Mark Gibson, Las Vegas

Mon, Sep 8, 2008 (2:04 a.m.)

John McCain’s first big decision as potential president was to choose Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate? Rank and file military, high-ranking military and diplomatic officials, and any of us concerned with the foreign policy and national security implications of McCain’s pick are left trying to digest his heartburn-inducing decision.

While talking-head Republicans on TV and radio and their allies in the print media fall all over themselves proclaiming how “highly qualified” and what a “breath of fresh air” she is, I am more concerned with the breath of hot air John McCain has become.

He promised to pick someone best-qualified to take over as commander in chief should his health falter; instead he selected someone three years removed from being mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, to stand one 72-year-old heartbeat away from being commander in chief of the U.S. military.

These are perilous times. McCain’s selection of Palin is a huge blunder and indicates very poor judgment in a potential president. Would Palin show better judgment in selecting her advisers than John McCain showed in selecting her?

Reassurances from his Republican supporters on TV do not reassure me. With the economy, McCain already had Herbert Hoover written all over him — and now this.

Nevadans are famous for gambling, but let’s not gamble on the presidency. My vote won’t be a roll of the dice on a 72-year-old risk-taker and his ill-prepared understudy. Go Obama-Biden.