Friday, September 12, 2008

Gibson's Gaffe

Charles Krauthammer, who 1) was the first to use the term "Bush Doctrine;" and 2) has not been a fan of the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, nonetheless finds that Ms. Palin acquitted herself better than did Charles Gibson in their exchange on the subject. He concludes an excellent piece on that portion of the interview as follows:

Presidential doctrines are inherently malleable and difficult to define. The only fixed "doctrines" in American history are the Monroe and the Truman doctrines which come out of single presidential statements during administrations where there were few other contradictory or conflicting foreign policy crosscurrents.

Such is not the case with the Bush Doctrine.

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.

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