A Question Reprised, but the Words Come None Too Easily for Palin
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
Published: September 25, 2008
quote:
Her first interview, with the ABC News anchor Charles Gibson, was too hard. The second, with Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel, was too soft. The third, however, did not turn out to be just right for Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
On the “CBS Evening News” on Thursday, Katie Couric asked Ms. Palin, Senator John McCain’s running mate, what she meant when she cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as foreign affairs experience. Ms. Palin could have anticipated the question — the topic of their interview, pegged to her visit to the United Nations, was foreign affairs. Yet Ms. Palin’s answer was surprisingly wobbly: her words tumbled out fast and choppily, like an outboard motor loosened from the stern.
“That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land — boundary that we have with — Canada,” she replied. She mentioned the jokes made at her expense and seemed for a moment at a loss for the word “caricature.” “It — it’s funny that a comment like that was — kind of made to — cari — I don’t know, you know? Reporters —”
Ms. Couric stepped in. “Mocked?” Ms. Palin looked relieved and even grateful for the help. “Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.”
Ms. Couric pressed her again to explain the geographic point. “Well, it certainly does,” Ms. Palin said, “because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of.”
Ms. Couric asked the governor if she had ever been involved in negotiations, for example, with her Russian neighbors.
“We have trade missions back and forth,” Ms. Palin said. “We — we do — it’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where — where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border.”
Ms. Palin, looking at Ms. Couric intently, kept on going. “It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to — to our state.”
That exchange was so startling it ricocheted across the Internet several hours before it appeared on CBS and was picked up by rival networks.
While it is quite likely, and perhaps understandable, that Ms. Palin felt nervous and spooked by all the media attention, it wasn’t a reassuring performance. Ms. Palin looked more steady and confident when she took a few questions from reporters after a visit to ground zero in Lower Manhattan, her first, gingerly encounter with campaign reporters since her nomination.
The CBS interview, shown partly on Wednesday and partly on Thursday, was only a first taste — Ms. Couric is scheduled to go out on the campaign trail with the Palin team early next week. But it may be hard for Mr. McCain’s running mate to recoup. It wasn’t her first interview on national television, but in some ways it was the worst.
Ms. Palin was criticized — and mocked — for appearing to be stumped when Mr. Gibson, on ABC, asked her on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to define the Bush doctrine. The McCain campaign, however, cast the scorn as sexism and media snobbery.
Ms. Palin’s interview with Mr. Hannity the following week went more smoothly, but perhaps too smoothly. Mr. Hannity mostly seemed intent on giving Ms. Palin a chance to correct any confusion left by her ABC interview. “What do you view as the Bush doctrine?” he asked. Ms. Palin replied, “That’s a great question, and being an optimist, I see our role in the world as one of — being a force for good and one of being the leader of the world.”
Ms. Couric asked her questions firmly but gently, careful not to seem flippant or condescending. But she ended on a “gotcha” moment. After Ms. Palin attacked Senator Barack Obama for saying he would meet with leaders of Syria and Iran without preconditions, Ms. Couric reminded the governor that she recently met with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who supports direct diplomacy with both countries. “Are you saying Henry Kissinger is naïve?” Ms. Couric asked. Ms. Palin replied, “I’ve never heard Henry Kissinger say, ‘Yeah, I’ll meet with these leaders without preconditions being met.’ ”
After the interview, Ms. Couric faced the camera and added a postscript. “Incidentally, we confirmed Henry Kissinger’s position following our interview,” she said, explaining that Mr. Kissinger supports talks “without preconditions.”
LazFX
quote:
Originally posted by Shakka
You anti-dentite.
:)
Capitalizt
quote:
Originally posted by jerZ07002
that's entirely too harsh. the woman isn't uneducated (she did go to college), she's just in way over her head. And alaska is far from a hole state.
Yes, she's so smart it took her 4 different schools and 7 years to get a degree in COMMUNICATIONS, and she doesn't seem to be putting it to good use these days..
Her life prior to being governor = A communications degree + a few years as a TV sports reporter and beauty queen. A college degree isn't enough to call yourself "educated". You need to apply yourself and keep learning in different areas after school. This is why Palin is uneducated on world affairs. She never bothered to learn anything a potential president needs to know because she never imagined herself on the national stage. At least Obama put in the time over the past 8 years in congress to learn a thing or two about the world. 2 weeks ago Palin didn't even know what the "Bush doctrine" was, and she could potentially be his replacement if Mccain dies in office.
jerZ07002
quote:
Originally posted by Capitalizt
Yes, she's so smart it took her 4 different schools and 7 years to get a degree in COMMUNICATIONS, and she doesn't seem to be putting it to good use these days..
Her life prior to being governor = A communications degree + a few years as a TV sports reporter and beauty queen. A college degree isn't enough to call yourself "educated". You need to apply yourself and keep learning in different areas after school. This is why Palin is uneducated on world affairs. She never bothered to learn anything a potential president needs to know because she never imagined herself on the national stage. At least Obama put in the time over the past 8 years in congress to learn a thing or two about the world. 2 weeks ago Palin didn't even know what the "Bush doctrine" was, and she could potentially be his replacement if Mccain dies in office.
the 7 year plan is a popular approach in america these days. Perhaps you are correct that she is uneducated in specific areas, however, a broad statement that she is uneducated is probably too harsh considering none of us could definitively much such a claim.
Moongoose
This was posted in the cor, and with all the talk about experience due to proximity to Russia i think it can be posted here as well.
Capitalizt
jerZ07002
quote:
Originally posted by Moongoose
This was posted in the cor, and with all the talk about experience due to proximity to Russia i think it can be posted here as well.
good stuff
Dj Smitty20
Palin really hates those Russians!
Fir3start3r
quote:
Originally posted by shaolin_Z
Heh, absolute ing bull. You'll be the one voting the next douche bag in to office, you deal with the consequences. You have no right to complain about the they are responsible for, because of your support. You voted the dick head in, you're responsible for what he does. So you, kindly shut the up... especially if there's more "blowback" and another attack on American soil. I used to think you were more straight forwards and less full of than most people... you're not terribly different though, the same scared less disingenuous suburban . Don't forget Messiah Obama's relations with AIPAC and his crypo-zioish policies and comments. Voting for a black dude doesn't make you any less racist, dip.
That's a lot of bullsh*t in the face of millions of dead people that died so you have right to vote... :rolleyes:
this woman has no right to be in this position.. NONE! WTF?? the more and more I hear this person speak, the more I am scared if the GOP wins.:nervous:
