"The lesson of the last year is this: foreign policy can't be managed through the politics of personality, and our President would do well to take note of an observation John F. Kennedy made once he was in office - that all of the world's problems aren't his predecessor's fault"

In this quote, Sarah Palin is assessing the events of the past year and offering a lesson to be learned. She argues that diplomacy can not be successfully handled by focusing on the personalities of political leaders. Rather, she suggests that the current President should hearken the words of previous President John F. Kennedy, who recognized that not all international concerns can be blamed on the actions of previous leaders. Palin is stressing the value of taking duty and looking forward, instead of constantly pointing fingers and residence on the past. She is prompting for a more mature and pragmatic method to diplomacy.