NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- In a column appearing in Newsweek , world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria said he thinks it would be best for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain if Gov . Sarah Palin bowed out as his vice presidential running mate . `` For him to choose Sarah Palin to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible , '' says Zakaria . Zakaria says McCain did not put the country first in making his V.P . choice , and he says Palin is not qualified to lead the United States . CNN spoke to him about his commentary titled , `` Palin is ready ? Please . '' CNN : What did you initially think when Sarah Palin was announced as the Republican vice presidential nominee ? Zakaria : I was a bit surprised -- as I think most people were . But I was willing to give her a chance . And I thought her speech at the convention was clever and funny . But once she began answering questions about economics and foreign policy , it became clear that she has simply never thought about these subjects before and is dangerously ignorant and unprepared for the job of vice president , let alone president . Watch Zakaria slam Sarah Palin » . CNN : You do n't think she is qualified ? Zakaria : No . Gov . Palin has been given a set of talking points by campaign advisers , simple ideological mantras that she repeats and repeats as long as she can . But if forced off those rehearsed lines , what she has to say is often , quite frankly -- nonsense . Just listen to her response to Katie Couric 's question about the bailout . It 's gibberish -- an emptying out of catchphrases about economics that have nothing to do with the question or the topic . It 's scary to think that this person could be running the country . Here is their exchange : . Katie Couric : Why is n't it better , Gov . Palin , to spend $ 700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care , housing , gas and groceries ; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess ? Gov . Sarah Palin : That 's why I say I , like every American I 'm speaking with , we 're ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out . But ultimately , what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy , helping the -- it 's got to be all about job creation , too , shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track . So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans . And trade , we 've got to see trade as opportunity , not as a competitive , scary thing . But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today , we 've got to look at that as more opportunity . All those things under the umbrella of job creation . This bailout is a part of that . CNN : But Dan Quayle was n't very qualified and that did n't seem to matter , did it ? Zakaria : This is way beyond Dan Quayle . Quayle was a lightweight who was prone to scramble his words , or say things that sounded weird , but you almost always knew what he meant . One of his most famous miscues was to the United Negro College Fund when he said , `` What a terrible thing to have lost one 's mind . Or not to have a mind at all . '' Now he was trying to play off a famous ad that the group used to run , `` A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste . '' And he screwed it up in a funny way . But read Gov . Palin 's answers and it does appear that she does n't have any understanding about the topic under discussion . CNN : But she has a lot of supporters . Zakaria : Look , I 'm not saying that she is not a feisty , charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska . It is just we are talking about a person who should be ready to lead the United States at a moment 's notice . She has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue , and this is a hell of a time to start . CNN : Does it make you concerned about Sen. McCain as a president ? Zakaria : Yes , and I say this with sadness because I greatly admire John McCain , a man of intelligence , honor and enormous personal and political courage . However , for him to choose Sara Palin to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible . He did not put the country first with this decision . Whether it is appropriate or not , considering Sen. McCain 's age most people expected to have a vice presidential candidate who would be ready to step in at a moment 's notice . The actuarial odds of that happening are significant , something like a one-in-five chance .
Fareed ##i says Senator McCain did not put her first with his remarks . Palin should bow out saying she wants ` ` to spend more time with her family , '' he says . Zakaria : This is ` ` hell of a time '' for me to start thinking about national , global issues .