While I have been critical on the Couric and Gibson interviews with Sarah Palin, I can not ignore her awkwardness in many of her answers. Palin seems to have a short list of typical Republican talking points that she uses to answer any question regardless of its relevancy.

When asked to justify the $700 billion dollar bailout by Couric she rambled and went on tangents talking about cutting taxes, creating jobs and avoided any direct discussion of the most important issue on the table. If McCain had answered as she did we would have thought he had dimentia.

Tina Fey played Palin to the hilt on Saturday Night Live, mimicking this interview with a most uncomfortable accuracy.

Is Palin out of her league as Kathleen Parker at National Review writes? Should she be replaced at this critical point in the game before the vice presidential debates?

One with the understanding of these issues would be able to give answers that are brief and clear, and one certainly should have expected such a question. Hopefully the handlers will be able to coach her better and improve her performance.

While her awkwardness is disconcerting, our financial crisis was developed by leaders who were articulate, passionate, clear and disastrously wrong.

Judgment is more important than polish and her followers probably still respect her all American girl credentials. We would just feel much better if she could communicate them much better under fire. This is the age of YouTube and such a display is damaging.

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