Details after the jump. The crucial point, of course, is that Palin did not put herself in this position. Her running mate did.

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1) Sarah Palin on "second guessing" Israel

Couric: You recently said three times that you would never, quote, "second guess" Israel if that country decided to attack Iran. Why not? Palin: We shouldn't second guess Israel's security efforts because we cannot ever afford to send a message that we would allow a second Holocaust, for one. Israel has got to have the opportunity and the ability to protect itself. They are our closest ally in the Mideast. We need them. They need us. And we shouldn't second guess their efforts. Couric: You don't think the United States is within its rights to express its position to Israel? And if that means second-guessing or discussing an option? Palin: No, abso ... we need to express our rights and our concerns and ... Couric: But you said never second guess them. Palin: We don't have to second-guess what their efforts would be if they believe ... that it is in their country and their allies, including us, all of our best interests to fight against a regime, especially Iran, who would seek to wipe them off the face of the earth. It is obvious to me who the good guys are in this one and who the bad guys are. The bad guys are the ones who say Israel is a stinking corpse and should be wiped off the face of the earth. That's not a good guy who is saying that. Now, one who would seek to protect the good guys in this, the leaders of Israel and her friends, her allies, including the United States, in my world, those are the good guys.

What's the problem here? Two extremely glaring ones. The first is that Palin has obviously been given the slogan "don't second-guess Israel's security efforts" and is clinging to it all the way down, even when she can't amplify or explain it under questioning.

The far more profound worry is that knowing who "the good guys" are is the first, rather than the last, step in making foreign policy decisions -- especially those with the snarls that involve Israel, Iran, nuclear proliferation, preemptive strikes, and so on. The United States should know what it stands for -- and the physical security of Israel is obviously one of those things. The chilling fact is that in the interview itself, Palin betrayed no awareness that there could be an analytical step beyond identifying "the good guys."





2) Sarah Palin on the financial crisis:

Couric: If this [bailout bill] doesn't pass, do you think there's a risk of another Great Depression? Palin: Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this, as it's been proposed, has to pass or we're going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. But, there has got to be action - bipartisan effort - Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.

Of course, talking about "another Great Depression" is like talking about "another Holocaust." So many fundamentals have changed in each circumstances that an exact repetition is inconceivable.

