Thoughts on the November election and Sarah Palin

Ever since I was able to vote, I have supported the Republican Party. Things may be different for me during this election, however. I vote for the whole package, simply, and part of the McCain-Palin package is severely lacking.

After watching the two prime-time interviews on TV and the vice-presidential debate, my impression of Palin is that she lacks the experience and, most importantly, the knowledge to lead this country at the national level.

Supreme Court decisions. She couldn't articulate a coherent thought about Roe v. Wade, and lacked the knowledge of any significant SC decisions.

Foreign Policy. No explanation is necessary. Watch the video and see what I mean.

Bailout Package. After reading the transcript to her answer and watching the clip numerous times, I'm still confused about what she is trying to say.

Publications. When Katie Kouric threw a soft-ball question, "what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this [position] to stay informed and understand the world." She did not name one publication.

Any intelligent individual plugged into the greater-American reality could have said New York Times, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, or at least USA Today. But, seriously, not one publication? Ridiculous.

She spins her answers to tough questions not because she has a bad record to spin-off, but because she does not have the appropriate knowledge or experience. A conservative columnist, Kathleen Parker, wrote on the National Review's website, "My cringe reflex is exhausted," and "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself." I could not have said it better myself.

Moreover, Palin is unable to articulate a coherent thought when she is not rehearsing a Pavlovian-conditioned soundbite; her answers to tough questions remind me of the spin I dislike in politics and they make me feel uneasy; she has no legitimate experience on the national scene; and she lacks an understanding of the fundamental issues important to sustaining America's success both today and in the future.

I vote for someone because 1) I agree with them on a majority of the issues that are important to me, and 2) because I trust in their ability to lead. Although she may have been successful governing Alaska, Palin is not ready for the position of Vice President of the United States of America. I think I should repeat that title again, Vice President of the United States of America.

The bottom line: I am not voting for the McCain-Palin ticket and I must decide whether to vote for Obama or abstain from voting.