Conservatives And The Word "Context"

Most conservatives can't stand to have their own words, their own language, thrown back at them. They hate it.

They hate having to face the fact that they may have said something wrong, something stupid, or even something they don't really believe in but said just to look good.

Enter Sarah Palin, again......

Enter part of her cheerleading crew, the folks at Michelle Malkin's website.

According to their own particular brand of logic, Charlie Gibson "blew it".

I will freely and readily admit that I had - and still kind of do have - my reservations reguarding the remainder of the interview, as I have only seen a few select clips - and it's divided into three parts over three different shows for maximum demographic exposure.

Aw, Michelle Malkin, poor little lamb. She's so upset that Charlie could be so mean:

Charlie Gibson had a chance to show that he could be fair, balanced, and P.D.S.-free with Sarah Palin’s first major MSM interview.

Looks like he blew it.

For those operating in this stream of reality, P.D.S. stands for "Palin Derangement Syndrome". It really doesn't mean anything at all. It's just a pseudo-clever title that Malkin has used in relation to George W. Bush and would have used with whomever McCain had chosen for his VP selection.

Sarah Palin is the conservative flavor-of-the-moment, so Malkin is all in and ready to show her hand.

But, the fun continues when she uses the old-stand-by of conservative weapons, the word "context", as it relates to Palin's statements at her old church:

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.

That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie.

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln’s words, but you went on and said, “There is a plan and it is God’s plan.”

Then, Michelle goes on:

What she actually said:

Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan

Just for a little backgroud, so everyone will know what the word means, here is the dictionary definition of "context":

–noun 1. the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect: You have misinterpreted my remark because you took it out of context.

2. the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.

It's pretty easy to see that, using the definition of "context", Palin thinks that God's plan was/is sending our military to Iraq.

Here's the video in question: