filed under America | Election 2008 | Humans | Politics | War | World News
Palin Interview Previewganza
1:27PM ON
09/12/2008
BY
Ari Savitzky
Holy Mooseburgers Batman!
It turns out all of that nonsensical bloviating about Sarah Palin’s foreign policy experience was just that: nonsensical bloviating. Yes, Alaska is a mere stone’s throw from Russia, assuming you can throw a stone thousands of miles or that you live in the uninhabited wastelands on either side of the Bering Strait that actually are somewhat close to one another, in which case you are either some type of Musk Ox and thus ineligible to vote, or you live in Nome, population 3,000, and your main foreign policy concern is not freezing your butt off. But seriously, since when did being Governor of a vast unpopulated Siberian territory make you Norman Schwarzkopf?
To put it another way, doesn’t your foreign policy credibility strain credulity when (the fabulous, and normally articulate) Condoleeza Rice can only say of your Vice Presidential nomination: “You know, she’s governor of a state here in the United States.”
Who better to prove that than Ms. Palin herself, seen below not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75QSExE0jU]
With the polls now showing McCain pulling ahead, there’s really only two things to do. Go canvass for Obama in New Hampshire, and make fun of Vice President Mooseburger.
The transcript really brings it out nicely:
Gibson: Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?
Palin: In what respect, Charlie?
Gibson: What do you interpret it to be?
Palin: His worldview?
Gibson: No, the Bush Doctrine. Annunciated September 2002, before the Iraq War.
Palin: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism. Terrorists who are hellbent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though, there have been mistakes made. And with new leadership — and that’s the beauty of American elections of course and of democracy — is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.
Gibson: The Bush Doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense.
September 12th, 2008 at 4:37PM
Will Says:
So, how much foreign policy experience did Bill Clinton have in 1992 as governor of Arkansas? Bueller … Bueller … Bueller…
Alaska is our largest state, and home to quite a bit of out nation’s total energy supply. It borders Canada, and is actually only a few miles from Russia (at the Aleutian Islands, not the Bering Strait). It’s a very important place, even though it has less population that Rhode Island. Yeah, it might be tundra in some parts, but that adds challenge to anything they do up there. They have to work extra hard to survive and thrive. It’s good, not bad. Don’t be an elitist, like the only states that count are New York and California!
Palin asked Charlie to define what he meant by “Bush Doctrine,” because, unlike the Monroe Doctrine, it has no fixed definition. It means whatever you want it to mean, both good and bad. I think she did very well answering the question, because obviously, the McCain-Palin ticket doesn’t want to be perceived as being too close to the Bush Administration.
She did well, and Charlie helped her by coming off as arrogant and condescending. It’s only going to get better for her as she does more interviews. I understand she has some booked for next week already.
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September 15th, 2008 at 10:28PM
Ari Savitzky Says:
a) Bill Clinton had been a Rhodes Scholar. Palin didn’t have a passport until 2007.
b) More than 20% of the states border Canada. This is not an accomplishment. Being the governor of one of the nation’s least populaous state does not suddenly become an accomplishmnet just because it has oil, snow, King crab, and little else. As for the it’s-close-to-russia argument, please. Bottom line: It is not elitist to question whether Palin has the experience to be President, or Vice-President, or frankly anything on a national level. It’s not BECAUSE she’s from Alaska - it’s because the “Alaska is close to Russia” is her best attempt at claiming any serious knowledge or experience with the world outside Alaska, and that includes the lower 48, where 99.7% of the country actually lives.
c) The Bush Doctrine has a fixed meaning. It means pre-emptive war. Period. It’s actually much simpler than the Monroe doctrine, about which Sarah Palin is probably also clueless. Palin’s answer was basically: “let’s kill the muslims.” There is no way to spin this one. I don’t care if you’re an R, a D, whatever, there is simply no excuse for that level of ignorance, or, for that matter, for going back to AK the next day to tell some soldiers that they were doing God’s work in Iraq.
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