The Bush Doctrine - Was Charlie Gibson Wrong? Was Governor Palin's answer actually brilliant?

The media (especially Andrea Mitchell, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann) have criticized Sarah Palin for her answer to Charlie Gibson's question, "Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?" Palin initially answered, "In what respect, Charlie?" She then explained that this is President Bush's world view of ridding the world of extremist terrorism. (See video below). It is my position that Governor Palin;s answer was not only correct, but manifested an understanding of the Bush Doctrine that reveals a depth of knowledge that she possesses that few people (including myself) believed she had until I analyzed this issue. Folks...she's the real deal.

Analysis: The phrase "the Bush Doctrine" was originally coined by Charles Krauthammer in 2001, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist who also coined the phrase "the Reagan Doctrine" in the 1980s. (See "The Reagan Doctrine," by C. Krauthammer, Time, April 1, 1985). According to Krauthammer, the "Bush Doctrine" described the Bush administration policy of unilaterally withdrawing from the ABM treaty and rejecting the Kyoto protocol, which constituted a dramatic shift in foreign policy. (See "The Bush Doctrine: ABM, Kyoto, and the New American Unilateralism," by C. Krauthammer, Weekly Standard, June 4, 2001).

Since then, the Bush Doctrine has developed different meanings. After 9/11, President Bush declared: "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." The Bush Doctrine was the term used to describe this "with us or against us" policy regarding terror. (See "Charlie Gibson's Gaffe," by C. Krauthammer, Washington Post, September 13, 2008).

In 2002, President Bush justified a preemptive attack on Iraq as a country sponsoring and/or harboring terrorists. Id. This is the definition of the Bush Doctrine that Charlie Gibson used when lecturing Governor Palin.

The problem is that Mr. Gibson's definition is not the most current ideation of the Bush Doctrine. The most current ideation is that "the fundamental mission of American foreign policy is to spread democracy throughout the world." Id. This was first enunciated by President Bush in his second inaugural address, when he stated: "The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world." This ideation of the Bush Doctrine is a world view and was initiated by defense policy makers such as Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle, who believed that direct and unilateral action by the United States was both possible and justified and that America should embrace the opportunities for democracy and security offered by its position as sole remaining superpower. President Bush ultimately sided with the Department of Defense camp, and their recommendations. (See "What the President Reads," John F. Dickerson, Time, January 10, 2005.)

So, when Governor Palin answered Charlie Gibson's question, she manifested an understanding of the nuances of the Bush Doctrine that are only known by those who know their history. Viewed in this fair and balanced way, Governor Palin's answer was brilliant. What say you, Mr. Olbermann?