PJ: For those who are not familiar with British publications, The Daily Telegraph is considered a conservative paper. I must also add that many average Americans do not know what roles the Prime Minister and the Monarch play in British politics nor do they know much about the history of one of America's greatest allies. Having said that however, it must be expected that any person seeking the highest office (in any country) should know about the world in which they will play a role. And for the US that is still a major role which should not be taken lightly with a wink and a You Betcha.
The Telegraph
Sarah Palin 'believed Queen was in charge of British forces in Iraq'
Sarah Palin believed that the Queen rather than the prime minister was responsible for the decision to keep British forces in Iraq, according to research done for a new film chronicling her brief political rise.
By Raf Sanchez
The former Alaska governor reportedly made the comment during the 2008 presidential campaign as aides to John McCain, the Republican candidate, scrambled to bring his surprise-pick running mate up to speed on foreign affairs.
Her confusion emerged during a coaching session with Steve Schmidt, a top McCain adviser, who asked Mrs Palin what she would do if Britain began to waver in its commitment to the Iraq war.
In one of the many rambling responses that steadily eroded her credibility during the campaign, Mrs Palin reportedly replied that she would "continue to have an open dialogue" with the Queen.
A horrified Mr Schmidt informed her that that the prime minister, then Gordon Brown, would be responsible for the decision.
Mrs Palin was plucked out of relative obscurity by John McCain in the hope that her down-at-home populist style would solidify the Republican party’s conservative around his candidacy.
The incident was revealed during research for Game Change, an HBO 'docu-drama' based on a book about the 2008 campaign by two leading American journalists.
While the film is a dramatisation - with the Oscar-nominated actress Julianne Moore playing Mrs Palin - its producers conducted dozens of research interviews and Mr Schmidt confirmed its accuracy in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
A Palin spokesman said the film - with which Mrs Palin refused to co-operate - "distorted, twisted and invented facts to create a false narrative".
The incident can be added to a long list of policy gaffes made by Mrs Palin during her three months as the Republican vice-presidential candidate.
In an infamous series of interviews with Katie Couric, the CBS News anchor, Mrs Palin was asked about her claim that Alaska's proximity to Russia gave her an insight into foreign affairs.
Her stumbling answer - describing how "[Vladimir] Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America" - helped reinforce the impression that she was not ready for high office.
Game Change describes panicked cramming sessions during the campaign, with aides beginning their history tutorial with the Spanish Civil War and carrying through to post-9/11 era.
Mrs Palin was initially enthusiastic, making notes on hundreds of coloured flash cards, but became increasingly sullen and was described by tutors as going into a "catatonic stupor".
Although the 2008 campaign ended in defeat, Mrs Palin’s political fortunes were briefly revived in 2010 with the rise of the grassroots Tea Party movement, but is now most often seen as a pundit on the conservative Fox News cable news channel.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/sarah-palin/9094048/Sarah-Palin-believed-Queen-was-in-charge-of-British-forces-in-Iraq.html
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