On Thursday night, Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin appeared in her first television interview since Senator John McCain announced her as his running mate. Alaska governor spoke with ABC's Charles Gibson about her views on foreign policy, religion and national security, as well as accusations that she's inexperienced, in the first part of the three-part interview (the remainder of which airs on Friday).

Gibson asked the 44-year-old mother of five if she was ever uncertain about joining the ticket when she was first approached about it. "I didn't hesitate," she responded. "I answered 'yes' because I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink. You have to be wired in a way of being so committed to the mission — the mission that we're on, reform of this country and victory in the war — you can't blink."

(Excerpts from the interview can be found at ABCNews.com.)

She added that if she had to take over the presidency, she could. "I'm ready," she said.

Palin also discussed her views on foreign policy, saying that if Russia invades the neighboring country of Georgia, the United States might have to go to war with them.

The vice-presidential nominee fumbled, however, when asked about the Bush doctrine, the idea that the U.S. has the right to preemptively attack another country if it's seen as a threat. Palin was apparently unfamiliar with the phrase, and when asked how she would interpret it, merely answered, "His world view."

The candidate also took some time to clear up a comment she made at an Alaska church in which she called the war in Iraq "a task from God." "I would never presume to know God's will or to speak God's words," she said. "But what Abraham Lincoln had said — and that's a repeat in my comments — was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God's side."

Palin also spoke about the service of her eldest son, 19-year-old Track, who was deployed to Iraq on Thursday. "I am so proud of his independent and strong decision he has made," she said. "What he decided to do and serving for the right reasons and serving something greater than himself and not choosing a real easy path where he could be more comfortable and certainly safer."