MoDo - Maureen Dowd writes from Ancourage about how Palin’s interview performance reminds her of George Bush in 2000. 

Her explosion onto the scene made Obama seem even more like a windy, wispy egghead. Like W., Sarah has the power of positive unthinking. But now we may want to think about where ignorance and pride and no self-doubt has gotten us. Being quick on the trigger might be good in moose hunting, but in dealing with Putin, a little knowledge might come in handy.

WashPost: The Washington Post editorial board remains skeptical of Palin. While she didn’t make any major mistakes in her ABC News interview, the Post calls her responses “unsettling.”

NYTimes: The New York Times questions McCain’s judgement in picking Palin. They then question her world view.

The interviews made clear why Americans should worry about Ms. Palin’s thin résumé and lack of experience. Consider her befuddlement when Mr. Gibson referred to President Bush’s “doctrine” and her remark about having insight into Russia because she can see it from her state.

The editorial continues:

This nation has suffered through eight years of an ill-prepared and unblinkingly obstinate president. One who didn’t pause to think before he started a disastrous war of choice in Iraq. One who blithely looked the other way as the Taliban and Al Qaeda regrouped in Afghanistan. One who obstinately cut taxes and undercut all efforts at regulation, unleashing today’s profound economic crisis.

In a dangerous world, Americans need a president who knows that real strength requires serious thought and preparation.

Readiness??? Bob Herbert writes in the New York Times, that, um, no she isn’t ready to run the world’s most powerful nation, as Vice President or as President. And if you answer, about how Palin got all that experience running Wasilla, check out the Washington Post’s story this morning that explores what she actually did as mayor. Apparently she spent time banning sex shops, regulating bed and breakfasts, and instead of expanding the library, she built a hockey rink.

Time Magazine’s Middle East blog rips apart Palin’s foreign policy views, or lack there of. The blog called her views “simplistic.”

Who’s that white dude always walking around with Palin? Frank Rich reminds us that it’s McCain. He explains how Palin is stealing the show and what we need to be focusing on during this election. 

This election is still about the fierce urgency of change before it’s too late. But in framing this debate, it isn’t enough for Obama to keep presenting McCain as simply a third Bush term. Any invocation of the despised president — like Iraq — invites voters to stop listening. Meanwhile, before our eyes, McCain is turning over the keys to his administration to ideologues and a running mate to Bush’s right.

Did you see the big interview last night? Sarah Palin granted her first extensive interview with the press. She had waited awhile, fueling speculation that she might not be ready for the job, as E.J Dionne explains, here.

But the wait is over, we’ve heard Palin in her own words. The reaction:

Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz breaks it down, here. And the New York Times explains how Palin showed confidence, but seemed to be reading from a script. 

The Chronicler was SHOCKED at the Bush Doctrine clip. I learned about the Bush Doctrine freshman year, and anyone who reads the newspaper sees it mentioned. It’s a fundamental tenant of recent American foreign policy, and the woman who wants to be a heart beat away from the Presidency doesn’t know what it means? That is concerning.

The Chronicler is not convinced on Sarah Palin. She is sharp and confident, and as the Chronicler’s mother is always quick to point out, Palin is a mother and was on the PTA. Good for her, The Chronicle is completely pro-PTA and pro-Mama, in fact the Chronicler is an official mama’s boy. But being a good mother doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good world leader. 

Palin’s interview raises many questions and concerns. Stay tuned, part two of the interview airs tonight.

Not sure how I feel about the whole, God needs to work through us to build this gas pipeline thing. Gives me the creeps. How about you? Bianka, can you imagine Merkel saying something like that?

A lot of readers have written asking for help trying to figure out all this Sarah Palin business. Many of you are not sure where to go to get the best information. I’ll try to keep posting links to respected news outlets and some of the nation’s best columnists to help you sift through the bull.

Let’s get started:

Hurricane Sarah - Sarah Palin knocked it out of the ballpark Wednesday night when she addressed the Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Many Europeans have trouble understanding Palin. How did a mom-turned-mayor of a tiny town become a candidate for Vice President? Many Americans are asking the same thing. But what you Euros have to understand is that Americans do not like voting for senators. In our entire history, we have elected 2: Kennedy and Harding. This year both candidates are senators. McCain wanted to then reach outside of Washington. Time Magazine breaks it down, here.

The New York Times isn’t sold that Palin was a good pick, they claim it shows a lack of judgement by McCain.

Then, more recommended reading, check out Gail Collins’ column today, here. 

Just like me: Why do people love Palin so much? The Chronicler was on the Dallas Morning News editorial board chat explaining that folks see Palin and go, “wow, she is just like me.” That is EXTREMELY important in American politics. The Chronicler’s mother has fallen head over heals for Palin. Move-over Jesus, there’s a new savior in town. Why? She explained “she is just like me.” I pushed further, she said, “When you criticize Palin, you criticize me.” Hmm interesting. 

(Bragging note — The Chronicler’s Professor Steve Roberts – who works as a news analyst for ABC Radio – repeated the anecdote about the Chronicler’s mother on national radio Thursday night, after I shared it Thursday in class.)

But, while she may connect, the question still remains, is she qualified to be VP? The Boston Globe explains that she still have to prove herself.

Sex chat - It’s time for America to have a big talk about sex, says Charles Blow of the New York Times in a column today. Apparently us Americans have the highest teen pregnancy race in the industrialized world. Yikes. And that’s not because we are all such sex gods that we get started at an early age, the Danes are actually the most sexually active. Having been to Denmark in the cold of winter, I can totally understand this. There ain’t much else to do. Anyways. I digress.

If there is a shame here, it’s a national shame — a failure of our puritanical society to accept and deal with the facts. Teenagers have sex. How often and how safely depends on how much knowledge and support they have. Crossing our fingers that they won’t cross the line is not an intelligent strategy.

Blow is right to suggest that parents need to talk to their kids about sex.

That may be extreme, but many Americans can’t even talk about sex without giggling, squirming or blushing. Let’s start there. Talk to your kids about sex tonight, with confidence and a straight face. “I’d prefer you waited to have sex. That said, whenever you choose to do it, make sure you use one of these condoms.” It works.

Earlier this week, Ruth Marcus wrote about the same thing in the Washington Post. After explaining how the Republican Party rather unsexily stresses abstinence, Marcus writes:

Yes, but talking about abstinence turns out to be easier than abstaining. More than 60 percent of high school seniors report having had sex at least once. The message that every family should take from Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is: It can happen here.

So what does grandmother-to-be Sarah Palin think about all this?

Except Sarah Palin opposes programs that teach teenagers anything about contraception. “The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support,” she said in answering a questionnaire from the conservative Eagle Forum during her 2006 gubernatorial race.

It’s pretty simple — people have sex. Teenagers, adults, old people, it just happens. Let’s not be so prude about it. Let’s teach our kids how to have safe sex.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has some appealing qualities. But could she step in as president?

The Post seems skeptical, as is the Chronicler.

 

In this regard, count us among the puzzled and the skeptical. Not long ago, no less a Republican strategist than Karl Rove belittled Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as a potential running mate for Barack Obama, noting that picking him would appear “intensely political” because Mr. Kaine’s experience consisted of only three years as governor preceded by the mayoralty of Richmond, which Mr. Rove called “not a big town.”

Using Mr. Rove’s criteria, Ms. Palin would not fare well. Her executive experience consists of less than two years as governor of her sparsely populated state, plus six years as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 8,471). Absorbed in Alaska’s unique energy and natural resource issues, she has barely been heard from in the broader national debates over economic policy and health care. Above all, she has no record on foreign policy and national security — including terrorism, which Mr. McCain posits as the top challenge facing America and the world. Once the buzz over Ms. Palin’s nomination dies down, the hard questions about her will begin. The answers will reflect on her qualifications — and on Mr. McCain’s judgment as well.

 

Darn. It’s really hard to get any kind of a reading on this substantive vice presidential pick. I guess she’ll have to shoot from the hip on most of these issues. Good luck, America. She’ll be only a 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.