Sarah Palin: Is She Really Ready?

By ALEX BRAMAN
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL

Presidential candidate John McCain wanted a fresh perspective in the White House. But is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin too young and inexperienced?
Her foreign policy experience is limited to her state’s proximity to Russia and Canada. When asked recently by CBS news anchor Katie Couric to explain why being close to these two countries enhanced her foreign policy experience, she replied, “Well, it certainly does because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries. They’re in the state that I am the executive of.”
When Couric asked whether Palin has ever been involved in any negotiations with, for example, with the Russians, she replied:
“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.”
It sounds like she has no idea what she is talking about.
Palin lacks the ability to effectively communicate her ideas. When asked questions of which the answers haven’t yet been rehearsed, she stammers and tries to change the focus of the question.
I would like the vice president of my country to be able to tell me what she thinks on an issue — not just change the subject to a topic she thinks she’s better at talking about.
The vice president is one step away from becoming, or acting at a moment’s notice as, the president of the United States and the commander-in-chief of this country’s armed forces.
Is Palin really ready to be vice president?
Could she handle the job of president?
McCain’s age — 72 — requires us to consider the possibility that Palin could become our president if the McCain-Palin ticket is elected on Nov. 4.
To me, Palin’s lack of foreign policy experience and her inability to communicate effectively to America are just a couple of her many flaws that should disqualify her.

— Alex Braman is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. He attends Davis High School.