Palin's first interview
On September 1, CNN's Campbell Brown interviewed Tucker Bounds and asked him to explain "why Governor Palin is ready to be commander-in-chief". He gave a line of double-talking bullshit and CNN actually called him on it. But the McCain campaign called foul and cancelled a Larry King interview on the 2nd, saying the questions were "over the line." And almost a week later on the 7th they announced that Palin would not be interviewed by anyone "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference."
Respect, of course. Candidates deserve respect of course. But deference? "Humble submission?", as my NOAD calls it?
The next day, September 8, Charlie Gibson agreed to the terms. And since then Palin has been off in Dick Cheney's undisclosed location preparing for the easiest pre-negotiated, home-turf, respectful and deferential softball interview her campaign could have arranged on the anniversary of 9/11. Tonight, two weeks after she was named as the VP candidate, she finally gave her first interview.
So how'd it go? Check out part 1 and part 2.
John McCain running mate Sarah Palin sought Thursday to defend her qualifications but struggled with foreign policy, unable to describe President Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive strikes against threatening nations and acknowledging she's never met a foreign head of state. - Wash Times
I think they're putting it charitably. She's avoiding questions. Getting basic facts wrong. Demonstrating complete and troubling ignorance of basic, important concepts. Maintaining a slightly shrill and defensive tone. Repeating the same answer three times in a row to three different questions. Speaking in an obtuse "blizzard of words" and occasionally straying into miss south carolina territory. Repeating the hilarious "Alaska is next door to Russia" talking point. Saying "nucular". Gah. Trainwreck.
Deafie-friendly transcript here. More good commentary by Juan Cole and James Fallows.
Google Map Challenge: Russia and Alaska are definitely near each other, but there isn't a lot of population to provide Sarah with foreign policy experience. Using Google Earth, what are the closest two Russian/American cities? It looks like the closest American city is Little Diomede whose 147 citizens live 150 miles away from the ~2700 Yupiks in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug city of Provideniya. Maybe you can find something closer.
Update: Looks like the softballs were not soft enough. Her next interviewer will be Sean Hannity.
Respect, of course. Candidates deserve respect of course. But deference? "Humble submission?", as my NOAD calls it?
The next day, September 8, Charlie Gibson agreed to the terms. And since then Palin has been off in Dick Cheney's undisclosed location preparing for the easiest pre-negotiated, home-turf, respectful and deferential softball interview her campaign could have arranged on the anniversary of 9/11. Tonight, two weeks after she was named as the VP candidate, she finally gave her first interview.
So how'd it go? Check out part 1 and part 2.
John McCain running mate Sarah Palin sought Thursday to defend her qualifications but struggled with foreign policy, unable to describe President Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive strikes against threatening nations and acknowledging she's never met a foreign head of state. - Wash Times
I think they're putting it charitably. She's avoiding questions. Getting basic facts wrong. Demonstrating complete and troubling ignorance of basic, important concepts. Maintaining a slightly shrill and defensive tone. Repeating the same answer three times in a row to three different questions. Speaking in an obtuse "blizzard of words" and occasionally straying into miss south carolina territory. Repeating the hilarious "Alaska is next door to Russia" talking point. Saying "nucular". Gah. Trainwreck.
Deafie-friendly transcript here. More good commentary by Juan Cole and James Fallows.
Google Map Challenge: Russia and Alaska are definitely near each other, but there isn't a lot of population to provide Sarah with foreign policy experience. Using Google Earth, what are the closest two Russian/American cities? It looks like the closest American city is Little Diomede whose 147 citizens live 150 miles away from the ~2700 Yupiks in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug city of Provideniya. Maybe you can find something closer.
Update: Looks like the softballs were not soft enough. Her next interviewer will be Sean Hannity.