The New Yorker Can See Russia From Sarah Palin's House

What has been the takeaway from the abundance of Sarah Palin coverage over the past few weeks? This week's New Yorker boils it down. See below:

From Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin:

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

PALIN: They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

From Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin:

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-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: 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 you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into 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 this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

From "Saturday Night Live":

AMY POEHLER AS HILLARY CLINTON: I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy.

TINA FEY AS PALIN: And I can see Russia from my house!

From Barry Blitt on the cover of this week's New Yorker, a distillation:

NB: This cover is done in homage to the famous Saul Steinberg view from New York.

Also NB: I'm sure this cover gave David Remnick an extra savage jolt of joy, because he actually really does know about Russia.

NB redux: Once again Barry Blitt taps into the zeitgeist. I'll just leave it at that.

Comments

[Whinger]

07:16 PM on 09/30/2008

Ah! But those guy's don't know about Sarah's over the horizon binoculars­!

[cinemabon]

05:35 PM on 09/30/2008

I cannot for the life of me understand how this election can be this close. Is America now the laughing stock of the world? Look at Florida and Ohio... I used to live in both places. Are there really that many gullable people out there, that they can't see through the Repulican lies any longer? What is going on? Recession? I feel like I'm in the middle of a depression when I see someone like Sarah Palin in a position of power. We're doomed! It's the end of the world!

[Obibrenner]

07:17 PM on 09/30/2008

Not everyone is forward thinking when it comes to a person of color. Add to it the non Angelo sounding name, Barrak Hussien Obama, and the wide spread lie of his being a Muslim, and of course him being an "elitist" read "uppity", I'm surprised we are ahead at all.

I always figured that it would be at least one more generation before a black candidate would have a legitimate shot at being vice president, never mind president. That Obama is leading is a scathing indictment against this current administra­tion, and the current Republican ticket.

Let's continue to work hard and not let up until November 5th.

[CalifroniaMark]

08:21 PM on 09/30/2008

Some People would rather live in Cardboard boxes and stand in Breadlines than vote a Person of Color into the Presidency even if He is the right Man for the job... It's pathetic but true.

[appleknocker]

05:25 PM on 09/30/2008

Actually, there is a lot of exchange between Alaska and Russia. The Russians sell vodka to Alaska and Alaskans hop over to Russia to club seals.

[noamjunior]

04:53 PM on 09/30/2008

I can see Hienz field from my house'

think the steelers could try me out as a running back?

[Incredulous]

03:32 PM on 09/30/2008

Hey Peter! I can see your house from up here!

[Forester]

02:04 PM on 09/30/2008

"They're [Russians] in the state that I am the executive of."

-W couldn't have mangled it any better.

[deeppeace]

05:17 PM on 09/30/2008

Her English teacher just jumped off the Bridge to Nowhere.

[eladora]

01:53 PM on 09/30/2008

I am sure that they have advance knowledge of the ??s. This debate is different in that they will be allowed to talk and lie at lenght without interrupti­on. Everyone should feel for Biden because he
is in a terrible position ---no matter how he does , it wont matter, She will get all the coverage ---good or bad.
Biden is an American public servant who deserves better than the press has been treating him.

[justoverit333]

02:59 PM on 09/30/2008

But the press will not be good for her
because the overall impression she will leave
is that she cannot lead this country. Biden can.

[TrooAmerican]

01:41 PM on 09/30/2008

So, the cover just isnt very good. Theres no images of dead wolves with legs missing, no images of skinned Moose, and no gun in the picture with blood on her hands while the alaskan government wonders why shes billing them for being gone from her job 71% of her actual workdays of her first 20 months in office.
or about 52% including all weekends but not including holidays and vacations.

[thinkyourownhead]

01:35 PM on 09/30/2008

Am I the only one seriously disturbed by this? I mean, how crazy...??­? The world is laughing at us again!!! This woman is a foot away from becoming a president and… It really makes me angry that, from the beginning, McCain's campaign is sending us one message and the message is - You are all just plain stupid!

But, not to stop there, they're trying to ridicule entire process of political and presidenti­al selection by showing to the world that, in America, who ever wishes to run for the second highest ranked position on the globe, doesn’t really need to know anything! No study cardz are needed here! We have no criteria. In fact, all we really hope is for that person NOT to make a major mistake since expectatio­ns are low anyway… I mean, give me a brake! McCain's campaign are the same people that gave us sitting president, same old, same old... Are we really falling in the same trap again?!!!

[Lpeter]

01:27 PM on 09/30/2008

She hasn't confessed that the bridge to nowhere was really to Russia.

Maybe she'll defect before the election.

[mellene]

01:10 PM on 09/30/2008

Much more of a softball than they gave the Obamas.

[mybostonjack]

12:54 PM on 09/30/2008

The funniest thing is how she keeps repeating it over and over. Go figure.

[DCCommuter]

12:44 PM on 09/30/2008

In comparison to that famously extremely ugly cover of Obama and his wife as Islamic terrorists­, this is a gentle tease. They must want McCain to win.

[ratcity]

12:38 PM on 09/30/2008

Somebody please give her a bigger pair of binoculars­, so she can see the moon. Then she can be an astronaut.

[BannedFromCommenting]

12:13 PM on 09/30/2008

I CAN SEE THE OCEAN FROM MY HOUSE! I AM NOW AN OCEANOGRAP­HER!

I CAN SEE THE MOON FROM MY HOUSE! I AM NOW AN INTRAGALAC­TIC POLICY EXPERT SHOULD MARTIANS LAND!

I CAN SEE A PLANE FLY OVER MY HOUSE! I AM NOW AN AVIATION EXPERT!

and so on and so on and so on........­.........

[nastyvirus]

01:11 PM on 09/30/2008

Continued.­....

I can see the highway from my house, now I'm a Traffic Cop.

I can see a constructi­on site, now I am the Capo of the Mafia.

I can see the clouds in the sky, that makes me a Weather Forecaster­.

I saw the movie "Die Hard", now I have a machine gun.

[BannedFromCommenting]

01:49 PM on 09/30/2008

Adding too!

I GOT DRESSED TODAY, I AM NOW A CLOTHING DESIGNER
I TIED MY NIKE SHOES, I AM AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

I READ AN ADDICT'S RANTS ABOUT SARAH PALIN, I AM NOW A LICENSED THERAPIST! (I WORK ON A SLIDING SCALE)

[nastyvirus]

01:15 PM on 09/30/2008

Now you got me hooked on this, you better pay for my Addiction Counseling­:

I saw the Space Shuttle land on TV, now I am director of NASA.

I'm watching CNN, that makes me Bill O'Reilly.

I'm watching Congress run around like chickens without heads, that makes me a butcher.

I saw Martha Stewart on TV, that makes me a Gynecologi­st.

Somebody shoot me.