Government 101 or Advanced Bullshitting? You choose.

While watching Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin it struck me that most voters would probably think that the interview went rather well.  Because Sarah Palin is very good at talking, or to not put too fine a point of it, she is very good at bullshitting.

Some people just have a natural talent for bullshitting and Sarah Palin is one of those people. Give her a tough question and she will, right there and then, find some way to wriggle herself out of it. 

This is why she is the governor of Alaska and you are not.

But is the ability to bullshit really a quality we look for in a leader?  Do we want someone who can bluff their way out of a tight spot more than we want someone who knows what they are talking about?

Let me give you an example.  When Charlie Gibson asked Sarah Palin if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, it was quite clear that she had no idea what the Bush Doctrine is.  For a moment she seemed completely stunned by the question.  An american governor. Running for vice president.  And she had no idea of what is meant by The Bush Doctrine -- the single most important principle by which the current administration is governing.

Her first attempt to bluff was a feeble one.  She asked for clarification on what Charlie Gibson meant.  Anyone who has had any experience interviewing people or who has given an oral exam will tell you that asking for clarification is just about the first and most important trick in the book to bullshit yourself out of this situation.  

In the end, Charlie Gibson had to explain to Sarah Palin what the Bush Doctrine is.  An embarrassing moment of the interview for all concerned.

Before we go on, let's have a look at the video:

After the interview several pundits said that she did well.

Did well at what?

The average american voter knows little or nothing about the Bush Doctrine.  Like Sarah Palin, most people probably have a general impression of what the governing principles of the current administration are -- but they are not able to express precisely what the Bush Doctrine is.

But Sarah Palin is not average people.  Or at least she is not supposed to have just an average understanding of how the country is run.  She is a governor and she is a vice presidential candidate.  It is her job to know these things.  

She is running on a ticket that is supposedly for change -- but she has no real understanding of exactly what the status quo is.  Then how can she truly have any understanding of what change is needed?

You may admire her for her ability to bullshit her way out of a question that she should have known the answer to.  But wouldn't you rather have a leaders that actually know?  Leaders who are actually qualified for their jobs so they don't have to lie on their resumes?

Wouldn't you rather havet leaders that understand "Government 101" rather than just "Advanced Bullshitting"?