Another Deer In The Headlights Moment For Sarah Palin
By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in 2008 Election, PalinA sneak peak of tonight’s Part Two of the Sarah/Katie interview.
Here, Palin tries to continue to assert the absurd meme, started here (and continued here and here) that she has foreign policy experience because Alaska is close to Russia:
COURIC: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
PALIN: 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. It– it’s funny that a comment like that was– kind of made to– cari– I don’t know, you know? Reporters–
COURIC: Mock?
PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.
COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.
PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our– our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They’re in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia–
COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. 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 air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. 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.
Dear Lord, she may as well have just done a Tina Fey impersonation and said she can see Russia from her house.
The smart thing to do of course would be to admit that the entire idea that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives Palin any special insight or experience is fundamentally absurd, but she may not have permission from her handlers to do that.
H/T: Marc Ambinder
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Palin. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Good God. I keep trying to be generous with Palin. But this Alaska thing is farcical. I mean, the answer is so easy. She has just as much foreign policy experience as Reagan or Clinton had (or Carter or Bush for that matter, but she might not want to link herself with the fp blunders of those gentlemen). There’s no reason I can think of to push this Russia b.s.
September 25th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
There are 2 factors- one is experience, and one is intelligence. Palin is not nearly as smart as Reagan or Clinton.
September 25th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Alan,
The only reason I can think of is that neither she nor the handlers can think of anything better to say, which says alot about who is running the McCain campaign.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
STILL nothing of substance from this woman.
If living near canada constitutes foreign policy experience, then let’s make the mayor of duluth, minnesota, the secretary of defense!
yee haw!
September 25th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I have lived in DC for many years now - I am waiting to be named as US president, having been able to see the White House from my apartment for much of that time.
Waiting . . .
September 25th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
From the few interviews we see of her, it’s very clear why the republicans want to “protect” her from the media.
I can’t wait to see a debate between her and biden.
fyi: i would also like to see how she would do if faced with putin hahaha. That will be an instant classic.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
[...] with some great entertainment. While Sarah Palin keeps arguing that Alaska’s proximity to Russia counts as foreign policy experience, Joe Biden gave us this golden nugget a few days ago (which I missed at the time but is worth [...]
September 25th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
What is she even talking about? Do you think she knows? Or is she trying to repeat what she was told to say, and failing miserably?
http://www.entertonement.com/collections/4236/Palin-On-Issues-9-25-2008
September 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
She forgot to mention the north pole - they keep watch on Santa when he isn’t delivering toys!
September 25th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[...] This one is much longer, and includes Palin’s previous Alaska/Russia foreign policy explanation, which Doug described as “Another Deer In The Headlights Moment For Sarah Palin.” [...]
September 26th, 2008 at 12:05 am
“It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It’s Alaska.”
Seriously? Does Vladimir Putin ever get foxy and scramble planes into US airspace over Alaska?
I’m only being about 10 percent facetious… I’d really like to know if this happens.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:36 am
[...] Doug Mataconis offers Palin some sound advice. He claims, “The smart thing to do of course would be to admit that the entire idea that Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives Palin any special insight or experience is fundamentally absurd.” I concur. [...]
September 26th, 2008 at 8:23 am
“I believe that U.S. Americans need more maps so they could see that Alaska is next to the Russia. ”
-gov. Palin