Palin, Gibson, and the Bush Doctrine

This week Vice Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin, gave her first TV interview since accepting the nomination. She agreed to let Charles Gibson from ABC interview her over several days in Alaska. Each night of the interview covered different issues, one night energy and the environment, another night social issues, and another night covered foreign policy. The foreign policy interview was the most interesting when Charles Gibson asked Sarah Palin if she agreed with the "Bush Doctrine". After asking the question there was an awkward silence, then finally Palin asked "In what respect, Charlie?" Charles Krauthammer wrote in a Washington Post editorial that "sensing his 'gotcha' moment, Gibson refused to tell her. After making her fish for the answer, Gibson grudgingly explained to the moose-hunting rube that the Bush Doctrine 'is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense'". When you look up the Wikipedia entry on the Bush Doctrine there are many different definitions, including- ending terrorism, spreading democracy, increased unilateralism in foreign policy, and finally the idea that the United States government should "despose foreign regimes" that pose a threat to the security of the United States. Not just Gibson's definition for the "Bush Doctrine", there are many different aspects to it even if his definition was correct. Krauthammer said there isn't one single meaning to the Bush Doctrine. There have been four different meanings over the eight years of the Bush Administration, and the one Gibson used isn't the meaning used today.

According to Krauthammer's editorial Gibson got it wrong. Krauthammer said he was the first to use the term "Bush Doctrine" in an essay in the June 4, 2001 issue of the Weekly Standard, talking about the Bush Administrations withdraw from the Kyoto protocol and other changes in foreign policy that were to follow. Then 9/11 occurred and drastically changed the interpretation of the "Bush Doctrine".

After Gibson gave his interpretation of the "Bush Doctrine" Palin fumbled in her response, but it was still not good enough for Gibson who continued to ask her the same question by using hypothetical situations like going across the border into Pakistan to chase down the terrorists.

Krauthammer concludes his editorial, "Yes, Sarah Palin didn't know what it is. But neither does Charlie Gibson. And at least she didn't pretend to know-- while he looked down his nose and over his glasses with weary disdain, sighing and "sounding like an impatient teacher," as the Times noted. In doing so, he captured perfectly the establishment snobbery and intellectual condescension that has characterized the chattering classes' reaction to the mother of five who presumes to play on their stage."