Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin.
OH...MY...GOD. Don't take my word for it,...you have to see it to believe it.
I've come full circle with Palin. I've went from being demoralized, to being fearful, to being cynical...and finally, being ashamed. I actually feel sorry for her. The interview was nearly, NO, completely embarrassing, and I can't fathom ANYONE with any semblance of respect for the Presidency, our Executive Branch, our Nation's history, or FOR THEIR OWN INTELLIGENCE that would see her performance as anything other than pitiful. It was hard to even watch...but I continued anyway, examining and assessing her delivery, fund of knowledge, and articulation and was in near disbelief at what I was hearing. Democrats aside, I don't know how any self-respecting Republican can see that interview and say "Wow, she really knows what she's talking about. She seems to really be in command of the issues."
It was soo horrendously bad that even FOX News couldn't spin it positively especially considering Couric was nothing but respectful throughout. I believe the Right-wing talking head political strategist and conservative radio hosts will counter by focusing on the left's hatred for Palin and her values...it's their best bet and only play at this point.
Granted, I've heard some Obama interviews that were less than spectacular, where he'd pause and stutter with his responses. But I've also watched THREE Primary debates, TWO open forums with McCain, about SIX press conferences, and FOUR unscripted interviews including O'Rielly's, and make no mistake, he has been great more times than not and has been even brilliantly compelling at others. But what we're talking about here is NOT a difference in degree, but in order of magnitude.
Let me step back just a bit.
I work in a career where I talk all the time. Furthermore, I must be compelling in my arguments regarding my decisions about whether to grant or deny a client a service. I hear pitches from advocates EVERYDAY and, with regards to my denials, I must display compassion, credibility, expertise, intelligence, and be quick to counter any possible retorts, and all with respectfulness and a sense of common concern (I'm sure theDiscourser does this crap all day as well).
The thing is, I KNOW BULLSHIT. I know when I'm not being convincing, when I'm not in my comfort zone, when I'm lost in my words, when I can't finish and begin to ramble, when I flail about trying to express an idea, when I am presented with questions I can't answer with any authority. Basically, I know when I'm in over my head...and Palin was in worse shape than that. I have a pretty good feeling that I (and I'm not even a Republican!), without even any campaign talking point preparation, could have given better answers re. national security and foreign policy as it relates to her state's geographic positioning.
It was at this point where I started feeling for her as a person, about how much of her Party's hopes must weigh on her, to have that expectation placed upon you....about how uncomfortable she must be feeling, with the eyes of the Country on her, being pelted with questions she'd never even thought about hearing or answering up until a month ago. And unlike Bush, who is battle tested and maniacally fervent in the strength of his beliefs (which somewhat makes up for his lack of articulation), Palin struggled to appear confident when caught again and again and again with questions she knew she could not answer in a way that was compelling even to her. At several points she came back to campaign mantras which politicians do at times when they feel a bit lost. But she did it so often, it came across less about "I'm not going to answer that because it's not a valid question" to more about "I'm not going to answer that because I have no clue how to answer". There was one painful point when she floundered tongue-tied and Couric had to step in and right the ship, so to speak...talk about kid gloves, Couric looked like she wanted to hug Palin afterwards.
I'm actually angry with the McCain campaign for not having properly prepared her, but I now realize why she's been sequestered from the Press. I don't know how this can be spun. I can't imagine her in a press conference with 100 journalists peppering her with questions and the campaign coming away from that experience with a "WIN", unless you can spin "PITY".
Just to give some contrast, as much as I can't stand G. Bubya, I've listened to many MANY of his morning White House press conferences over the years on KCBS on my morning commute, and he has surprised me from time to time with how he's been able to quickly fashion viable arguments on the fly (however dyslexic the syntax and questionable the information his arguments are based on). And however wrong he has been, he is compelling in his confidence and can weave an argument by supplying and displaying a fund of knowledge and a mastery of the issues. But Palin makes Dubya look like frickin Aristotle.
One last thing. Mark this date...it is Friday morning, 9/26/08, and I have a prediction regarding the Republican campaign. We know that McCain is a gambling man, prone to big and bold moves in his career and his campaign (think his choice of VP, shortening the RNC, canceling the debate, etc.). I can't see how he thinks he can win with Palin at this point. Though she's rallied the base and raised a helluva lot of money, she become a liability...but there is a way out for him. I predict that Palin will bow out of the campaign for personal reasons, citing family concerns. It will be believable and the base will be compassionate while the Republican power brokers can breath a sigh of relief and bring in someone credible. Probably Huckabee 1st, Romney 2nd, and Lieberman 3rd. I'm completely serious with this one. The polls are CRAP for McCain and with the debates ahead, I can't see how he sees it going well for him.
Tell me what you think.
I've come full circle with Palin. I've went from being demoralized, to being fearful, to being cynical...and finally, being ashamed. I actually feel sorry for her. The interview was nearly, NO, completely embarrassing, and I can't fathom ANYONE with any semblance of respect for the Presidency, our Executive Branch, our Nation's history, or FOR THEIR OWN INTELLIGENCE that would see her performance as anything other than pitiful. It was hard to even watch...but I continued anyway, examining and assessing her delivery, fund of knowledge, and articulation and was in near disbelief at what I was hearing. Democrats aside, I don't know how any self-respecting Republican can see that interview and say "Wow, she really knows what she's talking about. She seems to really be in command of the issues."
It was soo horrendously bad that even FOX News couldn't spin it positively especially considering Couric was nothing but respectful throughout. I believe the Right-wing talking head political strategist and conservative radio hosts will counter by focusing on the left's hatred for Palin and her values...it's their best bet and only play at this point.
Granted, I've heard some Obama interviews that were less than spectacular, where he'd pause and stutter with his responses. But I've also watched THREE Primary debates, TWO open forums with McCain, about SIX press conferences, and FOUR unscripted interviews including O'Rielly's, and make no mistake, he has been great more times than not and has been even brilliantly compelling at others. But what we're talking about here is NOT a difference in degree, but in order of magnitude.
Let me step back just a bit.
I work in a career where I talk all the time. Furthermore, I must be compelling in my arguments regarding my decisions about whether to grant or deny a client a service. I hear pitches from advocates EVERYDAY and, with regards to my denials, I must display compassion, credibility, expertise, intelligence, and be quick to counter any possible retorts, and all with respectfulness and a sense of common concern (I'm sure theDiscourser does this crap all day as well).
The thing is, I KNOW BULLSHIT. I know when I'm not being convincing, when I'm not in my comfort zone, when I'm lost in my words, when I can't finish and begin to ramble, when I flail about trying to express an idea, when I am presented with questions I can't answer with any authority. Basically, I know when I'm in over my head...and Palin was in worse shape than that. I have a pretty good feeling that I (and I'm not even a Republican!), without even any campaign talking point preparation, could have given better answers re. national security and foreign policy as it relates to her state's geographic positioning.
It was at this point where I started feeling for her as a person, about how much of her Party's hopes must weigh on her, to have that expectation placed upon you....about how uncomfortable she must be feeling, with the eyes of the Country on her, being pelted with questions she'd never even thought about hearing or answering up until a month ago. And unlike Bush, who is battle tested and maniacally fervent in the strength of his beliefs (which somewhat makes up for his lack of articulation), Palin struggled to appear confident when caught again and again and again with questions she knew she could not answer in a way that was compelling even to her. At several points she came back to campaign mantras which politicians do at times when they feel a bit lost. But she did it so often, it came across less about "I'm not going to answer that because it's not a valid question" to more about "I'm not going to answer that because I have no clue how to answer". There was one painful point when she floundered tongue-tied and Couric had to step in and right the ship, so to speak...talk about kid gloves, Couric looked like she wanted to hug Palin afterwards.
I'm actually angry with the McCain campaign for not having properly prepared her, but I now realize why she's been sequestered from the Press. I don't know how this can be spun. I can't imagine her in a press conference with 100 journalists peppering her with questions and the campaign coming away from that experience with a "WIN", unless you can spin "PITY".
Just to give some contrast, as much as I can't stand G. Bubya, I've listened to many MANY of his morning White House press conferences over the years on KCBS on my morning commute, and he has surprised me from time to time with how he's been able to quickly fashion viable arguments on the fly (however dyslexic the syntax and questionable the information his arguments are based on). And however wrong he has been, he is compelling in his confidence and can weave an argument by supplying and displaying a fund of knowledge and a mastery of the issues. But Palin makes Dubya look like frickin Aristotle.
One last thing. Mark this date...it is Friday morning, 9/26/08, and I have a prediction regarding the Republican campaign. We know that McCain is a gambling man, prone to big and bold moves in his career and his campaign (think his choice of VP, shortening the RNC, canceling the debate, etc.). I can't see how he thinks he can win with Palin at this point. Though she's rallied the base and raised a helluva lot of money, she become a liability...but there is a way out for him. I predict that Palin will bow out of the campaign for personal reasons, citing family concerns. It will be believable and the base will be compassionate while the Republican power brokers can breath a sigh of relief and bring in someone credible. Probably Huckabee 1st, Romney 2nd, and Lieberman 3rd. I'm completely serious with this one. The polls are CRAP for McCain and with the debates ahead, I can't see how he sees it going well for him.
Tell me what you think.
posted by supergoober at
9:29 PM
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