O'Reilly: "[P]erception" that Palin “is dumb comes almost exclusively from the left, does it not?”

From the August 5 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

JANE SKINNER: And also Sarah Palin, she doesn't want Whoopi Goldberg endorsing her, because this plays right into her story line --

O'REILLY: OK, but --

SKINNER: -- the media elite, the Hollywood types are out to get her.

O'REILLY: The perception that the governor is dumb comes almost exclusively from the left, does it not?

SKINNER: Yeah.

Fox reported “great concern” in McCain camp that Palin lacked necessary “knowledgeability”

Fox News: “There was great concern in the McCain campaign that Sarah Palin lacked a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate.” On November 5, Fox News' Carl Cameron reported, “There was great concern in the McCain campaign that Sarah Palin lacked a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, and a heartbeat away from the presidency.” Cameron further reported, “We're told that she didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series -- a country just in itself. A whole host of questions that caused serious problems about her knowledgeability.” [Think Progress; 11/5/08]

Conservatives: Palin “obviously not qualified,” “doesn't know enough,” “not up to the job”

George Will: Palin is “obviously not qualified to be President,” “a person of negligible experience.” The Huffington Post reported: “Appearing at a Senate Press Secretaries Association reception at the Cornerstone Government Affairs office, Will offered a harsh assessment of John McCain's running mate. Palin is 'obviously not qualified to be President,' he remarked, describing her interview on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as a 'disaster.' ... Will, who could not be reached for comment, had also been previously critical of McCain's choice of Palin, writing a week after it was announced: 'The man who would be the oldest to embark on a first presidential term has chosen as his possible successor a person of negligible experience.' " [Huffington Post; 9/30/08]

Kathleen Parker: “She's out of her league,” “doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin.” In a column titled: “Palin Problem: She's out of her league,” Kathleen Parker wrote: “As we've seen and heard more from John McCain's running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn't know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.” Parker later added, “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. ... Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there's not much content there.” [National Review Online; 9/26/08]

David Frum: “I think she has pretty thoroughly -- and probably irretrievably -- proven that she is not up to the job of being president of the United States.” The New York Times reported: " 'I think she has pretty thoroughly -- and probably irretrievably -- proven that she is not up to the job of being president of the United States,' David Frum, a former speechwriter for President Bush who is now a conservative columnist, said in an interview. 'If she doesn't perform well, then people see it. And this is a moment of real high anxiety, a little bit like 9/11, when people look to Washington for comfort and leadership and want to know that people in charge know what they are doing.' " The article also reported: “A month after Gov. Sarah Palin joined Senator John McCain's ticket to a burst of excitement and anticipation among Republicans, she heads into a critical debate facing challenges from conservatives about her credentials, signs that her popularity is slipping and evidence that Republicans are worried about how much help she will be for Mr. McCain in November.” [The New York Times; 9/30/08]

GOP senator: "[I]t's a stretch" “to say that she's got the experience to be president”

Sen. Hagel: “I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States.” In an interview, then-Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said: “I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States.” Hagel also said: “I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia.' ... That kind of thing is insulting to the American people.” [MSNBC First Read; 9/18/2008]