Gibson, Palin Interview Features Bush Doctrine Blunder

Even voters who didn't miss the first installment of the ABC Charles Gibson interview of Gov. Sarah Palin may find themselves less certain about Palin than before. One only has to look at the approximately 7,500 comments on the ABC news website to see the polarized interpretations. Nearly as many criticisms focus on Charlie Gibson as they do on Sarah Palin's interview performance.

For those who missed the Gibson Palin interview, it airs on Friday night at 10 p.m. EST on "20/20." Alternatively, Palin interview video clips can be seen online at ABC News or YouTube, and Gibson's Sarah Palin interview transcript is available via FOX News.

Reactions to the Charlie Gibson Palin Interview

While many political blogs and news sites are aflutter about Palin's "scripted answers" and "inexperience," these do not paint the full Palin interview picture.

On the ABC News website alone, a plurality of viewers expressed that Charlie Gibson treated Sarah Gibson improperly -- in so many words. With adjectives like "condescending"and "sexist," many viewers back up their observations.

One reason for yelling foul included a comparison to a friendlier Charlie Gibson Obama interview (See Sources). Although, most Gibson criticism concerns his approach or manner, not limited to: invading her space physically "toe-to-toe," drilling her like a job applicant, rolling of the eyes, asking trick questions (like the Bush Doctrine), and showing visible contempt for Palin.

Yet, even with subjective complaints about Gibson, many of these same viewers felt that Palin held her own.

Conversely, nearly as many Charlie Gibson defenders feel that the veteran ABC journalist asked Palin tough questions that needed to be asked or that the Palin interview was otherwise fair. These supporters express that Palin failed to show that she was ready to be the next vice president. Those not simply hurling insults, including the undecided, mentioned specific concerns about Palin, not least being her response to questions on the Bush Doctrine.

Palin and the Bush Doctrine -- A Bust for Gibson?

One of the heated debates about the Sarah Palin interview is how she responded to her stance on the Bush Doctrine -- summed up by Gibson as the right of anticipatory self-defense.

The exchange went as follows, according to the transcript:

GIBSON: Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?

PALIN: In what respect, Charlie?

GIBSON: The Bush -- well, what do you interpret it to be?

PALIN: His world view?

GIBSON: No, the Bush doctrine, annunciated September 2002, before the Iraq War.

PALIN: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made, and with new leadership, and that's the beauty of American elections, of course, and democracy, is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine as I understand it is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with us?

The problem is that the term Bush Doctrine is not an official term, originally coined by a journalist, and used only once in bill [H.R.1292.IH]. The basics of the Bush Doctrine can be found in the 2002 National Security Strategy of the United States and the 2006 National Security Strategy, one of many revisions. That said, the Bush Doctrine is the vernacular for some media, politicians and individuals following U.S. foreign affairs.

This exchange was not a confidence-building moment for Palin, even though technically it was right to ask "which part." Albeit, some disagree and feel she escaped a trap. Noteworthy is that Sen. Barack Obama also had to deal with Gibson concerning the Bush Doctrine in the N.H. primaries. According to Media Matters, "Gibson characterized Obama's Pakistan position as "essentially the Bush doctrine, ignoring Bush contradictions."

Sarah Palin Interview, Questions Remain

The rest of the Palin interview, beyond foreign policy, seemed less intense with some differences noted between Palin and McCain on Anwar and Global Warming. Her points on energy and national defense were strong.

But whether or not Charles Gibson was condescending or not or too rough or not, it is clear that foreign policy is not Palin's strong point. Otherwise, Palin remained largely focused, succinct and unrattled, even if stressed. That may not qualify her for the position of vice president, just yet, but neither does the Palin interview provide a complete assessment of her skills and judgment.

It looks like the vice presidential debates, more than interviews, will be a better indicator of Sarah Palin's fitness for the job on a national level.

Sources

ABC News -- Sarah Palin Interview Comments
(http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/comments?type=story&id=5778018)
Bush Doctrine (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas)
Associated Press (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-mjfuE-Dz5hpM2uDBVt3Kw6le4AD9352G0G0)
2006 National Security Strategy (http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/)
Sarah Palin Interview Transcript
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/11/raw-data-palins-interview-with-abc-news/
Nightline, MediaMatters (http://mediamatters.org/items/200801080001
Obama Defends Wright's Reputation, Not Words (Gibson, Obama Interview)
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Vote2008/Story?id=4535600&page=1