The problem seems to be that each side is getting more and more entrenched, and more and more vilifying the other. Obama talks of healing the divide. McCain occasionally talks of talking with Democrats. But a core problem with his selection of Palin is that it has forced people to take sides–and not to consider anything that the other side says. This selection is even more hyprocritical than Bush’s saying that he wanted things to be bipartisan. “Show don’t tell.”

If you read Krauthammer’s column, you’ll find that he also wrote: Yes, Sarah Palin didn’t know what [the Bush doctrine] is. But neither does Charlie Gibson. And at least she didn’t pretend to know — while he looked down his nose and over his glasses with weary disdain, sighing and “sounding like an impatient teacher,” as the [New York] Times noted. In doing so, he captured perfectly the establishment snobbery and intellectual condescension that has characterized the chattering classes’ reaction to the mother of five who presumes to play on their stage.

Doesn’t sound to me as if Krauthammer is in the tank for Palin. He does have something to say about the MSM establishment, though.

BTW, if you think Krauthammer is an unabashed Palin supporter, consider an earlier column in which he wrote: [T]he choice of Palin remains deeply problematic. [...] Palin fatally undermines [the] entire line of attack [on Obama as inexperienced. ...] Palin’s selection negates the theme of readiness.

Regarding Palin’s response to the Bush Doctrine question, as a teacher I have become pretty adept at telling when someone is looking for time to figure out what the heck to say because they have no clue what to say, which seemed to be what she was doing. Nothwithstanding the various (horrific) Bush Doctrines, two weeks of “presidential boot camp” is not enough to make someone a wise and diplomatic leader. Do we really want someone in the dynaimic duo who sees nothing wrong with going to war with Russia?

[T]here have been four distinct meanings [for the Bush doctrine], each one succeeding another over the eight years of this administration — and the one Charlie Gibson cited is not the one in common usage today. [...]

I know something about the subject because, as the Wikipedia entry on the Bush doctrine notes, I was the first to use the term.

There are several levels on which I’m bothered by the prospect of a McCain/Palin administration but it’s really the strengths in the Obama/Biden ticket that appeal to me – I’m just not in favor of most of the policies promoted by McCain and Palin – all the personality, character stuff is on top of that for me.