General Discussion

Palin gets media savaging after faltering interview

by Jitendra Joshi
Fri Sep 26, 4:33 PM ET
 

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican running mate Sarah Palin, after again laying claim to foreign policy expertise because Alaska is near Russia, suffered a media roasting Friday with one conservative calling on her to quit.

Pro-Republican columnist Kathleen Parker, writing in the National Review, said the Alaska governor was now such an embarrassment to the party that she should step down as John McCain's vice presidential nominee.

"Palin's recent interviews with Charles Gibson (ABC News), Sean Hannity (Fox News) and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League," Parker said.

In her third session with a television interviewer, this time with CBS News anchor Couric, Palin struggled to offer examples of McCain's claim to regulatory zeal at a time when Wall Street is reeling from financial crisis.

In the interview, which aired in two parts on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Palin also said that US forces had already secured "victory" in Iraq, a bolder assertion than McCain himself has offered.

Pressed on why Alaska's geographic location enhanced her world knowledge, Palin said: "Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of."

She said that when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska."

"It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state," Palin added.

The socially conservative governor, whose polling boost to McCain appears to be flagging, also said the US economy could be staring at another "Great Depression" -- which McCain backed away from in his own interview with Couric.

Asked to give examples of legislative action taken by McCain that could have headed off the current financial crisis, Palin pointed to his call two years ago to rein in the bailed-out mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Couric, noting that McCain had been in Congress for 26 years, pushed Palin for further examples. "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you," the Republican running mate said.

Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik contrasted Palin's interview with Couric to McCain's no-show on another CBS program, "Late Show with David Letterman."

McCain cried off a scheduled appearance in New York with the acerbic funnyman, citing his urgent need to return to Washington to attend talks in Congress on an enormous economic bailout package.

But Letterman cut to a studio shot of McCain getting face powder applied at the very same time for his own interview with Couric, and then mercilessly poked fun at the Republican during the rest of his show.

Zurawik said that "between the two (TV appearances), it looks like some serious damage might have been done to the GOP (Grand Old Party/Republican) ticket."

The Boston Globe opined: "The honeymoon is over for Sarah Palin.

"After a third major TV interview during which her performance was uneven at best, even fellow Republicans are having trouble enthusiastically backing their vice presidential nominee," it said.

Palin wowed the conservative base when she was selected by McCain four weeks ago, but a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey suggests that 49 percent of voters believe she lacks the leadership qualities required in a president.

The McCain campaign has kept Palin largely sequestered from the media, and several conservative writers had attacked Gibson for adopting a prosecutorial tone in the governor's debut national interview with ABC.

But in the National Review, Parker wrote that Palin had betrayed insufficient knowledge of economics or foreign policy to show that she was ready to step up should something befall the 72-year-old McCain.

"As we've seen and heard more from John McCain's running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem," she said.

Originally posted by keltic1701

Palin gets media savaging after faltering interview......

In her third session with a television interviewer, this time with CBS News anchor Couric, Palin struggled to offer examples of McCain's claim to regulatory zeal at a time when Wall Street is reeling from financial crisis.

In the interview, which aired in two parts on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Palin also said that US forces had already secured "victory" in Iraq, a bolder assertion than McCain himself has offered.

Pressed on why Alaska's geographic location enhanced her world knowledge, Palin said: "Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of."

Actually, I thought Palin did pretty good.

I had expected her to cite as her foreign relations experience sneeking into Russia one Friday nite with her husband, two hunting rifles, and a case of beer, to shoot Russian moose. Not that she downs a case of beer as she waits to shoot at Putin when he flies over Alaska.

And McCain has to publicly back off on victory in Iraq, otherwise folks might wonder why he's not bringing the troops home. It sounds like Palin is ready to bring them home now that we've won.

I can understand her struggling for examples of McCain's regulatory zeal, McCain doesn't like more regulation, he likes less.

As to sitting down in her trailer with the leaders of Iraq and Korea, Palin replied, "Sure, if they bring the beer".

The true test of the Republican commitment to having her on the ticket will come if Dick Cheney invites her out hunting.... 

Sarah Palin: The conservative's most memorable one night stand

I actually feel sad for her at this point. I will not poke fun at her anymore.

It is so obvious that McCain picked her because she fit the template of what he was looking for on the surface, yet she is clearly not ready for this position, and even the slightest amount of vetting would have proven that.

I really see her as having been exploited by the republican party. After seeing her level of confidence, I'm sure she thought she was up to the challenge, so there was no way she would turn down this opportunity. I think McCain owes the entire Palin family, as well as the American people, an apology for such a reckless and destructive political ruse.

McCain should do the right thing and get a consummate professional on the ticket before Thursday. There is no need to further embarrass this woman or her family.

Yeah that interview was painful. She quite frankly sucked.

Originally posted by DailyBuzz

Sarah Palin: The conservative's most memorable one night stand

I actually feel sad for her at this point. I will not poke fun at her anymore.  

Hey, I'm gonna poke fun, after all, she was chosen over Mitt Romney.

Right now Mitt Romney is campaigning for McCain in Michigan, and doing a helluva good job keeping McCain in the picture.

Actually, Mitt Romney should have been the Republican Preidential nominee. What the heck were you guys thinking? Just because the Democrats pulled a bonehead move, did you have to follow suit?

Originally posted by olddaddy

Originally posted by DailyBuzz

Sarah Palin: The conservative's most memorable one night stand

I actually feel sad for her at this point. I will not poke fun at her anymore.  

 

Hey, I'm gonna poke fun, after all, she was chosen over Mitt Romney.

Right now Mitt Romney is campaigning for McCain in Michigan, and doing a helluva good job keeping McCain in the picture.

Actually, Mitt Romney should have been the Republican Preidential nominee. What the heck were you guys thinking? Just because the Democrats pulled a bonehead move, did you have to follow suit?

 

i think it was specifically tied to one-up obama on the 'first' claim-perhaps prove the media as biased and maybe try to grab some of oprahs audience, hillarys moderate voters.

afterall, this race is about the grab for the independent voters. 

regarding the debate, i swear it- obamas opening speech, err i mean answer- that answer was targeted at my father in law- everything he said was exactly what my dad in law says- to a tee(T). 

Originally posted by bluberryhaze

Originally posted by olddaddy

Originally posted by DailyBuzz

Sarah Palin: The conservative's most memorable one night stand

I actually feel sad for her at this point. I will not poke fun at her anymore.  

Hey, I'm gonna poke fun, after all, she was chosen over Mitt Romney.

Right now Mitt Romney is campaigning for McCain in Michigan, and doing a helluva good job keeping McCain in the picture.

Actually, Mitt Romney should have been the Republican Preidential nominee. What the heck were you guys thinking? Just because the Democrats pulled a bonehead move, did you have to follow suit? 

i think it was specifically tied to one-up obama on the 'first' claim-perhaps prove the media as biased and maybe try to grab some of oprahs audience, hillarys moderate voters.

afterall, this race is about the grab for the independent voters. 

regarding the debate, i swear it- obamas opening speech, err i mean answer- that answer was targeted at my father in law- everything he said was exactly what my dad in law says- to a tee(T).  

You must have some interesting family conversations at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter?

Edit: My wife and I are both Democrats. After listening to Mitt in Detroit on Thursday, we both agreed that we would have voted for him over Obama. Mitt just makes too much cents. Not change, but cents.

I can see why McCain chose Palin. He had to choose a governor. When you take out those that are democrats, those that are not eligible, and those that swift boated him in the primaries, the pool is much smaller. Palin aligns with McCain's philosophy more then what is left. Although I think Mike Huckubee would have also been a good choice.

I can also see why thier campaign doesn't want Palin interviewing. All the media outlets are trying to pounce on the woman and get her to make a news story since she would make the most impact for one. The only real choices thier campaign has for interviews are with the BBC and Fox since 1 is unbiased and doesn't force stories, and the other is republican bias.

Also Republican reporters have traditionally been opposed to McCain, and were until his nomination. Some of that negativity will push through. Its odd how party centric news stations have become. With many liberal sided stations that praised McCain for his bi-partisanship suddenly changed views and call him the second coming of Bush.

I don't know why people keep bring up foriegn policy with Russia to Palin. They should bring up something not in north-west Asia, like Europe, the Middle-East, or Africa. It is true that out of any governor, the governor of Alaska will be dealing with Russia. Palin lived in Alaska during the cold war. You know that thing where there were atleast a dozen nuclear ballistic carrying subs in the water around Alaska. Also its the state were deals are now being made with Russia, Japan, and Korea to expand it for trade with those countries as a gateway into the US. Cough Cough this probably involves the Alaskan Government.