[H]er preppers and coddlers and protectors in the campaign [must be giving her the message]: You're not ready. We don't trust you. You have no idea what you're talking about....I don't know if I buy the assumption that it's the McCain campaign's fault. She's been through a lot. She may be running out of emotional resources. A lot of people are trying to destroy her (and her family), using anything they can. Of course, she's got to be tough, and I'm sure she thinks she is. But, my God, she's a human being.
When I compare Palin's performance with Gibson to her performance with Couric, the biggest difference I see is confidence.
September 26, 2008
"Has the McCain Campaign Broken Sarah Palin?"
Asks Christopher Orr:
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She's a skilled hunter. She's just laying back in the weeds, waiting for the right opportunity. Then, the kill.
As they say in Texas, All lipstick and no pitbull.
How do you explain the fact that she drew 60,000 people to see her in Florida last week?
Whatever her problems with the hostile media, she's a hit with the public.
The Bush strategery was to lower expectations to the point were if he could show that he had a pulse he would get credit for it.
Look, the first thing people need to realize: what is driving this whole "what's wrong with Palin" issue?"
It's because McCain has dropped in the polls, hence the need to find a reason. This same thing happened when McCain was leading in the polls; Dems started to question the need to drop Biden and switch to Hillary.
These ups and downs are a normal part of elections, and over-reacting on either side is silly and unnecessary.
Palin was terrific in those March interviews with Newsweek, IIRC.
It's a testament to her strength that she hasn't cracked under the pressure. Can you imagine having almost the entire force of the US media, the Democratic party (minus the Clintons) and the "liberal" blogs plus most of the media of the rest of the world (read, per liberal definitions: Europe) suddenly and furiously aimed squarely at you and your family?
It's blindingly obvious to anyone but a few partisan vegetables growing in our gardens that Sarah Palin, whatever her faults or merits, has been treated disgustingly unfairly as compared to Barack Obama and his running mate.
Almost all of my friends here in New York are "liberals" of one sort or the other. Many of them are reasonable, not particularly political people. Yet I was surprised by the sheer hatred several of them expressed when Palin was mentioned. One very good friend of mine, almost literally spitting, said "Don't mention that disgusting cunt around me, I can't stand to think about her!". Another responded to my mild positive words about her: "You can't possibly be serious! She's repugnant and you know it!". I know that anecdotal evidence of someone's anonymous friends behaving badly is worth about as much as the digital bits I'm using to type it, but it's really surprised me how much some people hate Palin. I don't hate any politician that much.
A lot of people are trying to destroy her (and her family), using anything they can.
This is Kathleen Parker we're talking about?
This pity is stupid.
Palin could kick all of your asses in toughness.
No she's not ready to be P or VP, but she doesn't need your pity, she's not weak like you are. Your pity, only reveals your own weakness. You pity folks would not last a day in her shoes (or in the shoes of any big time politician.) You'd be whimpering crybabies huddled in the corner with your thumb in your mouth as you rocked back and forth and hummed "Mary Had a Little Lamb." This is why you worry for her; because YOU couldn't handle it, but she keeps moving on, just like all big time politicians do.
Now conservatives are going to be naval gazing babies.
Are there no Parties left for non-babies?
I agree she's not the most impressive VP candidate in history, but is she less impressive than Joe Biden? Is such a thing even possible?
"Now conservatives are going to be naval gazing babies.
Are there no Parties left for non-babies?"
Don't construe my comments as pity.
All the attacks on Palin may have had the effect of insulating her against herself, ie the public.
Call it the Palin immunity ;)
Or could it simply be that the last time she did one of these they edited out more than 50% of her answer so she sounded less than competent?
This is ridiculous. Palin isn't 'cracking'. You know how insulated she to this stuff. Unlike us, she is not online all day reading about douchescrotes like andrew sullivan. It was clear in the full transcript that palin did far far better in the Gibson interview than we saw. I'm sure the same happened with couric.
The VP is irrelevant. Yet, every election cycle everyone gets in a tizzy about the VP until they fade into the background and every election cycle they try to make something of that. I'm quite sure Obama would dearly wish Biden would just shut up.
Besides, someone upstaging McCain? Is that even possible?
There have been times when a promising, but unready candidate, has been rushed along and seen their political or judicial future destroyed.
The most famous example was a solid, well-liked Senator from Indiana, Dan Quayle, who was shredded as a future leader - because Bush I brought him along perhaps 4-6 years too fast, too soon.
The analogy also holds true in sports, business, the military.
Now Palin isn't as bad as the Dems say, but Palin-worshippers who have formed a cult around her similar to worshippers of Obamessiah, the Annointed One who is the Future of his Party. People going with their hearts and fixation on Biography!!!, not using their brains. Along with them, add the subcults devoted to Condi who was the diversity requirement dream long after she showed her head was always a foot up Dubya's ass, Jindal the Magnificent of 18 months in high office, Michael Steele, the greatest lieutenant Governor Ever, and until recently - the Deaniac Cult and the Cult of the Silky Pony.
Let's hope her recent dismal performances are not her true measure. If they are, she may follow the tragedy of Quayle, who lost his reputation and career - and Quayle was on the Winning Side!
It's really hard to know, not being *behind* the camera.
You see Palin meeting people at rallies or world leaders such as the president of Pakistan and many others and she looks confident and relaxed. She looks right at home, in fact. (Nevermind that some liberals seemed to think that she ought to enter into hysterics for getting flirted with by world leaders instead of handling it with grace.)
Apparently it's just journalists who make her all nervous and unsure.
So do they, really? If it's NOT the journalist creating a hostile environment or selective editing, why can she handle anyone but Katie Couric?
Darn it. Me again.
-Synova
Maybe "mishandled" rather than broken. Of course the debate won't be an interview. She does, you know, have some experience in that. Governor's race and all. Still, we need to keep the bar low. Real low. Right about knee high to an ant low. Then someone needs to reminder as she walks onto the stage - "the best way to get back at everyne who have savaged your children is to gut Joe, but with a smile."
I'm sure she always smiles when she's gutting something. :-)
Me, the other day on a previous post:
"It's embarrassing to read Ann's dedicated crew of right-wing commenters defend Palin, like a child needing assurance."
Kathleen Parker, today:
"I've also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted."
Like I said, you'll all feel ridiculous eventually, just like KP does. Spooked by Gibson and Couric! If Couric scares Palin, imagine the debate!
Oh, right, Daniel.
She's not spooked by thousands upon thousands of people, or world leaders met one-on-one.
No, she's afraid of Katie Couric.
Katie, who has an agenda and a list of questions she has to read one by one and who, when she doesn't get the answer she wants to get, just asks again to force it. She is so obviously not at all interested in finding out what Palin thinks about anything and if Palin answered well or comfortably Couric scooted right on by what *Couric* didn't want to talk about.
So she badgers Palin about McCain's 30 year record rather than Palin's opinions on issues or Palin's record, and outright demands that Palin provide counter arguments for Couric's own side of the discussion.
So Palin sounds terrible, and because Couric is face down in a script and modulating her voice so nicely, she sounds great.
What is important isn't how Kathleen Parker responds but how voters who *might* not vote for Obama respond.
When the VP's debate we'll see. When Palin can say what she wants to say and do so without edits and we can compare her side-by-side to Biden. Will she do well or poorly... I don't know. But I do think that a whole lot of people in flyover country and even other places sort of distrust "smooth."
Just about as much as they distrust politicians.
Not sounding like one isn't an automatic negative.
Is hate and anger based in fear?
All the attacks on Palin may have had the effect of insulating her against herself, ie the public.
What accounts for the hatred?
Palladian, have you ask for specific reasons as to why your friends hate her? Is it just an irrational and visceral reaction?
When the retrospectives are written it will be interesting to read how the role of the media is viewed.
Palin looked awful in the Couric interview clips I saw, not so much in the one where they were both sitting down and she said I'll get back to "ya," but in the one where they were both walking towards the camera and talking. How artificial is that? Probably in all her politicking in Alaska Palin never had to adapt herself to such a staged situation. Sure, you can expect people to be able to walk and talk at the same time, but in a more informal environment -- not with the cameras rolling, talking about heavy issues, with whatever you say having the potential to sink your campaign. You wonder if the Couric crew intentionally sets what comes across superficially as a folksy and informal setting to really screw with interviewees heads.
Palladian: Why do people hate Sarah Palin? For the same reason they demonize Carl Rove, Dick Cheney, and Clarence Thomas--because they don't agree with them.
This is why you worry for her; because YOU couldn't handle it, but she keeps moving on, just like all big time politicians do.
Now conservatives are going to be naval gazing babies.
I would feel bad for just about anyone in her position. By the end of the primaries, they were so ruthless I even felt sorry for Hillary, an android-like being for whom it is very difficult to feel any sympathy.
Call me a baby all you want, but yeah, I feel sorry for Palin.
I am a huge Palin supporter and I'm willing to say that she was really really bad on the Couric interview. This is not the Palin I saw on her CSPAN, CNBC interviews before being the VP pick. Something is clearly wrong. She sounded like she wasn't even thinking of her responses to Couric's questions, just spewing off bits and pieces of memorized phrases.
The McCain campaign needs Palin to be Palin. She needs to slow down and seriously think of the question and come up with a coherent response that comes from her heart.
If she gives the same performance on her debate, we're done. She really should review some of her earlier gubernatorial debates and interviews.
most importantly, she is a gibberish spewing idiot.
While we are all focused on poor Sarah I saw a clip today. Some guy named Joe Biden said something bad about McCain. 10 second clip. Editing does indeed work miracles because he completed a complete line without a gaffe. This represents progress for Joe.
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