Leading GOP Senator Admits She Knows Almost Nothing About Sarah Palin

Looking for a quick reaction, and likely endorsement, of John McCain's surprise pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate this morning, CNN turned to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the experienced Texan who was also on McCain's short list for the post.

But, asked about Palin, all Hutchison could muster, just before the official announcement, was a few generalities about "spirit" and "enthusiasm," before admitting, "I don't know much about her."

CNN's John King then asked, well, what does it mean that such a longtime GOP leader such as yourself doesn't know much about her when McCain in his ads is hitting Obama on his lack of experience? Palin has served as governor of her state for only two years. Hutchison repeated her earlier statements about "youth" and said flatly, "I don't know Sarah Palin," adding maybe that it was a "good thing" that she is fresh and not that well known.

Pressed again about why she would think that Palin was ready to be commander in chief, a charge leveled at Obama, Hutchison could only muster that, well, she was sure John McCain had sat down with her and was convinced of this.

CNN's John Roberts then said that what we do know is that she can eat a mooseburger, drive a snowmobile and fire a rifle. A few minutes later, CNN was reporting on an ethics probe of Palin in Alaska surrounding the state firing her brother-in-law, a state trooper involved in a "messy" divorce with her sister.

Meanwhile, Carl Cameron over at Fox was reporting that Palin is known as a big hockey fan and everyone know that hockey fans are really "blue-collar." So this will allegedly help the ticket win Minnesota, Wisconsin, and so forth. Fox's Steve Doocy said that Palin was not so weak on foreign policy expertise. After all, he pointed out, her state is physically quite close to Russia.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. He is editor of Editor & Publisher.

Comments

[BottomLine2008]

The real Republican women leaders must be mortified by this.

[TheOldSchool]

Dan Quayle with a pony tail.

[LAB10]

LOL!!!!!

[ricsshhhtick]

Ric Il. Is This and underhanded, slap to the face of all women, kind of move!
McCain's pick's a woman, SarahPalin, to be his VP running mate! It seems like a desperate move? She has linited experience But,, she's definetly a woman! Could it be, Johnny Mc. is playing with the intelligence of all women, by his selection! Hmmmmmmmmmm!

[plafayette]

Listen, I am sooo happy about this pick I could also cry. I dreaded some suprise pick like a Colin Powell which would have really given us a run for the WH. This is a damn near a concession. Obama 08

[noamjunior]

Beware of GOP "outsider" governers from oil- rich states

[ABrindell]

While I get the major reasons for McCain's pick of Palin, frankly I think this undercuts exactly what had been working for the Republican propaganda machine - saying Barack Obama is inexperienced. It was the only thing they were getting traction on, and now they have a set up where the oldest President we'd ever have (72... which puts him above the average lifespan of an American male within his FIRST TERM as president) is choosing a VP who has barely 2 years of experience as a governor, and before that was mayor of a town of 9000 people. What right do they have to point fingers and say inexperienced now?

[doctorwang]

Consevatives will love this:

"John McCain and nearly every economist agrees that a windfall-profits tax on the oil industry would drive away investment, increase prices to consumers, and make Americans more dependent on foreign oil. If anyone wants to see that in microcosm, they only need look at Alaska. With the backing of Governor Sarah Palin, the state managed to drive away investment in development by hiking taxes on oil companies drilling on state lands¦.

In fact, Palin"s plan looks similar in concept to Barack Obama"s plan. The state gave Alaskans $1200 checks from oil revenues as a one-time bonus to pay for increased fuel prices, a move Palin pushed. That echoes the Obama plan to send one-time rebates to taxpayers, funded by similar levies on oil companies."

http://race42008.com/2008/08/11/palin-not-pure-as-snow/

[proudcalib]

This is a baffling pick, to say the least. In an transparent attempt to co-opt disaffected Hillary voters, McCain is willing to squandor his major calling card in this election, i.e., experience.

Gov Palin seems like a fine person, but commander in chief?

[confuseddemocrat]

It is hilarious and interesting listening to the republican punditry trying to argue that Palin has more leadership experience than Barack Obama and thus is prepared to take over the country if, God forbids, something happens to McCain.

[doctorwang]

This should sit well with the neocons:

Republicans in Congress this June united to defeat a proposed windfall tax on oil companies, deriding it as a bad idea that would discourage investment in U.S. oil exploration.

Things worked out far differently in the GOP stronghold of Alaska, a state whose economic fate is closely tied to the oil industry.

Over the opposition of oil companies, Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska's Legislature last year approved a major increase in taxes on the oil industry -- a step that has generated stunning new wealth for the state as oil prices soared.

[mikeydreslim]

We Dems are in trouble with McCain's selection.

Palin is tough. She is no dumb Bimbo and even though she is relatively inexperienced she is quite good at the job she does....

We can not trumpet the inexperienced card unless of course we are rebutting McCain's accusations...but then voters that vote for experience are more likely to vote for an inexperienced VP than a percieved inexperinced president.

She is pretty

She is White

She is a woman

She is a smart woman.

We are in trouble.

I watched her speech, she reminded me of Obama.

[Terriac]

And she's the antithesis of Hillary, as well as Democratic policies. Being white, a woman, pretty, even if she is smart, won't pull in the women who supported Hillary. Just wait until more comes out. This is a transparent attempt to appeal to voters on the fence. He may get some of them, but I doubt it will work out as well as he's hoping.

[daniellenow]

hahaha yeah sure "we dems"... ok!! whatever you say!

[booker52]

I would of thought if McCain was going for the womens vote he would of chosen Sen Hutchison. Instead McCain jumps the shark and picks an unknow Gov from Alaska. With Sen Hutchison he would of at least stood a chance in debates against Biden. With Palin you might as well call it a day. Good for the DEMs I say. This gal is pro life and will not attract the Hillary votes. By not picking Mitt he just lost on the economy. by not picking the Gov of Minn, he just lost that state. John what were you thinking??? I know this had to be a last minute choice and that is my guess when Obama didn't pick Hillary.

[EdwardTx]

I was wondering how long it would take before someone would look at this announcement in this way. This seems a slap in the face to experienced Republican women. Objectively, Sen. Hutchison is far more qualified for the VP slot than Gov. Palin. So are Senators Dole, Collins and Snowe. Or is Sen. McCain afraid of strong Republican women who could be considered his equal? Clearly, Gov. Palin is not his equal.

This a cynical attempt to attract Hillary Clinton voters who are too smart to fall for this. But mark my words. It will not take long to hear this or some variation from the Democrats: "I know Sen. Clinton. She is a friend of mine. Gov. Palin, you are no Hillary Clinton."

[noamjunior]

good post

[Terriac]

I don't know about anyone else, but everyone I have been talking to this morning after hearing about McCain's VP pick is laughing and snickering, for the most part. And they're not all Democrats, either. You watch, McCain just sunk his bid for the presidency. He couldn't have made a more stupid choice. And by the way, every woman out there should be incensed at this choice. He actually thinks women will be impressed that he picked a woman -- any woman, apparently. Doesn't matter. I actually think the fact that she's pretty is what gave her the final push for McCain. McCain just thumbed his nose at every woman on the planet. I think he just lost the election.

[luisroman]

Two months telling the world that Obama doesn't have the foreign policy experience to protect America, and this is the woman you select to place a (faltering) heartbeat away from the presidency, Senator McCain? You accuse Sen. Obama of putting ambition before the good of the country, and you make this nakedly cynical a selection, basically telling the world, I needed to shore up my concservative base, and I wanted to take a shot at all those disaffected Hillary Clinton voters, and this was a candidate who served both those purposes? I am ashamed of you, Sen. McCain. You have sacrificed every priniciple you believed in for one last shot at glory. If it was not clear after Sen. Obama's speech last night, you have made it crystal clear today: we cannot afford to elect you or Gov. Palin as our leaders - there is too much at stake