# Ladies & gentlemen, your future vice president! (Palin interview by Katie Couric) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 25, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174 "2008-09-25T17:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/21 "2008-09-25T18:31:53Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > The man is an absolute moron. Obama must be kicking himself on a daily basis for choosing Biden as his running mate! I rather doubt that. In any event, is your position in this so-called ‘debate’ that we should all vote Republican because, in your view, the democratic vice-presidential candidate is more prone to verbal gaffes than the Republican one? 'Cause that’s what it sounds like. Just speaking for myself, here, but I have no intention of basing my vote on such a ridiculously trivial single issue. I mean, seriously, if you feel only Republicanism can save us and the Democratic Party is a threat to our way of life, go ahead and argue your point; so far, however, your arguments in these threads are utterly assinine and add nothing. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/22 "2008-09-25T18:33:55Z")
How did this woman get to be a governor?! She’s dumb as a box of rocks! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/23 "2008-09-25T18:35:12Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Japanese. The Prime Minister, no less. It was a vote of no confidence. You’ll notice that guy ain’t Prime Minister anymore. I looked at the link and Palin was flat, not outright bad. She looked likes she was doing standard political bs without understanding the question, and it was only marginally worse than a standard politician. Based on this I don’t know why she is trying to duck Biden on Thursday. She should do fine. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/24 "2008-09-25T18:36:14Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > so far, however, your arguments in these threads are utterly assinine and add nothing. I’ve offered no arguments for anything. I’m simply providing examples of Biden’s stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/25 "2008-09-25T18:42:00Z")
It’s clear that Palin is a capable local politician and she knows the issues important to Alaska much better than I could and apparently enough to make her constituents happy. Those old debates show that she is not an idiot, she is actually a rather good debater in the world in which she is comfortable and grounded. The problem is that she seems to have no foundation for talking about non-Alaska issues. And she is not dealing with it well. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/26 "2008-09-25T18:42:12Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I’ve offered no arguments for anything. I’m simply providing examples of Biden’s stupidity. 1. Foot-in-mouth disease != stupidity. (E.g., we all know Obama knows how many states there are.) 2. Consider what he’s up against. Palin couldn’t outwit him at tic-tac-toe. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/27 "2008-09-25T18:43:23Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I looked at the link and Palin was flat, not outright bad. She looked likes she was doing standard political bs without understanding the question, and it was only marginally worse than a standard politician. Based on this I don’t know why she is trying to duck Biden on Thursday. She should do fine. No, the standard politician clearly understands the question, but steers the answer to a talking point. You might get frustrated at the answer, but I never get the impression they don’t understand. With Palin, I do. Your standard politician would never give the same answer twice, or if he did, would preface the repeat with mock frustration at the questioner for being too dumb to get the wonderful answer the first time. Did anyone else notice that her accent got thicker as she got in deeper? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/28 "2008-09-25T18:43:39Z")
I assume the answer she looked so bad is that the Liberal Media put her up against fierce political attack dog Katie Couric who was predisposed to make her look bad. The liberals in the cutting room then cut out all her rational, intelligent answers, and deliberately portrayed her as bumbling. Or that is the answer I am expecting to hear soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/29 "2008-09-25T18:46:43Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I’ve offered no arguments for anything. I’m simply providing examples of Biden’s stupidity. Do you think Palin is ready to be President. Not VP, but president…because its a possiblity if McCain gets elected and croaks. Do you honestly think she’s more qualified than Biden in that respect? If so, please tell me why. I want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/30 "2008-09-25T18:47:05Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Did anyone else notice that her accent got thicker as she got in deeper? She really seemed to show a completely different persona (and not an entirely attractive one), when delivering the line _“I’ll try to find some and get them to ya.”_ Her tone, speech rate, demeanor all changed pretty drastically. Don’t often see that in politicians at this level. They generally are so tightly packaged. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/31 "2008-09-25T18:49:25Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > No, the standard politician clearly understands the question, but steers the answer to a talking point. You might get frustrated at the answer, but I never get the impression they don’t understand. With Palin, I do. Your standard politician would never give the same answer twice, or if he did, would preface the repeat with mock frustration at the questioner for being too dumb to get the wonderful answer the first time. > > Did anyone else notice that her accent got thicker as she got in deeper? Most politicians either don’t understand the question or dodge it. Her performance here was not as bad as is being made out, and I’m not inclined to cut pubbies any slack. It’s a bit weak, but not barf in the prime minister’s lap weak. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/32 "2008-09-25T18:52:04Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I assume the answer she looked so bad is that the Liberal Media put her up against fierce political attack dog Katie Couric who was predisposed to make her look bad. The liberals in the cutting room then cut out all her rational, intelligent answers, and deliberately portrayed her as bumbling. > > Or that is the answer I am expecting to hear soon. Believe it or not, that’s pretty much exactly what they’re saying on [Free Republic.](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2089897/posts) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/33 "2008-09-25T18:54:03Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Palin has quite a way to go before she catches up with the breathtaking stupidity of her gaffe-machine opponent, Joe Biden. Since this is GD, Stephe96, I offer the following link in a warm gesture of kind assistance: [definition of Tu quoque fallacy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque) ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/34 "2008-09-25T18:54:19Z")
The problem is, she’s been giving this foreign policy line in her speeches since she broke through. It was given massive media attention, culminating in a spoof on Saturday Night Live. And yet she seems flabbergasted that she is asked to justify it. This is a no-brainer, an absolute softball of a question, highly predictable, easy enough to deal with. She should have memorized the gambit on this weeks ago (and if she was regularly talking to the press, she may well have). It’s just kind of hard to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/35 "2008-09-25T19:00:29Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > How did this woman get to be a governor?! She’s dumb as a box of rocks! Our resident Alaskan, **Chefguy** , explains it (from his perspective, of course) [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10233727&postcount=185). > [@](#): > > I’ve talked about all this before, but will recap: On a local level, she looked good to a lot of people. I voted for her opponent, Tony Knowles, by the way. Palin made a lot of adept moves to get into the governor’s seat, and it didn’t hurt that she ran in the primaries against the governor with the worst approval rating in the entire US (well, not quite: he was #49). The scandals in our state legislature involving VECO were breaking open and she had already called out the head of the state Republican Party and had gotten him fired after exposing his conflict of interest with the oil industry. > > So she was seen here (on the surface, and who really looks past the surface these days?) as someone who was willing to expose corruption and who would be transparent in her governance. A maverick, if you will. Add to that the fact that Troopergate was still in the future, and nobody had bothered to check on her past dealings with people. The few people who could rat her out were drowned out in the general adulation on the right. > > In the primary, she was running against Knowles, who, while a relatively popular two-term governor before Murkowski showed up, was seen as an old-guard politician (and a Democrat) and tarred in public opinion with the same brush as the others who were soon to be under indictment. Even so, she didn’t win by much. > > Once in office, when it was too late to do anything about it, problems started to surface almost immediately. She and the Senate Majority Leader, Lyda Green, went at it hammer and tong, mainly because Green did not openly support her in the election despite being from Wasilla herself and knowing Palin quite well. Then AGIA raised its head and Palin bulldozed anybody who got in her way. Then the firings began; firings of people who she had appointed, but who now were “disappointing” her. > > When Monegan was sacked, there was general shock, as he was (and is) a very highly respected law enforcement officer in Alaska, having retired as the head of the State Troopers. A lot of questions began being asked right about then, but suddenly she was scooped up by McCain before they could be answered. > > I think that given another six months or so, her governorship may have started to unravel, but once again she escaped any tarnish by moving up, not out. Fortunately for us, the press is all over this for a change, and it is my fervent hope and wish that she will fail at this bid and have to return home to face the wrath of all the people up here she has given the finger to. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/36 "2008-09-25T19:08:26Z")
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. Ho do you say “Verguenza Ajena”(feeling ashamed for other people’s actions like it was you who did them) in english?, ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/37 "2008-09-25T19:20:10Z")
I usually go with “contact embarassment”. But there is the old reliable “cringe-inducing”, which to my mind also connotes pity for the subject. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/38 "2008-09-25T19:23:39Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I’ve offered no arguments for anything. I’m simply providing examples of Biden’s stupidity. For what reason? In the thread concerning McCain’s suspension of his campaign, you made it clear that you had no idea what the term ‘present’ means in regard to votes in the Illnois legislature. Does this mean you are a stupid person? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/39 "2008-09-25T19:36:50Z")
If it’s not clear, in the cited case I don’t have any particular reason to think that **Stephe96** might be stupid, just poorly informed. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174/40 "2008-09-25T19:45:28Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > She should bring some note cards. Or at least [write it on her hand](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfz6QGmuvp4). [Note: fake interview. But hilarious, if you’ve [seen the real thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75QSExE0jU).] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-gentlemen-your-future-vice-president-palin-interview-by-katie-couric/465174.md?page=3)