Open thread: Palin vs. Gibson..The Third Installment..Red meat: Palin on abortion, guns, stem-cell research, and balancing work and career
Allahpundit has a pretty good pre-interview roundup, including the first excerpts at ABC:
SARAH PALIN: It has always been an embarrassment that abuse of the ear form ” earmark process has been accepted in Congress. And that’s what John McCain has fought. And that’s what I joined him in fighting. It’s been an embarrassment, not just Alaska’s projects. But McCain gives example after example after example. I mean, every state has their embarrassment.
Their description of yesterday’s interview is interesting too, which isn’t to say it’s incorrect:
The comfort she showed when talking about a proposed pipeline that would supply the lower 48 states with natural gas from Alaska, contrasted sharply with her generally rote talking points on national security during the day’s first interview with Gibson.
Ace:
One of the biggest draws about Palin is her authenticity. I realize she’s primarily interested in avoiding the big Gotcha Gaffe, and so is nervous and self-conscious. But she really does need to start opening up and letting people hear the real her.
I disagree with a further point he was making. I don’t think she should have started in a friendly format like Hannity or Rush. This is exactly where she should be. From here, she will only get stronger.
Mark Penn: The important thing for the Obama campaign is that they not repeat some of the errors of the last two [Democratic] campaigns that happened after the two conventions. It’s important not to go back toward the base, as I think both Gore and Kerry did, but to stay on the convention message that was more in the center………………
CBSNews.com: Your former colleague Howard Wolfson argued that you all unintentionally paved the way for Palin by exposing some of the unfair media coverage that Hillary Clinton received. And, therefore, a lot of the media may now be treating Sarah Palin with kid gloves. Do you agree with that?
Mark Penn: Well, no, I think the people themselves saw unfair media coverage of Senator Clinton. I think if you go back, the polls reflected very clearly what “Saturday Night Live” crystallized in one of their mock debates about what was happening with the press.
I think here the media is on very dangerous ground. I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Governor Palin ever filed, if they don’t do that for all four of the candidates, they’re on very dangerous ground. I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.
And I think that that’s a real problem growing out of this election. The media now, all of the media ” not just Fox News, that was perceived as highly partisan ” but all of the media is now being viewed as partisan in one way or another. And that is an unfortunate development.
CBSNews.com: So you think the media is being uniquely tough on Palin now?
Mark Penn: Well, I think that the media is doing the kinds of stories on Palin that they’re not doing on the other candidates. And that’s going to subject them to people concluding that they’re giving her a tougher time. Now, the media defense would be, “Yeah, we looked at these other candidates who have been in public life at an earlier time.”
What happened here very clearly is that the controversy over Palin led to 37 million Americans tuning into a vice-presidential speech, something that is unprecedented, because they wanted to see for themselves. This is an election in which the voters are going to decide for themselves. The media has lost credibility with them.
CBSNews.com: Joe Biden said this week that Hillary Clinton might have been a better pick than he was. Do you think that’s true?
Mark Penn: Ask Joe Biden.
Red meat: Palin on abortion, guns, stem-cell research, and balancing work and career:
Everything was better tonight: The setting, Gibson’s demeanor, and of course her comfort with the subject matter, as most of these are gimmes. His question about whether homosexuality is genetic or learned is a stupid gotcha, which she handles reasonably well ” although I would have savored a barb at The One about how the matter is above her pay grade. As it is, her response ought to mellow out centrists worried that the “Christianist” menace is descending. If she’s a fundie at heart, as governor she’s kept that heart pretty well concealed.
Her best moment thus far comes at the end, when she refuses to take the bait and whine about sexism.
Others blogging:
- Sarah Palin interview: You know, Obama’s probably regrets not picking Hillary « flaggot
- Open thread: Palin vs. Gibson, round three; Update: I think Obama regrets not picking Hillary, says Palin
- Palin/Gibson/Obama/McCain; let’s party! | The Anchoress
