A Babe not of this Woods

I just watched Charlie Gibson of ABC News interview Gov. Palin. First, he asked her if she is prepared to be President (she's running for Vice President -- people might be getting confused on that point). She said quite forthrightly "Yes." She gave this answer even though Bill Clinton has assured us that absolutely no one is ready for that job. She should have given him the same answer Barack Obama gave to that question back when he announced for the top spot. "You asking me if I'm ready? Are you kidding. Me? Ready? I only been in the Senate for two years. Of course I am not friggin ready to be President, you idiot. No. I'll be ready after I've run for President for two years and after I've served my first term." I remember him saying this because we don't often see such humility.

After Gov. Palin said she was ready-- if not down right eager -- for the job, I thought I heard Charlie Gibson say "Doesn't that take Hubris." I think that's a cheese sauce the French put on roast beef. No. Wait. Hubris means excessive pride or self confidence. To say you are ready to do a job when Charlie thinks your not? Was he referring to his hubris or her hubris or was he just fulfilling the role of the Greek chorus? I could not tell. In any case she just talked right over him which was just as well. Unfortunately, he did get some words in.

He asked her if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine. The Bush Doctrine is where you say "screw the French" and invade other countries. But Gov. Palin didn't want to put it in those words, so she put it in other ones. And if Israel bombs Iran? he asked. Hey, you stand by your friends, she replied. I'm paraphrasing. But I do want the total lack of nuance to come through. I think the mullahs just ran for their prayer beads.

Then there were a couple of those obligatory "so you got a direct line to God: what did he tell you that last time you had lunch together" type questions. I thought she handled them well. "Charlie, I don't know what God has planned--"

She just let it rip. I think a dozen members of our foreign policy establishment had strokes. This interview will cause more controversy than her hairdo. OK, maybe not more but certainly almost as much.

UPDATE: There are some film snips here