Anderson Cooper showed excerpts from the Palin-Katie Couric interview on his show this week. He said 'you have to see it to believe it' and he wasn't kidding. Palin's difficulties went way beyond the usual challenge of formulating a coherent response, she seemed tongue tied at times ... even language-challenged.
Worse, she came off as clueless on details she should have had at least a passing knowledge of. She was unable to give examples of McCain's support for financial regulation and said "I'll try to find some and bring them to you."
When Couric asked how her proximity to Russia enhanced her foreign policy experience, it was hard not to feel embarrassed for the woman as she struggled for the right words. She appeared to have lost her confidence and it undermined her ability to give a straight answer.
The transcript of the interview doesn't adequately convey the weirdness on TV. This is part of her response to Couric's question about Russia and foreign policy experience:
Worse, she came off as clueless on details she should have had at least a passing knowledge of. She was unable to give examples of McCain's support for financial regulation and said "I'll try to find some and bring them to you."
When Couric asked how her proximity to Russia enhanced her foreign policy experience, it was hard not to feel embarrassed for the woman as she struggled for the right words. She appeared to have lost her confidence and it undermined her ability to give a straight answer.
The transcript of the interview doesn't adequately convey the weirdness on TV. This is part of her response to Couric's question about Russia and foreign policy experience:
"Well, it certainly does because our ... our next-door neighbors are foreign countries ... 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."
The wonders of geography never fail to amaze. "Our next door neighbors are foreign countries" ... the way she referred to Canada seemed to suggest that we are as much of an unknown quantity as Russia.
Asked why she had only obtained a passport last year, we got this:
"I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture."
Her political opponents don't need to bother targeting Palin for special attention - she's doing it to herself.
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