Should Sarah Palin Step Down?

There is a growing chorus of political pundits calling for Sarah Palin to step down as John McCain's running mate.

Fareed Zakaria, who hosts CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, is among them. In a recent column that ran in both Newsweek and The Washington Post, he called Palin "utterly unqualified to be vice president" and encouraged her to get out of race. He even offered her the perfect excuse, suggesting she tell everyone that she wants to spend more time with her family.

Hey, I'd buy it. Wink, wink!

Meanwhile, even the Republicans, who were once so in love with Palin, want her out of the race.

Kathleen Parker, who writes for the National Review (and you can't get more conservative than that), is among them. In a recent National Review essay, Parker insists that Palin is simply out of her league and not qualified to be our country's vice president—let alone president in the event that something happened to McCain.

"Palin's recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League," Parker writes.

Parker continues: "No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I've been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I've also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted."

I'm not just cringing when I see Palin interviewed. I am freaking out, and it goes beyond me disagreeing with her on the issues. She was literally spewing gibberish during her interview with Katie Couric! Gibberish!

I disagree with Mitt Romney on the issues, but the idea of him being vice president doesn't send shivers down my spine. Palin being a heartbeat away from the presidency terrifies me. I can't believe McCain chose the Alaskan governor/hockey mom as his running mate when he could have easily gone with a more qualified candidate. Like Romney!

At the very least, Romney can string together sentences that actually make sense.

But where do stand? I want to hear from you Republicans, and I know from the Hot Topic boards that you're reading. (I know where my fellow Democrats stand, but don't let that stop you from venting, too!) Did McCain make a terrible mistake choosing Palin as his running mate, and do you think it is possible that Palin might step down, especially if she tanks in Friday's debate with Joe Biden?

To be honest, I can't really see her quitting, but I can dream.

Looking back, whom do you think McCain should have chosen as his running mate?

(Images courtesy of Getty)