The 700-Mile Rule
First Fox’s Steve Doocy said it, then Cindy McCain. Now, John McCain himself is backing up the claim.
What is the claim? That Sarah Palin has foreign policy experience because Alaska is not that far away from Russia. I swear to god, I am not kidding, I did not make that up, I am not exaggerating this one tiny little bit, McCain actually said exactly that:
GIBSON: But as you know, the questions revolve really around foreign policy experience.Can you honestly say you feel confident having someone who hasn’t traveled outside the United States until last year, dealing with an insurgent Russia, with an Iran with nuclear ambitions, with an unstable Pakistan, not to mention the war on terror?
MCCAIN: Sure. And one of the key elements of America’s national security requirements are energy. She understands the energy issues better than anybody I know in Washington, D.C., and she understands.
Alaska is right next to Russia. She understands that. Look, Sen. Obama’s never visited south of our border. I mean, please.
So she is experienced.
Again, I swear to you by all I believe, I did not make that quote up. It’s 100% real. It is fully in context, I didn’t cut anything out in the middle or change any of the words. Check out the transcript yourself.
Wasilla is 700 miles from the closest part of Russia, Juneau is 1220. When you change that to any relevant part of Russia, then we’re talking thousands of miles. But let’s be generous and call it 700 miles. Just living that distance away from Russia apparently gave Sarah Palin all the experience and knowledge she needs to become president of the United States.
Just by the 700-mile rule, I am a “foreign policy expert” on not only Russia, but on North Korea, South Korea, and China. I am much more qualified that Palin! Plus, I have executive experience–I have run the branch campus of my college. So I have “run something,” as Giuliani just defined as also a necessary part of the presidential package.
In any case, it looks pretty certain now that they have no intention of dumping Palin, they are running with what they’ve got. They have their talking points, stupid as they are. They are leading with the “small-town soccer mom” personal appeal, and they are going with the laughable “executive experience” charge and are trying to make it real through big-lie tactics–repeat the lie often with a serious demeanor and get upset when anyone calls you on it–and now they have a defense set up, namely that any criticism against Palin is sexist. They’re suited up and ready to go. All that remains is to see how unabashedly the media plays along with their incredible line of BS.
The Supreme Court has ruled time and time again, that the Federal Government has a monopoly on international affairs. It’s not even a preemption issue. States cannot engage in foreign affairs and foreign policy.
If they did, American would have at least 51 legations in every country of the world (one per state and one for the Federal Government). If they did, that would mean that at least 24 states would have govenors with foreign policy experience.
By definition, this means that Governors have no foreign policy experience, unless, like Richardson in New Mexico, he worked in that capacity in the Federal government.
The problem, as always, is that some of this mud actually sticks with some American people because they are too stupid to know better.
McCain could have said that “she stayed at a Holiday Inn Express” last night, so she’s ready.
That would be more credible.
Just by the 700-mile rule, I am a “foreign policy expert” on not only Russia, but on North Korea, South Korea, and China.
You are totally selling yourself short… You are in Japan and you are an American… Commodore Perry was an American who went to Japan and so was General MacArthur, so, by Palin logic, you also have extensive military experience…
I tell you what. Dems got trouble now. I watched her speech and she’s damn good– knocked it out of the park–and I can’t generally listen to a Republican without wanting to throw up. It doesn’t matter what she knows or believes or what kind of shenanigans and all the rest–she’s been vetted by big oil, she’s good to go for more war–she’s young, and they cloned her with all that apple pie stuff. Even her son is shipping to Iraq. You know the media is already on board. Crank the Rove Machine in to gear and watch out. Folks are gonna eat it up.
You know what, I don’t think so. I just have a feeling about this. The Republicans are acting strong, but there is a tone of desperation. And I don’t say that from a hopeful place, nor from a biased place; I feel it is totally objective. I see them having a good night, or a few good nights, because it’s their convention. But I think that’s deceptive, and won’t last.
First of all, I think the media is showing the first few signs of not being willing to take it anymore. Campbell Brown may have been one of the canaries in the coal mine. But I think there will be more and more questions, and less and less covering up. I still think the media will give McCain far more breaks than he deserves, but I think they’ll stop actively covering up for him.
And part of that comes from the simply untenable positions the campaign’s pushing right now. I mean, really–she’s experienced because she was within a thousand miles of another nation? She’s got more experience than Biden because she was effectively mayor of a state-sized city for less than two years? They vetted her? She’s the most experienced person for the job?
It’s come to the point where if the media keeps on covering for McCain, they’ll come across as more gullible than they are willing to look. There’s a point beyond which even shills know they can’t tread without totally giving away their complicity.
The thing is, this is not a sudden, black-and-white transition. They’re not going to suddenly turn on him, like they did with Obama after the SNL “can I get you a pillow” joke. But they will start questioning McCain more, they will start covering more of his gaffes, and they will start reporting on more of the absurd comments he makes. And not even actively–I mean, look at the ABC interview quoted in this post, and you’ll see that the proximity-to-Alaska thing is completely left alone. But they asked the questions. They didn’t use to do that.
And they’re not going to edit that stuff out anymore. They’re not going to hide his embarrassing behavior quite so much. I think they’re going to let him appear as he is a bit more, and that’s going to hurt him. Maybe more than he thinks, too–I think the McCain campaign has actually become used to the media covering for him, ignoring his missteps, maybe even to the point where they are so comfortable making the missteps and selling the lies unchallenged that they maybe even believe that the lies stand perfectly well on their own and don’t need the media to assist.
And that’s when they’re gonna start turning off the public. I think they’ve already started. And it’s not going to be pointed out by the Obama campaign–for all of the McCain’s whining about sexism and attacks from Obama, the Obama campaign has been standing back and attacking McCain instead. It’s not Obama who has putting on the heat–it’s the media fringe. The comedians. The tabloids.
In other words, the popular indicators. Another canary in the coal mine.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this is wishful thinking. To tell the truth, I’m not consciously analyzing this as it comes out. It’s just an impression.
But I do have a feeling about this.
To understand just how insulated Governors and state and local governments are insulated from conducting foriegn policy under the constitution, Govenors cannot even conduct relations with Native American Indian Nations residing on reservations inside their own state without federal permission and supervision.
Palin not only has no foreign policy experience with Russia or Canada, she has no experience even with conducting relations with Native American Indian reservations inside her state.