I know, I know, another Sarah Palin thread, but I am trying to get at a larger issue here so please, be patient.
As those of you who are following closely know, Sarah Palin has not been made available to the media and it is not clear if and when she will be. Since she was selected as the VP candiadte, over ten days ago, she ahs given 0 interives, held zero press conferences, and no set plans are in place for any of them. the Republcans have admitted that they have her up in Alaska, presumably to study the issues, and avoid having her make a gaffe (which she already has done). ANd as usual they are making the press the bad guys:
The McCain folks also spin it that the American people don’t want to get to know Palin through the press, but rather through her stump speeches and well crafted Republican events.
Now, apprently there will be an interivew with Charles Gibson of ABC sometime this week, but it is obvious that they plan on keeping her out of the media, except on their terms, as much as possible…Meet the Press? Face the Nation? unlikely.
So are they right? Is the press being unfair? Is there really know need to have her face potentially tough and awkward question, not just about her perosonally, but about issues she has little experience with?
My opinon, as somebody interviewing for the second highest position in the land, and as a virtual unknonw, we absoutley need to see hew interviewed, and take question from folks. We must know who this person is and not just what she wants to tell us, but what we need to know. I think it is ridiculous that she won’t do the Sunday morning shows, won’t take question. Now I clearly wasn’t going to vote for McCain/Palin anyway. But I honestly thonk this is absolutely ridiculous that his is what could is supposed to pass for a potential inheritor of the title of Leader of the Free World.
Many people echo your last sentence Gangster, however, people need to see with their own eyes who Sarah Palin is. I find it interesting Gibson is doing the interview. The Faily guy he is…He’s either going to not bring it up [doubt it] or ask her, “so what were you thinking taking the VP spot with a 4-month old?”
Either way, she’ll gaffe. It’s not 100% her fault, she should have stayed with her initial response to McCain, which was NO.
She has been the nominee for about 3 days. Can’t you wait a few weeks and see how it plays out??? She’ll be on Meet the Press. Just find some other interest for awhile.
What is the longest time, excluding Palin, that any VP candidate waited to go on a talk show after he/she was officially nominated by his/her party (in the last 50 years)?
I don’t think we can accurately compare the last 50 years. The culture we have in the US is completely different now than even 25 years ago. The information age is responsible for that.
Expect them to bring her out slowly at first to events where she only has to hit slow pitch softballs. At the convention, all she had to do was play the barbie card and her base supporters went wild. The public isn’t easily fooled. If her substance is a mere paint job applied by the policy doctors from McCain’s team, we’ll see through it.
Andrew Sullivan has been researching that very question and the longest period he found between the actual announcement of the VP (not just the accepting of the nomination) and the first media interview (TV or print) was 7 days (Lieberman). And the usual time frame was much less, even for such “lightweights” as Ferraro (4 days) or Quayle and Eagleton (both 1 day).
Why is a Pitbull who is selling herself as a tough cookie so afraid of the press and the American public? Doesn’t compute; that, and many, many of the Republican positions. Including their saying she’s being belitted because the Democrats question her readiness to be President based on having been mayor of a small town of 9,000, etc. but conveniently forgetting that they ridiculed Tim Kaine for having only been governor of the 150th largest U.S. city.
Charles Gibson is an obvious partisan pick, as well. No, of course they weren’t going to to pick Keith Olbermann to interview her, but since his (and ABC’s) role in the debates, he should be known as the softball king.
I wonder if he’ll go balls to the wall with her on the capital gains tax or if he knows not to.
(Anybody else notice that giga-huge flag lapel pin she’s been wearing?)