New Yorker Cover Mocks Palin's Claim Of Foreign Policy Experience

Gawker, Marc Ambinder and our own Rachel Sklar note that the New Yorker is poking some fun at Sarah Palin for her rather dubious claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience. Scroll down for a full size image of the cover.

Comments

[BaltimoreSteve]

It sure would be nice if this could be the cover on the National Enquirer tabloid or Guns magazine.

[bobdob]

The really funny part of the story is that the Bering Strait is approximately 53 miles wide at its narrowest point. At sea level, due to the curvature of the Earth, it's only possible to see about 2.9 miles. So what was Palin talking about when she said: "They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska"? She was talking about the Diomedes--a pair of islands in the middle of the strait:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BeringSt-close-VE.jpg

Big Diomede is the one to the east. That's Russia. Little Diomede is Alaska. I'm sure Palin hangs out on Little Diomede all the time. There are about eight Eskimos living there. It looks like a total party town:

http://www.bssd.org/download/dio_standing_place.mov

For more details, see this:

http://www.slate.com/id/2200155/

[AtticusinPa]

I wondered when someone would call her on that. Two little islands, barely inhabited. That's it. She makes it out to be England and France where you really can see the cliffs of Dover from the beaches of France. But the Diomedes? Ridiculous. Of course, the whole campaign is ridiculous.

[scotia626]

increasingly this campaign proves that americans have no sense of the ridiculous!

[Bocado]

Thanks for the geography lesson.
It'd be great if someone put this in the MSM. lol

[Fraugher]

Yeah but when Putin rears his head on that island, he sends those things through that we watch and send off and where does that Obama bin-happen?

Siberia/Alaska- the next great axis of conflict !!

[Hedonist88]

Palin is the most dangerous kind of fool.

The fool who doesn't know he/she is a fool.

[munki]

The world perceive US (Americans) to be forefront of integration... melting pot...
If we have issue with Obama because of his color - Mespace referred...
We are doomed in respect.

America should live up to its equality... Palin - not qualified at this time...
She probably should have read the job description rather than asking Americans...

Her knowledge is limited, but GOP is giving her a crash course...
Something... takes years to learn...

I must admit, Obama is smart... if he can mature to understand...
he may be a great President in the future... am ??? at this time...
Waiting for rest of the debate... McCain... sometimes is in lala land...

I need a choice, don't we all...
We are living in a global world... Please... America! Wake Up!
Especially those are not on coastal states... we are seeing diversity and... immigrants...
I respect all... as our nation is created by immigrants... but do not welcome those for the purpose of welfare. I was told this in Canada... they are right... We need to take care of our people first...
Americans first... if we can not take care of ourselves first... we cannot be the world leader again...

It kind of reminds me of... on airplane... in case of emergency... put O2 mask on you first before helping others... make sense... thanks

[firelord5000]

Haha awesome

[Venom5809]

That cover is awesome.

[Wingit]

It's a great cover, though I doubt that Palin would get it. The "New Yorker" is a little too sopisticated for her taste.

[JustAProgressive]

The word you're looking for is ELITIST.

[Squigibo]

Yeah, but she can look at the pretty pictures.

[UrsaMajority]

What is even funnier is that the area where Alaska and Russia nearly abut each other is about the most desolate in the world, so the fact that their "terroritory" is near one another is almost irrelevant. Russia could take over one of "our" islands at the end of the Aleutians and Palin wouldn't know about it for six months. To put it in better perspective, New York is almost (off by 150 miles) as close to Moscow as Juneau is.

[polarbearsforobama]

The current New Yorker cover is not satire because Sarah Palin and her handlers have, in fact, cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as evidence of her foreign policy experience. It's not a political cartoon, it's an illustration of what is.

A few weeks ago, the New Yorker cover depicted John McCain having acquired seven houses in a game of Monopoly. That is not satire because John McCain does own seven homes. It's not a political cartoon, it's an illustration of what is.

The Obama New Yorker cover was clearly meant as satire. It was an illustration of what isn't.

[Pupadup4oBama]

A-MEN - I thought the whole hullabaloo over the Obama cover was ridiculous - that was OBVIOUS satire - this is a true commentary on the rethugs main talking point about their VP candidate.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

If most American were at the same educational mind-set to see the cover and understand this picture is not the truth, it is only obvious satire, which means in simple terms a joke that is funny. unfortunately for a large percentage of Americans at voting age can not read and comprehend the messages. If they did, we would not be in the major mess we are in.

These people are doer,needing someone to tell them what they are looking at. Being an interpreter of nasty propaganda is what keeps the republicans in office.

No all American can think for themselves. If they did, they would have purchased their own computer logged-on and joined in on Huffpost months ago.

[Heidfeld]

Ummm, maybe it is satire. Maybe it is a joke on all you Obama people who freaked out about his cover.

Look, the Obama cover was a play on those in the media, and other places, playing up the image of Obama as a muslim (yes, we all know he isn't) and militant. Ok...

So now we have them messing around with the media, and others, that are going crazy on Palin's claim about Russia. Is it so different?

Look, all you people claim to be openminded, fair and honest (although Obama supporters NEVER are... but that is another story). And if you look at what she said, fairly and honestly, it isn't that bad.

Yes, the woman is sophmoric at best, and borderline moronic at worst. No, she is not fit or capable of being VP, and that the chance that it may happen is absolutely horrible, embarassing, and scary.

But, that said, if she knew how to articulate, explain and defend what she said, it wouldn't be so bad. If it was a Democrat who said it, you people would probably have no problem with it. Being in Alaska does make you more aware of foreign policy issues. You are required to think about and consider them more often. For an intelligent person, this makes a difference... and it should be good enough for people who support a candidate with no experience and claims a pathetic little anti-war speech for his "foreign policy" credentials. Get real.

[Scytherius]

She is mega S T U P I D. But the bad thing? She thinks she's smart.

[maxfax]

What does that say about her selection by Republicans?

[MadeinAmericaProud]

She was smart enough to be selected by the John Sidney McCain's Campaign.

Now how does McCain judgment measure up to Obama?

[Wirehedd]

Bill Maher said iit simply and concisely. She's a B I M B O.

[enlighteninglad]

No, the bad thing is that the rightobots think she's smart, and qualified. That is just plain scary. No wonder the rest of the world is scratching their heads about us.

[jacqmac]

The MOST EMBARRASSING thing about this US V. Russia thing and it's companion 'Russia and Alaska are separated by a few miles of water", line is THE UNITED STATES BOUGHT ALASKA FROM THE RUSSIANS!! Yep-TRUE! Seems the Governor was either asleep in Alaska history class or forgot THAT little tidbit! By the way, looking at a map of Alaska, which I do frequently these days, one can see that the WESTERNMOST TIP of ALASKA-on the SEWARD PENINSULA is about the ONLY part of the Continental US that is VERY CLOSE to RUSSIA-and not really RUSSIA. Alaska is closet to the CHUKCHI PENINSULA of SIBERIA. The westernmost of the Aleutian Islands-Attu-is FURTHER away from the Kamchatka Peninsula. The closest Russian property is a little island called Komandorskie Island. All of these places are inhabited by Natives aka Eskimoes. Soooo-if one is claiming experience with Native peoples as 'foreign policy' experience, it's not really a complex issue! Just remember--we BOUGHT ALASKA from the RUSSIANS!!

[delvis]

check out the little diomede island and bg diomede island her husband is Inuit

[helleborine]

Her husband is only 1/4 inuit. Plus he's not exactly carrying out native traditions.

[notb observer]

No offense, but I'm not sure how you've come to conclude that this land purchase is embarrassing... Although I think Palin is about as smart as a bag of hammers, I don't see how the fact that Alaska was purchased from Russia makes her ridiculous foreign policy claim any more or less embarrassing than it is on its own merit. The issue was not about the origin of the State of Alaska, but about her foreign policy experience. She may in fact not know about the Alaska purchase, as you claim, but that was not the question.
A large chunk of the US southwest (today's New Mexico) was purchased from Mexico, and much of modern day Mississippi and Louisiana was purchased from France. Is that embarrassing to the governors of New Mexico and Louisiana in terms of foreign policy experience ? I'm sure that as a potential Obama VP pick, Gov. Richardson would strongly disagree with you !
I don't get your point, but if you are a recent convert to the Dem side, then "Welcome" !

[Squigibo]

Gotta keep an eye on those pesky Russian Eskimo's. With their Cold War era spears and harpoons.

[JTyroler]

The worst thing about this claim to have foreign policy experience by being near Russia is that it took 2 or 3 weeks before she realized that Alaska is also close to Canada!

[notb observer]

The bad news for Canadians is that they're starting to find out that she's their neighbor ! I'm sure that can't be good for real estate values in British Columbia ;)

[FormerReaganite]

It is a good thing that Palin keeps a watchful eye on those Canadians too!
I mean, what if they decide to invade Alaska?

[mudfiles]

Palin makes Quayle look like a certified genius.

[Paralogos]

Hey, Quayle at least managed to get a Juris Doctor from the Indiana University law school.

[jimmyjones22]

just ONE school? what a loser!

Don't you know you need at least three to be truely edgimicated!

Otherwise you're just elitist.

[editorjuno]

The frightening thing is that Quayle was on a winning GOP ticket.

[Pupadup4oBama]

AND Junior too!!!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

All they needed to do was take a photo of Palin in her parents house with all the dead things on the wall and all over the place and that would have been much better satire.

[Quilter]

The Palin New Yorker cover simplifies, simplism and simplemindedness.

[knighthowl]

Please. It is dead on. It was Palin herself who claimed foreign policy experience because Russia could be seen from Alaska. Face it: your VP candidate is a fool.

[notthistime]

and McCain is even more foolish because HE selected her. You gotta question his judgement.

[DubiousAtBest]

Don't be a simpleton.

[chitown8]

Gotta Keep your Sense of HUmor!-


John Mccain!

[Tatters]

This is not the time to come together. Keep in mind what George Bush said when he became president.
"We will reach out to those that share the same value as we do". Well Democrats do not share, anti-choice, anti-immigration, anti-minority, anti-gay, anti-free thinking, anti-science, fundamentalist sectarian ideology.

It's us against them and they want to send US (the evil other) to hell.

Let's put them down (figuratively, that is). Fight and eradicate the looney right.

[notb observer]

So much work ahead to undo the harm that has befallen this country since the 80s.

Eradicate ignorance, intolerance and incompetence in the masses, enforce the separation of church and state, outlaw having a beer with the president, bring the fairness doctrine back to the media, hold representative government accountable to the people and to the law, reclaim the government from the corporate lobbyists and their masters (Rep & Dem !).

The most important step is to free the media from its corporate masters. The media are our eyes and ears into the conduct of government. Under the 1st Amendment, they are granted access to places we cannot go, to shine light into the dark corners and inform the people. Over the past 20 years, the media has abrogated its responsibilities and failed the people. They have substituted news and investigative reporting with OJ, Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton, Brittney, Brangelina and other irrelevant garbage. They have opted for profit over truth and information. The continuing tragedies that confront our country and planet are out sight and out of mind.
People can live their spiritual life governed by the man in the pulpit, but to blindly trust your political leaders based on religious faith is unacceptably stupid, irresponsible and lazy.
"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom." It is the media's responsibility to report, and the people's responsibility to be knowledgeable ! There is no free ride, or we end up where we are today !