There are always 'hostile' reporters around politicians and the pol is better to know the topics and positions they can adequately defend vs those they can better gain from by conceding the ground and appearing to be reasonable, human and maybe vulnerable.
Voters may want a fighter who won't take any nonsense from the press or the political opponents, but sometimes you can win by appearing to lose a little.
Defending the "international credentials" thing as she did was a sign of inexperience. I wonder how she would respond to the same question today.
Palin's saving grace was and IS that she is a fighter.
You can find more than a few "intellectual types" who might be better read than she, but when it comes down to a dogfight, those "eggheads" might get their lunches stolen.
And Palin might be the kind of gal who would bloody the bully's nose and rescue the purloined lunch and return it to Mr. Four Eyes.
