What does Palin know?

Biden and Palin both make their stances on Roe v. Wade very clear, but when asked about other Supreme Court decisions, only Biden could reference a specific case.


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Similarly, when Katie Couric asked Palin which media sources have shaped her worldview, Palin couldn't offer a single publication as an example. I guess Palin is such a maverick that she won't even answer questions during an interview in which she participates voluntarily. Instead, she gets defensive and implies that anyone who asks that question assumes that Alaska is some remote corner of the world where news seldom reaches.



She probably got so defensive and evasive when presented with such a clear question because the only media sources that came to mind were either 1) from Alaska or 2) liberally minded publications like the New York Times that her conservative base dislikes. (I don't imply that Palin actually reads the Times, but rather that it--and similar newspapers--would come to mind.) This demonstrates not only Palin's very narrow worldview, but also her own psychological complex about her own state. Politicians are asked questions like this all the time. How would you go about asking such a question without being condescending to Alaskans? As a Wisconsinite I am faced with the perception that I'm from a cultural backwater all the time (some people I know will tell you how easy it is to get away with articulating such a perception), but I don't get bent out of shape when people ask me what I read. It's not like someone is asking me if I can read, but rather curious about what I read, which is actually a flattering gesture.

So, if Palin doesn't know about Supreme Court decisions, media sources, or even her own running mate's political career, what does she know about? I have yet to see one substantive thing she offers to the Republican ticket. John McCain says she probably knows more about energy than anyone in America. When has she shown this? I would like to see some of this expertise in the VP debates, but I can't say that I'm optimistic.