First Palin Interviews Get Mixed Reaction

Sept. 12, 2008 — -- So, how did she do?

Appearing extremely rehearsed and slightly nervous, Gov. Sarah Palin sat down with ABC's Charles Gibson for interviews that aired Thursday on "World News" and "Nightline." She sits down again with Gibson for interviews airing tonight on "World News" and "20/20."

Watch Charles Gibson's exclusive interviews with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tonight on "World News" and "20/20," which will broadcast a one-hour special edition at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT.

While reaction has been mixed so far, depending quite a bit on where people stand politically, the consensus appears to be that Palin didn't lose any points but didn't hit it out of the park, either.

"It was a reasonably good performance for her first interview on the national stage," said Republican strategist Whit Ayers, who is working on GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham's re-election campaign in South Carolina, among others.

"I think she'll get stronger the more she does these because she's smart and learns quickly."

The Obama campaign argued today that Palin's interview displayed a lack of foreign policy experience, an argument Sen. Hillary Clinton made against Obama during the Democratic primary campaign.

"The most disturbing thing about Sarah Palin isn't how little background she has on foreign policy or that she doesn't seem to know what the 'Bush Doctrine' is, it's how willing she and John McCain are to follow George Bush's failed foreign policy for another four years, from the war in Iraq to the lack of any plan to deal with Iran's nuclear program, she toed the Bush-McCain line," Obama campaign spokesman Nick Shapiro said.

The Obama campaign seized on a portion of the interview in which Palin appeared to be caught off guard when Gibson asked, "Do you agree with the 'Bush Doctrine'?"

"In what respect, Charlie?" Palin asked.

When Gibson defined the doctrine as "the right of anticipatory self-defense," Palin said, "Charlie, if there is a legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country."

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers told ABCNews.com there are "many definitions of the 'Bush Doctrine,' and that's what she was trying to get from Charlie."

Rogers said McCain was pleased with Palin's performance.

"She came across great, and prepared," Rogers said. "She demonstrated that she's ready to be commander in chief and showed she's resolved about the key issues that we face in the world, especially on energy."