Trick or treat
Updated on 31 October 2008
Felicity Spector discovers that top McCain supporter Eagleburger isn't enamoured of Palin but she's a hit with trick-or-treaters.
She's been called a rogue, a diva, even a whack job and all this, by top advisors from her own side. Now another top McCain supporter has gone on the record to question whether his vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is ready to take on the job.
When I spoke to him this afternoon, former US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger wasn't keen to repeat what he'd said: "I've already put my foot in my mouth once today" he said, "I don't want to do it again". But earlier today he gave National Public Radio a rather bleak assessment of Governor Palin's capabilities.
Asked if she'd be ready to step in during a time of crisis, he chuckled, "I'm being facetious here. Of course not". And, he went on: "I don't think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reins of the presidency." Given time, he conceded she might be "adequate' - but "no genius" in the job. And here's the kicker: "I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested."
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Costume stores across the country say they're having trouble keeping enough Sarah Palin Halloween masks in stock - apparently, they're selling out in droves.
Mr McCain himself defended his running mate and said Mr Eagleburger had "never had a chance to meet Sarah". Of late, when he's been asked about his relations with the Alaska governor, he's given a standard response: "I couldn't be happier".
Except there's more bad news today from a New York Times poll, out today, which shows growing doubts among voters. Some 59 per cent of people surveyed said they didn't think Ms Palin was prepared for the job. That's nine points higher than the start of this month.
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She's still drawing huge crowds, though, and keeping up the enthusiasm among her loyal Republican fans and there is one contest where she's already proved a winner.
Costume stores across the country say they're having trouble keeping enough Sarah Palin Halloween masks in stock - apparently, they're selling out in droves. If you've left it this late to kit yourself out for a night of trick-or-treating, you might have to make do with an also-ran. One shop owner in Salem says Hillary Clinton masks are the only ones left: "No-one's touching the Hillary masks", he says.
