Zakaria: Utterly unqualified

Fareed Zakaria has been watching the Palin roll-out and interviews and he's concerned.

After recapping some of Palin's most "vapid emptying out of every catchphrase" about economics and Russian proximity to Alaska Zakaria writes,

Can we now admit the obvious? Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president. She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start. The next administration is going to face a set of challenges unlike any in recent memory....

And the American government is stretched to the limit. Between the Bush tax cuts, homeland-security needs, Iraq, Afghanistan and the bailout, the budget is looking bleak. Plus, within a few years, the retirement of the baby boomers begins with its massive and rising costs (in the trillions).

Obviously these are very serious challenges and constraints. In these times, for John McCain to have chosen this person to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible. McCain says that he always puts country first. In this important case, it is simply not true.

The McCain campaign has gone 'all in' on Palin and she's not going anywhere. The bar will be so low on Thursday night that anything short of her exiting the stage in tears will be deemed a success. The vapid 'dumb like us' base that also adored Gdub loves her as much as they hate McCain. The base would never accept her departure no matter how much she and McCain insisted it was her choice. Add to this the boost she has given to fundraising.

In short, McCain has made his bed and will have to live with it.