Republican Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin and U.S. Foreign Policy
Friday August 29, 2008
Governor Sarah
Palin (R-AK)
Photo: State of Alaska
According to On The Issues, she has no on-the-record foreign policy stances. However, as governor of an oil rich state in an environmentally sensitive area, she has had to tackle global climate change and energy security issues. Foreign Policy Passport says, "Palin brings energy to ticket, but lacks foreign policy cred."
Please hit the comment button below to share what you know about Governor Palin's thoughts on foreign policy.
Reaction to the Palin pick from the About Guide to Conservative Politics and the About Guide to U.S. Politics.
Update: More on Palin's foreign policy from Democracy Arsenal.
Comments
she’s hot
MY WORDS EXSACTLY!!!
SHES HOT!!!
Good luck to her!!
This is quite a rabbit Tricky Mic has pulled out of his hat! Not sure it is going to work though… It seems to indicate desperation.
A candidate with uncompromised governing experience and a clear political message is exactly what this country needs.
Andrew Sullivan has a quote from Palin complimenting Condi. Could that put her on the realist side of the arguments within the administration?
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/palin-on-iraq.html
Zero. Nowhere online is there the slightest mention of any knowledge Palin has on foreign policy - to mention only one of many areas in which she is deficient with regard to serving as VP. Can’t think of a worse choice McCain could have made.
I think McCain had a real “senior moment” when he picked Palin. The thought of her possibly being in the position of president absolutely scares me to death. What could he possibly have been thinking? If this was his first presidential decision … it is very clear to me that he is a loose cannon and not fit to lead!
Aw come on…. you’re being too hard on Sarah…. she has been governor of a state that shares a body of water with the (defunct) Soviet Union.. doesn’t that count? And any woman that supports shooting wolves from airplanes is whacky enough to be McBush’s running mate.
I have to wonder if the ones who are against Gov. Palin’s selection, those making light of or expressing concern regarding her “lack of experience” are the same one’s chanting “Change, change, change”?
Or, are they the same one’s saying they are “tired of the same old “leadership” in Washington? Are they people who support term-limits? Are they the one’s who think every politician is corrupt?
If that is the case, what better person to have in Washington that one who has principals, has fought corruption, has strong opinions, and is not afraid to take on the power structure, to fight the “good old boy” network.
Are they as concerned about Senator Obama’s lack of experience at the top of the ticket? Some how I don’t think so. Oh yea, I forgot, he has Joe Biden to help him. I see …
Obama stands for “change” and demonstrates his position by selecting a Washington insider of 30 years…that’s NOT change. Politicians will say just about anything to get elected.
Palin is NOT of the status quo and represents the people - not politics as usual.
While I don’t usually think Republicans buck the status quo, I have to agree with darkhorse42. Still, in the end, I think John McCain is thinking strategically about his VP pick, if only to win the election. What does a VP really do anyway (besides shoot fellow hunters)?
Sarah Palin packs a punch. She’s doing life the “American way,” right down to her knocked up teenage daughter. Despite her lack of foreign policy experience, I think she will get serious consideration by many Americans who are on the fence during this election.
You all assume that McCain wanted Palin as a VP. I don’t think so. McCain is moderate conservative and Palin seem to me a little farther to the right. I think he had to pick Palin to retain the Pro-Life and Christian Right. Ever since Palin, the main issues (the important issues of most Americans) have come back to foreground. Pro-Life - Pro-Choice, Preservation of Marriage(M=1M+1F) - Gay Marriage and creation - Evolution. Both McCain and Obama have tiptoed around these subject, but I think the Republican Party saw the “writing on the wall” and pushed McCain toward a “Palin” type VP.
Any person who believes hunting wolves and bears from a plane, succeeding Alaska from the United States, banning books from a local library, and cutting money to halfway houses to unwed pregnant teenagers is NOT the type of person I want running the country. She also shows her lack of professionalism and knowledge by stating ON CAMERA she wanted to know what the vice president’s job was about! Not to mention the failed car wash business she was running or the fact she wanted her brother-in-law fired while governor. I believe that is still being investigated. Does McCain WANT to lose? She might be cute but that doesn’t run or co-run the country. I’ve seen her shoot some sort of machine gun….big whoop…anyone can pull a trigger just ask the lazy hunters from planes. If women think she is the answer to Hillary Clinton…they are sadly mistaken. If you think she’s not in with the good-old-boys politics…think again…they chose her for a reason. It stinks of a bad ditzy blond goes to college type movie. She is going to be a face only with the party leading her along.
I think Jon Stewart summed up her foreign policy exp (or lack of) best:
“[Sarah Palin] knows foreign policy because she lives near Russia…she lives near the North Pole, she knows Santa.”
9/3/08
Those who have rallied in support of Sarah Palin, have clearly done so because she embodies their view a few touchstone conservative issues… Her influence on those could potentially affect all of us domestically, but likely not put us or the globe in danger.
Hopefully those who are rallying behind her however, will stop and consider the ramifications of their actions on global security the last time they supported someone with a very limited world view.
Sarah Palin’s lack of international understanding would be very DANGEROUS for us and the world at large. There is very little out there on her views on foreign policy - likely because of her lack of understanding of international affairs.
She has shown us though and she was obviously chosen as the veep candidate because she is cut from the same cloth as idealogues. Her limited answers so far have reflected those she is dependent on to ‘educate’ her. Neocons need an enemy. Neocons want an enemy - A heartbeat away from the presidency would be incredibly dangerous for teh world as a whole.
I came from the same narrow, black and white view as Sarah Palin and her supporters. I know what it is to think that you have God’s mind in all things. After all, you have to. You come to think that ‘non-believers’ opinions do not matter because they are just that - non-believers. That type of extremism is always dangerous I have come to realize.
Likely, Sarah Palin is Dangerous to the USA and to the world at large. I pray we have learned our lesson.
I agree that Gov. Palin has no known views re foreign policy and certainly no experience. But what could be of relevance in evaluating her potential effects on American foreign policy is her Pentecostalist values and views.
On NPR’s “All Things Considered” on 4 Sept. (I believe) a Pentecostalist academic and author of two books on Pentecostalism analyzed a Palin talk before a religious group and stated Palin is in the mainstream of Pentecostalism as exhibited by the wording, metaphors, and concepts she used. These include beliefs in spiritual warfare, war between Good and Evil, that Islam is a false religion, and that the Iraq War is a holy war. In addition, Pentecostalists believe God intervenes in human affairs. (You can imagine that Palin believes God is on the side of her and the Republicans.)
We cannot be sure how her conservative ideology and Pentecostalism could play out in policy. I think we should look to where the two belief systems intersect. In that case, I see a potential danger for the world.
Unfortunately, Sarah Palin has expressed little to no knowledge about foreign policy. How could our potential vice president read an acceptance speech and not mention one thing about what is happening in Iraq and Iran? How is it possible that our potential PRESIDENT has not even outlined a plan for McCain’s America? We have less than two months until election day and McCain has told us less than snippets of what he plans to do. Palin, on the other hand, is using her daughter’s pregnancy as her campaign of “pro-life”. Are you pro-teenage pregnancy? Last time I checked you supported abstinence and won’t allow students in Alaska to read The Catcher in The Rye. Clearly, your daughter’s way past that.
Palin knows absolutely nothing about foreign affairs or global interactions. I cant believe we are dealing with something so potentially ridiculous and dangerous. (I thought that would have ended with Bush).
The religious Right needs to start seeing the closely that Bush/Palin/McCain (son of Cain) fit the bill. Pharisees are Pharisees no matter what the century.
She doesn’t know a thing about foreign policy. I’m insulted they are playing the hockey-mom card and that women would vote McCain/Palin becuase “she’s like me”. Don’t you want leaders in the White House that are smarter than you?
After watching the interview with Charlie Gibson, I was very disturbed that a Presidential candidate (McCain) would select, out of all the perfectly qualified others, someone with so little going for them. It was frightening to hear her responses to what we should do if Russia should invade a NATO country. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/215931.php
and surprised to hear about her complete ignorance of the Bush doctrine of 2002.
She claims to be ready to be our next VP (or President if necessary). As Governor, Palin traveled overseas in July 2007, to visit the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait and wounded soldiers in Germany. This was the first time she ever left North America!! Is she ready to understand other cultures, how they think, how to communicate to foreign leaders? Is she prepared to make decisions that affect world peace? And what will the world think of us if we put into office someone who knows little about what lies beyond the shores of Alaska?
Whenever John McCain stands next to Sarah Palin he seems ill at ease. Rarely does he appear comfortable; perhaps holding his breath when she replies to a question on camera. He is correct. The only hope he has is if she can dispell the world’s oppion that America is an arrogant, isolationist country. However,she does substantiate and excentuate the belief regarding America’s ignorance of international issues and how world issues relate to them.In conclusion,don’t forget that nobody noticed Alaska until now. Except for the oil under our ground, Alaska is known to be a “throw away State” full of hicks and renegades. Remember?
WOW, with everything you said about lack of experience I thought you were talking about Sen. Obama, and to think he thinks he is experienced enough to be president!
I’ll stay with McCain.
I don’t really think that Palin is ready to be Vice President. Though I am not saying Obama has made 100% correct decisions as a senator, it’s a pretty hard decision. I definetely know I won’t be voting for 4-8 more years of Bush, but I feel bad for Obama, because many people are upset that he’s not a White candidate. There are SO many things that fascinate me about this campaign.
The Word: I can’t say that I have heard the word “Maverick” SO many times in my life! The definition of Maverick that she describes is to stand up with different ideas, against their own party! Palin is Republican, and they vote FOR Bush! They are not the true “Mavericks” they talk about!
I loved the Quote from Obama “I think a Wheel just fell off the Straight-Talk-Express” I think as of Today, my vote is swaying more towards Obama. . . Not only because he isn’t a Bush supporter, because he dosen’t Make-up things to say about McCain, he turns things that McCain says himself, and uses it toward his own campaign! So there isn’t much Mud-slinging coming from Obama’s side, as there is McCain and Palin. Just my opinion on this whole situation.
Listening to the news tonight, after the election results last night, I am horrified to learn what a completely uneducated person we would have had in Ms. Palin. One point revealed by her handlers now is that she thought Africa was a country. For all those misguided and low information voters who voted for McCain/Palin, this should make your hair stand on end. You wanted a candidate “just like the average American?” I hope you know that Africa is a continent, and have some smattering of knowledge regarding economics and foreign policy…nevertheless, whatever you do have in the way of education, hopefully it is more than your defeated vice-presidential candidate.