Michelle Malkin » What Palin should have said to Couric about the Supreme Court

What Palin should have said to Couric about the Supreme Court

By Michelle Malkin • October 2, 2008 10:04 AM

The blogosphere and the punditocracy made much hay yesterday over Sarah Palin’s inability to name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade with which she disagreed. Does it bother me? Yes. But not as much as some of the hand-wringing critics who, unlike Palin, are lawyers with instant recall or commentators who make a living chattering about SCOTUS cases on the lecture/cocktail circuit. I would have loved it if Palin had been able to reel off Plessy or Kelo or Grutter or Bakke. I’m concerned that she blanked, but not ready to jump off a cliff. The Beltway/Manhattan crowd seems to have forgotten that her appeal to the base was not that she was a slick intellectual, but that she was one of them. Hockey moms aren’t going to be as upset about her non-answer answer as academics and think-tank dwellers.

All that said, I like reader David’s suggestion:

Here’s how I wish the Palin-Couric exchange would’ve went:

Couric: Can you name any other Supreme Court decisions you disagree with?

Palin: Off the top of my head, no. Roe v. Wade is clearly the one that stands out above the rest. But the average American out there isn’t worried about whether I can rattle off a bunch of Supreme Court decisions. They are worried about making their mortgage payments, keeping their jobs and sending their kids to college. They trust the Supreme Court to make those decisions. What they want from a President and Vice President is someone who will appoint Federal judges who fairly interpret the Constitution and adjudicate accordingly.

Now, let me ask you a question, Katie. You interviewed Senator Biden recently. So when you asked him this same question, would you care to share with me his answer?

Couric: Well, I didn’t ask him that question.

Palin: You didn’t? Why not? He’s a VP nominee. I’m a VP nominee. Don’t you want to know what Supreme Court decisions he disagrees with? Why are you only interested in my perspective on this?

Couric: …………. (Katie) Crickets chirping…..

I especially like the “Off the top of my head, no” part. Palin should remember tonight that it’s better to just acknowledge that she doesn’t have a ready answer if she doesn’t have one in response to gotcha questions like these. It avoids painful circumlocations and evasions — and makes clear to viewers that she’s not intimidated or insecure.

***

Update: Thanks to commenter DougT — Couric did ask Biden the SCOTUS case question. He named…a decision that overturned one of his pet pieces of legislation, the Violence Against Women Act.

And here’s how Joe “Mr. Judiciary Committee” Biden botched the Roe question.

***

Posted in: Sarah Palin, Supreme Court

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Comment pages: « 1 [2]

#101

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:32 pm, atheling said:

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm, chapoutier said

Malim lingua mea cloacam maximam purgare.
#102

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:34 pm, By Choice said:

The reason Palin looked so “pained” was because the other case she thought of was McCain-Feingold being upheld by the SCOTUS’ that should have gone in the toilet.

Agreed, the McCain machine should just let Sarah-cuda be her conservative self, but you know that really does conflict with McCain’s “policy”. If he truly was going to be the Maverick and vote against PORK than why the hell didn’t he vote against the bailout? That vote was the nail in his coffin. Sorry, Sarah, you hooked up with a loser.
#103

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:36 pm, chapoutier said:

Malim lingua mea cloacam maximam purgare.

shhhhh….don’t cry…it’ll be alright.

We’ll always have Paris.
#104

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm, atheling said:

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:36 pm, chapoutier said

You really are making an ass out of yourself by your ignorance.

Ooops, forgot. You are an ass.
#105

On October 2nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm, chapoutier said:

::furtive, longing glance::

::face blushing::

::walking away with an atheling-sized hole in my heart::
#106

On October 2nd, 2008 at 5:25 pm, mistressjustice said:

On October 2nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm, AlohaGuy said

I think Obama and his advisors would be too smart to let McCain take the lead in some type of bipartisan endeavor like that. McCain’s side is too smart to let Obama take the lead. This is all about ego, and whose is bigger. Neither guy would risk sandbagging this package because of the ramifications of failure to pass something soon. It’s easier to go along with the flow, vote with the majority, hope for the best, and then get back to the campaign trail.
The bailout has created very strange bedfellows with those from the far left, from the far right, and bluedogs in between.
#107

On October 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 pm, mistressjustice said:

Here’s an oldie bug goodie:

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year
old Texas
rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working
cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid
to be a heartbeat away from being President .

The old rancher said, ‘Well, ya know, Palin is a
post turtle.’

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what
a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, ‘When you’re driving down a
country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle
balanced on top, it’s a post turtle.’

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s
face, so he continued to explain.

‘You know she didn’t get up there by herself, she
doesn’t belong up there, she doesn’t know what to do
while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb
ass put her up there to begin with.

Wow, tough crowd.
Anyway, thank you very much, I’ll be here every Thursday night. Tip Bambi, she’s been working hard for yah….
#108

On October 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm, Dimsdale said:

On October 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 pm, mistressjustice said:

That is precisely the story that made me think of Øbama!

At least she got her positions through honest elections, and not technicalities, or helpful Democrat mentors throwing her legislation to glom onto.