Palin Never Heard Of Bush Doctrine, Raises Possible War With Russia

Why did Charles Gibson, in his interview with Sarah Palin, have to relent and define the Bush Doctrine for her? Was it because it was already apparent that the Republican vice presidential candidate, potentially a heartbeat away from the presidency, had no idea what it was?

Despite the cram course Palin took with McCain advisers, she couldn't have been expected to have every point of international affairs stuffed into her head. Especially when it's a minor point like Bush's doctrine of preemptive war, one of the underpinnings of the misbegotten war in Iraq.

Palin's discomfort with the question was apparent from the start. Gibson asked her, "Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?" Palin paused and asked, "In what respect, Charlie?"

In what respect? How about in the respect of, oh, let me see...whether or not you agree with the Bush Doctrine. Is there any other way to interpret this question?

And when Gibson asked her about whether we have the right to make cross-border attacks from Pakistan into Afghanistan, Palin danced around the issue to the point that Gibson said he was "lost in a blizzard of words." Let's watch:

Now let's move on to Palin's exposition on Russia. She continued the McCain camp's repeated "evidence" that she has foreign policy knowledge based on the fact that Alaska is close to Russia:

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.

Impressive. With such valuable visual experience, how is it that Palin wasn't already tapped to be ambassador to Russia?

Of course she continued McCain's line that Russia was solely the aggressor in the conflict with Georgia, completely ignoring the fact that Saakashvili invaded South Ossetia. But such nuances are for foreign policy wonks, not the tough talking McCain-Palin team.

And speaking of tough talking, Palin's diplomatic skills are evident in her statement that we should bring Georgia and the Ukraine into NATO and be ready to defend them by going to war with Russia:

Gibson: Under the NATO treaty wouldn't we have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

Palin: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when are a NATO ally...

Did you get that straight? Before entering office, Palin is already raising the possibility of military conflict with Russia–surely a catastrophic prospect. In her own words:



So I ask you: do you feel confident imagining Sarah Palin answering that 3:00 AM phone call?