Sarah Palin: It’s just wrong

It sure is fun to see a politician misspeak so badly that he can't remember history.

This newspaper's editorial page rightly criticized Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden for his inane statement that Franklin D. Roosevelt assured the American people on television after the stock market crash in 1929, when there was not yet TV and when he wasn't the commander in chief.

But a gaffe, even that big, pales mightily against the "proven" gift-snaring, pork wielding, break-getting executive from small town Alaska. Bear with me a moment while I actually allow you to read what she said during an impromptu, four-question press availability last week in New York City.

She started by not answering a question about fellow Alaskan Ted Stevens, on trial for corruption. Then she didn't answer whether she'd vote for the senator this fall. Then, on to Iraq.

"I agree with the Bush administration that we take the fight to them," she said. "We never again let them come onto our soil and try to destroy not only our democracy but communities like the community of New York. Never again. So, yes, I do agree with taking the fight to the terrorists and stopping them over there."

Palin then deflected a follow-up question seeking to discern whether she believes the huge U.S. presence in Iraq has inflamed Islamic extremists elsewhere.

"I think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to further security of our nation, again, because the mission is to take the fight over there," she said. "Do not let them come over here and attempt again what they accomplished here, and that was some destruction, terrible destruction on that day. But since Sept. 11, Americans are uniting and rebuilding and committing to never letting that happen again."

Palin might be rivaling Lauren Caitlin Upton for Miss Congeniality. Upton famously came in third during the Teen USA competition last year despite her difficulty answering why a fifth of Americans are unable to find the USA on a map, famously stating, "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because so many people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such that South Africa and the Iraq everywhere such as and I believe that they should and our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. and help South Africa and help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future."

On Saturday, Tina Fey reprised her role as Palin to open "Saturday Night Live." This time she was being interviewed by Katie Couric (Amy Poehler) and got so stumped she asked to use a lifeline, a la "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

SNL was funny. The real Couric interview last week was not.

In one segment, Couric asked Palin to expound upon her previous statement that she has a deep understanding of Russian affairs because Alaska is next to it.

"That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land boundary that we have with Canada. It's funny that a comment like that was kind of made to charac ... Uh. I don't know. You know. Reporters."

Couric gently interrupts: "Mocked?"

"Yeah, mocked. I guess that's the word," Palin said.

Couric asked whether it enhanced her knowledge.

"Well, it certainly does, because our next-door neighbors are foreign countries," Palin said. "They're in the state that I am the executive of."

Couric asked if Palin was ever involved in negotiations with Russians. "We have trade missions back and forth," Palin said. "We do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia, as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America. Where do they go? It's Alaska.

"It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to our state."

Fey was too kind.

When women bristle at Palin, it isn't because we're jealous or sad that the first woman to potentially get to the White House isn't a Democrat. It's because we want the first woman to get there to be qualified -- to be someone who isn't the butt of jokes, to be someone who's more than a pile of made-up mythical attributes designed to rile up a few evangelical voters.

As a general proposition, we expect those who break barriers to be the kinds of role models we'd want our daughters to see.

And the most telling part of the continuing Palin saga is that John McCain found her worthy enough to play the Stepford Wife in his administration.

The more I learn, the sadder I feel. Palin isn't just the wrong woman, she's wrong for all women.

Contact Erin Neff at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.