A Touch of Candor: Rich Lowery Unimpressed With Palin's "Merely Adequate" Performance on ABC

But this was a merely adequate performance. The foreign-policy session was a white-knuckle affair. She barely got through it and showed no knowledge more than an inch deep. What she did demonstrate was amazing self-possession. She somehow bluffed her way through the Bush doctrine question. Gibson apparently didn't want to go into full "gotcha" territory by asking flat-out if she knew what it is. And then he muddled things further with his dubious definition of it, so she was never truly nailed and there was enough ambiguity there for conservatives to defend her. The fact still remains that she very likely didn't know any of the possible definitions of the Bush doctrine. I can't imagine if Obama had picked Gov. Tim Kaine and he had had a similar moment, conservatives would have rushed to say that the Bush doctrine is just too amorphous and complicated for him to know anything about it. Palin seemed weak on economic and budgetary policy too, talking in the vaguest generalities. She was much better, and positively good, on the social issues—which are dear to her and she's thought about—and anything having to do with her personally or with her record in Alaska. She was magnificent on the Iraq-prayer question. This tends to suggest she'll be as strong on the national issues, once she's truly conversant with them. I hope she got up from the foreign policy session and said to her aides, "Dammit. That wasn't good enough and I'm not letting it happen again. I'm not going to allow myself to be so under-prepared for another high-profile interview again." Of course, she has a tremendous amount of material to master in a short period of time. What she has to do is the equivalent of Charlie Gibson or any of the rest of us having to answer questions about pipeline policy in Alaska on a moment's notice. I understand how we all want to be protective of her—I feel the same impulse—but let's not be patronizing. I believe the truly pro-Palin position is to think she can, should, and will do better than this.

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After all the man for whom the doctrine is named bluffed & lied his way through his own interviews at all stages of the 2000 campaign, and look how it turn out for him!

Q: Can you name the General who is in charge in Pakistan? Bush: Uh ...The new Pakistani general, he's just been elected - not elected, this guy took over office. It appears this guy is going to bring stability to the country and I think that's good news for the sub-continent. General...General I can't name the general."

Q: And India? Bush: "The new prime minister of India is - no."

And he sits in the White House today. So there's no reason to think that Sarah Palin has disqualified herself for high office.

They hope she's better-prepared next time? JESUS!!! How can she be on the ticket with an elderly man near the end of his life span if she obviously doesn't KNOW ANYTHING? This isn't a "choose someone, anyone, and teach them how to be a world leader" reality show for entertainment--we, and the world, are in DEEP TROUBLE on many fronts. Unbelievable, the depths to which our country has sunk at the hands of the GOP--and yet they're still even in the polls, because even though Obama/Biden are brilliant and know about everything there is to know about EVERYTHING, Obama is still black. I cannot contain my disgust, that they are this close to pulling yet another fast one on the stupid sheeple. I'm sure they'll be triumphant and laughing at how stupid we are, once again, if they win--not even caring that we have this utter airhead a heartbeat away. The GOP hates this country--nothing but sheer contempt for it. But voters can't see that--the GOP keeps winning, or coming close. It's crazy, I can't understand it.