Sarah Palin strong in unscripted townhall meeting

NY Times:

As she took questions from voters for the first time since she was tapped as Senator John McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin was asked here Wednesday about her “perceived lack of foreign policy experience.’’

She responded with an invitation for people to play “stump the candidate” with her.

“As for foreign policy, you know, I think that I am prepared,’’ Ms. Palin said at an enthusiastic town-hall-style meeting she held alongside Mr. McCain. “And I know that on Jan. 20, if we are so blessed as to be sworn into office as your president and vice president, certainly we’ll be ready. I’ll be ready. I have that confidence. I have that readiness. And if you want specifics with specific policy, or countries, go ahead and you can ask me. You can even play stump the candidate, if you want to.’’

But before anyone could take her up on the offer, Mr. McCain stepped in to praise Ms. Palin’s qualifications, saying that she understands energy issues, had led negotiations for a new gas pipeline, and, as governor of Alaska, was the commander of the Alaska National Guard. “So I think she understands our national security challenges,’’ he said.

The town-hall-style meeting was Ms. Palin’s first time taking questions from voters since she landed on the ticket almost three weeks ago (she has yet to hold a news conference), and it offered a glimpse into how she could handle herself without a script.

Governor Palin showed herself to be a crowd-pleaser, and it was clear that she and Mr. McCain – who had only met once before offering her a spot on the ticket – have begun to develop an easy rapport. (She no longer called him “Senator John S. McCain,” as she sometimes did right after she was picked, calling him “John.’’) Ms. Palin highlighted her breezy style, as with her remark that energy independence was “going to be my baby” in a McCain administration, but sometimes seemed less sure-footed on other issues.

But Mr. McCain seemed to enjoy having her at his side, and the overwhelmingly Republican crowd at Grand Rapids Community College seemed to adore her. (Although there was also a spirited protest outside the college.)

At one point, as Mr. McCain finished answering a question about Islamic terrorism, Ms. Palin interrupted him.

“John, John, can I add something?’’ she asked.

“Always,’’ he said.

“Sometimes my running mate is a bit too humble,’’ she said. “We need to remember who it was who pushed for and supported and risked much for the strategy that is working in Iraq, and that is the surge. He is the one who pushed for it.’’

Speaking quickly, she continued: “John McCain had the foresight to push for the counter-insurgency strategy also, that was implemented by General Petraeus. That’s allowed us to see victory within sight in Iraq. And we must win in Iraq, we must continue to fight al Qaeda there. Al Qaeda even admits that Iraq is the central front on this war on terror. We must win there so that we can win in Afghanistan also.”

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There is more.

You can get an idea about how well she did by the way the Times buried Michael Coopers story on the meeting.

I love her answer on Iraq. It is something that you will not see coming out of a Democrat and it is why Democrats are seen as weak on national security. If they are so smart, why don't they know this. Perhaps they do, but they are too beholding to MoveOn and other kooks on the left.

This performance was on the same day that she did her interview with Sean Hannity which was so good that it is not getting nearly the coverage that her earlier one with Charlie Gibson did.

A 38 minute video of the townhall is here.

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