Specifically Unspecific

To be quite frank, I never had any intention to transform my blog into a political blog.  Fundamentally speaking, this is not a forum solely devoted to political discussion and/or rants.  However, the nomination of Sarah Palin has made it too difficult for me to avoid lambasting the judgment of Johnny Mac.

Yesterday, for the first time since the Gibson debacle, Palin spoke without the aid of a teleprompter.  Surrounded by supporters, she was given the opportunity to finally put to rest the notion that she does not have sufficient foreign policy experience.  The question:

“There’s been quite a bit of discussion about your perceived lack of foreign policy experience.  I want to give you your chance.  If you could please respond to that criticism and give us specific skills that you think you have to bring to the White House to rebut that or mitigate that concern.”

Below, I give you Palin’s response:

So let’s examine the specifics provided by Palin:

1.  She is a “Washington outsider.”

2.  She “thinks” she is prepared.

3.  She is “confident” and has the “readiness.”

4.  She says that people can ask her for specific policies.

So, Sarah Palin’s foreign policy skills boil down to the fact that she lives in Wasilla and is confident that she can take on foreign issues.  And as for specifics, well, she would like people to ask her about specifics because she will then tell you that she would like people to ask her about specifics.

As my blog makes abundantly clear, I love analogies.  Let’s imagine that you have a nasty little tumor that needs to be excised.  You’re looking for a skilled surgeon to take on that task.  You ask one finalist:

“There’s been quite a bit of discussion about your perceived lack of surgical experience.  I want to give you your chance.  If you could please respond to that criticism and give us specific skills that you think you have to rid me of the tumor, and rebut or mitigate that concern.”

And imagine if you received this analogous response:

“Well, I’m a medical outsider.  I certainly think I’m prepared and I am confident that I have the readiness to remove that tumor.  As for specific methods I would employ or techniques I would use to return you to health, you can ask me about specifics so you can Stump the Doc!”

I don’t know about you.  But I’d show this Doc out the door.  Seriously, I’d expect the Doc to tell me how he or she went to Harvard Medical School and did a fellowship in oncology; how he or she had performed such operation with success dozens of times before me.  10-year olds playing Operation probably would be “confident” and think they are prepared to remove a tumor.  Perhaps Barracuda is confused about the word “specifics.”  Tell me Sarah–what are the specific ways in which you will prevent nucular proliferation?