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Friday, September 12, 2008

Does Sarah Palin Understand the Bush Doctrine?


Charlie Gibson's interview with VP nominee was a lot tougher than most anticipated. She tended to fall back on talking points that must have been drilled into her, and Gibson appeared at times to be condescending. Some suggest she may have blown the question about The Bush Doctrine.

My take is that Gibson blew it himself. The Bush Doctrine really is Bush's world view, and not simply his preemptive strike policy. Here's the exchange.

GIBSON: Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?

PALIN: In what respect, Charlie?

GIBSON: The Bush -- well, what do you -- what do you interpret it to be?

PALIN: His world view.

GIBSON: No, the Bush doctrine, enunciated September 2002, before the Iraq war.

PALIN: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell bent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made. And with new leadership, and that's the beauty of American elections, of course, and democracy, is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

PALIN: I agree that a president's job, when they swear in their oath to uphold our Constitution, their top priority is to defend the United States of America.
Update: The Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer, the person who actually coined the phrase, shares my view. "There is no single meaning of the Bush doctrine. In fact, there have been four distinct meanings, each one succeeding another over the eight years of this administration -- and the one Charlie Gibson cited is not the one in common usage today. It is utterly different."

48 comments:

Chus said...

This is what I think: Bush Doctrine

M.McShea said...

Pathetic! She will do whatever her man, or her men, the joint chiefs tell her to do!

Start restocking your bomb shelters now!

Anonymous said...

I think of the Bush Doctrine as Gibson stated it, giving the US the right to a preemptive strike.

However, I have heard variations of what the "Bush Doctrine" is given by the media and polititians on both sides of the aisle. To many, it has evolved into something more than what Gibson stated.

I thought Palin was prudent in asking Gibson his interpretation before answering.

Also, given the potential for agreement with anything "Bush" to be mischaracterized by some, it was wise to ask exactly what was being referred to (and have it on record) before answering the question.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:49 here again:

I thought Gibson was condescending at times, and he obviously pursued his "Bush Doctrine" question as if he felt she did not understand it. I think a little research on his end would show that she might have understood what the phrase "Bush Doctrine" can imply a little better than he does.

Gibson also seemed to be badgering her at times, trying to get a one word answer on complex subjects or asking the same questions again and again. I think he was trying to see if she would "crack" under the pressure and say something she didn't mean to.

I thought she handled that tactic well.

While I have no problem with Gibson's tough or somewhat confrontational approach, it would be nice to see it applied to the other candidates as well - McCain included.

Anonymous said...

On the job trainig for amateur housewives sounds a little like affirmative action for amateur housewives no matter how you spell it.

Anonymous said...

Does Annon 7:12 really want to bring up the affirmative action debait... Oboma and his wife have reaped the benifits of it since college... and don't even get me started on experience! She is running for Vice President he is running for President... Duh!

Anonymous said...

Before someone corrects me... it's debate

Anonymous said...

"Oboma and his wife have reaped the benifits of it since college"

And they are postcards for what happens when people get an opportunity to succeed. The son of a single mother and the daughter of a city water worker and secretary live the American Dream. Yes, sometimes the American Dream does require a boost. They are living examples of what happens when you give somebody the opportunity.

Anonymous said...

The Bush Doctrine was attacked lustily by political opponents on both the left and right. It was put up for national referendum in the '04 election. Bush and his policies won the election handily. His doctrine, if employed pre-9/11 (or pre-Pearl Harbor, perhaps) might have made a big difference. To date, we've been al Qaeda free for seven years. It reminds me of how the Soviets, fresh from invasions of, and incursions and interventions in Afghanistan, Mozambique, Nicaragua etc. suddenly stopped taking and started losing when Reagan took office. Even Woodrow Wilson had to eventually come to his senses and reckon with the dangerous world he wished didn't exist.

Anonymous said...

"They are living examples of what happens when you give somebody the opportunity."

Actually, it's when you attempt to engineer the results; not the opportunity.

Sebrink said...

Although I do feel that she seemed flustered more than a few times, I have to be fair with the "Bush Doctrine" question. The term "Bush Doctrine" is not a commonly used term in the media or in politics in general. People don't call that concept the "Bush Doctrine." I do not fault her for not knowing what it was at first. It is not a commonly used term and it is not an official term. But certainly, once she caught on to what the hell Gibson was talking about, she should have had a working knowledge and solid opinions.

People on the left will see her performance as less than impressive and people on the right will see it as a home run. What's important is what the independents (like myself) see. I saw it as good or OK. Gibson came across as an ass.

BethlehemDem said...

I think you saw her as a real politician with the answers she gave in this interview. She stuck to her script and failed to answer the question asked most of the time. One of her strengths and her appeal to voters, so far, has been that she is not the typically politician--she is a maverick. However, the answers she gave were answers that a politician would give.

I think her answer on the Bush Doctrine just highlighted her lack of foreign policy knowledge.

She also flipped flopped on the global warming question. She has said she did not think it was a man made problem in the past.

Can't wait to see her next interview.

Anonymous said...

"His doctrine, if employed pre-9/11 (or pre-Pearl Harbor, perhaps) might have made a big difference."

MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN WHAT? FROM THE FIRST DAY BUSH TOOK OFFICE, HE WAS HELL-BENT ON INVADING IRAQ, 2 YEARS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH HAPPENED. HIS DOCTRINE WAS ONLY CREATED TO JUSTIFY AN INVASION ON AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. HE WANTED TO LOOK LIKE A BIGSHOT, LIKE SOME SUPERHERO PRESIDENT, PERHAPS TO ALLEVIATE HIS SHORT MAN SYNDROME. JUST CHECK WITH PAUL O'NEILL OR MICKEY HERSKOWITZ IF YOU WOULD LIKE PROOF.

Chris Miller said...

Anonymous 7:48
What Obama and his wife have reaped is membership in an elite club thanks to affirmitive action. What we have reaped is a country that no longer looks at ability or merit. In addition we have probably adversely effected black students with this identity politics program.

That said I think that Governor Palin did a good job--give her a B+. Loved it when she kept referring to Gibson as Charlie. Papier Boy got it right, Gibson came off as a pompous ass. Many walked away from that interview convinced that the media is in the bag for Obama.

Anonymous said...

Can you imagine her with the nuclear codes? She got her first passport in 2007! "Dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago." That is a quote from her!

SHE WOULD REPRESENT US ON THE WORLD STAGE?

Come on... you are kidding me right? The support for this moron can't be real. This is the office of President of the United States? This is job for Washington,... Read More Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Reagan and... oh, Palin? Are you freakin kidding?

Well yeee haw America! I guess that is change YOU can believe in - a hick mayor from a podunk town in Alaska leading the free world. If this woman and her geriatric, underachieving partner win, it will be a sad day in my life and for this country.

It is a shame that the Republican Party and its base would become so desperate in their attempt to avoid having a Black President that they would let their Mad Doctors Rove & Cheney engineer this Frankenstein's Bride to match the Frankenstein of the last eight years.

Anonymous said...

"What we have reaped is a country that no longer looks at ability or merit."

Are you saying they lacked the merit or ability to be enrolled at their respective schools? you know this how?

I wonder if John McCain reaped the benefit of being an admiral's kid when it came time to go to the Naval Academy and finish very close to last in his class?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Vaeritas Mas,

" a hick mayor from a podunk town in Alaska leading the free world" Don't forget to add she's clinging to religion, too. Your statement is elitist. She's not entitled to be VP bc she did not have a passport? Alrighty then.

Tinkerbell,

I'm w/ you.

Anon 7:12,

"On the job trainig for amateur housewives sounds a little like affirmative action" I suppose you prefer her barefoot and pregnant, eh? Your statement is sexist, don't you think?

Bernie O'Hare said...

Chus,

You lifted that, word for word, from Wikipedia.

Anonymous said...

Veritas said :"Dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago.That is a quote from her!

SHE WOULD REPRESENT US ON THE WORLD STAGE?"


I believe that Obama referred to all "57 states" and his "Muslim religion". Those are quotes from him!

HE WOULD REPRESENT US ON THE WORLD STAGE?

I would have thought Obama would at least know the number of states or his religion. That is current information.

Bernie O'Hare said...

" "Dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago." That is a quote from her!"

Actually, it's not.

A lot of disinformation is being spread about Palin. According to Snopes, she said no such thing. That quote comes from a satirical piece in which the blog author claerly disclaims that he made everything up. Unfortunately, it is now being touted as fact.

Anonymous said...

Democrats talk a big game, but the Democrat establishment clearly wants women to serve in support roles (Lewinski, Hillary, Rielle Hunter) and not in positions of actual importance. Ds also equate womens' rights with unrestricted abortion - even to the extent of chasing down surviving fetuses to kill them before they embarrass the grisly movement (Obama was a big supporter of not permitting medical personal to save post-abortion, surviving fetuses).

Ds were similarly slow to the civil rights movement for blacks (ask Al Gore, Sr. or the fiddle picker with gas and matches from West Virginia). Watch what they do, not what they say. Just ask Hillary.

Anonymous said...

"MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN WHAT? FROM THE FIRST DAY BUSH TOOK OFFICE, HE WAS HELL-BENT ON INVADING IRAQ, 2 YEARS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH HAPPENED. HIS DOCTRINE WAS ONLY CREATED TO JUSTIFY AN INVASION ON AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. HE WANTED TO LOOK LIKE A BIGSHOT, LIKE SOME SUPERHERO PRESIDENT, PERHAPS TO ALLEVIATE HIS SHORT MAN SYNDROME. JUST CHECK WITH PAUL O'NEILL OR MICKEY HERSKOWITZ IF YOU WOULD LIKE PROOF."

Gotta love a tinkerbell who is a screamer. When you haven't the facts or law on your side, it's best to just yell. Good call, tink.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I think you saw her as a real politician with the answers she gave in this interview.

I'd agree with that, too. Although Gibson was a little condescending, she kept running back to some talking points that must have been drilled into her. She was NOT the same person who gave that speech.

If she starts sounding like everyone inside the Beltway, she loses that refreshing appeal. She should just be herself.

Anonymous said...

Republicans are crazy to even consider voting for this absurd secessionist.

McCain is an underachiever and has been his whole life.

Obama has been a consistent overachiever and a model of the American dream.

May Reacists Not Determine Our Country's Future.

Veritas Max
is
Maximum Truth

Bernie O'Hare said...

Veritas Max,

If your name means maximum truth, why pepper your comments with disinformation?

Chris Miller said...

Anonymous 9:22 AM
We send people to college based on race and sex. Studies are now appearing that state we are putting people into institutions of higer education where they do not succeed and that in turn does more harm then good. These institutions operate on a quota system despite what they might say.
I had a young lady at Liberty High School for two years. She maintined a 98 average as an Honor Student. She was denied entrance into West Virginia because the scholarship she was after went to someone else. She was told that if she could wrestle at 110lbs. she could get into the school.
Clarence Thomas points out his observations on the matter of putting people into schools where they do not belong and it serves as a real stresser for that person.
One would think that colleges and universities, particularly those at the Ivy League level would select the best and the brightest for their school, but they don't. Keep in mind that the smartest woman in the world, Hillary Clinton, was responsible for getting the "Pass--Fail system" put into place at her undergard school of Wellsley. Why would she do that if she was the brightest woman in the world. Why do you think Princeton had to look at all the "A's" they were handing out. Then think about how all of this effects us?

Anonymous said...

I hear you on my previous comment...

Anything in my comments that is not true is not intended to be untrue, so I apologize. I am human and ergo will err. The last thing that I want is to have an entire argument debunked over one mistake on my part.

If the Dinosaur comment is untrue then that I will eat that without a problem, but I think that this is not about me.

I will say that she has said pretty crazy stuff that is all very verifiable by watching www.youtube.com by any of your readers.

But this is more important than any one comment or person. This is about four more years of ineptitude in the white house and of a country adrift without any real change. [which could prove deadly to all of us.]

If the McCain-Palin Ticket would win it would be the equivalent of replacing Dumb with Dumber.

We need a leader that can bring us into the 21st century and that can inspire this country to make the investments here at home that we need in order to compete in a 21st century global economy.

Threatening to attack Russia to come to Georgia's aid is not the answer. [i watched her do that in last night's interview when asked about whether Ukraine and Georgia should be part of NATO and would we then protect them...]

The answer is to invest in alternative energies and reduce the global dependence on oil that is fueling the Russian aggression, Middle Eastern aggression and Venezuelan/Ecuadorian aggression. [Venezuela and Ecuador have expelled our diplomats in both countries in the last week.]

If we invest here at home, we can offer the benefits of our investments to the world, creating good jobs for Americans, and reduce the anxiety of oil, bringing some rational behavior to international relations.

Is that truth enough for ya?

Veritas Max

Bernie O'Hare said...

Veritas Max,

Thanks for accepting my criticism in the spirit in which it was intended.

As far as the issues are concerned, your views are most weelcome. Frankly, if Georgia were in NATO, Russia would never have attacked.

Anonymous said...

It appeared to this viewer that the VP candidate was ill-prepared for the question regarding the Bush Doctrine. She also appeared to be uncomfortable under any pressing questions, follow up questions. The grilling will intensify as the weeks go by. She deserves no breaks. If this is their candidate for VP, they better give her an intensive training to prepare for these types of questions. Biden will feast on her during a debate.

Anonymous said...

"While I have no problem with Gibson's tough or somewhat confrontational approach, it would be nice to see it applied to the other candidates as well - McCain included."
Anon. 6:59 AM

We know NOTHING about this VP candidate! NOTHING!!!

She needs to be exposed, either as a brilliant, choice or as a horrible choice. McCain is 72 years old... his health is not great... I cannot believe that anyone would look at her and picture her running the country at a time like this. Hopefully, commentators will continue to ask the kinds of questions that expose her - either as a the right choice or as I expect, the worst choice ever.

God save America!

Anonymous said...

"She was denied entrance into West Virginia because the scholarship she was after went to someone else. She was told that if she could wrestle at 110lbs. she could get into the school."

What does this have to do with your claim that Obama's are the product of unfair affirmative action? Are you telling me that they denied somebody admission to their respective schools? Can you prove that they were unqualified? The example you gave had nothing to do with affirmative action, but rather on the twisted priorities of stardom over education. None of your comments make any sense with RE: to the Obama's unless you can prove that they were underqualified to attend their schools.

Anonymous said...

Veritas Max should know the minimal truth is that this country has rejected Democrat nominees in seven of the last ten presidential elections. As there are more Rs than Ds, Rs can't win without votes from Ds. Ergo, many Ds have been unwilling to vote for their own weak candidates.

No need to be nasty about this. The tone springs from understandable frustration, however. In a year where Ds should be taking a layup, they've fielded another weak candidate who's blown another huge lead and looks to be heading for defeat number eight in the last eleven tries.

Hillary was your best bet and you blew it. McCain and Palin will be your next two presidents. You'll have to hang your hopes on the very awesome Nancy Pelosi and Harry "Mr. Excitement" Reid. They've done so well already. Good times.

Chris Miller said...

Anonymous 2:30 PM
The young lady I mentioned lost her scholarship to a black wrestler. Maybe he was a genius but since they asked her if she could wrestle I have my doubts.
As to the Obama's, having heard her comments pertaining to this nation and his attempt to communicate with out a teleprompter, I have my doubts about their being in an ivy league university as I have my doubts as to Bush being at Yale on a legacy. We need the best and brightest in those schools and I do not believe those three are. Let me also add that Senator Obama, while head of the Law Review never turned out any written major legal work after holding that position. That is a bit unusual.
My belief is that we need to return to a time when scholarship and ability are the way into a first class university. Despite their tendencies to be filled with Progressive professors, they are still rated the best schools in the country due to the quality of staff. Unfortunately given our proclivity to water down education at every level I suspect those universities will so fall in quality.

Anonymous said...

The news is covering how 'edited' the interview was, to paint her bad. It received so much backlash when people compared the broad casted version verses the unedited version, the broadcaster had to cut sections from it, because of heavy media bias.

Lighthouse said...

Regarding NATO, the transcript reads:

GIBSON: You favor putting Georgia and Ukraine into NATO?

PALIN: Ukraine definitely yes. Yes. And Georgia. Putin thinks otherwise, obviously he thinks otherwise.

GIBSON: Under the NATO treaty, wouldn’t we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so. That is the agreement. When you are a NATO ally, is, if another country is attacked, you are going to be expected to be called upon and help.

This is really nothing new from the Bush foreign policy.

However, I have never understood how it has been in the US self-interest to be as provocative towards Russia as we have been...Poland, Czech Republic, Unkrain, Georgia. "Blowback" is reality, and I believe that the Bush years has made our world much more dangerous in the long run. And this is just in Europe, let along the middle east.

I just hope that my own son is not among those who die for such hubris someday. For example, why in the world should any American die because Georgia wants to keep territory that does not even wish to be a part of Georgia???....oh yeah, that old USA Wilsonian "self-determination" does not count when the "enemy of my enemy is my friend".

Chris Miller said...

Lighthouse
NATO was created as an organization to protect Western Europe and her friends from an onslaught by the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. Stalin had been very busy in the years during the war. He actually created the Warsaw back before FDR turned over eastern Europe to him at the end of WW II. Western Europe, having fought two world wars was very weak and we pretty much restored that area of the world particularly England and France. Aid via the Marshall Plan went to lots of places in western Europe.
The communists were very active after the war. Stalin was a liar and not a man of his word. He had communists all over the place. They were intent on world domination. Time and Newsweek would both run maps showing the US being surrounded by communism. The man who put an end to that was Ronald Reagan. He was the first president to come along and tell us that we could win the Cold War and for a while we did. Now we see a resurgence of Russia under Putin, an old KGB guy.
It is extremely important that we remain a strong nation and that we recognize that we and we alone are the messingers of freedom. Because of that stand we are both an example and an inspiration to the rest of the world. And because we are who we are we will be the ones called upon when things go upside down. This has been the case since the founding of our country.

Anonymous said...

"Threatening to attack Russia to come to Georgia's aid is not the answer. [i watched her do that in last night's interview when asked about whether Ukraine and Georgia should be part of NATO and would we then protect them...]"

My Grandfather is from what used to be Czechoslovakia. He told my family once about how back in the day nobody really thought Hitler was going to try and take the Sudentenland. Then he did. And, even though Czechoslovakia was a Democracy, the West did nothing.

Then he took the rest of the country. Then he took Austria. Then he took Poland. And, the West did nothing.

The rest was WWII, wasn't it?

Of course, there were leaders, like John McCain, back then who realized that timidity in the face of mad aggression meant defeat for Democracy. Leaders courageous enough to go against public opinion.

They were men named Churchill and Roosevelt.

And yeah, John McCain is a lot more like them than Barack Obama will ever be if he lives to be two hundred.

Someone Who Remembers History

Anonymous said...

You do realize that Krauthammer is a tool of the GOP party, right? He'll say anything they want him to say.

Still he was sort of correct: the Bush doctrine shows none of the coherence of an actual doctrine.

But I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the fact that even after he told her what he wanted (yes or no answer, sarah), she still wouldn't answer.

Anonymous said...

"You do realize that Krauthammer is a tool of the GOP party, right?"

You do realize that Charles Krauthammer coined the phrase and defined it -- right. So he probably can speak authoritatively on it.

So now the question is -- what kind of a tool are you?

Anonymous said...

anon 1:30

Bravo. The type of tool you wish to identify is one who will listen and not hear; one who will read and not comprehend. These are Barry's people.

Chris Miller said...

anonymous 11:55PM
I agree with a lot of what you said but for a different take check our Buchanan's book Unnecessary War. It brings back a lot of history I had forgotten. I think you will find it a very interesting read

Anonymous said...

Afghanistan had far more to do with the fall of the Soviet Union than did Ronald Reagan.

What Reagan did accomplish was the sellout of our country to mindless, amoral corporations.

Oh yeah, he also proved the trickle down theory of economics to be pure voodoo.

I don't see anything coming from the McCain campaign that convinces me that there will be any change at all - except, perhaps, for the worst.

Anonymous said...

She looked like a deer in the headlights.

She seemed back peddled on just about every issue when pressed.

There is no doubt we would have a third Bush term as the truth comes out.

Sarah Chameleon really started to show her colors.

Likeable personality or not, we cannot afford four more years of Bush agenda with McCain.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, deer in the headlights. You mean like the look Obama gets when his teleprompter freezes?

Obama makes so many gaffes he makes Dan Quayle look like a genius.

"57 states," "my Muslim faith," "I'm glad to be back here in New Pennsylvania?"

Keep on serving them up, Barack.

Barack/Quayle 08

Anonymous said...

Your False and baseless allegations about Obama says it all.

I would like to think Condi would be running a more respectable campaign.

Face it, the self-proclaimed party of the moral majority, has become the party of the Morally Misleading. What I see is more Rove tactics, More Swiftboating,

MORE OF THE SAME with McBush-Plain misleading.

Anonymous said...

Swiftboat tactics, please. Accusing a woman of lying about giving birth to a baby with Downs Syndrome tops anything the Swiftboat Vets ever did.

A proud citizen of our 57 or whatever states.

Anonymous said...

Cute but clueless! I'm not buying it and the R ticket is a LOSER! DOA and the debates will reveal the fraud Mrs. Palin truly is! McCain is senile and desperate to attempt this ruse! It will all fall apart by Election day..Dem's sweep to power and she goes home to Alaska!

Anonymous said...

Cute but clueless - you just described Barack Obama.

Hey how many states are there in the U.S?

Like 57, right?