The Definition of "Hubris"

I hadn't planned to address Sarah Palin much in this blog for the simple fact that there isn't much worth addressing. As clearly the most irresponsible and ill-founded VP pick in the history of the presidency, she's not worth the time it takes to write an entire post.

However, in the spirit of W.A.C? I found her casual attack of Barack Obama in last night's debate to be beyond even her usual level of idiocy, and actually quite offensive.

Here was a one-term governor of a state with a population smaller than dozens of cities around the country, who's lack of foreign and domestic policy experience is already legend, and she had the absolute gall to call out Senator Obama as being unqualified for the presidency. Even she, in her limited cognition, must at some point have been aware of the hypocrisy.

Here, from CNN.com, is a detailed account of her comment and Senator Obama's original statement that prompted it. As you read it try to keep the head shaking to a minimum – you could end up with a throbbing headache.

October 3, 2008

Palin calls Obama comment 'reckless,' criticizes Couric

Posted: 04:34 PM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney (CNN) 

Palin says an Obama comment was reckless.

Sarah Palin said Friday several of Barack Obama's comments about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been "reckless" and disqualify the Illinois senator for consideration as the next commander-in-chief.

The comments are among the Alaska governor's most pointed to date regarding the Democratic presidential candidate's readiness to serve and come one day after she aggressively jousted with Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden.

"Some of his comments that he has made about the war…I think, in my world, disqualifies someone from consideration as the next commander-in-chief," Palin told Fox News Friday. "Some of the comments he's made about Afghanistan, what we are doing there, supposedly just air-raiding villages and killing civilians — that's reckless."

Palin was referring to an answer Barack Obama gave at a August 2007 town hall meeting with New Hampshire voters, during which the Illinois senator was asked whether he had plans to shift U.S. troops out of Iraq to other terrorist hotspots like Afghanistan.

"We've got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there," Obama said of the U.S.'s mission in Afghanistan.

Those comments were immediately seized by GOP critics. The Republican National Committee sent out a press release shortly after calling them "offensive," and demanding he apologize. The McCain campaign has also highlighted the comments several times this campaign season. An AP Fact Check later reported Western forces had been killing civilians at a higher rate than insurgents.