McCain regarding Palin: "she hasn’t maybe been to Georgetown cocktail parties"

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/01/mccain-i-have-confidence-in-ifill/

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McCain also said during today’s interview that he disagrees with a growing chorus of pundits on the right who are critical of Palin.

“I don’t see a quote growing suspicion amongst conservatives. I see huge crowds, I see enthusiasm, I see people getting very emotional when they are in her company,” McCain said. “So in all due respect to other pundits I respectfully disagree and I think she is best tonic for America that we could possibly have…I say come and get to know her study her record study her leadership.”

He added that “she is an effective executive and has reams of experience and because of the fact that she hasn’t maybe been to Georgetown cocktail parties I am sorry. But the point is that she has the experience the knowledge the background the world view i think that is not only good for america but great for America.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/01/mccain-defends-palins-qualifications/

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“She has been a mayor. She has been overseer of billions–I don’t know how many billions of dollars of natural resources. She’s been a member of the PTA. She’s been a governor. She’s been a mayor. She’s had vast experience on one of the fundamental challenges of America and that’s energy…

“You and I just have a fundamental disagreement and I’m so happy the American people seem to be siding with me,” he said.

Asked about people who feel “very uncomfortable” with her experience, even among “fairly conservative Republicans,” McCain responded: “Really? I haven’t detected that, and I haven’t detected that in the polls and I haven’t detected that amongst the base. We get 20,000 people that come to our rallies. So again, I fundamentally disagree. Now if there’s a Georgetown cocktail party person who — quote — calls himself a conservative and doesn’t like her. Good luck, good luck, fine.”