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Palin to media on Russia quote: Let it go

“Even hard news sources, credible news sources — the comment about, you can see Russia from Alaska. You can!”

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I’ll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig’s real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me?

faraway on January 13, 2009 at 11:51 AM

Palin- “Just when I thought I was out……They pull me back in!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKR3QU3dB0M

portlandon on January 13, 2009 at 11:56 AM

I’ve lived in a couple of different border states, north and south. In Vermont, we were more tuned in to issues with Canada, from the trivial (having to watch for those annoying Canadian coins in our change from Vermont stores) to the more profound (weapons crossing the border illegally). In Texas (and now California), we were much more aware of the issues pertaining to illegal immigration from Mexico. And, Floridians are certainly more aware of what’s happening in Cuba.

Why is it so hard for the media to accept that the governor of a state that is about 100 km from Russia would be more attuned to what is going on there than the governor of a more distant state might be?

Y-not on January 13, 2009 at 11:57 AM

a factual statement that was taken out of context and mocked

Standard operating procedure for these people – right from the liberal playbook. The page number for that one must be in the single digits.

wise_man on January 13, 2009 at 11:58 AM

Leave Palin and Trig alone!

An Era of Hate on January 13, 2009 at 11:58 AM

What was missing from the edited quote (done intentionally, no doubt) was the context within which it was made. Anyone who read the full transcript of that interview knows this, and knows that the editing was intended to make her sound naive.

D2Boston on January 13, 2009 at 12:00 PM

Of course it was factual that you can see Russia from Alaska. No one really argued it wasn’t. The hilarious thing was (and is) that she said it as if it gave her some sort of foreign policy experience. But she knows that.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM

Anyone who read the full transcript of that interview knows this, and knows that the editing was intended to make her sound naive.

Esquire magazine trying to make Palin sound naive and unintelligent? SHOCKER.

The Media has reached pathetic proportions. They are unapologetic in their bias. Who holds the media accountable?

Nobody.

portlandon on January 13, 2009 at 12:06 PM

The hilarious thing was (and is) that she said it as if it gave her some sort of foreign policy experience. But she knows that.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM

Um, no she didn’t. It was a general statement on the need to keep an international perspective, and why Alaskans would care about Russia. Go back and read the excised parts of the Gibson “nose-glasses”interview.

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 12:06 PM

Y-not on January 13, 2009 at 11:57 AM

You know you can see Canada from Vermont?

drjohn on January 13, 2009 at 12:07 PM

Yeah, like Obama referring to how his campaigning for the presidency gave him executive experience…
/sarc

Y-not on January 13, 2009 at 12:07 PM

Of course it was factual that you can see Russia from Alaska. No one really argued it wasn’t. The hilarious thing was (and is) that she said it as if it gave her some sort of foreign policy experience. But she knows that.

As opposed to the One’s ability to poorly organize a community which gives him all sorts of foreign policy experience?

Try again, sweetpea. She said it because it’s true. You people took it as “Oh, THAT’s her qualification.” As opposed to the work she did with Canada (believe it or not, but we are a different country from the United States) with a pipeline. And other such work.

Maybe you need to let it go too. Your idiot candidate won. Let’s see how he does when Israel bombs the living crap out of Tehran. I’m sure community organizing will help.

mjk on January 13, 2009 at 12:09 PM

PALIN: I do believe unprovoked and we have got to keep our eyes on Russia, under the leadership there. I think it was unfortunate. That manifestation that we saw with that invasion of Georgia shows us some steps backwards that Russia has recently taken away from the race toward a more democratic nation with democratic ideals. That’s why we have to keep an eye on Russia.

And, Charlie, you’re in Alaska. We have that very narrow maritime border between the United States, and the 49th state, Alaska, and Russia. They are our next door neighbors.We need to have a good relationship with them. They’re very, very important to us and they are our next door neighbor.

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.

Gibson, played her into saying this.

An Era of Hate on January 13, 2009 at 12:09 PM

Seeing Russia from Alaska is nothing….On a clear day and if you look really hard you can see Mexico from the banks of the Rio Grande…

rich801 on January 13, 2009 at 12:09 PM

“I’ll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig’s real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We’re gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it’s been quite cryptic the way that my son’s birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.”

For a clear look at the lunacy of the Anchorage Daily News, check out the last few entries at the paper’s Editor’s Blog.

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 12:12 PM

You can see Texas from Arkansas. You know, they say it’s like a whole other country…ba dum chhhhh!

CP on January 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM

You can see Texas from Arkansas. You know, they say it’s like a whole other country…ba dum chhhhh!

CP on January 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM

Actually, you really can’t. We’re far too flat and huge.

Esthier on January 13, 2009 at 12:15 PM

Esthier on January 13, 2009 at 12:15 PM

Well, if you’re in Texarkana…

CP on January 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM

Sarah Palin did us a service, because she revealed an unseemly aspect of American culture: blowhards on the left and the right who honest-to-God think they’re more enlightened than everybody else because they’re rational and the rest of us are irrational.

I’ve got news for the Palin haters: they’re tedious prigs, and America is great despite them, not because of them. They’re the know-it-alls from work who get in the way of a project, and then take credit for the accomplishments of the group, the little people they think are so stupid, but who somehow do all the work.

jeff_from_mpls on January 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM

Or on the border, it was a joke

CP on January 13, 2009 at 12:18 PM

media to Palin — NEVER!
:-)

Buckaroo on January 13, 2009 at 12:18 PM

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM

Your post is how easy it is to convince the public. Because no one has the time to research the context of every quote, we all fall victim…just as you did.
That is why the media is so powerful, everyone says they don’t influence them, but out pops something like this and lo and behold, honest intelligent people are duped.
Here:

PALIN: I do believe unprovoked and we have got to keep our eyes on Russia, under the leadership there. I think it was unfortunate. That manifestation that we saw with that invasion of Georgia shows us some steps backwards that Russia has recently taken away from the race toward a more democratic nation with democratic ideals. That’s why we have to keep an eye on Russia.

And, Charlie, you’re in Alaska. We have that very narrow maritime border between the United States, and the 49th state, Alaska, and Russia. They are our next door neighbors.We need to have a good relationship with them. They’re very, very important to us and they are our next door neighbor.

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.

GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing in Georgia?

PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along…

right2bright on January 13, 2009 at 12:19 PM

I like that Esquire headline: The Governor Strikes Back.

Those were all pretty good quotes. Second look at Esquire.

jimmy the notable on January 13, 2009 at 12:19 PM

New video of Palin (with Trig!) talking about how bloggers should be held accountable when they lie.

Watch out, Allah! :)

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Or on the border, it was a joke

CP on January 13, 2009 at 12:18 PM

I know. I didn’t mean to jump on you. Arkansas really is another country as far as I’m concerned.

Texans just don’t have the concept of being able to see anything but Texas. We don’t understand people who take day trips to another state.

Esthier on January 13, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Jeff –

Once again great post – couldn’t agree more. We’ve got to stop the uppity right and looney left from setting all the rules of play in politics. I fear that conservatives have a loooong uphill climb in today’s society. We seem to be going the way of the dinosaurs. It is very depressing to say the least . . .

Yes, Palin haters are tiresome – but they are very vocal and they are drowning out any support she may have.

KickandSwimMom on January 13, 2009 at 12:26 PM

Yes, Palin haters are tiresome – but they are very vocal and they are drowning out any support she may have.

KickandSwimMom on January 13, 2009 at 12:26 PM

Yeah , we better find someone the left fully supports..

the_nile on January 13, 2009 at 12:36 PM

they are trying everything they can to destroy her so she has not shot at defeating The One.

she needs women to step up in disgust and defend her, protest at MSM outlets and so forth. i.e. she needs to become a victim, a real victim that is, in the minds of voters.

jp on January 13, 2009 at 12:40 PM

if we don’t get Palin as nominee in 2012, it will be Huckabee. Unless they are equally strong and split the evangelical primary vote.

Huck will be on Fox regularly for the next few years, which will make him very familar and comfortable in the minds of primary voters. Palin doesn’t have that, and in our culture TV is important.

jp on January 13, 2009 at 12:42 PM

she needs to become a victim, a real victim that is, in the minds of voters.

jp on January 13, 2009 at 12:40 PM

You mean like Hillary crying during the primaries. :)

KickandSwimMom on January 13, 2009 at 12:43 PM

Please, not Huckabee!

I actually think I would like to see Palin as a VP choice again with a competent conservative presidential candidate who will actually be a mentor for her and will groom her for an eventual presidency instead of the exploitation she endured in the McCain campaign.

KickandSwimMom on January 13, 2009 at 12:48 PM

Yeah , we better find someone the left fully supports..

That is exactly what the media has been trying to condition us to do since Reagan… when offered a media-whipped RINO like Johnny McComity, we’re supposed to start salivating like Pavlov’s dogs. That will ensure we never again threaten the media’s monopoly control of the narrative with an effective conservative communicator. Palin was a nasty surprise to them and their chosen candidate, and they reacted with predictable visciousness.

drunyan8315 on January 13, 2009 at 12:51 PM

Of course it was factual that you can see Russia from Alaska. No one really argued it wasn’t. The hilarious thing was (and is) that she said it as if it gave her some sort of foreign policy experience. But she knows that.

This is just stupid. She said it in the context of explaining that the proximity of Russia to Alsaka means that she has to be very much aware of Russian issues. Come on don’t be dense. It’s not hard to understand what she was saying here.

Dritanian on January 13, 2009 at 12:55 PM

We know that Governors make good presidents, but as candidates they always have a little catching up on foreign policy issues compared to VPs or experienced Senators.

Alaska is a very strategic location, which is why the military keeps some of their most sophisticated stuff there. Surprisingly, Europe is closer to Alaska than it is to our Northeast over the pole, and of course Alaska also offers good access to most of Asia and the Pacific.

The governor of a state that borders two foreign countries has a head start on, say, a governor of Arkansas.

juliesa on January 13, 2009 at 12:58 PM

Of course it was factual that you can see Russia from Alaska. No one really argued it wasn’t. The hilarious thing was (and is) that she said it as if it gave her some sort of foreign policy experience. But she knows that.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM

The really sad thing is that you think you can accurately measure someone’s intelligence based on your own interpretation of the meaning of a comment that that person makes in an interview.

It’s sad because it says that you can’t possibly comprehend how someone could see the world and come to different conclusions than you do about everything from public policies to life in general. Because it’s so much easier to call someone “stupid” or “evil” than to understand how they might see the world differently. It pains me when conservatives do this, but given the left’s oft lauded values of tolerance and diversity it seems especially hypocritical coming from them.

TheUnrepentantGeek on January 13, 2009 at 1:11 PM

McClatchy Watch picked up the thing about the deranged editor at ADN publishing Palin’s e-mail.

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 1:19 PM

This is a quote that I really liked from the slideshow on Vanity Fair:

Palin on the Campaign in Hindsight
“If I were giving advice to myself back on the day my candidacy was announced, I’d say, Tell the campaign that you’ll be callin’ some of the shots. Don’t just assume that they know you well enough to make all your decisions for ya. Let them know that you’re the CEO of a state, you’re forty-four years old, you’ve got a lot of great life experience that can be put to good use as a candidate.”

cjs1943 on January 13, 2009 at 1:20 PM

cjs1943 on January 13, 2009 at 1:20 PM

I like the quote, but why do these people feel the need to literally transcribe things like “callin’” and “for ya”? They don’t seem to feel the need to do that for any other politicians with a regional accent.

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 1:25 PM

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 1:25 PM

You are absolutely correct.

cjs1943 on January 13, 2009 at 1:31 PM

right2bright on January 13, 2009 at 12:19 PM

With the context that is pretty much exactly in line with what I said. So….thanks.

The really sad thing is that you think you can accurately measure someone’s intelligence based on your own interpretation of the meaning of a comment that that person makes in an interview.

It’s sad because it says that you can’t possibly comprehend how someone could see the world and come to different conclusions than you do about everything from public policies to life in general. Because it’s so much easier to call someone “stupid” or “evil” than to understand how they might see the world differently. It pains me when conservatives do this, but given the left’s oft lauded values of tolerance and diversity it seems especially hypocritical coming from them.

TheUnrepentantGeek on January 13, 2009 at 1:11 PM

Yes because conservatives never use Obama saying “uhhh” and “ahhh” as an indicator of his intelligence.

Regardless, I didn’t comment on her intelligence at all in my post. I simply said it was ridiculous she would imply that seeing Russia increases her foreign policy experience.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 1:39 PM

I simply said it was ridiculous she would imply that seeing Russia increases her foreign policy experience.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 1:39 PM

Good thing she never did imply that, then. ABC News did with their hack-job editing.

Jim62sch on January 13, 2009 at 1:42 PM

If you actually read it in context it’s even more incoherent. Gibson is asking her “what insight does the fact that Russia is close to you give you?”. And Palin basically responds…”Russia is really close to us!”.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 1:46 PM

Actually, being close to Russia and dealing with the country concerning fishing interests plus having the military using Alaska as a base to watch Russia does give her more experience concerning foreign policy than Obama working with Acorn in Chicago gave him.

Rose on January 13, 2009 at 1:54 PM

Obama can see the Soviet Union from his house.

(Thanks to the long-forgotten Hot Air commenter who originally said that.)

Jim Treacher on January 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM

If you actually read it in context it’s even more incoherent. Gibson is asking her “what insight does the fact that Russia is close to you give you?”. And Palin basically responds…”Russia is really close to us!”.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 1:46 PM

Well, actually, Gibson is actiing like a horse’s behind throughout the interview. Here he peevishly, impatiently cuts Palin off and restates his question. He is being confrontational and aggressive. You can tell from the context that she is trying to answer, even in the face of his childish petulance, when she says, “Well, I’m giving you that perspective…”. You can continue to blame the victim if you want, but its irrational and unfair.

littleguy on January 13, 2009 at 3:54 PM

Yes because conservatives never use Obama saying “uhhh” and “ahhh” as an indicator of his intelligence.

Regardless, I didn’t comment on her intelligence at all in my post. I simply said it was ridiculous she would imply that seeing Russia increases her foreign policy experience.

crr6 on January 13, 2009 at 1:39 PM

Did you actually read what I wrote? All of it? I said it pains me when conservatives do this, and that includes the “uhh” “ahh” crap.

And with the number of times that’s been a lead in to the Sarah Palin is stupid meme, does it really matter that you didn’t say that exactly in this particular post? Or do you think she’s not stupid after all?

TheUnrepentantGeek on January 13, 2009 at 7:33 PM


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