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Comment by anamax | Hacker News Reader

> Hey, maybe supposedly being able see Russia from her house really DOES give Ms. Palin foreign policy experience.

You do know that that's from SNL, not Palin. (Since you're suggesting, correctly, that one should go with data, it's curious that you used fiction as supporting evidence.)

Border state governors do negotiate with neighboring countries, just as other governors negotiate with neighboring states. Alaska mostly deals with Canada, but there's some stuff with Russia for the Bering Strait. (Palin's house isn't near the strait so she can't see Russia from her house.)

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You do know that the SNL thing was a riff on something she actually said, right?

Actual quote, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=5782924&...:

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

PALIN: They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they're doing in Georgia?

PALIN: Well, I'm giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it's in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

This claim is true.

http://www.slate.com/id/2200155

Yup, and what she said was true. The riff, not so much.

Governors do deal with neighboring countries and states. What part of that do you find scorn-worthy?

Senators may be asked by the president to deal with other countries but have no formal role in foreign policy beyond voting on legislation and overseeing the state department.

I concede the point. Though upon looking it up, she did make a similarly bogus statement.

I watched her first big address and thought that I remembered this statement from it, but it looks like in fact Tina Fey was really that convincing.

Her first big televised address -- the one that had the related statement -- actually had the middle of the statement edited out. The statement, as aired, was pretty bogus, but it makes a lot more sense when you read the whole transcript.

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