I watched Charlie Gibson interview Sarah Palin this evening on ABC News. I must say that Mr. Gibson came off as a disappointed father whose daughter just told him she was pregnant.
I wasn’t terribly disappointed in her answers. I think her lack of experience betrays her in the category of “not answering the question.” More seasoned politicians are better able to “not answer” questions and leave us thinking they had answered them. Unfortunately, it was all too obvious in her case.
Here’s an example:
GIBSON: When I asked John McCain about your national security credentials, he cited the fact that you have commanded the Alaskan National Guard and that Alaska is close to Russia. Are those sufficient credentials?
PALIN: Let me [avoid the question and]speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on.
GIBSON: [Refusing to let her off the hook] I know. I’m just saying that national security is a whole lot more than energy.
What interested me was her remark about Israel:
GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and needed to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?
PALIN: Well, first, we are friends with Israel and I don’t think that we should second guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves and for their security.
GIBSON: So if we wouldn’t second guess it and they decided they needed to do it because Iran was an existential threat, we would cooperative or agree with that.
PALIN: I don’t think we can second guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation.
GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right.
PALIN: We cannot second guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself.
Can’t we? I think I see where she’s coming from. I, too, once felt that we should stay out of Israel’s way. They’re God’s chosen people, leave ‘em alone, or we’ll face God’s wrath. Not anymore. I don’t think they deserve a free pass, any more than Christians deserve a free pass.
First, I am not attempting to answer Mr. Gibson’s question. I just want to comment on the philosophy that says we can’t second guess God’s chosen people. Israel may be God’s chosen people, but they are not inerrant. Additionally I should say that true Israel are those that have faith in Jesus.
As a preacher and Bible teacher, I make a living off second-guessing Israel. The Old Testament and New Testament are full of Israel’s bad decisions, and every Sunday, I have the responsibility of showing people how to make better choices.
I’m in favor of protection and self-defense, but my opinion is that if Israel is about to make an unwise decision, a wise President and/or Vice President would be obligated to second-guess them.
Strong love, strange peace.
I got the same impression you did from Gibson. I don’t think he likes her very much. He seemed to have an agenda to make her look stupid.
I hear you, but would “killing” someone who is intent on wiping your nation and your people off the map actually be a bad decision? Or don’t you think Israel’s neighbours desire that it be gone? Is it all talk? I know, I know, attacking Iran would do nothing to make the Middle East situation better, but neither will waiting until Iran / Russia attacks Israel.
I’m not sold on the idea that we should police all of the enemies of our allies to the point where we attack them just because they have the ability or the notion to do something harmful.
I wonder if Mr. Gibson was less concerned in getting a “correct” answer than he was in catching Mrs. Palin in some sort of web of inconsistency, either with her own views or that of her running mate. Her answer was less concerned with politics or diplomacy than on her religious doctrine of “don’t mess with Israel,” a notion I believe is misguided.