GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin was interviewed on ABC, noting that she can handle foreign policy with Russia because from her state of Alaska she can actually see Russia. Perhaps not from her major’s office in Wasilla or capitol office in Juneau (which is off the map shown above to the bottom right)…

In the past month or so this blog has shifted emphasis from the large swathe of posts covering some aspect of the study of Islam or the Middle East to the current presidential election in the United States. In large part this is because the political game overrides the “united” part with a partisan division into red and blue states. The candidates have specific stands, as well as generic punch lines for the public, on a range of these issues. Certainly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which daily claim American military lives and many more civilians, are a major part of the electoral mix. Before the conventions it was John McCain, the proud war-first-not-country-first candidate vs. Barak Obama, who had the judgment to say going into Iraq was a big mistake.

But McCain surprised everyone (including party pooper — and I mean that literally — Joe Lieberman, no doubt) by choosing a VP candidate with zero foreign policy experience, who had never left the country (outside of tourist visits to Canada and Mexico) until a ceremonial trip to visit the Alaska National Guard troops (which she has no authority over when outside Alaska) in Kuwait, and who thinks being next to Russia across the Bering Strait makes her a specialist on post-Cold-War policy making. What I want to know is how strong the binoculars are from Juneau, where you can sure see Canada on a clear day, or Anchorage. It may not matter if the hottest governor in the nation is prepared to get even hotter and go to the gates of hell to look Putin (apparently she does not know how to pronounce Dmitry Medvedev’s name) in the face with that pitbull smile of hers. Of course, after all, as she stated, from her state of Alaska she can actually see Russia. If seeing is believing, Palin is the poster child for Republican optical illusions.

Forget the soccer mom silliness, pit bulls fighting pigs over the lipstick, family values in sermons and punch lines rather than actually in her family, a revenge mentality when she gets into office. Enough, as we all should be saying. Yesterday was the first time a reporter actually was able to ask questions of the new VP celebrity. Alaska’s state fair lady Eliza Doolittle went to the media debutante ball. And all but the most partisan hacks saw through the sham. Palin started out by asserting she accepted the offer without any doubts (so much for her interest in self reflection and critical assessment before making a decision) and she did not blink. But guess what? If you look at the video and turn off the sound, you will see quite a few blinks, and even a wink or two. Nervous, perhaps? What if she did not remember her exact senior-Bush-aide coaching points? What if it became obvious the governor did not know much about the world apart from moose hunting, snowmobile races and praying that her constituents were convicted by the Holy Spirit that her pipeline plan was God’s plan? Do take a look. If she was the democratic candidate, the folks behind McCain would be handing out the cigars to themselves for four more years of the Lobbyist 527 Unlimited Express.

But there’s more. When ABC anchor Charley Gibson asked her if she supported the “Bush Doctrine,” she had no idea what he was talking about. Perhaps Bush’s worldview? (Well, that would be a piece of cake, since Bush famously said in his first run that his favorite philosopher is Jesus.) Even when Gibson clarified he was referring to the doctrine proclaimed just after 9/11, she didn’t get it. It was back to the mantra of going after Islamic terrorists. So here is my advice to the McCain campaign. Send Bush’s rescue squad back home; they blew it. Here is a way to save money and really get Palin up to speed. Are you ready? WIKIPEDIA! Yes, there is a page on WIKIPEDIA with everything Sarah Palin may want to learn for the first time about the Bush Doctrine.

Luke R. E. Publican