John McCain gave a very good speech tonight at the convention. I did not learn anything new. I read his book, and I have deep respect for him. John McCain is the most qualified person in our country, in our generation, to be the commander in chief, hands down.

But is Sarah Palin?

However, being President of the United States is not only about being commander in chief. There are many other skills necessary.

John McCain is the oldest ever candidate. He has had several bouts with skin cancer. I would never wish that, but John McCain could die during the next 4 or 8 years, and Sarah Palin would be president. She is the proverbial “heatbeat away from the presidency.”

How is it possible that we have a candidate in that position whose name I didn’t even know a week ago?

In our whole country, there aren’t people more qualified to be vice president than Sarah Palin?

Give me names I recognize:

• Give me Tom Ridge!
• Give me Joe Lieberman!
• Give me Mitt Romney!
• Give me Rudy Giuliani (ok, that’s going too far)!
• Give me Arnold Schwarzenegger (well, he can’t run)!
• Give me Colin Powell!
• Give me Condi Rice!
• Give me Hillary Clinton (wrong party).

Any of the people I mentioned above would make me feel more comfortable as president than Sarah Palin.

Did John McCain make a huge mistake by picking Sarah ‘Barracuda’ Palin, a young woman none of us ever heard of, as his running mate?

Can we vote for McCain, given the comparatively high risk of his vice president taking over as president?

I think not.