Well David Gergen just proved he's willing to say anything to keep the narrative going...

[Bread and Circus]

I always had some respect for him, but AC360 asked him about his thoughts on Palin dropping the ball on her ignorance of the Bush Doctrine. Gergen said it didn't matter because most people don't know the term and "journalists" don't use that terminology. I had to say to the TV, "yeah but most people aren't running for the Vice Presidency of the United States. Do you really just not care about the fate of our country. Is this all about the game to you?"

Anyway, I thought his response was horrible because it only spoke to the horserace and not the fact that we are electing the next President and Vice President of the United States.

Anyway, even with a ton of coaching and meme programming, still doesn't know what she's talking about.

[gypsylud]

1. Its obvious to me that she didn't know. HA!

:dunce:

[cut_cutta]

2. "meme programming"... I think you meme (sic) "memetic"

Not to be the grammar nazi, but...

The whole "meme" meme is gettin kinda played out, but its not as painful to see it played properly. Unfortunately this post only helps perpetuate it LOL... j

[Bread and Circus]

11. are you high?

[DeadEyeDyck]

20. could you help out a southern boy here?

what is a meme and how is it pronounced. What does it rhyme with. I looked it up on Wiki but I am still confused.
I think it is a paradygm but I must admit, I am unclear with that term. I am pretty new to politics and you guys are a lot smarter than me.

[cottonseed]

3. They're more interested in the "race" than qualifications.

We'll end up getting a pile of shit for an administration, double the debt, and have dead Americans increase 10 fold again. They don't give a shit, it's all about the horse race. Bush Doctrine? Fuck it! White working class Americans don't care about no stinking Bush Doctrine.

[Yavin4]

4. Gergen Has A Jumbo Mortgage

And his property values are declining in this market.

[kansasblue]

5. Well it should matter BUT...

I have too many Republican friends and know they will not care. 'She talked tough'.

It's the same way the feel about Bush. Just a good ole boy never meaning no harm.

We can hope the undecideds and independents are uncomfortable with that answers.

True Republicans most likely will not care.

[GoesTo11]

6. He's right

I checked with my pretty well-informed and massively Obama supporting family. I was the only one who knew.
Most people will just think "I didn't know it either, so what if she flubbed the Gotcha question."

Unfortunately.

[Bread and Circus]

12. The point is that she didn't know...it's just not acceptable. The media enjoys the first amendment

for a reason, and it's not for ratings. It's to actually inform the public.

[GoesTo11]

23. That would be a good survey question - why is the media protected?

a) because they are
b) because they need to be able to make a profit
c) so they can speak truth to power


By the way, I agree with you that it's not acceptable that she didn't know, but nonetheless, I think it will be ignored by average Americans and if the media pushed it (which is unlikely) she would just be viewed as the damsel in distress. Not right, but easy to predict.

[Peregrine Took]

7. He and Crawley both ran interference for "Sr. Sarah" - nice to have pals in

high places. Ya, most of us wouldn't know what the "Bush Doctrine" was but, duh, we're not running for VP.

[woosh]

8. I kind of agree

I mentioned it to my wife and she didn't know what it was.

Anyway, there's kind of a weird cycle going on here with people on the left jumping on every little gaffe and trying to blow it up in the way the GOP does and it seems to be having the opposite effect. I think these tactics are one directional, they don't seem to work for the Dems.

[Critters2]

9. Little gaffe?! She doesn't understand the single foreign policy that got us into Iraq!!!

And yes, if I understand it, I expect a woman running for Vice President to understand it. Most people don't know? That's fine, but when they are a heartbeat from the White House, I expect 'em to know the Monroe Doctrine, the Bush Doctrine and any other damn doctrine that could land us in another war!!

[woosh]

24. The issue is not

The issue is not whether you think the VP needs to understand it, it's that people that are willing to check the GOP box on their ballot don't view this stuff with the same critical eye that some do. When you have people relating to a folksy mother, they are empathizing with everything, including being put down and called dumb by shrill voices. It's just not working.

[Alhena]

10. I thought her main weakness was poor delivery and repeating the same coached lines

I give her a bit of a pass on the Bush Doctrine- I thought it just meant stupid foreign policy and refuse to dignify anything the Chimp dreams up with the term "doctrine."

[Bread and Circus]

15. I don't think it's a "jumping on gaffe's issue". It's a matter of public safety...

are we really ready to give another set of passes to McCain and Palin just like we did Bush just because "folkses don't know no better?"

There is no "effect" we want other than the "effect" of competent governance.

And even if people didn't know what the "Bush Doctrine was" they definitely know what a bluff looks like.

[Abacus]

13. Sadly, I'm afraid that he is correct

I don't think that the people supporting Palin are likely to care.

[Bread and Circus]

17. OMFG...I just can't believe the reponses here. Do you guys understand that Palin is Bush redux

and do you think for a fat fucking second Obama is going to get away without knowing basic facts and just be able to bluff his way into the WH?

[Abacus]

22. It's not about us (DU); Palin is far worse than Bush -- most people don't realize it yet

And the Bush doctrine mishap is unlikely to phase them.

[sudopod]

26. So what do you want us to do? nt

[sudopod]

25. Right on. If we can't criticize her about this

what the fuck CAN we say about her?

Should we just concede now?

GEEZ

[JaneQPublic]

14. He said that and then admitted he had seen only a small bit of the interview. (nt)

[BeyondGeography]

16. People will see that she was nervous the whole interview

That means as much as anything. She was leaning forward in her chair like an out-of-her-depth student who was petrified of being asked a question she wouldn't have an answer to. People who wanted to be reassured by that interview won't be.

[Big Blue Marble]

18. Did Gergen critique any other aspects of the interview?

I to have had respect for Gergen in the past, but in the last several months I have detected a less than
objective edge to his comments in regards to this campaign. His Republican slip is showing these days
as it did during the Reagan Administration.

[Tribetime]

19. I lost all respect for him when he said it didn't matter she didn't

know the Bush Doctrine. Straight faced also.

[Honeycombe8]

21. That answer sounds honest & fair and accurate to me. He was answering about the RACE....

I was switching channels, and the pundits were generally talking about how the candidates tonight did vis a vis the RACE, and how well Palin did.

They were all on TV today because they are running on the presidential ticket, after all. Gergen is right in that MOST people won't care about that, since MOST people don't know what it is, either. You and I and others like us care more because we're weird that way. But to the average person commuting to work every day and only halfway paying attention to politics, if at all, they would probably view the "Bush Doctrine" as some obscure reference to something, and Palin answered it, and that's that, and she can't be expected to know everything.

I think it's disgusting and pathetic she didn't know the answer and tried to fake her way thru it. But Gergen is right in that she probably didn't hurt her chances with her supporters with her answer to that question.