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Palin Takes on the Media, Keeps Her Cool

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It seems whenever Sarah Palin performs poorly in an interview (as she did with Katie Couric) or says something off-putting or simplistic to the ears of those in the news media, they’ll make a huge case about it and wonder about her qualifications.  But, if Joe Biden says something silly, they’ll ignore it as not being newsworthy, given how legion his gaffes have become.

Now, given how often they go after Palin, and given that by their definition, her gaffes are as legion as those of Biden, shouldn’t we then pay them little heed?

Byron York may be right that the McCain campaign erred in first sending Palin to the major broadcast networks who would be all to eager to curry favor with the pundits for the major dailies by “proving” the Republican vice presidential nominee is a lightweight.  Hence, the gotcha questions of Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric.

Palin, however, seems to have taken their animosity is stride.  It’s too bad she didn’t respond to their questions in kind or try to dance around them with clever Clinton-esque evasions, answering the question by not answering it.

When Hugh Hewitt asked her about the Gibson and Couric interviews, Palin did not respond by whining that she was being treated harshly as might some Democratic presidential nominees, instead she said it was par for the course:

I’m going to take those shots and those pop quizzes and just say that’s okay, those are good testing grounds. And they can continue on in that mode. That’s good. That makes somebody work even harder. It makes somebody be even clearer and more articulate in their positions. So really I don’t fight it. I invite it.

If she invites such tough questioning, she needs to learn to respond better. Maybe it will pay off if she delivers a strong performance Thursday night. Still, Byron York thought it might have been better for her to do her first interviews with conservative media (as she did today in talking to Hugh):

. . . she would have had widespread exposure to the voters most favorably disposed to her. Of course the campaign press corps would have complained, but they would also probably have been forced to use snippets from Palin’s talk-radio interviews, which means that what Palin said in a friendly atmosphere would ultimately make its way to an even wider audience, one that includes independents and undecided voters.

Even then, the MSM would likely have found some way to mock or twist her remarks. Yet, it interesting to see the grace with which she handles their mockery. Do you think Barack Obama would be as gracious should, “the AP–or the New York Times, or the Washington Post, or CNN, or CBS, or NBC, or ABC,” in the words of John Hinderaker, “devote[d] the same energy to trying to get the goods on every sentence uttered by Barack Obama.”

Comments

  1. lets be honest: she is so not ready for this…She seems like a nice, decent woman but she can’t even answer what McCain stands for!! No wonder everyone from SNL to Republican pundits are making fun of her!!

  4. When Sarah Palin was chosen as McCain’s running mate, the sensationalism was so great that Palin became an overnight celebrity. She brought sizzle to McCain’s once dull campaign. But let’s be honest. Everyone, both Democrats and Republicans, wanted to know if this shining star was going to continue to shine brightly or dim after the novelty wore off.

    Well, the novelty has worn off, largely due to the fact that she hasn’t performed very well during her high-profile interviews with Couric and Gibson. People are beginning to wonder about her experience and fitness to become VP. Whether or not there is sexism or a double standard, Palin isn’t doing well now. Even Republican pundits are now denouncing her publicly.

    I think that’s why this Thursday’s debate is going to be really fascinating and entertaining, I’m afraid to say. We ALL, both Palin supporters and opponents, wanna know how much incrementally she’ll improve from her recent disastrous interview with Couric. As a Democrat, I hope she doesn’t do well; a poor performance will help Obama. However, as a human being, I have sympathy for her. She’s under A LOT of pressure and she has to make sure that she doesn’t come across as Russia’s most naive next-door neighbor.

  5. Palin’s come full circle… when she first flew down to the 48 after McCain’s announcement , she was out of view.

    In that one half-week, the Left and the MSM threw the most offensive and vile accusations at her.. each one more disgusting then the previous.. just from the weight of the hatred quite a few people were saying what a mistake it was.

    nut then she delivered…

    and now it’s the same thing all over again… yes, she gave some bad interviews.. most people not dead-set against her realize the media is playing the most nasty game of Destroy the Candidate we have ever saw (seen?)

    I’m not too worried about her verbal joisting skill with corrupt MSM reporters or with Joe Biden.

    I do like her record. and that was one of fighting against corruption, no matter who she up against and also her efforts with energy production. McCain said that would be her area of focus as VP and I think that’s just what we need.

    Additionally, I dont know where Obama supporters think that he’s much better than she is at this stuff. I think hes’ just as bad.. if it’s calling his gmother a typical white person, or calling himself a Muslim, or telling reporters his work in the Banking committee yielded some required laws, even though he was never a member of the banking committee and on and on and on.

    It’s just because she’s a woman that she’s perceived to be light-weight.

  9. Oh, Bullfeathers! Palin, got a finger nicked in the Perky Katie Pickle Slicer and Fang Sharpener.

    Palin is being sucker punched precisely because her authenticity is so powerful. She is allowed to take a few hits before everyone calls for a TKO.

    We place people in office based on our opinion of who will think it through the best according to our own values. Crisis events are just that: immediate chaos and then a response. I have no question that I would rather be led by Palin than either Obama or Biden. The last thing that would occur to Palin is to go on TV and imitate someone going on TV in the time of crisis.

  10. Perky Katie Pickle Slicer and Fang Sharpener

    LOL

    I have no question that I would rather be led by Palin than either Obama or Biden.

    Amen!

    I hope Palin will point out in the debate, that while Biden is given a free-pass simply because he has been in congress several years longer than McCain — that he has been positively WRONG on virtually every foreign policy issue since he’s been there — from approving of the Mullahs ascent in Iran to opposing the Surge and everything in between.

  11. Anyone who can’t think of any newspapers when asked what newspapers they read or who says their foreign policy experience is living across the lake is pretty stupid for a politician. Now, Joe Biden is stupid, too, but that doesn’t mean Palin isn’t.

    And her comment about her foreign policy experience sounded like Obama’s comments about how he is experienced because he’s running for president.

  12. Personally, I don’t want a Jeopardy final round contestant for my VP. I don’t care if she doesn’t know who the foreign minister of Azerbaijan. Like former NY-Senator Pat Moynihan said, “Political minutia, and tertiary facts can be learned. Strong character, leadership skills, and your ability to make hard decisions under crisis can never be learned. Those qualities are inherent in a human being and there isn’t an ivy league school on earth that can give you that.”

    Sure, Palin is wet behind the ears but no more than Bill Clinton was when he was governor of Arkansas. And no, studying abroad does not count as being foreign policy experience. If that were the case, then every jackass that takes their annual Spring Break bender to Amsterdam is more qualified to be VP.

    Any schmo can get a passport and go abroad. Bur how many of us can be the governor of Alaska?

  13. And let’s be honest. Most of us have already made up our minds about who were are voting for by now. If you happen to be one of those 10 percent that say you’re undecided and will take it down to the eve of the election, you are a little too precious and self-important for my taste.