<p>Time Magazine is reporting that Sarah Palin will not be talking to the media in unscripted or question-and-answer exchanges.</p>
<p>Wow, confidence in her must be extremely low. One would think someone who has not been tested on the national/international level and who people have a lot of questions about would be putting herself forward to the media to prove that she has the "stuff" -- UNLESS her handlers are so worried that she'll flub things that they'd rather not risk it all. Either way the campaign will take hits, but clearly the campaign is betting they'd take bigger hits by showing her to be who she is. </p>
<p>I am sure apologists will say "well, look how she's been treated by the media so far -- no wonder they won't let her talk to the media!" To that, I'd say: look how Bill O'Reilly treats Dems in general and Barack Obama in particular -- and he's gone on Bill O'Reilly and made his case (with confidence, mastery, and elegance I might add). If you can't stand the heat of a campaign, you shouldn't enter that kitchen to begin with....</p>
<p>Wow!
"According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don’t care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace – in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough’s show – the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin’s scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads. "</p>
<p>Well, in fairness to Ms. Palin, she is under investigation in Alaska for an impropriety that could lead to impeachment; the stakes have been ratcheted up with the filing of another lawsuit alleging that there was improper access and release of information from employee records; and The National Enquirer is sniffing around a story that she had an affair with her husband’s business partner that somehow impacted her decision to hide her recent pregnancy until she was well along. </p>
<p>If I was her lawyer, I’d tell her not to talk to the press, too.</p>
<p>Makes it a little bit difficult to campaign, especially given McCain’s own preference to schedule no more than one campaign event a day and rest on weekends.</p>
<p>How can anyone be surprised that Palin will be kept under wraps and away from the media for unscripted interviews. She has a purpose, she has achieved that purpose at the convention, and thus she can sit out the rest of the campaign, and prep for the one VP debate. </p>
<p>This is likely how she will be treated as VP – if McCain is elected. I suspect, because he chose her for strictly political purposes, she will similarly be kept under wraps as VP (trotted out for state funerals and photo ops) and thus if or when McCain is incapacitated she won’t be any more qualified to be president as she is right now. [This is admittedly speculation.]</p>
<p>The campaign can stipulate that she won’t discuss certain topics, but her views on foreign policy are critical and newsworthy, and I think it’s horrible that they’re hiding her away.</p>
<p>The Republicans have completely conceded any visionary ground they had on the Democrats. Sarah Palin, as a VP to a 72-year old presidential nominee, has a good chance of succeeding McCain while he is in office, yet her handlers are treating her like some campaign prop. That is what the 2008 Republican campaign has turned into: a sideshow. They talk about “victory” in Iraq and lambast Obama with lies (e.g. taxes), all in the hope that Americans, despite 8 years of horrid Republican rule, will let their egos and insecurities deny the Oval Office to a highly-qualified and well-educated black man and instead give it to a couple of crass, classless, and comfortingly “average” people like McCain-Palin.</p>
<p>It is just the most strategic then to do. I mean letting her talk to the press would not do any good. She already has the public appeal. The only thing that could happen is she makes a mistake and that is exactly what yall want. I do not think any of the ppl wanting her to speak actually will vote for McCain regardless of what she says. She shouldn’t speak, she has a good thing going.</p>
<p>The biased left wing media has outsmarted themselves. Over the next 60 days their comment shows are not necessary. They will report whatever Palin say’s in order to remain current and she won’t have to answer their stupid questions. They will of course trash her but that’s what they do to any republican.</p>
<p>“The Republicans have completely conceded any visionary ground they had on the Democrats. Sarah Palin, as a VP to a 72-year old presidential nominee, has a good chance of succeeding McCain while he is in office, yet her handlers are treating her like some campaign prop.”</p>
<p>I have a child at Williams and there is a left wing website called ephblog where someone claiming to be a Williams grad (i hope not because Williams grads can’t be that dumb) makes the same case that given a life expec of 78 for men McCain will die in office. That number applies to a male at birth. There are insurance tables that forcast the odds of dying posted on the web. At 65 a male can expect to live 15 more years. Now of course he has had cancer but he also gets great health care.</p>
<p>Dbate, point taken, but Fox News is hardly the only conservative news organization in town. Last I checked, free speech is still permitted in this country and I think you can find plenty of conservative viewpoints (as well as many others) in the media. That’s a good thing. Agreed?</p>
<p>Oh and don’t just say NY Times or MSNBC-because I watch/read these and they offer many different commentators/writers with different viewpoints. I am asking for names of people. I am asking this because people make global statements and never substantiate who they are talking about.</p>
<p>Yes, but I think the news should really be more moderate. Something that i will say is that in the limited times I have watched CNN (i prefer Fox bc it is more entertaining) is seemed somewhat moderate. But it was the old style of news and boooring.
I have a pure example Newsweek: Fareed Zakaria. I have read his writings so many times bc I use them in speech competitions and it is always liberal. In Texas we do not see much of the New York Times, but I do remember the article about suggesting that John McCain had an affair. Do not know who wrote that but whatever.
In reference to MSNBC, I remember how liberals talked so much about Chris Matthews and appeasement.</p>
<p>Keith Olbermann
Dan Abrams
Chris Matthews
Alan Combs
David Shuster
Lawrence O’Donnell
Ron Allen
Norah O’Donnell
Andrea Mitchell
Lisa Myers
Larry King
Jon Steward</p>
<p>Without giving it much thought, the list is almost endless given the consolidation in the industry.</p>
<p>When I think of the liberal media, I think of movies, television, newspapers, magazines, etc. You know, the sort of thing that people actually pay attention to which therefore influences them far more than the low-rated TV news circus.</p>