Top McCain Aides: 'Palin Simply Knew Nothing About National And International Issues'

The McCain campaign continues to snipe at each other over the handling, and subsequent effect, of Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. According Nicole Wallace, a senior McCain aide who is one of Palin's handlers and helped to orchestrate her initial rollout, there is an 'organized campaign to lay blame' for things at her feet. Robert Draper, however, offers a defense of Wallace, saying she's kept quiet about things that a couple of McCain higher-ups have leaked to him, and that Wallace was in a very unenviable position:

I'm sympathetic to Eskew and Wallace, and not just because they're decent people. They've held their tongue from leaking what a couple of McCain higher-ups have told me--namely, that Palin simply knew nothing about national and international issues. Which meant, as one such adviser said to me: "Letting Sarah be Sarah may not be such a good thing." It's a grim binary choice, but apparently it came down to whether to make Palin look like a scripted robot or an unscripted ignoramus. I was told that Palin chafed at being defined by her discomfiting performances in the Couric, Charlie Gibson, and Sean Hannity interviews. She wanted to get back out there and do more. Well, if you're Eskew and Wallace, what do you say to that? Your responsibility isn't the care and feeding of Sarah Palin's ego; it's the furtherance of John McCain's quest for the presidency.

Draper also reports that McCain snubbed Palin during a long ride on the Straight Talk Express.

Comments

[luckydreamer]

McCain chose SP. She shouldn't be blamed for her limited world view and lack of education and experience. Eventually, there will be a book that will give us the behind the scenes story of who convinced him to choose her, why he went along with their advice and who was responsible for the vetting. I'm for Obama and I can't understand how McCain supporters can defend the Rep. ticket. I would be embarrassed to say that I believed that she should be a 72 year old heartbeat from being our Commander In Chief, the President of the United States of America. I just wish someone would ask ME what newspapers I read everyday and what other news sources I turn to to get information...I would go into overtime. PLEASE !!! Who, in good conscience can vote for them?

[cobaltbluedog]

Hi Lucky,

Trust me,you're preaching to the amen corner, but I disagree on your first point.

You said, "She shouldn't be blamed for her limited world view and lack of education and experience".
While, yes, you can't blame her for her limited background, there is no excusing her saying YES, to McCain's offer. Most of us know where we stand on the intellectual food chain. Like in my case, let's just say that, Wernher von Braun, had nothing to fear from me. But, my heart's usually in the right place, which, as smart as he was, is not something you could always say about ol' Werner. If Palin was not such a narsissist she'd have recognized her limits and said no.
She should have listened to Nancy Reagan and "just said no".

[independent4obama2]

I had a dream Sarah was Commander in Chief of the Military now run by the NRA.
All the men had been called to start Wars around the world, in any country that didn’t have threat of nuclear with the biggest Oil reserves.

Levi Johnston, was appointed to running the units which primarily consisted of young, pregnant teenage girls dressed in hunting regalia marching and chanting the new national anthem, “Drill, Baby Drill”.
It had been about Oil all along!!!!! Wed been completely duped.

Please on November 5th let me wake up and tell me this was only a Dream, a complete
f--king nightmare!!!!

[ProfessorVP]

Sarah Palin is clearly the kind of gal who thinks innuendo is an Italian suppository.

[DeeW]

lol ... that probably shouldn't have, but it made me laugh.

[TheTruthInLove]

Maybe she just doesn't test well, but is really smart if you throw out the test scores.

[Lotus19]

In other words...she's not an idiot, she just plays one on TV?

[TimeKoder13]

no duh, how can you have a world leader who thinks the world is made up of whites and Eskimos. These days you have to deal with all the races and feel comfortable doing it. I'm glad I'm from a Cosmopolitan, multiethnic city full of working class elites.

[butonelife]

But but but but...you can see RUSSIA from my house!

[mwestorca]

Joe, the Plumber is the ideal replacement for Sarah Palin. He IS the 6-Pack Joe. He doesn't need expensive clothes. He misunderstands world events and economic theories at the same level as Sarah. He may have some tax issues, but no legal problems anywhere near those that Sarah is dragging around. He's already been vetted.

This is what McCain has done to the American people by choosing Sarah Palin. He's given us a Veep who is Joe the Plumber in drag.

[DirkdenHartogForObama]

Watch Macpalin this weekend .........he will be like a cornered rat (which of course they are),

[plafayette]

Sarah Palin is still in the process of being vetted...and it is far from over. I do believe that we are still skimming the outer layers of her life and political story. McCain has been very successful in sheltering her in order to benefit his campaign but he won't shield her after they lose(if they lose?). The people in Alaska have seen the real Sarah for the first time and many have not liked what they saw. They now have lots of questions about the ice-rink contractors also "helped" to build Palin house..(sounds a bit like Ted Stevens crimes). Then there's goning to be plenty of time to look into the whole Palin relationship to AIP, Abuse of Power Troopergate, relationship to convicted felon Ted Stevens, Bridges & Roads to Nowhere, billing the state to live in her own home, showing up at work for 93 days out of the year...etc. I will raise money for whoever runs against her...for any seat. She is rotten to the core....not good for America.

[sjk1]

tonite should start with the video of Mccain teling that little old lady "I have to tell you. Sen. Obama is a decent person and a person you don't have to be scared of as president of the United States"

[FirstShirt]

Then follow it up with Biden saying Obama is unqualified for the job.

[luckydreamer]

That's funny and possible!!!!

[Likipedia]

We can't all crash 5 planes, and finish 5th from last of our graduating class.
Too bad W. isn't on the ballot, eh?

[trisha08]

What I don't understand is all the recent stories (just read one at Newsweek.com, ABC video, CNN, and a few others) that talk about Sarah's plans and future after the election. All of them, discuss her as a viable candidate in 2012. In fact, they have even laid out her defenses for her so she doesn't even have to think. What is going on here? Who is behind all these stories. Rove? He is the master at twists and turns and turning a negative (Sarah's pregnant daughter) into a positive (family values).

She has the lowest approval rating of any VPcandidate....ever and now she's a viable candidate for President? Even if she blames McCain for her handling, how can she explain her own lack of knowlege and understand. The GOP holds her up as a bright shining new star yet look at the number of Repbulicans who are turning away from their party because of Sarah Palin. I'm talking big names in the party and lots of Republicans. Sure, she has a following, but look at who they are....far, far, far right (mostly evangelicals,etc) and extremists.

I just think it's curious. What's going on here? Thoughts?

[Rapid Ray]

Even before she got the VP nod, Palin was already being seen as an up and comer by the Republican party. Grass roots beginnings, high marks for popularity in office, and young, unlike most of the party hierarchy. Given the long time perception of being "old cronies with ties to the rich", Palin had everything they need to break the mold and attract younger voters.

Palin was on the top of the list to re-image the party, but they pulled her into the spotlight to go after the disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters before they know how to market her correctly. That's been pretty evident in the way they had kept the press out of harm's reach, and only more evident as the McCain campaign staff is beginning to reveal her situation and handling as she has been introduce.

The Republicans went "all in" when betting on Palin's future and thier own.
The voters are calling their bluff.

Now all the chips are on the table, they have to play the hand that they have. Some of them are wishing they hadn't been dealt the Palin card off the bottom of the deck while the better cards...Romney, Huckabee, Pawlenty...were discarded.

Palin in 08?
Not likely. Expect the Republicans to fold, cut their losses and keep look elsewhere for the next "up and comer" that they can devote a full 8 years to grooming.

[cheeriogirl]

Several older Republican men and their wives stopped in Juneau during an Alaskan cruise. Sarah got wind that they were coming to town from the Washington lobbyist she hired to get her earmarks. She called and invited them over for lunch. They accepted, she flirted, and they spent the day with her. Everyone had a wonderful time, and Kristol was especially smitten. He pushed her so hard for the V.P. pick, I believe CNN finally told him to quit talking about her. They picked her because thay had nobody else to run, so why not a woman who can wear tight clothing and look pretty? Looked like a fine pick, until the first time she opened her mouth without a teleprompter. Once she had to answer a question, they could hide her no longer.

Don't worry, she is a flash in the pan who will never be seen from again on the national level. They are trying to push her on us. But despite the fact that they knew how to dress her up, they won't be able to cover for her lack of education, or knowledge needed to serve our country.

The republican party would like you to believe that "we the people" are that stupid. I believe the landslide turnout in early voters says we are not.

YES WE CAN

[sjk1]

Pets get better vetting. Espcially pit bulls.

[Rapid Ray]

When following the leader can lead into the jaws of death...

"By adopting this 'quorum response', where subjects are prepared to follow a leader only when a threshold number of individuals behave in a particular way, animals can reduce the likelihood of spreading non-adaptive following behaviour. Whereas a single, maverick individual may act irrationally in a given situation, it is far less likely that two individuals will act so strangely."

"Much human action is driven by simple decision rules and our work illustrates how those rules are common throughout the animal kingdom. A better understanding of this decision-making mechanism in humans and other animals helps us understand how people behave in crowds and shows why sometimes people in groups do apparently stupid things, such as stand in the street and stare skyward when there's nothing to see, just because someone else is doing it."

[jcwtts1]

You can't complain that she is incompetent when YOU FRIGGIN PICKED HER!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[Paisano]

The vetting process at it's worst!!!

[jcwtts1]

What vetting process... he picked her because they wouldn't let him have Liberman or prochoice tom ridge. They did not vet, and she knew nothing about the world. She'll do better in 8 years when she runs again but she made herself Dan Quayle.

J

[katlade]

Uh, duh. Does the McCain camp really believe that most Americans think Palin is knowledgable about anything? She can't even run her own family. The only ones that might have confidence in her are all those Bible thumpers that watch the 700 club etc and are so easily manipulated into believing that Obama will bring about the end of the world. That is how the conservative base works - fear and manipulation and the followers are led right down the path of hate and prejudice. Makes me sick. I hope these people will move to Alaska with their annoited Saint Sarah, join the Alaskan Independence Party and secede from the Union.