Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
To paraphrase Albert Brooks' wonderful character in Broadcast News, that's a lot of alliteration for anxious authors placed in powerful posts. Just to show you how prepared Palin is on foreign policy, the first statement she's actually made about any foreign policy issues other than platitudes was to support Barack Obama's (and Bush's) position on Pakistan and contradict McCain's:
Saturday night, while on a stop for cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia, Palin was questioned by a Temple graduate student about whether the U.S. should cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan."If that's what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should," Palin said.
And here's the best part. Not only did McCain have to retract that statement, he says it's the media's fault for actually listening to what she said:
Sen. John McCain retracted Sarah Palin's stance on Pakistan Sunday morning, after the Alaska governor appeared to back Sen. Barack Obama's support for unilateral strikes inside Pakistan against terrorists"She would not...she understands and has stated repeatedly that we're not going to do anything except in America's national security interest," McCain told ABC's George Stephanopoulos of Palin. "In all due respect, people going around and... sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and then all of a sudden that's--that's a person's position... This is a free country, but I don't think most Americans think that that's a definitve policy statement made by Governor Palin."
Yeah! How dare the media listen to what she says at photo ops that the campaign invites them to! And how dare they think that the person he wants to put a chicken bone away from the most powerful position in the entire world might actually have a coherent position on an important issue and be capable of expressing that opinion when asked about it! We media people are just a bunch a bunch of big meanies.
Apparently she only means what she says if it is prefaced by "this is a definitive policy statement." Maybe this is like the political version of the Pope only being infallible when he's speaking "ex cathedra."
Politics
Comments
Does she even understand the concept of borders, aside from, possibly, the one with Mexico? She hasn't travelled, seems utterly ignorant re geography, and makes statements like that one, where she obviously hasn't clued in that most nations don't appreciate foreign troops marching in without so much as a by-your-leave.
Posted by: Bee | September 30, 2008 9:38 AM
Posted by: WScott | September 30, 2008 9:55 AM
Bee, she knows that some borders are maritime and some are land.
Posted by: Odie | September 30, 2008 9:55 AM
apropos of nothing, I really enjoy the alliteration that you have going on in all the Palin related post titles. They make me smile every time!
Posted by: kodiak | September 30, 2008 10:00 AM
Aha, but did she order the correct kind of cheese on her cheesesteak sandwich? That's the true test of whether she's ready to lead this country of non-elitist good ol' folks who spurn snobby foods like arugula.
Posted by: Adrienne | September 30, 2008 10:10 AM
It gets worse. You should see the video of the two of them together with Katie Couric trying to defend the fact that she said what she said and how it really doesn't count. They're calling it "gotcha" journalism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RywhPtebuM
Posted by: boggsy | September 30, 2008 10:24 AM
Wait a sec, people can retract other peoples statements? Hoorah! Speaking for McCain, I hereby retract his nomination for President. He would like to formally apologize to the American people for all the misdirection and lies fashioned during this election cycle. Most especially he would like to withdraw any statements he made regarding his fitness to lead. He feels he lost that the moment he sold out his integrity in order for one last shot at the White House and glory.
Posted by: Abby Normal | September 30, 2008 10:33 AM
I've seen it twice now and it gets more surreal each time. McCain tries to make excuses for her and why her specificity about cross-border raids doesn't really mean that she thinks that, and then says, "well, I'll let her speak for herself." I don't think they can make a leash short enough for her nor can McCain's conscience grow warped enough to continue defending her statements.
But he's proven me wrong to this point.
Posted by: boggsy | September 30, 2008 10:33 AM
"Not only did McCain have to retract that statement, he says it's the media's fault for actually listening to what she said:"
To be fair to the guy, the media actually reporting what smoeone said as opposed to "interpreting" it is pretty shocking and almost unprecedented in recent years.
That this is probably just because you couldn't make up stuff better than some of the things Palin comes out with probably doesn't help of course!
Posted by: Andrew | September 30, 2008 11:15 AM
Strange that I haven't heard the media or blogosphere comment on the fact that if Palin is on this short of a leash now, what will happen if
Palin/McCainMcCain/Palin win? How long will here "maverick" status last once McCain is in office? Does anyone actually think he'll let her speak her own mind or have ANY kind of autonomy?Posted by: mathyoo | September 30, 2008 12:11 PM
boggsy wrote:
And this from the campaign that turned Biden's comment to a supporter while shaking hands at a ropeline into not one but two commercials. And they were right to do that, Biden's comment clearly contradicted Obama's position. But it's beyond hypocritical to make this argument now.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 30, 2008 12:24 PM
I'm surprised that Couric in her interview with McCain & Palin and Lehrer in the debate didn't frame this issue within Bush's attack in Pakistan a few weeks ago, especially to McCain.
The Obama/Palin/Bush position seems to make perfect common sense while McCain and his "you don't announce it" position appears disengenuous, especially given Bush's recent attack. Does McCain think the Pakistani's are retarded?
My primary reason for posting is that this is the first time I came up with something that Palin actually got right, and then she gets smacked down by her boss cause he thinks the Pakistani's don't think we'll plan and do it unless we say we do it.
Posted by: Michael Heath | September 30, 2008 12:41 PM
I wouldn't get used to Palin getting something right, Micheal Heath. She pretty much has a foreign policy of:
1. Islam = Terrorists = bad
2. US using military to stop them = good
3. Blinking = bad
4. Democracy = US = Conquer world
The takedown by Jeffrey Goldberg where he shows that she doesn't even understand most of the questions she's being asked pretty much exposes it.
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/sarah_palins_terrifying_ignora.php
Posted by: Odie | September 30, 2008 2:19 PM
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!
It just doesn't matter. Who cares what Sarah The imPalinator says about foreign policy. There are far more important questions. Did she get the frikkin' cheese steak at Pat's or Geno's. C'mon, let's stay "on message" damn it!
Posted by: democommie | September 30, 2008 9:13 PM
I don't think a short leash is enough. Maybe a bullwhip and a clipboard.
Posted by: BobbyEarle | October 1, 2008 5:08 AM
As a native son of Philly, I understand the symbolism of Pat's and Geno's representing the definitive cheesesteak, but it's really tongue-in-cheek marketing perpetuated over the decades, by those two steak shops. I'm not against it at all, and it has become a Philadelphia staple. I just think that they're not the best. Just my opinion. They don't chop their steaks and they use cheese whiz. I prefer chopped steak and provolone cheese. But it must be on a Amorosa roll (same with hoagies).
Posted by: darbea | October 1, 2008 8:30 PM
McCain picked her in an attempt to counter the minority issue, and to grab the Hillary voters against Obama. When she spoke at the convention, I first thought that she could be a problem. But the more she talked, the more I saw the innocence disolve and reveal her true personality: bitch. She's not a nice person. The past week has been bad for both of them, and I don't see a way for them to recover. Look for a landslide victory for Obama.
Posted by: darbea | October 1, 2008 9:30 PM
You can use the Palin issue to distinguish between smart, principled conservatives, and the dumb party hacks.
Posted by: steve s | October 1, 2008 10:17 PM
McCain picked her in an attempt to counter the minority issue, and to grab the Hillary voters against Obama. When she spoke at the convention, I first thought that she could be a problem. But the more she talked, the more I saw the innocence disolve and reveal her true personality: bitch. She's not a nice person. The past week has been bad for both of them, and I don't see a way for them to recover. Look for a landslide victory for Obama.
Posted by: darbea | October 2, 2008 12:36 AM