Saturday, September 13, 2008

Confused- or Deceptive?

What to make of this exchange during the portion of the Charlie Gibson interview with Sarah Palin broadcast on 9/11/08?

GIBSON: Have you ever met a foreign head of state?

PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. But, Charlie, again, we've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they've had opportunities to meet heads of state.

Is she saying "many vice presidents.... may have the same answer ("I have not") that I just gave you?" That would be uninformed, given that as, Lisa Chinn of ABC News reports, "every vice president over the last 30 years had met a foreign head of state before being elected." Or is she aware her experience is relatively limited and arguing that meeting a foreign head of state is "politics as usual?" It's hard to tell because, as with other answers she gave, Palin is either confused- or intentionally ambiguous, deftly avoiding giving a straight answer to most questions.

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