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Honestly, folks. Any reporter who wanted to make Sarah Palin look inexperienced would have asked her "Why haven't you been to Russia?" But Charles Gibson handled her with "deference" as requested by the McCain camp.
Deference. Definition: Submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another.
She repeatedly uses the fact that Russia is close to Alaska to convince people she has foreign policy experience. She didn't even get her first passport until 2007. I had traveled to over a dozen countries before I was 30, and I'm not qualified to be Vice President. (most of those were islands where I drank Pina Coladas.) I'm not trying to sound mean here, really I'm not. But if you live in the United States, especially Alaska, and call driving to Canada "foreign travel" that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? When she said that, I had to laugh out loud.
During her first interview on Thursday evening, she mentioned that you can even see Russia from some parts of Alaska. It's that close! So why hasn't she ever been there?
The "Alaska is close to Russia" so I have foreign relations experience is by far the most rediculous drivel any political party has ever tried to feed to the American public. Sadly, much of that public is dumb enough to buy it.
Honestly, folks. Any reporter who wanted to make Sarah Palin look inexperienced would have asked her "Why haven't you been to Russia?" But Charles Gibson handled her with "deference" as requested by the McCain camp.
Deference. Definition: Submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another.
She repeatedly uses the fact that Russia is close to Alaska to convince people she has foreign policy experience. She didn't even get her first passport until 2007. I had traveled to over a dozen countries before I was 30, and I'm not qualified to be Vice President. (most of those were islands where I drank Pina Coladas.) I'm not trying to sound mean here, really I'm not. But if you live in the United States, especially Alaska, and call driving to Canada "foreign travel" that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? When she said that, I had to laugh out loud.
During her first interview on Thursday evening, she mentioned that you can even see Russia from some parts of Alaska. It's that close! So why hasn't she ever been there?
You are a sane person so this makes sense to you. However, this is a losing argument to 'Us vs. Them' neo-con crowd of the right. They hold only contempt for the other nations of the world so her not traveling to them is viewed as a positive.
You are a sane person so this makes sense to you. However, this is a losing argument to 'Us vs. Them' neo-con crowd of the right. They hold only contempt for the other nations of the world so her not traveling to them is viewed as a positive.
Well, if people would open their eyes and realize that the US is not the "super power" it once was. And if you are all for free-trade and open markets and allowing products that are poisoning our children into the country et. al... IT MIGHT be a good idea to play nice in the sandbox and try to be PART of the world community.
Sadly, what the right seems to do is hold on to the beligerent "WE ARE IT!" attitude while thumbing their nose at the world while WANTING all the things mentioned above. Foolish.
Here's the transcript of what was actually said. ABC did a nice hack-job. Decide for yourself.
Quote:
GIBSON: Let’s start, because we are near Russia, let’s start with Russia and Georgia.
The administration has said we’ve got to maintain the territorial integrity of Georgia. Do you believe the United States should try to restore Georgian sovereignty over South Ossetia and Abkhazia?
PALIN: First off, we’re going to continue good relations with Saakashvili there. I was able to speak with him the other day and giving him my commitment, as John McCain’s running mate, that we will be committed to Georgia. And we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable and we have to keep...
GIBSON: You believe unprovoked.
PALIN: I do believe unprovoked and we have got to keep our eyes on Russia, under the leadership there. I think it was unfortunate. That manifestation that we saw with that invasion of Georgia shows us some steps backwards that Russia has recently taken away from the race toward a more democratic nation with democratic ideals. That’s why we have to keep an eye on Russia.
And, Charlie, you’re in Alaska. We have that very narrow maritime border between the United States, and the 49th state, Alaska, and Russia. They are our next door neighbors.We need to have a good relationship with them. They’re very, very important to us and they are our next door neighbor.
GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?
PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.
GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing in Georgia?
PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.
Sarah Palin on Russia:
We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We’ve learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.
We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.
GIBSON: Would you favor putting Georgia and Ukraine in NATO?
PALIN: Ukraine, definitely, yes. Yes, and Georgia.
Compare Gibson's sit down with Obama and see if you still think Gibson softballed it with Palin. For the record, I think Gibson was fair, if a bit condescending.
YouTube - Barack Obama on ABC World News With Charlie Gibson (7/23/08) (http://tinyurl.com/4mzcmj - broken link)
Here's the transcript of what was actually said. ABC did a nice hack-job. Decide for yourself.
What hack job? I saw the interview. She has also mentioned this several times. So has John McCain. I live in NH for several years which is close to Canada. I went to Expo 67 in Montreal (oy, I'm old!) and I skiied Mont Tremblanc. What insight does that give me into Canada's foreign policy and US relations with Canada?
By the way, I want to add this, although I'm repeating what I've written on other threads. Don't you think the McCain people would be complaining if this were a "hack job?" Don't you think they reviewed the interviews? After all, this was NOT a live interview. I can only guess that if there was any editing at all, it was to make her look better.
I bolded all they left on the cutting room floor, and that was just the Russia part.
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I'm not trying to sound mean here, really I'm not. But if you live in the United States, especially Alaska, and call driving to Canada "foreign travel" that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? When she said that, I had to laugh out loud. 
