In her famous (or infamous?) interview with Couric divided over several segments, Palin had been giving answers so sad and pathetic, it completely sets the bar at ground level for her when she debates Joe Biden tonight. At this point as long as she doesn’t drool, throw up, or pee herself, it will be declared by her spin-surgeons as a complete success. Don’t laugh. Remember that the first George Bush threw up on the Japanese Prime Minister during a trip to Japan. It could happen.
Palin was asked by Katie Couric about her choice of reading material. The question by Couric was simple:
Katie Couric: And when it comes to establishing your worldview, I was curious: what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this to stay informed and to understand the world?
Sarah Palin: I’ve read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media.
KC: But, like, what ones specifically? I’m curious.
SP: Um, all of them, any of ‘em that have been in front of me over all these years.
KC: Can you name a few?
SP: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news too. Alaska isn’t a foreign country, where, it’s kind of suggested and it seems like, ‘Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C. may be thinking and doing when you live up there in Alaska?’ Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America.
Now mind you, this was a pretty simple question. I could have been asked this question as a third grader, and would have instantly spouted off an answer like “Highlights, or “The Weekly Reader.” I had never heard of a publication called “Um All of Them.” Could this be what she meant?
Humor aside, this is quite serious. John McCain has been complaining about “gotcha journalism” lately, but this question hardly fits that description. I’m certain that most Americans can tell you their favorite publications.
For the record, mine are The New Yorker, The Birmingham News, The Onion, Time, and the online Huffington Post. I have a few more, but those are the ones that I could think of offhand.
I think the answer scared me because it sounded almost verbatim to an answer that a relative of mine would give. I love this relative dearly, but I also know that this person in question is not at all a reader, and is not very well informed on anything. I believe that when pressed, this relative of mine would have given an almost identical answer in a sad attempt to sound informed.
Looking at the answer that Palin gave, along with her demeanor suggests that she in fact, does not read at all.
That little revelation does not at all sit well with me.
I am not trying to come off as one of those “elitist, book-learnin’ types.” The fact is though, that one who is involved in politics, who is aspiring to the second highest office in the land, almost has to read certain publications to keep abreast of what is going on in the world. To me, this is a given. If George W. Bush is any indication, aversion to books by members of the Executive Branch is a dangerous thing. Oh why can’t we as Americans learn from our history so that we’re not doomed to repeat it?
On another note, the Vice-Presidential debate is tonight. You know I’ll be popping some popcorn for this one. It seems that another banner has appeared in “The Wall Street Journal:”
I loved this little take-off on the banner that appeared in last week’s “Wall Street Journal” the morning before the debate between McCain and Obama.
Wow! A debate tonight that will compare Biden’s stupid gaffes with Palin’s unbelievably stupid gaffes. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that Joe Biden is a great Senator and a wonderful Vice-Presidential candidate, but he does often speak before he thinks.
Confidential to Ohio State Buckeyes fans. Sorry about Joe’s comments. He’s just a really big fan of the team of his alma-mater, the University of Delaware Blue Hens.
Who’d have thought that someone could come along and make Joe Biden look prudent in his comments?
