# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/101 "2008-09-12T13:12:20Z")
In my Sunday school, it was “Suffer the little children to come unto me”, as in, “permit”. Since Jesus is in Heaven… ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/102 "2008-09-12T13:15:48Z")
She’s a blank. A mindless idiot parrot. God help us if she gets near the White House. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/103 "2008-09-12T13:17:53Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I believe his exact words were “Suffer, the little children will, hmm?” In a world where Jesus is three feet tall and green… “Yoda, I am your father.” - Darth YHWH I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/104 "2008-09-12T13:18:35Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > In my Sunday school, it was “Suffer the little children to come unto me”, as in, “permit”. Since Jesus is in Heaven… You’re right. The NT God is the same old murderous psychopath after all. Hey, if others can take the literal English of the Bible and persecute people, so can I. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/105 "2008-09-12T13:21:17Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > She’s a blank. A mindless idiot parrot. God help us if she gets near the White House. The official campaign film for the McCain/Palin ticket should be [_Born Yesterday_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042276/). Except that Judy Holliday’s character in that film actually learned something about government from her “emergency” lessons. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/106 "2008-09-12T13:27:47Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > HOnestly, her answers to the first two questions seem to be pretty clear to me: > > 1. She’ll back Israel no matter what; > 2. We can do whatever the fuck we want, including invading Pakistan, to stop the terrorists. I read that as “we’re certainly not going to tell Israel they can’t attack people they don’t like, because lord knows, we’re not going to stop doing it ourselves, because double standards are like wrong and stuff.” ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/107 "2008-09-12T13:32:02Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Anyway I heard Faye Buchanan talking and defending Palin by saying that the American public doesn’t care about her knowing things like facts and figures. They want someone who they feel understands them … and sadly enough she may be right. Facts, knowledge … those things can just get in the way sometimes of doing, y’know, God’s will. I wonder what [that](http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/24039/october-17-2005/the-word---truthiness) would look like… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/108 "2008-09-12T13:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. I just love this “Alaska is near Russia, so I have foreign policy experience” thing. The distance from Juneau to Moscow is about 4,470 miles, and the distance from Juneau to DC is only about 2,800 miles. If she’s got foreign policy experience, she’s also a Washington insider. I didn’t see this interview, but based on what I’m reading here I have to agree there is a very high degree of fluff. You expect politicians to get vague and fluffy in these interviews for a variety of reasons, a few of them acceptable and many that are total bullshit, but it sounds like she just doesn’t have the knowledge or desire to be identified with any opinions. I’m wondering if she’ll answer any VP debate questions with “I love children and rainbows and puppies.” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/109 "2008-09-12T13:41:28Z")
It is kind of ironic. Usually pageant contestants wish for world _peace_, not war with Russia… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/110 "2008-09-12T13:49:13Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I just love this “Alaska is near Russia, so I have foreign policy experience” thing. The distance from Juneau to Moscow is about 4,470 miles, and the distance from Juneau to DC is only about 2,800 miles. If she’s got foreign policy experience, she’s also a Washington insider. This needs to be the tagline of the next Obama ad. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/111 "2008-09-12T13:56:27Z")
I’ve now read the transcript and I wanted to call attention to this: > [@](#): > > GIBSON: I’m talking about somebody who’s a head of state, who can negotiate for that country. Ever met one? > PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. On a later broadcast, my local ABC affiliate reported that going back at least 30 years, every vice presidential candidate had met at least one foreign head of state prior to being nominated. She then goes on to talk about people with long resumes in Washington DC (boo) having the opportunity to meet foreign leaders, and that description certainly applies to John McCain. The stuff she says about being near Russia just leaves me scratching my head. Okay, yes, Alaska is close to Vladivostok, but making this proximity into a meaningful point on your resume? Come on. But I suppose that’s aesthetics. She came pretty close to playing the “they hate our freedoms” card and combined with the lack of a grasp on foreign policy, that’s unsettling. Particularly considering when the interview was done. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/112 "2008-09-12T14:09:13Z")
Having watched the whole interview now, here’s my summary: She looked like she was repeating almost exactly what she had been coached to say. I didn’t see a lot of reflection and thoughtfulness-- just some fairly bland answers, carefully worded. I have no problem with her statements about Georgia and Israel. Those were answers that any politician should give, more or less. I don’t even have any problem with the proximity to Russia thing-- it’s got its :rolleyes:-ness, but I don’t think any politician is devoid of that kind of stretch of the imagination. Her lack of knowledge about what The Bush Doctrine is was disturbing. That was an excellent question on Gibson’s part, and maybe he even anticipated that her handlers wouldn’t realize she needed to be coached on that. I don’t care much for her politics. I don’t want her in the WH. But as far as the politics of the situation went, I think she did OK. I don’t see your average American\* thinking less of her after seeing it. \*who is not automatically biased against her, unlike many people on this MB ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/113 "2008-09-12T14:22:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That was an excellent question on Gibson’s part, and maybe he even anticipated that her handlers wouldn’t realize she needed to be coached on that. Up until that point (and reading the transcripts of the other parts of the interview), I wasn’t impressed with Gibson in the least. There were a ton of unasked questions and too many softballs to allow her to simply repeat what she had been briefed about. But on that one question, I was impressed. He asked the question, and seemed surprised himself that she needed an elaboration to the question. He caught himself from simply repeating the same question and went, instead, with “What do you interpret it to be?” He was giving her a little rope and seeing what she would do with it. When she asked “His world view?”, Gibson went ahead and focused her again, but didn’t specifically tell her what the Bush Doctrine was. I thought that part was well done. Then he broke down and told her what he thought the Bush Doctrine was, rather than hit her again with the fact she didn’t know. I would have liked the killing blow, but it was enough. I hope the rest of the interview isn’t as bad as the transcript reads. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/114 "2008-09-12T14:26:39Z")
I’m late to the party, as I didn’t see the interview clips until late last night. I have to say that Palin fell flat on her face and came across for the most part as a dimwit. But what was glaring to me were the programmed evasive answers that her handlers made her memorize. For a person who is claiming to “change Washington”, she’s giving the same old stock answers, lies and bullshit that we’ve heard for the past eight years. Batting her eyelashes and trying to be chummy with “Charlie” wasn’t cutting it. I’ll be watching the full interview, but I can’t believe it gets much better. ---
**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, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/115 "2008-09-12T14:32:53Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The Bush Doctrine, for those who forget: Countries that harbor terrorists will be treated as terrorists. But that turned out to be a not-very-practical doctrine over the years, so it’s mutated and added on to. So I’m not surprised that she wasn’t quite sure what Gibson wanted to hear. You’re trying too hard. It was obvious from her body language, her long pause and her confused blinking that she had never heard of the Bush Doctrine and didn’t know what Gibson was referring to? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/116 "2008-09-12T14:34:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For a person who is claiming to “change Washington”, she’s giving the same old stock answers, lies and bullshit that we’ve heard for the past eight years. Batting her eyelashes and trying to be chummy with “Charlie” wasn’t cutting it. Uh-huh. I saw this on Daily Kos this morning and thought it was spot-on: “The McCain campaign thinks “change” means making a 360.” ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/117 "2008-09-12T14:36:37Z")
From the [interview](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5782924&page=2): > [@](#): > > 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, from an island in Alaska. Yeah, and I can see the moon when I look out my window. Doesn’t make me a fucking astronaut though. I stole that line from another site, but it deserves a wider audience. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/118 "2008-09-12T14:38:57Z")
I came away from this interview thinking that Charles Gibson would make an excellent candidate for VP. He is clearly lightyears ahead of Sarah Palin in his understanding of foreign affairs. But to her credit, at least she didn’t offer to get every Israeli or Georian a puppy to avert a war…that’s the kind of Miss America response I was expecting… ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/119 "2008-09-12T14:40:13Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m late to the party, as I didn’t see the interview clips until late last night. I have to say that Palin fell flat on her face and came across for the most part as a dimwit. But what was glaring to me were the programmed evasive answers that her handlers made her memorize. For a person who is claiming to “change Washington”, she’s giving the same old stock answers, lies and bullshit that we’ve heard for the past eight years. Batting her eyelashes and trying to be chummy with “Charlie” wasn’t cutting it. I’ll be watching the full interview, but I can’t believe it gets much better. It was disgraceful. The entire thing. I agree with **John Mace** on her answers being ‘normal political answers’ but to think McCain hired this woman to be his vice president and she couldn’t answer anything without looking like a marionette floping around a stage. Is this the best you could do McCain? WOW. They really do want the Dems in this year. ---
**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, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178/120 "2008-09-12T14:47:51Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > According to your own cite, Obama made that comment in a speech he gave and not as the result of repeated badgering from a journalist designed either to get him to commit to doing so or taking it off the table altogether. He said it in one of his debates with Hillary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palin-punts-in-the-interview-with-charlie-gibson/463178.md?page=7)