Sarah Palin and (the fake) Sarkozy

Recently, Sarah Palin was pranked by two comedians from Montreal posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Evidently, it took them five days to get through, but they managed and Palin seemed just as flustered and flirty as if she met the French Preisdent without preparation. (Just as an aside, I'm sure that the aides who allowed the call to go through [without a french translator or possibly anyone else on the phone!] have been fired.)

The audio for this debacle is here and the transcript is here. If you get the chance, read the comments on the transcript. There are some very intelligent people saying exactly what they think is wrong with Palin's "performance."

I read the article before I listened to the chat. I assumed that the pranksters must sound pretty official to get through to Palin, and they must have talked politics for at least a few minutes to get her guard down.

Nope.

Everything from Sarkozy's Pepe le Pew accent, to "'ustlers Nailin Palin," to killing baby seals from helicopters should have sent up red flags to someone, if not Palin, someone else on the phone. Part of my concern is that her handlers let her fly solo, on a crackly phone, with the French President, who truly doesn't have the most stellar grasp on the English language. Any French translator worth his salt could have told Palin to get off the phone after Sarkozy said "rouge à lèvres sur un cochon" (lipstick on a pig.)

Her handlers having too much faith in her aside, she was giggly, flirty, and just seemed inappropriate. Talking about the French President's wife? Not mentioning John McCain except in passing? Not knowing the Prime Minister of Canada? Foreign relations bedamned! This is Maverick Territory!