Soccer Dad

Palin's coming out party

The New York Times recently offered some "helpful" advice to Gov. Palin and the McCain campaign generally.

It is well past time for Sarah Palin, Republican running mate, governor of Alaska and self-proclaimed reformer, to fill in for the voting public the gaping blanks about her record and qualifications to be vice president.

The best way to do that would be exactly what the campaign of John McCain is avoiding -- an honest news conference. Instead, she has been the bell-jar candidate, barnstorming safe crowds with socko punch lines and plans for a single interview on ABC News built around a visit to Fairbanks, Alaska, and her hometown of Wasilla.

"Self proclaimed reformer?" Well she does have some accomplishments to her record. Even if the pipeline is ten years away she did finalize a deal that wasn't a giveaway. And even if she initially was sold on the "bridge to nowhere" she eventually saw the light.

Just in time for that appearance, Ms. Palin, who was proclaiming her family's privacy a week ago, will make a political event out of her son's deployment to Iraq. But as for talking to reporters in general, the McCain campaign sniffishly says they must first show "some level of respect and deference."

Except sending her son off was planned before she was picked to run with Sen. McCain. Sniffishly. How awful.

Frankly it sounds a lot like

'You're a feisty little one, but you'll soon learn respect.''

That is a peculiar response for someone who is campaigning as one tough, transparent politician who can take the heat. Why not some detailed questioning? With deference, we believe many questions will arise about this largely unknown politician as reporters properly search beyond the wholesome anecdotes.

Wholesome anecdotes? You mean like that she joined the Independence Party, that she carried her daughter's baby and that she campaigned for Pat Buchanan?

Jim Treacher had a pre-emptive answer for this kind of tripe:

The press lost the right to use that argument when they ran with all these crazy slurs like it was the day before the election. She smiled at America and said, "Hi, how ya doin'?," and these irresponsible maniacs returned the greeting by trying to stab her in the heart. And now that they've missed, they're trying to guilt her into buying them lunch.

But she's not buying right now. Good.

She did however agree to answer questions by Charlie Gibson. How'd she do? Well my friend Wolf Howling says that it was a mixed bag:

My overall impression. She passed the test, she did not ace it. She is very intelligent. She is a very quick study. She will be more than ready for the debates. She will be ready for Fox in another week, the Sunday talk shows in another two weeks.

On a related note Wolf Howling also mentions an item that was picked up by memeorandum.

Anne Kornblut of the Washington Post wrote:

Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

William Kristol shows what's wrong with that approach:

Kornblut's interpretation of what Palin said is either stupid or malicious. Palin is evidently saying that American soldiers are going to Iraq to defend innocent Iraqis from al Qaeda in Iraq, a group that is related to al Qaeda, which did plan and carry out the Sept. 11 attacks. It makes no sense for Kornblut to claim that Palin is arguing here that Saddam Hussein's regime carried out 9/11--obviously Palin isn't saying that our soldiers are now going over to Iraq to fight Saddam's regime. Palin isn't linking Saddam to 9/11.
She's linking al Qaeda in Iraq to al Qaeda.

If Sarah Palin cannot count on the media to be fair with her in their reporting, why should she trust them to hold a fair interview?