At this point, Sarah Palin is the Golvernor of a small state outside the mainstream of American politics and life. Like most Governors, she has little, if any, foreign policy experience. That's not fatal if you're running for VP, but the person at the top of the Presidential ticket needs to have answers for any potential questions dealing with foreign policy. When the time comes, if she isn't ready to give thoughtful, educated answers to foreign policy questions, she'll be doomed.
On another thread I referred to the concept that Sarah Palin has to get her ‘ducks in a row’ to orchestrate a successful Presidential campaign and part of that is to bone up or become conversant on various issues. This does not mean that Sarah is stupid or unintelligent.
What it does mean that as Governor of Alaska she has focused on issues related mainly to her state and states rights. Running for POTUS simply means she has to shift her focus to national affairs. Folks, she has 2 years to accomplish this.
To deny this is to deny reality.
I will be the first one to admit that Sarah Palin is not ready to be POTUS on June 24, 2009 but by June 24, 2011 I am convinced that she will be 95% ready to be POTUS and by the time she is inaugurated on Jan. 20/2013 she will be 100% ready.
“It is is easier to study up and get SMARTER than it is to not have a PERSONALITY and to try to get one.”
Roger Simon
Blah,blah,blah. Fact is that she made the fatal error of allowing herself to be videotaped in an interview ——guess what it was chopped and diced and hashed. Gosh I am shocked she looked bad when the answers were set to different questions.
All you policy wonks who care sooo very much for the academic ought to consider what made Reagan so great. He had core princples and values that would not allow him to do other than certain things. When he faced off with Gorbachev it was aginst most of his advisors “wise’ counsel. Clinton , Carter, both Bushes, and now Obama show us exactly what academic foreign policy advise will do. Leave me with someone who has a gut reaction and I will be much happier.
Ask the folks in Tehran (oops ya can’t if any protestors are still alive) if they like the reasoned moderate sensible approach that the current administration is taking
Compared to whom? Obummer? John F. Kerry? Bill Clinton? Even Ronald Reagan at the time he was elected president?
Then there was John F. Kennedy, the freaking foreign policy genius who got us the Bay of Pigs.
Alaska is the biggest state in the country and it borders two foreign countries. Palin has given speeches on NK's missile threats and she worked with Canada to pass a major pipeline deal. The head of the Pacific Command also met with her, and Gates paid a visit to Alaska about missile defense cuts. She has far more foreign policy experience than all of the other so-called potential Republican candidates combined. Your post is very disingenuous and lacking in facts.
She wouldn't be. In fact, she has been out in front when its come to national issues, even issuing statements before the President. As governor of a state that is a first strike target, she knows full well the risks posed with Obama's rejection of missile defense. Palin already has more CiC experience than Obama. As for foreign policy, I seriously doubt Sarah would have waiting days before issuing a statement about Iran or North Korea. I guarantee she would have encouraged the rebellion in Iran in the same manner GWB has and would have.