I like Sarah, but was not impressed with her saying living adjacent to Russia was somehow foreign policy experience.
She was badly served by the numskulls who set her up with Katie Couric.
By the same token, no one can blame Sarah for causing McCain to lose the election. She was a net plus.
I would take issue with your assessment of Palin’s “foreign policy” experience. As Governor of Alaska and as CiC of the Alaska National Guard, she “commands” the only National Guard unit on permanent active duty. I believe it is the 83rd Missle Defense Squadron. They are the prime unit in case of a missle attack from Russia. It is my understanding that she is regularly briefed on matters that concern the unit and as such, does receive some police briefs. Since it is always advisable (unless you’re a Democrat) not to say much about possible classified information, this was her way of intimating she was “aware, but not telling.”
I'll admit she did not answer that artfully, but remember, Couric and CBS culled several hours of interview down to minutes....her worst minutes.
As I have heard her explain other places, it wasn't a question of "being close" to Russia, but being commander in chief of the Alaska NG, a unit unique in that it's responsible for our new missile defense. That's a big deal, and it's Russia who has the missiles that would be shot down over Alaska.
Anyway, name another state in the USA which has two foreign nations as neighbors, and not other American states adjoining it. Due to geography, an Alaskan governor is obviously going to be more involved in "foreign affairs" than any other governor. Fishery treaties, navigation rights, boundaries of oil drilling fields...this all winds up on an Alaskan governor's desk. The same cannot be said about the governor of any other US state.
If you read the transcript, it was the interviewer who brought up the geographic proximity to Russia and how does that fact influence your thinking. This set-up question was omitted from the aired interview.
Sarah did not say that merely living close to Russia was foreign policy experience. She commands the Alaskan National Guard which is the first line of defense against Russia. She merely mentioned that she could see Russia from her front porch and that Alaska was the 57th state - uh, sorry, that was the Big O who said said something about 57 states.
“...was not impressed with her saying living adjacent to Russia was somehow foreign policy experience.”
We lived in Alaska in the ‘70s & ‘80s when my ex was stationed at Elmendorf AFB. There were many times when strange stuff was happening in airspace there having to do with USSR, emergency call-outs, etc. They were incidents the Airmen couldn’t discuss, but it was close and it was terrifying. She probably has more hands-on foreign policy experience than Biden, and she definitely has more than Hussein.
I find it difficult to believe that he actually saw this because he seems to genuinely like Sarah Palin.
McCain lost because HE wanted to lose.
Well, she was called at 3AM when the Russians flew in our airspace. She deals with Russia often on fishing rights, trade, etc.
That’s foreign policy experience in my book...and more than most governors have.
But Obama's growing up for a few years in Indonesia is?