Media Helps Palin Cheat On Foreign Policy Test

Via ThinkProgress, here's a video of various media types telling their viewers that it's totally okay that Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is. Why is it okay? Because most Americans don't know what it is either! And they're right! In order for most Americans to know what is going on in the world, there would have to be some sort of public institution by which important facts would be systematically communicated to the general public, perhaps through an interconnected network of cathode ray tubes or something!

In other news, I took my car to get inspected Friday and was told I needed some sort of "tie rod end" replaced. Like most Americans, I didn't know what a "tie rod end" was, didn't see why I needed a wheel alignment on top of the repair, and certainly didn't see why I needed to pay two hundred and some-odd dollars to get it fixed! Sounded like it was just a way to get me to line the pockets of Big Auto Mechanic!

So I did what John McCain would do, with his War Heroism: I gave the dude who hangs out on the front stoop of the pawn shop across the street from my apartment fifty bucks to fix it. And he did! And I'm satisfied. Sure, the front quarter of the car now makes a grinding, keening noise that sounds like a quintet of robotic beagles being pummeled by meteors, but to me, that's just the sound of my freedom to tell elite know-it-alls to suck it. I think I know how to repair a car! I mean, from my land, I can see other cars!

Comments

[apoyo]

If she wants to lead all Americans shouldn't she know more than most Americans?

[herhonor]

All the candidates should have superior education, information, critical reasoning skills, temprament, compassion for all people and represent ALL people, first hand experience in bipartisan lawmaking at the federal level and keep this all in their head.

[RonNYC]

Where is Hillary Clinton? Palin is using the "18 million cracks in the ceiling" line. Those people are Democrats. Palin's people would be cracks in the floor.

[Ivygreen]

And all of their economics are trickling through those cracks...

[unhipcat]

or in the head.

[ramman]

The media is really trying to take up for Palin and her interview debacle. If you are in the the running for leading the country you should know this it's just a simple definition nothing really complicated. They are trying to squeez her out of this
pitiful interview. Their acting like it's just this one question that there was a problem on. trying to kill this bad performance of the interview. but they for get the reactions the people saw for the media in the beginning. Remember Andrea Mitchell's reaction? they were shocked trying to find the right words to smooth over their original thoughts. The look on their faces told it all.

[MilesTone]

They are missing the point. The point was that she has no idea of the agenda the Republicans set with respect to preemptive strikes against other countries if they feel the U.S. is threatened. She should have known what this was. Period. It doesn't matter that "most Americans" don't know what it is. Perhaps most American's don't read political news or watch the news, however, most of them are not running for the second highest office in the U.S. either. This is just more b.s. from the media (who is soft on McCain) and the McCain camp.

[Ivygreen]

A reporter on NPR was the ONLY one that I heard making the point that you might want a VP to be well versed in foreign policy and that it was irrelevant that most americans don't know or understand the bush doctrine.
Look at the ratings for all media involving palin. The MSM is looking forward to 4 more years of high ratings with these idiots (just like the old idiots) in office.
What will Jon Stewart do when he doesn't have McBush to laugh at and taunt derisively. He may need to get a real job.

[MilesTone]

Most people aren't running for V.P.

[ellawensmom]

I would just like to state for the record that I know what the Bush doctrine is (Bomb the hell out of everyone you don't like.) AND what a tie rod end is, having helped my husband replace a bad wheel bearing on my car a few months ago.

Clearly, I should be VP, AND an auto mechanic.

[brandon102]

Actually, Sarah did an excellent job explaining the Bush doctrine, Tragically, she was speaking in tongues at the time and none of us could understand her.

If only she'd been allowed to whirl around, which is the appropriate activity to accompany tongue-speaking.

[Ivygreen]

Not true, all the other snake-handlers heard her loud and clear.

[cbates]

Well what do you expect, these people in the media that look like S. Palin will prop her up becuase she is what/who she is in this society. Only if B. Obama had such support in the front end of his campaign he would be much better off or not because I believe the road he travelled made him more prepared to face McMock in the GE. You should let our men and women in the military make that comment because they are being asked to carry out the McBush doctrine and to give up raising their families.
S. Surrogate is getting a pass on foreign policy and any other issue that she doesn't know a thing about, such as being used by McMock. Please let her know her office if elected will be in Alaska.

[richdoll]

we all know the truth she's not fit to be vp and amercia is not stupid either, however i'm not knocking anone but you can not expect someone who went to 6 different colleges in 5 yrs to be very bright, and there a rumor she may not have graduated, & expect them to run this country,so personally i'm not interested in what she says she does not speak for me. but if mmcain believes in the bush docterines she she be aware of it also. that's basic to being tunned with your running mate and be on the same page. the media did not show all those people who oppose her in alaska, so no matter how hard obama push back he's still being swiftboated by the media.
mccain = unstable
palin -= unable.

[Ivygreen]

She graduated from the university of idaho with a communications degree. lol

[AllAmericanAmericanBoy]

... America is not stupid either ... WHAT

How do you explain that we HAVE a bush doctrine???

How do you explain we have a bush at all???

[AmericasTeam]

this is so bogus.....­....Pray McCain wins or else you will be seeing the beginning of the end of the US as wr know it.

[Eoin45]

I'll be happy to see the end of the U.S. as we currently know it. I'd like to see it go back to the way I used to know it.

[Ivygreen]

BRING IT ON!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISED!!!

[JohnTalbutt]

Talbutt Award for best satire of a McCain supporter.

[tlhwraith]

You're kidding right? Have you looked around lately? Not to sound like a fatalist, but that train has already left the station, and here's the important part, most of the problems we are seeing now can be squarely laid at the 90% of policies that McCain agrees with Bush about.

so tell us, in concrete terms and not hyperbole, what is Mc Bush proposing to do that is any different than out idiot-in-chief? Tax cuts? Been there done that, effects are marginal at best. De-regulation? we are seeing the wonderful effects of that toxic stew being played out right before out eyes. Smaller government? Considering that the GOPs pet agency is the military, and given their propensity for picking fights, we have seen a huge increase in military spending (btw, when "I'm ready to be POTUS" Palin decides it would be really nice to start a fight with nuclear armed Russia,what do you think will happen?). Free trade? Ask all those factory workers and other affected by NAFTA how it feels to go from a decent wage job to fighting for a minimum wage gig at the local WalMart (if that's even available).

In short, aside from the BS image as a "maverick" McCain is trying to put forth, his policies are nothing more than a toxic rehash to this country and we deserve better!

[wingnutslayer]

Funny, but that's how we're seeing it after eight years of strict Republican rule. I don't recognize my own country since you GOP (God's Own Party) robots took over. Forget the Dem Congress, one senator and Joe Lieberman do not a majority make. The Republican Party has already instituted "the beginning of the end of the US as wr (we? or is that War Republicans?) know it." For the first time in my 56 years, I'm afraid that a president and his party have screwed things up so badly that we're never going to recover. Two wars not enough for you America's Team? Two misbegotten experiments in nation-building? It's all just fun and games in the stock market, quit whining? You guys have to be from the American Enterprise Institute, that obscene "think tank" where they seem to be growing abnormal and defective brains to further their crackpot neo-con ideology while hiring ex-CEO's from EXXON (Lee Raymond) to formulate their "environmental policy." I should worry about the Democrats after what YOU PEOPLE have done, America's Team? After you, I wouldn't worry if Moe, Larry and Curly got elected. It would be about the same except that the Three Stooges weren't incompetent AND evil. Okay, I understand that this is too difficult for you, turn Rush back on.

[combatveteran]

Exact same thing. Watch Fox.
Malmedy massacre- Americans mowed down the Nazis. WRONG!!!!!!!
Corrected.
Same incorrect "fact" later repeated. WRONG

[Meggie]

"Most Americans" are not running for P/VP of the country.
This is a stupid argument.

But your use of the car repairs isn't the best. Most people do just what you describe - bring the car in and have it fixed - no second opinions. It's common for Americans to get car repairs they don't need at all - transmission and brake pads being two of the most common. So, I don't think they'll get it.

[AllAmericanAmericanBoy]

If it's true that most Americans get hoodwinked by 'Big Auto Mechanic', chalk that up to their stupidity.

Some of us do our homework, and expect, nay REQUIRE authorities to have a clue what's going on.

[combatveteran]

The press let McCain off the hook when he said that Aberdinajad was the leader of Iran (actual leader is the Ali Khamenei). What did mcCain say " I respectfully disagree. I think the American people know who the leader of Iran is. WRONG!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!
God awful press.

[notb observer]

While I'm glad they actually did admit that she didn't know the meaning of the term "Bush doctrine", I'm quite surprised the press waved off this issue with such ease, particularly Gergen who I usually find to be fairly astute. To make the argument that the average American doesn't know the definition of the Bush doctrine has no place in the discussion whatsoever. Instead, they should have asked "How many state governors don't know about the Bush doctrine ?". I'm sure there would be more than a handful, but certainly the majority of them would know. At the very least, the whole situation indicates to me that she was never asked the question by the "vetting team" in the first place. As the most strident supporter of the Iraq war, wouldn't McCain think that his VP's feelings on this war was an important issue, particularly the basis on which it was started ? Given the questions about his health, wouldn't he as the "country first" candidate want to exercise due diligence and make sure his potential replacement had the judgement to lead in his place ? Let the late night comedy shows make jokes about her lack of knowledge, but the press completely dropped the ball in terms of realizing the significance of her blunder !