Sarah Palin?
John McCain's choice for vice president is Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska?
Seriously?

The McCain people have been prattling on about how Democrat Barack Obama lacks the experience to be president, and then the 72-year-old Republican candidate picks someone whose only real leadership experience is being governor of a sparsely populated state for two years? (Unless you also count that she served as -- wait for it now -- mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, about one-quarter the size of Kingston.)

I just don't get it.

Palin certainly brings some key distinctions to the GOP ticket -- she's only the second female candidate for vice president in the nation's history (perhaps endearing her to some disgruntled supporters of Democratic runner-up Hillary Clinton), and she's a pro-life woman (likely endearing her to hard-line conservatives who have expressed doubts about McCain) -- but if the key qualification for the job of vice president is the ability to become president on a moment's notice, then Sarah Palin, by the McCain camp's own definition, simply is not qualified.