Palin's ABC Interview: Stumped On Bush Doctrine, Seems To Contradict McCain On Pakistan (VIDEO)

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Huffington Post

In her first major interview as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was stumped when asked about the so-called "Bush Doctrine," unable to answer whether she agreed with the six-year-old U.S. policy of military preemption.

Asked by ABC News' Charlie Gibson whether she supported the Bush Doctrine, Palin stared blankly for a moment before turning the question back on Gibson. "In what respect?"

The ABC anchor responded, "Well, what do you interpret it to be?" clearly testing her knowledge of the policy that has been in place since September 2002, before the Iraq war.

Palin couldn't say, offering an answer that didn't even mention preemption. "I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent in 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, who clearly felt he had not received a sufficient answer to the question he had asked, proceeded to define the Bush Doctrine for the governor. According to Bush's National Security Strategy from September 2002: "While the United States will constantly strive to enlist the support of the international community, we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists, to prevent them from doing harm against our people and our country."

Thus, Gibson pressed Palin. "The Bush Doctrine is we have the right to self-defense, pre-emptive strike against any country we think is going to attack us," he noted. "Do you agree with it?"

Finally, Palin came close to offering an opinion on preemption. "Charlie, if there is enough intelligent and legitimate evidence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country," she said.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/11/palins-abc-int...

[Sodbuster]

1. I believe that is a Yes or No answer on whether she agreed with the Bush Doctrine

I thought she shot from the hip like McCain and let the chips fall where they may.
Guess not.
Imagine my shock.

[marshall]

22. For somebody running on a "Four More Years of the Same" Mantra

she doesn't know much about keeping in line with Bush and his doctrine.
Back to school time!

[Frank Cannon]

2. Funny. The way that question was presented...

it was almost like Gibson knew she had the scripted answer and was helping her to remember what it was.

[KoKo]

3. Well then...Palin "done good!"

[superconnected]

4. This does not sound good for palin. It's telling us she couldn't grasp the questions and

pointing out that her answers were not adequate.

She can't grasp even simple questions most of the people here could understand. The article is parading that fact.

-------------------

from that article:

PALIN: We have to keep our eyes on Russia. Under the leadership there.

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions 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.

There were times during her appearance on ABC that Palin seemingly did not have a full grasp of McCain's own foreign policy positions. For example, when pressed by Gibson whether, in efforts to combat terrorism, the United States should target al Qaeda figures in Pakistan without that country's permission, Palin tried to circumvent the question. The ABC host attempted to pin her down with a yes or no answer, to which Palin seemed to suggest that it would be an American imperative to make such an un-sanctioned attack.

"In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America, and our allies, we must do whatever it takes, and we must not blink, Charlie. In making the tough decisions of where we go, and even who we target. she said.

The response, though hardly definitive, seemed to put her at odds with McCain, who has harshly criticized Obama for saying he would target terrorist leaders that are replenishing their ranks in northwest Pakistan.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Obviously she loves Obama's platform so much she wishes she was HIS veep.

[Blasphemer]

9. Oh she's a freakin' genius this one

"GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions 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."

Good lord woman! She's given an opportunity to discredit the ridiculous idea that proximity to Russian means anything and focus on the foreign policy issues at hand and THIS is the first thing out of her mouth? She is not only thoroughly unqualified, she can't even fake it. What an insult to the American people, Senator McCain.

[jimshoes]

13. SWIIIING and a miss for Sister Sarah

Would you like to try again?

[Epiphany4z]

5. eee gads

that was bad...when is her debate with joe?...she better be better at cramming .

even her body language was bad...did not expect to see her slouching like that.

[PaDUer]

12. Her body language was bad to say the least,

I guess she's still "learning" and trying to remember what she should know..lol..the way she wrinkles her nose drives me wild..did she think she was talking to one of her kids? Squirming in her chair, guess she was uncomfortable or had to use the rest room because she looked like she was shi**ing in her pants. She better run back to her igloo..bet the repubs think she did a bang-up job.

[xyouth]

7. Oh dam, I knew the answer to that one..

As I was watching this video, The crickets around my house started to chirp. It could not have been timed any better.

[Patsy Stone]

10. And you know

So did millions and millions of other people. People who also knew that Fannie and Freddie were privately owned until last Sunday.

Poor Sarah.

[xyouth]

14. No, poor us if these @#ckers steal another election. N/T

[Vattel]

8. good lord

no one has ever doubted that we have a right to act preemptively in response to an imminent threat. What makes the bush doctrine special is the suggestion that imminence is not required. We can preempt, as we did in Iraq, on the grounds that there may be a threat down the road. I hope someone clues her in next time she grants an audience.

[crossroads]

11. Fake it til you make it Palin!

The fundys will believe anything - after all Bush had em fooled for years!

[yellowcanine]

15. Unfortunately 90% of the country doesn't know what the Bush doctrine is,

So Barbie Doll probably skates on that one.

[kitty1]

16. "Alex, I'll take basic political knowledge for 200"

Time to brush up on the political science subjects if you're going to help run the country.

[Javaman]

17. Folks, I present to you, our next moron. nt

[booksenkatz]

19. Queen of the crap people, Javaman! nt

[unkachuck]

18. definately....

....Osama Bin Palin flubbed-up on the Bush Doctrine question....and when pressed about the Holy War she wants us to engage in, she wouldn't even answer that question....

....hey mcsame, what kind of second-rate VP/President are you trying to shove down our throats?

[neuvocat]

20. Even with a script she fails.

Just like her acceptance speech.

[yurbud]

21. shit, she is Bush in a skirt. Ignorant AND arrogant. You know someone is a moron when they make

MSM reporter look smart.

[Maestro]

23. Yeah, it was pathetic!

You know she was given the questions beforehand in the way that he lead her to what it was, but even then she froze because all her cramming, like a college student, did not help. She's so ignorant.

The story does seem to have some legs though. This is an opinion piece from Bloomberg.

[Thorandmjolnir]

24. She was stumped.

The question was pretty simple: do you support the Bush Doctrine? its a simple yes or no question. She had properly been told to watch out for "gotcha" questions, and thought this was one of them. Not knowing what the doctrine is, and properly not knowing if McCain agrees with it, she did not want to answer the question out of fear of being opposite to McCain. So she faked it, asked for clarification and tried to divert the question.

But it obviously showed, that not only did she not know about the Bush Doctrine. She doesn't know McCain's stand on it either.

[Zhade]

25. PREVENTATIVE, PREVENTATIVE, PREVENTATIVE!

PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE --

NOT pre-emptive!