It isn't so much that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seems convinced that she would make a good president, but that anyone else might be. Did campaign contributions really pour in after her rambling, incoherent announcement Friday that she was quitting the governorship mid-term?

That says something unflattering about a sizable segment of the American electorate, obviously willing to back whoever might have a snowball's chance of winning, regardless of qualifications or the effect on the nation.

All anyone had to do was watch the full video of Ms. Palin's press conference on The New York Times Web site or another site to see that she lacks the public speaking skills of a offensive lineman who has played too long without a helmet. And what could be more important for an American president than being well-spoken?

In a non-stop media age, with 24/7 news cycles, the ability to express ideas and arguments and win over most of the people most of the time is essential. Just as it was in Lincoln's time; just as it was for Odysseus outside the walls of Troy.

The tongue-tied leader, in contrast, tends to retreat into meaningless mantra slogans and paranoid distrust of political opponents and the media, and the result is bizarre behavior and disastrous decisions.

Sarah Palin may be the most physically attractive female politician on the national stage, but that means little without the knowledge, experience and ability to clearly articulate a policy

Advertisement
or vision. She has proven many times over she lacks the latter.

Some of the same people who speak fondly of Sarah Palin backed George W. Bush -- another barely articulate politician from another huge state -- but with an attractive name, Bush. For the good of the country, we hope they have learned some lessons since 2000 and will find a qualified Republican to run for the presidency. Ms. Palin would be dangerous within an Alaskan oil field of the White House.