Sarah Palin and the Dysfunctional Political Class: She may have been one of the most qualified members of a presidential ticket in a decade.

Have another sip, Perfessor Long. I'll buy the next round!

Sip? The old boy's three sheets to the wind, falling down in the street, singing sea chanteys, and dry-humping light poles. If Palin is "the most qualified" VP candidate to run in the last decade, then I'm Darth Vader. She's the only "executive" I've ever heard of who quit her job in the middle to become a professional blogger.

How insane. Let's make a list, drawn mostly from memory:

1992: Al Gore, a senator with a wealth of experience, Dan Quayle, an idiot right up there with Palin, and James Stockdale, who himself admitted he had no business being on a presidential ticket. Palin's down one, tied one, and up one.

1996: Gore again, and Jack Kemp, another senator with plenty of experience. Palin's now 1-1-3.

2000: Joe Lieberman, an egomaniac with a long and checkered Senatorial record, and Dick Cheney, the incarnation of Moloch who had a ton of experience in the White House and in Congress. Palin is now 1-1-5.

2004: Cheney again, and John Edwards, who lacked a great deal of Senatorial experience but knew his stuff. Palin is now 1-1-7.

2008: Palin, who can't count in the tally, and Joe Biden, a veteran Senator who knows foreign policy up and down and who can't see Russia from his house. Palin is 1-1-8.

Final total: Palin trumps Stockdale (though I could argue that point), ties with Quayle, and gets trounced by eight other VPs and candidates.

Back to Facebook, Sarah, and take your stalker fan Long with you.