Former Reaganite: McDonald’s Would Have Vetted Palin Harder
In an interview today with MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell, former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein agreed with former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger’s comments that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is unprepared to assume the presidency, if needed.
However, Duberstein — an adviser to Sen. John McCain’s failed 2000 primary bid — added an exclamation point by contrasting the level of vetting Palin reportedly received from the McCain campaign with the hiring process at the nation’s largest fast-food chain.
“„“I think [Palin] has very much undermined it, the whole question of McCain’s judgment. What Most Americans, I think, realize is that you don’t offer a job, let alone the vice presidency, to a person after one job interview. Even at McDonald’s, you’re interviewed three times before you’re given a job.
“„So I think the whole question of whether or not she is fit, not to be vice president, but to be president in an emergency on day one, people have resoundingly said, ‘Don’t think so,” including Larry Eagleburger, one of the strong supporters of John McCain. Larry, in a fit of reason, said ‘No, she’s not ready to serve.’”
But in all fairness to McDonald’s employees, flipping burgers and slinging fries is serious business — not like, say, leading the free world.
UPDATE: In an interview today with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, which will air Sunday, Duberstein became the latest high-profile Republican to say he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday.