Gov. Sarah Palin Interview with CBS News Anchor Katie Couric - Part II - Video 9/25/08

Blogs for John McCain ^ | September 25, 2008 | brianinmo

[blogsforthompson.com]

Here is Part 2 of Gov. Sarah Palin's interview with CBS News Anchor Katie Couric. Part I is also posted if you did not see it earlier . . . . . (see videos at link)

[oyez]

Sic ‘em Sara!

[BigTen]

Much better than yesterday. I think the pit bull is losing her muzzle.

[skeeter]

Couric wasn't that bad - the questions were fair, but only if the same kind of scrutiny is applied to Obama & Biden.

Which won't happen.

[mass55th]

I just watched both segments. I think she handled herself well in both of them. After reading some Freeper comments on other threads, I was expecting Couric to wipe the floor with Palin. They definitely over-exaggerated the circumstances. I particularly liked her answer about why she hadn’t gotten a passport until 2 years ago. Hell, I never had one until I was 59 years old. I guess you aren’t acceptable in today’s society if you haven’t traveled overseas in your teen years. There are an awful lot of snobs out there.

[1-Eagle]

Thanks for posting these. Couric tries a Gibson trick (in Part I) of asking the Governor of Alaska to give detailed information about Sen. McCains performance over 26 years as if she's going to know anything about it. How many average citizens, or even some of McCains contemporaries in Congress can recite specific examples of over 26 years of service? None.

Why is Couric asking Palin about all of McCains legislation? Why not ask McCain if she wants details? Obviously it was just another wasted interview with a partisan hack trying to play "gotcha". An easier question she could have posed to Governor Palin was: "Obama has been in the Senate less than two years, can you name some of his accomplishments?" Answer: "There are none."

In part II, Couric continues to push Governor Palin as though she were a representative of the State Department. Nobody in their right mind expects a Governor to be a national policy wonk. People do have a right to expect her to have a sound overall philosophy, and she does present that well.

The constant hounding about details wasn't all bad, but to waste an entire interview on these questions was inappropriate for a Vice Presidential candidate. It is inappropriate to constantly ask candidates to "arm-chair Quarterback" every move made by President Bush. Hind-sight is always 20/20, but it is ridiculous on its face that so many detailed questions on foreign policy keep getting handed to Governor Palin. She is NOT the one to make policy, that falls to the President, and it will be her responsibility as Vice-President to support the policies and views of the President as he makes them. Thus, there were WAY too many questions about Bush Administration policies in the past. Pick, pick, pick... Couric just keeps throwing them out like a softball pitching machine (example Rush used today.) Hammering the foreign policy stuff instead of asking her reasonable questions about her experience and her life so American's can get to know her better.

Couric interview rating: Hostile

Got to love the way Couric can't hold her head up straight. She's got this silly lean to one side and squinting her eyes, the posture of being incredulous. You can see Governor Palin trying to make eye-to-eye contact... having to lean her head a bit to match Courics strange posture. I am getting to the point of just being angry that these so-called journalists cannot just give a reasonable interview. I feel badly for Gov. Palin that we can't get any modicum of respect from these entrenched neo-commies who pretend to be 'unbiased'.

[Pravious]

Well said. If Katie had been wearing glasses, they would have been right down there at the end of her nose.

I also noticed several abrupt edits that cut off Sarah’s answers - thus, of course, skewing her words to whatever the CBS editors want to make them (not that CBS would EVER think of being biased before an election...).

All that said, I thought Palin did fine - particularly at the end of part 2, where she hammered in the point that we’re on the side of the good guys... a statement that no-doubt repulses the whore media.

[Heartland Mom]

She did great! I think it is easy for people like Couric to look down on Gov. Palin because she speaks directly and in terms the average American can understand. She doesn't have a need to be nuanced or what have you. When she says that Iran's wanting to wipe Israel off the face of the map shows they are the bad guys, you can just tell Couric was uncomfortable. I think Palin was especially good at deflecting criticism of her not having a passport until she was older because she WORKED all her life. Bravo!

[Proudcongal]

She did fine and she’ll become a real pro after being v.p. for a little while.

[Darkwolf377]

Anyone who doesn't accept that these interviews were both flops for Palin isn't dealing with reality, but what they WISH were true. I thought we were the adults and the Dems the children who worked on emotion?

I still think she was the best choice McCain could make, but she's been a real washout on these interviews. A friend's parents were at the rally in FLA and said she was fantastic, so I'm thinking she does great in that setting. But these interviews were tough to watch because she simply wasn't prepped, and we would be mocking her if she were a Dem VP candidate based on these appearances.

[davek70]

I am starting to tend to agree w/ this post. I watched the Perky interviews and Sarah was okay, but it just seems like she is not totally being herself and is clearly seems a bit nervous and not totally confident in some of her answers. Granted, a lot of the questions are stupid and “trap” questions which are expected of the MSM.

However, out on the stump and today in NY in front of NYFD for example, she was much more at ease and herself.

I think the over seclusion of her by the campaign may be starting to take it’s toll. I’ve noticed in the polls her popularity is declining a bit (take the polls for what they’re worth).

I was also watching AC360 on CNN (I know I know not exactly the best thing to be watching) and they showed clips of the interview and the panel (incl ED Rollins and the forehead Begala) were basically asking what I stated above, why are they holding her back and then when they do put her out there they are putting her into these tough interviews right away which, while yes, are clearly biased and trying to make her slip up, are making her look uncomfortable and not prepared.

I think Rush even mentioned this today or yesterday that the campaign needs to just let her loose on the stump and put her out to the local media where she can be herself and will gain more and more confidence over time.

Now bear in mind, I love her to death and hate to see this happen, but I think the campaign needs to adjust their strategy a bit. Another question is how will this effect her in the debate w/ Mr. Gaffe?

Thoughts?

[imfrmdixie]

Sarah Palin has been on the national scene for 27 days. I think she is doing remarkably well considering she has been attacked viciously every day since the announcement Aug. 30.
I cannot imagine the strength this young woman must have to be able to go into these hostile interviews and maintain her dignity while trying to answer questions that put her on the defense. I wonder how many governors would be able to step into the role she is assuming and do as well. The media vipers look for every opportunity to strike at her. Her charm is that she is not one of ‘them’...she is one of ‘us’ and she speaks as we would facing that lynch mob. I don’t care if she stumbles a bit and falters with some words....she is unusual because of her simplicity. I find her lack of any connection to that bunch of idiots in Washington very refreshing and hopeful.

[Darkwolf377]

Good analysis. I do think she's much better being herself (you know, like the rest of us), but just because we love her BECAUSE she's one of us doesn't mean she gets a pass when she flops in media set-ups. Yes, we know, the MSM are against her, it's all about the Gotcha, but this is the arena she chose to jump into. She has to take criticism as well as applause.

I think she excels in natural situations because she is allowed to just be herself. But so did W, and if I had to pick one thing that hurt his administration, it's communication. After 8 years, he still looks uneasy on camera, and his spokesmen have all been unable to cut through the MSM chatter and spin. No, it ain't fair, but that's the reality of the situation.

No one forced her to take the VP slot, and since she accepted it, SHE has to "woman up" and take on these people. If she can't come away victorious with a lightweight like Katie Couric, how's she going to be a "maverick reformer" in a city filled with hardcore Libs for whom personal destruction is their bread and butter?

We might WANT political life to be all about appearing with regular folks, but it ain't. Pretending she doesn't NEED to be at her best on the tube does her no favors and is whistling past the graveyard in this TV-centric era.

[roses of sharon]

Oh good, another troll bait thread, lol, they are soooo very concerned!

[Mr Rogers]

Just watched. She was fantastic. Particularly loved the end - ‘the Iranians are not good guys, Katie...how can you be so stupid?’

OK, she didn’t come out and actually SAY that last part. Not verbally.

[Mr Rogers]

What specifically did you disagree with in her recent interview?

[Darkwolf377]

Her behavior. She seemed like she was out of her league. I mean, did you watch it?

[Darkwolf377]

I wanted to give you a more in-depth answer so I fired up the second part of the interview, and had to dump it. It's embarassing. She is asked about the guy who works for McCain whose firm gets Freddie/Fannie money. I believe the truth is different from the way Couric presented it, but Palin just gives the same robotic answer TWICE, something she did with Gibson. It makes her seem like she's just repeating talking points.

She's just so clearly uncomfortable in these situations, and I think people know it. I don't see hundreds of posts saying how awesome she was; I don't see us showered with threads where people are repeating favorite bits, as they were when the lovefest was first starting.

I like everything about her, but man, she's dying in these interviews. Like it or not, in what could be a razor-sharp race (or not), this could be fatal.

[nutmeg]

Was this interview (Parts I and II) aired on TV, or just on the web? Since I never watch CBS, I guess I missed it...

[Mr Rogers]

Yes, I watched it. She gave good answers. For example:

‘I haven’t traveled around the world because I couldn’t afford it - I had to work.’

‘We shouldn’t second guess Israel because they are the good guys, Katie...You may think I’m inexperienced, but I’m smart enough to know the Iranian government is psycho!’

‘Of course the government should talk with Iran, but the President shouldn’t - not yet.’

I’m paraphrasing, and it would be impolitic to use my phrasing - but she strongly suggested it. In essence, she told Katie that the underlying assumptions of her questions were invalid. Barack’s foreign travel, apart from his short time in the Senate, was a holiday in Pakistan with some Muslim friends - and that is supposed to qualify him for President?

She did fine. I think she has a fairly thin voice, but she also has a knack for taking a difficult question and responding in a way an average American can understand and identify with.

She isn’t one of the elite - but the elites who have been running things don’t have much of a track record, either.