It's understandable that she wouldn't know what the Bush Doctrine is, because it has changed frequently over the years. She was probably going for cute and clever when she answered a question about her foreign policy experience by saying, "I can see Russia from my house!"--although she'd be smart to back down from that now, instead of talking about Russia invading our airspace and Putin rearing his head.
But I can't think of any excuse for her to be unprepared to answer Couric's question about the bailout. Here's a bit of the transcript:
Couric: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries?...Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
Palin: Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy--Oh, it's got to be about job creation, too. 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.
Seriously. I can understand my more conservative friends being leery of Obama's liberal voting record. I understand--and agree with--the desire for less government, and I know that many Obama opponents believe that he will usher in bigger government and more taxes.
But how do you justify wanting to put this woman one door down from the oval office? She wants to be vice president, and maybe even president--but she's incoherent and unprepared on the most urgent issue of the day.
It's not even funny. It is embarrassing to this country, and especially to the Republican Party.
3 comments:
While I love the way that people parody Palin by saying "I can see Russia from my house," to give Palin credit she actually said something more like "You can see Russia from Alaska." But even quoting her more accurately on that point doesn't necessarily make her foreign policy credentials any better.
Did you happen to catch the SNL opening sketch this weekend? Truly hilarious, yet downright scary, since much of it (including the answer to the bailout question) was taken verbatim from Palin.
Really looking forward to Thursday night, yet I also would not be surprised if they end up finding an excuse for her to step down pretty soon, replacing her with someone more credible.
BoyG--you are so right. Her exact quote about seeing Russia was "They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."
But you're also right that my point is that she should back off from the statement and say something that really does matter, like what Timothy Burke suggested:
"She’d be better off she just laughed and said, “No, of course I wasn’t serious that proximity to Russia gives me foreign policy experience. What’s important in foreign policy isn’t prior experience, it’s common sense and a solid confidence in who we are as a people.” The rest of his post is here: http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=649
Yes, I saw the SNL sketch. It was even better than last week's.
I don't think they'll get rid of her--she still brings the more conservative Repubs on board with McCain. The conservatives I talk to absolutely love her and believe she's getting a raw deal with too much unfair scrutinizing from the MSM.
I swear I'm not comparing Sarah Palin to Miss Teen South Carolina ('07) but her answer did make me think of this...
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=lj3iNxZ8Dww
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