J.P.: Sounds like Miss Teen USA from South Carolina and “the Iraq” fame? Whose payroll are you on? Eva Longoria’s? Susan Sarandon’s? More seriously, it would be swell if Palin could sit down with journalists for some ribbing and getting to know one another — but that would require a certain amount of good will on the part of the journalists, which at this point I don’t see materializing. However out of her league she seemed in the sitdown with Charlie Gibson, what came across more than anything else is that Gibson was snooty and condescending, using fancy words solely to suggest to viewers that she has no idea what they mean. (Do you think Biden ever tosses around words like “hubris” and “existential” — when he’s not out with Charlie Rose, of course?)

In any case, given her relatively brief experience in high office, it’s understandable that it’ll be a while before she’s up to speed on Washington/national/international matters, but there’s nothing in her other than lack of experience that she lacks the talent and energy to acquire the requisite knowledge. Whether that will require “tutoring,” or whatever else you can call it — briefing, instruction, cramming — why should we be surprised? She wasn’t running for vice president, but suddenly was asked to serve. So upward and onward. What brought her this far will take her a lot farther.