She is getting too much attention from the ones that count and it is showing by the trash written.

[Ken Haynes]

I cannot believe those people who are supporting Sarah Palin. Not only is she an albatross around John McCain's neck, but also a disgrace to the American people. The eyes of the entire world are focused on this presidential election, God help us if the Mcain/Palin ticket is elected, and something happens to Senator McCain, leaving Palin as our President. This person is not qualified to be a Vice-Presidential candidate. WAKE UP AMERICA. We are to great of a nation for this foolishness!

[John]

I would expect nothing less than bashing on Palin from you gays there in LA. You are just a bunch of back door pokin, baby killin, illegal loving, bastards!

[jaydeeay]

I agree. I support Sarah also because she's totally in line with my beliefs as well.

#1 GOD (Obama doesn't actually believe in god, he just says so)
#2 Shooting animals with Guns (Obama wants stricter gun control) Criminals have a right to shoot animals just like anyone else. Gun control is a violation of their constitutional rights
#3 NO on abortion (killing babies is just wrong! PERIOD!)
#4 Shooting other people with guns in other countries so I can continue living my American way of life
#5 Less Government (but more patriot act please)
#6 American Oil (American oil execs don't have enough money)

Go Palin!

[Bonnie Mckee]

How can America , or the world for that matter , allow an ecological terror , to be placed in power . Wake up people , the Earth is not as big as you think .

[notbad]

Sarah Palin is not stupid. That is entirely unfair for everyone to say. She is however, inarticulate, ignorant on a number of issues, under-prepared, and over her head. For people to accuse her of being stupid is just cruel and unjustified. How many of you are qualified to be president? Does that make you stupid? Are you even qualified for a superior position in whatever line of work you're in? C'mon people.

[Middle Class American]

How can someone as vapid as Gov, Palin possibly be the tough leader able to make the tough choices we need in hard economic times like now? How patronizing to all Americans that people who know better within the GOP chose her to represent the party. The only thing worse than Palin's candidancy would be a, God forbid, Palin presidency, gasp! To all those who think we're in trouble now, the prospect of Palin as POS is chilling and possibly one of the signs of a coming apocalypse, given McCain's health issues and our current economic hard times, isn't this what Nero supposedly did. Are we witnessing our own demise as a people and country?

[steve rodriguez]

Like Barrack is always on the top of his game? He mentioned that the US had 57 states earlier, and introduced the next President as Joe Bidden. "Senator Obama you mentioned Sarah Palin, I know Sarah Palin, Sarah Plain is my friend, and no Senator Obama you're no Sarah Palin, she has much more experience than you!"

[steve rodriguez]

What's wrong with Sarah Palin? Absolutely nothing! Sarah believes in God, family and country! She is youthful and a great model for a next generation of American leaders!

[jefflz]

Can anyone honestly stand up and say that Palin is ready to be Vice President? She has made a complete fool of herself in her conversation with Couric. Her responses were garbled, at times incoherent talking points that she had tried to memorize but they were often not even relevant to the question. Palin supporters: If you are not a trained public speaker and have a poor education does that mean Palin is ready for national office because she is like you? Don't we need the best qualified people to run our country, not our next door neighbors? McCain is making a mockery of this election. His "debate is off/now its on" stunt and his choice of Palin are proof positive of McCain's shoot-from-the-hip lack of judgment. We must reject the McCain/Palin ticket as a matter of national security if nothing else.

[John Quimby]

John McCain's medical records and his history of aggressive and re-occurring cancer become relative right about now...

[Alex Olusegun]

Anyone who votes for McCain and Palin is stupid. They would vote for Bush if he could run again. These people are stupid, ignorant and gullible. They're like sheep.

[Bing]

The more I have learned about Palin, the more worried I have become. In spite of her charm, she is ill-informed and lacks intellectual quality. Meeting heads of several foreign states at UN is a silly plot to prepare her for foreign affairs. I'd rather see her tell us something about her opinion or ideas on American foreign policy. All this photo op at UN seems to make her loook shallow.

[shelly]

OMG!! I thought Sarah Pallin scared me - nothing compared to reading thru these comments!! C'mon people, wake up and smell the coffee!! You Pallin lovers do you really want a person in control that bans library books and has good state employees fired for personal vendettas??!! This is not rational - these are character flaws and lack of maturity!! Do you really want this woman with the national security codes??! Do you want someone so closed-minded that she believes her way is the Only Way and has no problem pushing that on the rest of us?? Do you really want someone who said 'yes' to her own ego and self-aggrandizement over raising her children??! Do you really think anyone, male or female, should do this job with young children at home?? This is not your normal 9 to 5 folks - even Chelsea Clinton and Amy Carter had a tough time dealing with amazingly busy parents - and they were older than Sarah Pallin's youngest two! I too believe in God, guns and babies, and yet I also believe that we all have the right to not believe if we so choose - that, folks, is what makes us Americans - and not the Taliban!!