GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Palin-Couric interview, Sarah Palin, Katie Couric, Palin Foreign Policy experience, streaming video
Apparently, during an interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin made a mockery of herself as a vice presidential candidate, as a governor of the state of Alaska, and as a woman. I have a video (below the fold) of part of this interview with Katie, along with the transcripts of part of that interview where Sarah describes her foreign policy experience.
Hey Sarah, what do Alaska and Russia trade? Polar Bears??
There is NO WAY this moron is qualified to do anything at all. I have potted plants that are smarter than Palin! Is it possible that there are still are sentient beings in this country who consider Palin to be a serious candidate for any elected office, including dog catcher? [7:54].
Transcript [3:08]:
COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land, uh, boundary that we have, uh, with Canada. It, it .. it's funny that a comment like that was .. kind of made to .. cari .. mm .. I don't know, you know? Reporters ..
COURIC: Mocked?
PALIN: Yeah, 'mocked', I guess that's the word. Yeah.
COURIC: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.
PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our .. our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia ..
COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We .. we do. It's very important when, when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and .. and, uh .. comes into th, the air space of the United States of America, where .. where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is .. from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on thisss .. very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to, um, to our state. [4:30]
Politics
Education & Careers
Comments
I must say, having also seen other parts of this video, I totally agree. I don't think I've seen anyone so incoherent since high school (well, W. is pretty up there, but I don't remember even him being this pathetic.). She's not even qualified to hold the government positions she's already held. I can now only simply observe that the comedy duo of Palin and McCain have successfully turned a national campaign into a national joke.
Posted by: TimJ | September 26, 2008 12:22 AM
Somebody smart is behind these words:
Americans like this sort of talk regardless of all of the ums.Posted by: sara | September 26, 2008 12:40 AM
Who is this woman and just why is she running for the VP position? Unbelievable!!!
Posted by: Pam | September 26, 2008 1:37 AM
Hey #2, I agree with your assessment. Someone smart did craft her answer about not having a passport until last year. That was definitely not an unexpected question.
Posted by: Pam | September 26, 2008 1:43 AM
Watching this was not a good way to start my day. My brain is reeling from slowing down in effort to understand the nonsense coming from this woman.
Posted by: Johann Thorsson | September 26, 2008 5:41 AM
"There is NO WAY this moron is qualified to do anything at all."
Don't sugar coat it like that, GS! Tell us how you really feel!
That was classic! Thanks for perking up my day.
Posted by: Ian | September 26, 2008 7:26 AM
Clearly this is early dementia. Nobody is born that stupid.
Posted by: Nattering Nabob of Negativism | September 26, 2008 8:00 AM
Un.be.lievable.
But wait: I can see Alaska from my Kitchen!!!!!
I'm pretty sure Governors are not allowed to execute foreign policy at the level of national security with cold war enemies or even Canadians. And she has never, ever, been on a trade mission. The governor of Minnesota goes on a trade mission every year.
Posted by: Greg Laden | September 26, 2008 8:01 AM
A moment of silence please while Palin supporters try to clean up the mess. They have a tough job ahead.
With any luck she'll keep this up and force a few more voters to wake up and realize the danger she (and McCain) pose.
Posted by: Mike | September 26, 2008 8:08 AM
Don't bother trying to couch her, just implant a microphone in her ear and tell her what to say.
Posted by: MattL | September 26, 2008 9:41 AM
As expected, she's stupid enough to believe in good guys, stupid enough to believe that every conflict has exactly two sides, and stupid enough to believe that in every conflict one side is composed of good guys.
Evidently, McShame doesn't care whether the women he's... interested in have a functioning brain.
Posted by: David Marjanović | September 26, 2008 10:22 AM
BTW, I've read Doctor Zhivago, so I'm an expert on Russia.
Posted by: Virgil Samms | September 26, 2008 10:59 AM
"The way that I have understood the world is through education, through books, through mediums (sic) that have provided me a lot of perspective on the world..."
She needs to learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction if she thinks she understands the world through the books she has read.
Posted by: RM | September 26, 2008 11:24 AM
* Well, it certainly does [enhance my foreign policy credentials] because our .. our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. We have trade missions back and forth. We .. we do.
* It is .. from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on thisss .. very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. ... We have trade missions back and forth. We .. we do.
* The way that I have understood the world is through education; through books, through mediums that have provided me with a lot of perspective on the world. [I've read Doctor Zhivago, so I'm an expert on Russia.]
PRICELESS!
Posted by: Beverly | September 26, 2008 11:38 AM
Yes, the crafting of her lines is a feature of her emerging national public persona, as a "populist." She is not speaking to the relatively few intelligent people in the country, whether they had a foreign jaunt or not, and whether daddy paid for it nor not. She is speaking to the many out there, who are not well educated and who've never left their state or even their county, and who might think that anyone who travels outside the United States, whether born here or not, whether well educated or not, whether wealthy or not, is a "foreigners," someone not "from around here," someone "not to be trusted."
Fear won't strike out as long as Sarah's around. She's "one of us."
Posted by: Dirigo | September 26, 2008 12:19 PM
Not nearly as slick or crafty as BHO, that's for sure, but she's still more qualified than BHO.
Posted by: Eric | September 26, 2008 12:22 PM
Eric, you sad sack of door knobs, come right out and say it... you mean she's white, don't you?
Posted by: John Swindle | September 26, 2008 12:41 PM
Palin is more qualified to lead tours at the creation museum because she knows exactly where they keep the dinosaur fossil with the footprint in it. Combine that with the anti-witchcraft spell she has, and you have yourself a nice pig with shiny new lipstick.
Posted by: RM | September 26, 2008 1:03 PM
Maybe she meant spiritual mediums...
/honestly, would anybody here be surprised?
Posted by: Scotty B | September 26, 2008 1:57 PM
Oh, Christ. For eight years I haven't been able to listen to the president talk because it's so painful, worse than when my 8th grade teacher would make one of the slow kids read something out loud. are we going to have four more years of this with Palin? Because that's how I felt watching this video. I didn't even finish it. I couldn't sit through 7 1/2 minutes of her.
I'm tired of the old "elitism" saw. Shouldn't our president be elite? Smarter, more educated, more erudite than the rest of us? And how come this logic only applies to the presidential race? You don't hear anyone bitching about how "elitist" the MLB is (for example) and how A-Rod shouldn't get to start because most Americans wouldn't want to have a beer with him. We want to be astounded by our athletes, actors and musicians. Shouldn't we want to be astounded by our leaders too? Shouldn't we choose them because they'll take good care of us and have the patience and intellect to understand the nuances of the Israeli-Palestine conflict and the economy and the rest of the shit the majority of Americans scroll by on their way to read about Clay Aiken? I think so. We let an average Joe try it for eight years and look how that worked out. Let's let someone smart give it a shot.
Posted by: Library Diva | September 26, 2008 3:43 PM
Coturnix nearly killed me last night with this.
Posted by: themadlolscientist, FCD | September 26, 2008 4:04 PM
"I'm tired of the old 'elitism' saw. Shouldn't our president be elite? Smarter, more educated, more erudite than the rest of us?"
I don't pray, but have to say "A-goddamn-MEN" anyway. I've been howling about this for longer than eight years ...
Thanks for articulating it better than I can. I'm too angry.
Posted by: bernard quatermass | September 26, 2008 4:38 PM
So what's so "elite" about a kid from the wrong side of the tracks deciding he/she doesn't want to live on the wrong side of the tracks all his/her life, paying attention in school, getting into college on his/her own merits, taking advantage of all the financial aid available to students whose parents don't have bottomless pockets, and coming out with the education to realize his/her ambition? That's not elitism. It's a gin-you-wine All-Amurrikin success story.
The good ole Hew-Hess-of-Hay used to look up to self-made success. Wotthehell happened?
Posted by: themadlolscientist, FCD | September 26, 2008 5:27 PM
Bet you any money that when she started waving around big words like "mediums", she was really just panicking because she'd realised just in time she'd been about to say TV.
Posted by: Bessest | September 26, 2008 5:40 PM
Palin gives McCain extra boost in Kansas
I feel sad for the people of Kansas.
Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | September 27, 2008 6:40 PM
"I feel sad for the people of Kansas."
Don't. They get what they want and deserve.
I do feel sorry for the ones who are smart enough to know they are being led by stupid people and who cannot leave.
The rest of them? Forget 'em.
Same with any group of people who votes against their economic and social well being based on personality and talking points.
Bag of hammers stupid is what I call them.
Posted by: gindy | September 28, 2008 12:07 PM
I give you credit for taking a strong stance on a political opinion.-I notice that lot of bloggers are wary of discussing politics unless they have a political blog.
I found Palin's speech at the convention to be interesting.-Her humorous sarcasm and perky self-confidence was fun to watch.-Since then, the novelty has worn off. It is apparent that she is in over head.-There are things that I like and dislike about both political parties and the same holds true about the presidential candidates. I'm not overly impressed with Obama but I am going to vote for him because of certain issues that are important to me personally and the country as well.
Posted by: Larry | September 28, 2008 8:34 PM
Palin's Parents Pan Media
Tell Early Show's Harry Smith Their Daughter Is Ready To Be President
la pathetique
Posted by: Trin Tragula | September 29, 2008 9:17 AM
Chuck Palins says
That Chuck, what a sense of humour.
Posted by: Trin Tragula | September 29, 2008 9:21 AM
I think Gov. Palin did exceptionally well for being in a very hostile environment. The double interview with Senator McCain later helped show that difference when they corrected Ms. Couric on several misconceptions.
She's also far more articulate than Senator Obama. And I have yet to hear a reasonable explination of certain policies of his such as the 'Civilian Defense Force' that he says he wants to create that is as "powerful" and expensive as the US military. The Defense Department budget alone is 4% of our GDP, so there's a huge new tax Barry is wanting to stab us poor middle class working families with right there. I've not seen any harsh interviews with him to explain that nor several other 'misconceptions' and giant gaffees he and his running mate seem to constantly have.
If it's the McCain/Palin campaign's strategy to put Gov. Palin in front of her most hostile detractors first, ABC and then CBS being the obvious; it may prove well to make her look better the later we go together towards election day. Because as the Democratic party side of these issues have proven, particularly with this economic "crisis mode" making the headlines today; the less astute who watch such non-sensical shows such as Katie Couric's tend to forget things very quickly and often.
Posted by: Joel | September 30, 2008 1:17 PM