These nominees, from Dewey to McCain, not only passed the experience test, but they were also up to speed on national issues and able to discuss them knowledgeably. True, some were better at this than others, but they all reached a minimum threshold of knowledge.
Palin's limitations were evident in the vice presidential debate last year. I thought she won that debate, almost purely on the basis of her personality and likeability. But she could have taken Joe Biden apart while demonstrating her own knowledge and brainpower had she known more about national issues. Biden made numerous erroneous statements, particularly on the Middle East, but Palin didn't know enough to correct him.
I first met Palin in 2007 and talked to her over lunch at the governor's mansion in Juneau. I was impressed. She talked quite ably about energy, taxes, and the environment--issues on the table in Alaska. I wrote a highly favorable story about her. I thought she was a brilliant choice as McCain's vice presidential running mate in 2008.
By itself, two months on the Republican ticket won't propel her to the presidential nomination. But there is a way: win Alaska's lone House seat in 2012 and oust Democratic senator Mark Begich in 2014. A term in the House and another in the Senate--nothing would do more to groom her for the White House than this and transform her into the best Republican candidate for the presidency in, say, 2020, when she'd be 56.
Fred Barnes is executive editor of THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Correction: An
earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Alaska senator Mark Begich as Nick Begich.
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