Good morning and welcome today to “Meet The Suspicious.” I’m your host Bret McAtee and joining me in our round table discussion is Cookie Robertson, Stephanie Opolis, and always present in his trademark bow tie, Will George. Welcome friends for another week of “Meet The Suspicious.”
Today our guest is Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, John McCain’s Republican Vice President nominee.
Welcome to our show Governor.
Governor Palin — Thank you Bret, it’s always good to be around my friends in the press.
Cookie — Well Governor, it’s been over a week since you’ve been nominated. How are you doing 8 days later.
Governor Palin — Cookie, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. Still, my family and I are doing wonderfully and we are so excited to be in a campaign that is for the future of America.
Stephanie — Governor, since we’re still making small talk, I’m just dying to know if you have a fashion consultant. Your ear-rings and pearls during your speech were simple yet elegant. Do you do make your own fashion decisions or do you consult with someone.
Governor Palin — Stephanie, my best advice is from my Husband Todd and my daughter Bristol. All in all though I make my own decisions. Thank you for your kind comments.
Bret — Let’s move on to serious conversation shall we?
Governor, having grown up in the Church, I was wondering if you would say that the Church is important to you.
Governor Palin — Oh yes, my family and I have a very strong faith.
Bret — That’s what we’ve heard Governor and we salute you on that score.
Governor Palin — Why thank you Bret.
Bret — Governor, given that your faith is so important and the your Church is so important could you tell us if you’ve ever received from someone in your church — your pastor or anybody else — what is called as a “word from the Lord.”
Governor Palin — What?
Bret — Have you ever acted on that “word from the Lord” when you received it?
Governor Palin — I don’t know how any of this is germane to the campaign.
Will — I think where Bret is going with this Governor is that we think it is important to know how your Assembly of God theology could potentially affect your leadership. If you’ve acted upon a received word of the Lord from somebody before it might indicate that you would do so again while in office and quite possibly touching policy decisions.
Governor Palin — I would never do that.
Stephie — Why not? Couldn’t the Lord conceivably have a word for you on policy decision or does he only speak about non policy issues?
Governor Palin — This is preposterous.
Bret — So, is that a “yes” or a “no” on ever having received from someone a “word from the Lord” that you then acted on?
Governor Palin — I’m just not going to comment on these kind of issues.
Cookie — Very well. The church you grew up in has a long history of believing that Israel is God’s people and therefore should never be opposed. Will this teaching you grew up with affect your foreign policy decisions?
Governor Palin — Israel is our friend in the Middle East and America has always stood by her friends.
Bret — Governor, given your theology, we want to know if it would even be possible for Israel to act in such a way where you would sanction them or does your theology require you to always stand by Israel?
Governor Palin — I just answered that question Bret.
Will — Do you believe that it is important that the Solomonic temple needs to be rebuilt where the Muslim Dome of the Rock now stands and would you, by way of policy, support the Temple being rebuilt?
Governor Palin — Will, it’s hard to predict things in the future that might happen. I’d rather not try to pretend to be Nostradamus on this show.
Bret — Governor, have you ever spoken in tongues and if you have, have you ever had those tongues interpreted?
Governor Palin — Really, Bret, I don’t know what this has to do with campaign 2008.
Bret — Governor, it has to do with campaign 2008 because we are trying to find out, as we were earlier, if the teaching of your faith and church, which you yourself said was important, is going to impact future Palin policy decisions. If God is speaking to you — if he is imparting to you ongoing revelation — and if His speaking could possibly impinge on policy decisions we think the American people need to know that your decisions are coming from God.
Governor Palin — Have there ever been any other candidates with whom you’ve felt compelled to grill them on their faith.
Stephie — No, Governor, but we’ve never had other candidates from a faith and church tradition that regularly get messages from God.
Cookie — And we’ve never had other candidates whose faith and church taught, by way of divine revelation, that modern Israel continues to be God’s people.
Bret — And we think the American people would like to know if you differ from your church on these teachings.
Governor Palin — I think my record speaks for itself.
Bret — Thank you Governor. We will be right back after we break for these commercial messages. When we return we will continue to chat with the Governor focusing more directly on political and legal issues.
Insert Trojan commercial
Insert Deodorant commercial
Insert Bob Dole Viagra commercial
Bret — Welcome back to “Meet the Suspicious.” I am your host Bret McAtee and we are pleased to have Alaska Governor and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin with us.
(Bret gives a beaming smile and nods to the Governor)
Bret — Let’s begin the questioning with Will.
Will — Governor, you’re reputed to be a conservative small government candidate. Can you tell us how you understand the 10th amendment?
Governor Palin — I think America should be a place where the Government knows its place.
Will — That’s interesting Governor, but what about the 10th amendment?
Governor — Will, I just answered that question.
Will — I see.
Cookie — Governor, do you agree with the controversial Supreme Court Gideon v. Wainwright decision that explicitly embraced the doctrine of incorporation?
Governor Palin — I think all companies should have the right to incorporate. I am a big believer in free markets.
Stephie — Governor, could you give us your views on the proper relation of Church and State?
Governor Palin — Stephie, I’ve always believed that the America people ought to be free to worship God in the public square. I don’t believe that we should try to eliminate God from our public life.
Bret — Which God ought the American people be free to worship Governor?
Governor Palin — Any one they’d like.
Bret — Even a God who sends them on Jihad?
Governor Palin — True religion is peaceful. When it is no longer peaceful it is no longer true religion and so should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Bret — So the American people are only free to serve pacifistic gods?
Governor Palin — Yes, that sounds right.
Stephie — Then how will we ever man a military?
Governor Palin — What?
Stephie — Well, if the American people are only free to serve pacifistic gods then they would seem to have to be a pacifistic people. Pacifistic gods have pacifistic follower after all.
Governor Palin — Of course Stephanie Americans have to be willing to fight for their country when needed.
Bret — So they should fight for their country but not their God?
Governor Palin — I didn’t say that Bret.
Cookie — Governor, can we return to the faith aspect just one more time.
Governor Palin — I’d love to answer any question I can.
Cookie — Good. Governor as a Christian we know you follow the Bible.
Governor Palin – As best as I can.
Cookie — Governor, just as Americans in 1960 had concerns about Jack Kennedy being submissive to the Pope, many Americans today are concerned about you possibly being submissive to your husband. Governor, can you relieve American’s concerns, as Jack Kennedy did, that you will be your own person and not be an agent for your husband as Kennedy was no agent of the Pope?
Governor Palin — Cookie, Todd knows I’m my own woman and he understands that my work as Vice President as nothing to do with him. The American people don’t need to worry about me being in submission to my husband as it touches political issues.
Will — So if your husband said, “You can’t bomb Iran, or you must bomb Iran,” you wouldn’t listen to him.
Governor Palin — He would never do that.
Stephie — But if he did, you’d refuse to be submissive.
Governor Palin — I certainly would.
Bret — Unfortunately, that’s all we have time for. Thank you Governor for being with us here today on “Meet the Suspicious.”
Governor Palin — Thanks for having me Bret. I look forward to coming back some day.
Bret — And thank you Cookie, Stephie, and Will.
We will see all of you next week on…
Meet The Suspicious.
Thanks, Bret, I needed a good laugh this morning. It is a cloudy day, and your post really got me going. I like the way your humor really shows what political polytheism is like! š