Palin ABC interview is a joke...TPM says it will be unwatchable

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/214508.php

09.08.08 -- 12:35AM // link | recommend (51)
Slow Slide Into Oblivion

I spent most of the day today traveling and then giving a talk up at Union College a few hours north of New York City. So I was offline most of the day. And though I heard about Charlie Gibson bagging the first interview with Sarah Palin, I was eager to get home and read the details.

Well, now I've read them. And it's pretty clear this farce is going to be close to unwatchable. Set aside that this comes just on the heels of McCain campaign manager Rick Davis saying Palin would not sit for any interviews "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference." The tell comes high up in the AP story by David Bauder. The second graf reads ...

Palin will sit down for multiple interviews with Gibson in Alaska over two days, most likely Thursday and Friday, said McCain adviser Mark Salter.

Political interviews are never done like this. Because it makes the questioning entirely at the discretion of the person being interviewed and their handlers. The interviewer has to be on their best behavior, at least until the last of the 'multiple interviews' because otherwise the subsequent sittings just won't happen. For a political journalist to agree to such terms amounts to a form of self-gelding. The only interviews that are done this way are lifestyle and celebrity interviews. And it's pretty clear that that is what this will be.

but I am sure Palin is being given the questions beforehand....this has to be the case.

Gibson is going to be on his very best behavior because the second he asks something that they don't like, the interview stops.

Just think if after all this he gets too tough on his first question. Then his "get" turns into a one question "goat".

that is meant to keep us from bitching about interviews...the next one will be on fox...they will slow to give them and always controlled with a republican friendly reporter..we never get our questions answered.

With everyone else begging for an interview with her.... you know it!

They get to call the shots.

i.e. interview on OUR terms, or no interview at all.

Respect and deference. Multiple celebrity interviews.

is not qualified to be on any ticket. This is a pure propaganda to sell her to us.

They'll show a very serious-looking Gibson, and some of Palin's reaction shots, and give the viewer the impression that the interview is going to be tough and that maybe something will "happen."

Expectation will build, and the thing will get absolutely BOFFO ratings.

And she'll do just fine. They're not exactly going to set her up to fail, and they couldn't have picked a more sympathetic "journalist."

This whole thing is turning into some kind of celebrity reality show before our eyes. Kind of like "Dancing With The Stars" only we're talking about a complete unknown a heartbeat away from becoming leader of the free world.

It's mind-boggling. Then again, after these last eight years, nothing should surprise us, I suppose.

:rofl:
we all know the "rock star, self described female dog with lipstick"
is being Tutored, not "briefed" not "brought up to speed" but tutored
just like Bush was tutored

but hey it's ok b/c
"She's a quick study"

you know it's bad enough she has to be "tutored"
but she is being taught by Rethugs, A real Foreign Policy expert has paid attention to the world around them and been able to form their own opinions. She is only being taught what to say.
that's not knowledge of Foreign Policy, that's just "Make sure you know enough to pass a multiple choice test"

How many of us have crammed for test, aced it, and then forgot everything the moment we left the classroom

THAT's What is currently happening to Palin. she will be able to spew trained BullShit for 2 months And the Dipshit bought and sold press, and all the fucking morons who want to have drink with the president THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN, are gonna fall for this bullshit. They will call her sooooo Intelligent and "WOW she really has a good grasp of foreign policy in such a short time" and Oh she's sooo pretty, but don't talk about her experience that's sexist.

Ok that's it
my Rant is over

like she always does? We don't actually need to watch this.

I have heard her speak a few times. Her voice is irritating.

things in the following weeks...we'll see

minnie palin

and other bs. Gibson is a republican.

remember his pathetic moderating in 2004 debates where he refused to call Bush out on breaking the rules.

We already knew that after he and Judas Stephanopolous did the worst moderating job of all time at the last (?) Democratic debate.

It will be an infomercial.

Again, it's special treatment for the Republican VP nominee, the likes of which we have never witnessed before and is a complete roll over by the media PROVING who they are in the tank for.

His balls were removed YEARS ago.

Someone on http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6982818">another thread posted this....

#3
Two days before Palin is to appear with Charlie Gibson, the DNC and the Obama campaign should publicly release a list of questions that Gibson should ask Palin:

"With record oil revenues during your time as mayor of Wasilla, how did you manage to drive a town of just 6,000 people $22 million into debt?"

"Do you believe that creationism should be taught in public schools?"

"Do you believe that birth control, other than abstinence, is always wrong?"

"Name three foreign leaders you have personally met."

"Which of the founding fathers wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?" (trick question)

"What is your relationship to the Alaska Independence Party?"

"What books do you feel do not belong in public libraries, and have you ever advocated for removing them?"

..and so on...

Make the list a nice round number of questions, like 10. Be sure to point out that, given the nature of the questions that Gibson asked Obama during the primary debate with Hillary, that these are MORE than fair.

Make sure CNN, MSNBC, CBS, and Fox all have the list of questions. Make it a press release. Those networks, upset that they missed out on the "big interview", would be MORE than willing to spend much air time reporting on the list. Get it to the NYT, USAT, and other newspapers as well.

It's Chuck Gibson from _abc. The network of Thepathto9-11. Chuck is a toothless lapdog for all things republickan and a rabid dog for all things Democratic. I hope the video of Chuck bowing before the Queen of Wasilla (you know he will) makes it to YouTube.

:puke:

If not the Planet..

Disney is going to Install a President of the United States..

I never wanted to live long enough for the country to be SO Stupid..

If they steal this election, it's Game Over folks.. We will officially have entered the Dark Ages again.. What's left might not even be worth fighting for, and with so many idiotic people, it's going to be every man for himself..

The Death of Reason, and Empathy.

Get your kids off the street.

We are being Raped by Rove and his Complicit media.

For a political journalist to agree to such terms amounts to a form of self-gelding. The only interviews that are done this way are lifestyle and celebrity interviews. And it's pretty clear that that is what this will be.

Have fun with that, Charlie.

is "puff piece" or, if you're more hip, "advertorial"

CELEBRITY.

This sounds like a Barbara Walters profile, not a political interview intended to inform voters about anything important.

the day they plan to run it, I say we all picket our local ABC affiliates. Toting signs and all.