# Palin punts in the interview with Charlie Gibson **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 11, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178 "2008-09-11T23:06:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/41 "2008-09-12T01:17:25Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. Maybe it’s Cindy who is teaching her geography. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zP8uFPWxaA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zP8uFPWxaA) ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/42 "2008-09-12T01:19:12Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > How the fuck does her quote even slightly resemble the Lincoln quote? The two quotes don’t just have different words, they have totally opposite meanings. The only thing they have in common is the word “God.” I didn’t really feel like logging on tonight and actually defending Sarah Palin, but, what the hell… **Dio** , I’m not sure you’re aware that Charlie Gibson took her words out of context to the point of alteration. Here’s what she said (transcript from [this article](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html) in The Huffington Post, and it coincides with the tape of her saying it which I heard on NPR): > [@](#): > > _originally quoted in article:_ > “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.” That is _not_ a direct assertion about God’s will. It seems to me to be in the same spirit as Lincoln’s remark, and in fact when I heard the tape I actually thought of Lincoln, because he sure was pithier about it. Now, please read further in that article for some _real_ kookiness, where she asks the congregation to help her get that $30 billion gas pipeline in the bag: > [@](#): > > “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,” she said. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/43 "2008-09-12T01:19:54Z")
The Republican party is completely bereft of ideas and of reasonable leaders. Their VP is once again a dolt, able to say more words and express fewer actual meaningful ideas with them than your average 5th grader. We can’t afford more leadership from this group of empty headed simpletons. True conservatives should feel great shame in listening to these awful responses to pretty straightforward policy questions. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/44 "2008-09-12T01:37:50Z")
> [@spazcat](#): > > dear god, she needs to stop using words. lol 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/45 "2008-09-12T01:44:30Z")
In all seriousness, I don’t see why the Republicans have to keep putting the radical fundies ahead of the more numerous moderates. Who cares about the extremes? Most traveling is done in the middle of the road. Why do they have to keep finding people that will make the Radical Right happy when it’s the people in the middle that they’re in danger of losing? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/46 "2008-09-12T01:50:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Her answer to Question #1 was fair; it’s an extremely loaded question. “Would you support Israel in a hypothetical military conflict” really has no fair answer other than “Israel is our ally and a sovereign nation with the right to self defense,” which is what she said. > > Her second answer was very poorly worded. > > Her third answer makes it quite obvious she doesn’t know what the Bush Doctrine is. In fairness, I’ve never heard the term used before to describe an exact doctrinal concept, but I assume it exists and one would hope a prospective VP would know of it. > > Of course, we’ve got someone here now making the insane claim that Sarah Palin wants a nuclear war with Russia, so I guess my attempts to present a rational analysis are doomed. Agreed. I dislike Palin more than I’ve disliked any politician in a long time and it’s really hard to find fault with these answers. Of course, the fact that they’re coming from a power mad fundie worries me a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/47 "2008-09-12T01:51:06Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > She should have said no. No we don’t back Israel if they strike Iran or no we shouldn’t invade Pakistan? Because Israel destroyed Iraq’s facility in 1980 during the Carter Administration and also an unknown Syrian facility this last year under Bush. And we’ve always had a military policy that doesn’t preclude the use of a first strike if necessary. Presidents have always been vague on yes/no scenarios and they do that so that countries like Pakistan don’t have to deal with newspaper articles on politicians who advocate cross border confrontations. The correct response is something vague about working behind the scenes to capture terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/48 "2008-09-12T01:54:22Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > No we don’t back Israel if they strike Iran or no we shouldn’t invade Pakistan? > > Because Israel destroyed Iraq’s facility in 1980 during the Carter Administration and also an unknown Syrian facility this last year under Bush. And we’ve always had a military policy that doesn’t preclude the use of a first strike if necessary. > > Presidents have always been vague on yes/no scenarios and they do that so that countries like Pakistan don’t have to deal with newspaper articles on politicians who advocate cross border confrontations. The correct response is something vague about working behind the scenes to capture terrorists. No, we don’t give Israel carte blanche to do whatever the fuck it wants. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/49 "2008-09-12T01:55:59Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I don’t think he intended it as a gotcha. I think he assumed she would knew what it was and that she’d have a rehearsed answer for it. I understand they’ve been trying to brief her on McCain’s positions, I guess it didn’t occur to them to brief her on Bush’s. Not that the Bush Doctrine is particularly arcane. I agree, and I thought Gibson looked taken aback at her total ignorance; he was expecting to get an answer, not a moose-in-the-headlights look followed by flailing obfuscation. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/50 "2008-09-12T01:57:41Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Is McCain aware of this? He believes differently. [No, he doesn’t.](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080324/dreyfuss) ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/51 "2008-09-12T02:02:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [No, he doesn’t.](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080324/dreyfuss) Well, if you’d focus in on where the relevant portion is in that article, it might help. He has, in the past, criticized Obama for his suggestion that we would go in to Pakistan if necessary, and McCain has talked of Pakistani sovereignty. Jon Stewart did a nice little juxtaposition of McCain saying that he’d follow bin Laden to the gates of hell, just not past the borders of Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/52 "2008-09-12T02:06:57Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The “we can’t second guess Israel” comment is tailor made for Ahmadinejadist propaganda isn’t it? Should get the Florida nursing home vote though. Well, they DID go for Pat Buchanan!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/53 "2008-09-12T02:18:35Z")
The one I found particularly damaging is the clear demonstration that she doesn’t know what the Bush Doctrine is, and tried to bluff around her ignorance like a student trying to snow the teacher when he gets called on in class after failing to read the assigned homework. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/54 "2008-09-12T02:31:33Z")
She might have lost a few points if she had asked “Can you be more specific?” to the Bush Doctrine question, but at least she wouldn’t have flailed around like she did. I could tell she was nervous. On the surface she presents as confident, almost overly so, but I could tell it was an act. Sorry to say this, Repubbies, but the woman is still not ready for primetime. After having listened to Bay Buchanan say that Palin’s lack of international know-how is an endearing quality (Cuz a dumb VP makes us think she’s good people like us!!), I’m reminded of that phrase “the soft bigotry of low expectations”. That’s the real sexism, people. Not pigs on a lipstick (or whatever that crap outrage was about). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/55 "2008-09-12T02:37:42Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > I didn’t really feel like logging on tonight and actually defending Sarah Palin, but, what the hell… > > **Dio** , I’m not sure you’re aware that Charlie Gibson took her words out of context to the point of alteration. Here’s what she said (transcript from [this article](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html) in The Huffington Post, and it coincides with the tape of her saying it which I heard on NPR): > > That is _not_ a direct assertion about God’s will. It seems to me to be in the same spirit as Lincoln’s remark, and in fact when I heard the tape I actually thought of Lincoln, because he sure was pithier about it. > > Now, please read further in that article for some _real_ kookiness, where she asks the congregation to help her get that $30 billion gas pipeline in the bag: Ok, that makes more sense that way, so I will drop my accusation that she lied and I’ll even say that ABC might have pulled a Fox News and cropped the clip in a misleading way. Having said that, I would point out that the idea of “praying for something to be God’s will” is a logical contradiction. It suggests that you’re asking God to alter his will to fit your own agenda. _Hoping_ that something is God’s will and petitioning God to _customize_ his will to suit your own actions are two different things, but since Palin is not very bright, I assume she’s probably oblivious to the implicit arrogance of her request. Then she _still_ went on to obliterate even the attempt at making a statement of humility by claiming flat out that the natural gas pipeline was God’s will. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/56 "2008-09-12T02:55:02Z")
I really, really, do NOT want to be much smarter than the next Vice President of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/57 "2008-09-12T02:59:25Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I agree, and I thought Gibson looked taken aback at her total ignorance; he was expecting to get an answer, not a moose-in-the-headlights look followed by flailing obfuscation. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear. [Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpJsQch9uZo) to the question. Yikes. I think she just got briefed by Charlie Gibson on national TV. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/58 "2008-09-12T03:14:51Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Jesus, what empty headed gibberish. This is Miss Teen South Carolina stupid. > > Also, she wants a nuclear war with Russia. Christ almighty, what the fuck was McCain thinking not to vet this imbecile? So, you’re saying you would rather have her say that we would abandon a NATO ally (If Georgia is indeed ever admitted into NATO) if they were attacked, or only if they were attacked by Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/59 "2008-09-12T03:17:51Z")
The Republican Party punted with their pick of Sarah Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/60 "2008-09-12T03:29:38Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > So, you’re saying you would rather have her say that we would abandon a NATO ally (If Georgia is indeed ever admitted into NATO) if they were attacked, or only if they were attacked by Russia. I would rather have her say Georgia should not be admitted into NATO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178.md?page=4)