Wow. Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska reads every newspaper and magazine. In her own words, "all of them." Unfortunately, she can't name any of them.
Here's a transcript of the relevant part:
COURIC: And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious--what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this to stay informed and to understand the world?
PALIN: I've read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media --
COURIC: But what ones specifically? I'm curious.
PALIN: Um, all of 'em, any of 'em that, um, have been in front of me over all these years.
COURIC: Can you name a few?
PALIN: I have a vast variety of sources…
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. My own reading runs the gamut. I read the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times daily, the Economist weekly, and everything from National Review Online to the Socialist Worker as the mood strikes. Internationally, I view the BBC News website, the Sydney Morning Herald online (occasionally), and anything else that will bring me information. I got in the habit of reading the South China Morning Post in the runup to Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, and Google News gives a nice overview of various English-language news sources from around the world. The fact that I appear to be more widely read and better-informed than the GOP nominee for the nation's second highest post quite frankly frightens the hell out of me.
Perhaps the only more frightening thing is that John McCain claims to have turned to her for advice "many times in the past." God help us all.