I feel the pain

Watching Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin on ABC news was almost painful. Last night, when he asked her if she supports the Bush doctrine, her response was first, a blank gaze, then a reply which indicated that Gov. Palin has no idea what the Bush doctrine is. Gibson had to tell her that it refers to this administration’s policy of pre-emptive war. Palin then gave him, as she did tonight, the usual political slogans, while demonstrating that she has only the faintest grasp of international relations.

The McCain campaign has said that Alaska’s proximity to Russia means that she has the requisite foreign policy awareness necessary to be vice-president (and by extension, president). By that logic, the governor of every state that borders Canada and Mexico also qualifies, since they, too, are at an international border. (We should probably also include the governor of Florida, which is very close to both the Bahamas and Cuba. Maybe we could toss in Hawaii, too, since it’s way out there in the Pacific, all by itself.)

I hope McCain's choice of Palin isn't simply about winning an election (which it appears to be). It would be like couples who put their effort into a wedding, but not a marriage. As a pastor, I have encountered that!