SAN FRANCISCO - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin called Afghanistan “our neighboring country” on Sunday in a speech that could revive questions over her tendency to stumble into linguistic knots.
Three days after a mostly gaffe-free debate performance, the Alaska governor fumbled during a speech in which she praised U.S. soldiers for “fighting terrorism and protecting us and our democratic values”.
“They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan,” she told several hundred supporters at a fundraising event in San Francisco.
The gaffe could add fuel to comedians and late-night talk show hosts who have seized on her linguistic infelicities to portray her as someone not to be taken seriously.
Later in a speech in Omaha, Neb., Palin poked a little fun at herself when talking about one comedian in particular — actress Tina Fey whose dead-on impression of Palin’s looks, voice and body language has been a hit.
Fey, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Palin, has parodied her as a rambling, perky politician unfamiliar with world issues for three straight weeks on the comedy show “Saturday Night Live”.
“I was just trying to give Tina Fey more material — job security for Saturday Night Live,” Palin said.
The skits have become a sensation since an awkward interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric in which Palin failed to coherently express her views about Russia, the U.S. government’s $700 billion financial bailout package, and the newspapers or magazines she reads.
In recent days, the 44-year-old self-described “hockey mom” has described the Couric interview as “less than successful”, and apologized to crowds of supporters for her shaky performance, saying she was “annoyed” and “impatient” because she wanted to talk about other issues like energy independence.
Palin’s opponent, Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, has also committed high-profile gaffes, including claiming in a recent interview that President Franklin D. Roosevelt calmed fears in a TV address at the beginning of the Great Depression. There was no TV in 1929 — Roosevelt wasn’t president at the time.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder (A Palin supporter at a rally in Denver last week.)
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You all are beyond hope. It’s now 24 hours a day Hate Sarah Palin, 7 days a week.”
Yep, she’s a dangerous person and she must be stopped.
- Posted by Thos PaineI’m “annoyed” and impatient” with her stupidity! I don’t want to see or hear her any more! Go away Dick Cheney with Lipstick!
- Posted by sindylewOf course Afghanistan neighbors the U.S. It’s right next to Canada!
- Posted by jennifer dlugozimaThe article’s right that Tina Fey perfectly parodies Sarah Palin. Hmmm–has anyone ever seen them in the same room together? No? Oh wow–what a headline: Tina Fey IS Sarah Palin!
- Posted by DeborahPalin “pals” around with the anti-American, ultra-right wing “Alaskan Independence Party” who’s leader advocates the succession of Alaska from the Union. The founder of the AIP, Joe Vogler, died in an attempt to purchase plastic explosives. Vogler was buried in Dawson City, Canada, granting his wish that he not be buried under the American flag.
- Posted by TremelaiLaughable! It took me 17 hours stright flight to come from Afghanistan to D.C, and she is saying “our neighboring country Afghanistan”.
- Posted by ShayanShe must think we own Iraq.
- Posted by LAStevensUnbelievable that we are wasting time on Sarah Palin while we move into the depression for this century. Let’s just have the election. Assuming votes are really counted, we can send Sarah back to her job in Alaska. It’s like the frenzy for Britney and Lohan. Who cares?!!! We are losing our retirement savings. I won’t be voting for Obama either. I’ll vote 3rd party, but I must say Sarah Palin is a perfect illustration of how pitiful our democracy is. We can’t hear from third party candidates, but we are force fed Palinese. Drop it and get some substance. I want to know what Nader, Paul, & Barr think about what is going on? Can you report on that. They are actually candidates for President and have been running for a long time. They weren’t just snatched up off the street by John McCain 5 weeks ago
- Posted by MickleTruly she has a dizzying intellect.
- Posted by lindy“Boy when they say ‘leftwing media,’ they ought to be saying Communist/Marxist/Fascist America-hating media.” -Eric Dondero
Get your facts straight; facism is on the extreme right of the political spectrum; in that way, “Communist/Fascist” is an unrealistic combination of descriptors. Note also that Marxism has never existed in the world; although it would be the perfect system of government, greed and other human traits make it an unrealistic ideal. Please, don’t make accusations if you don’t have your facts straight.
- Posted by thadmooreJohn McCain selecting Sarah Palin as his VP running mate is absurd. I liked John McCain as a Republican presidential candidates, but Palin’s lack of political experience makes the ticket a joke. Another Republican failure starting with Pres. Bush guarantees that the Democrats will run the Whitehouse for the next 4 years.
- Posted by Pete CarricoI truly respect that Sarah Palin speaks her mind. Because the more she speaks, the more we understand that she’s incapable articulating a competent thought on policy. She’s the conservative Paris Hilton.
- Posted by Wade[...] http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/10 /05/in-slip-up-palin-calls-afghanistan- our-neighboring-count... [...]
- Posted by Sarah Palin Can See Afghanistan From Her House « POP CULTUREThis woman insults our collective intelligences…
- Posted by elmo nagurskyImagine what this election season would have been without Sarah Palin. A humorless experience at best! Romney … Rudy 9/11 … Huckleberry … Tommy Thompson … Hispanic Favorite Tancredo … Mr. Personality Lieberman — none of them would have given Tina Fey months of material and the rest of us as much laughter.
Thank you John ‘POW’ McCain for giving us something with which to endure your deceptions and updated Rovian campaign tactics. Your bright-eyed, bushy-tailed GOP operatives are as Aryan and vanilla, scripted and unexciting as Bush’s were in 2000 and 2004. Your mavericking has been a real treat for us to observe.
- Posted by Terry B. BrauerPalin is a freak show. McCain-Palin, the new dumb and dumber!
- Posted by Walter TsoSarah Palin is a good VP choice because she portrays herself as a regular person and isn’t too quick with answers?
Really?
Is that the measure of the second-in-line to be Leader of the Free World?
Someone who is folksy and doesn’t have any answers to any of the problems that we as a nation face?
Yeah, I know that whenever I have a problem the LAST thing I want to do is call someone who knows what to do about it. Or has thought about what to do about it. Or at least can give a reasonable impression of having thought about what to do about it.
Next time my car breaks down I won’t take it to the competent mechanic who I don’t have any rapport with, but who will fix my car.
No siree!
I’m going to take it to the other guy who has no idea what the various parts of my car are called, doesn’t know what tools he’ll need to fix it, but who knows my name and trades jokes with me everytime I come in.
Yeah!
Best Plan EVER!
- Posted by PatriciaI just watched Sarah Palin make a speech in Florida and in the background she had kids aged 7, 8, 9 sitting in the bleachers. Whats that all about. When did the voting age change. Is that the change she is talking about.
- Posted by KimmoOK…who wants HER to be VP???? she doesnt even know where in the world AFGHANISTAN is located! It would be a SHAME if she becomes the next VP. So much for FOREIGN POLICY! There is no substance to this woman, why do we even bother? And by choosing her as his running mate says alot about McCain…Obama is the MAN!
- Posted by ZarminaI am a woman who was born and raised in the midwest. Sarah Palin does not speak like anyone I know. I think she absolutely knows that she is out of her league here which is sad because its hard to watch another woman fail so miserably in this position. Can you really see her having an educated and heavy conversation with any foreign leader? She has a goal in mind and is greedy. IF she cared about the country or individual americans she would not be running for the VP, a position she knows she can not handle. I think her sarcasm and attacks only prove the lack of substance or knowledge. And Alaska has no political blunders? YOu need to do some homework on that? Frist start w the ethics investigation of SARAH PALIN. The one she said she’d be transparent for and now won’t take part in and told her employees to do the same. Nothing to hide?
- Posted by Michelle Pesce