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Rick Davis, campaign manager for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., just told Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace that McCain running mate Gov. Sarah Palin won't subject herself to any tough questions from reporters “until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference.”

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    • currently being published of US—People etc. If you are going to get get 90% BS then why put up with it. Obama, McCain and Biden don’t put up with this harrassment. Why should Palin. The MSM buttholes–ie Campbel brown, Katie Couric, geraldo Rivera and their ilk just go out of their way to ask demeaning, insulting questions. John McCain has got it right. Giving them the one finger salute. If I was Obama or Biden and these idiots acted this way–I would fully support thier refusal. They aren’t going to ask Palin about Georgia, they are going to ask her if she has ever had an affair or had an abortion. Gimme a break.  

      • Not on Sarah palin—on her husband and kids. All in the interest of investigative journalism you know. You think this isn’t going to blow up in the democrats face. This is a recipe for disaster for Obama. All he has to do is piss off 55% of the American voting public in the next few weeks and that will be the ball game–and you will have no one to blame but yourselves.

        • Or Obama’s wife? Or Biden? Are you saying that there are no “muckrakers”, perhaps with a right-wing bent, perhaps only with dollar signs in their eyes, who have trained their expert gaze on the personal lives of Democrats?

        • investigative journalism?

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          p>Clearly, you’ve never read People magazine, then.

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          p>Get back to me when Newsweek or the Nation is digging up dredge on the husband and daughter.

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          p>PS: Ever hear of links to back up your grand-canyon-sized rumors and assertions?  

      • I’m sorry — what?

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        p>

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        p>Obama has had to answer tons of demeaning questions based in half-truths and insinuations. We need to get a better media so that the quality of the questions asked of any candidate improves. But don’t say that Obama doesn’t put up with harassment from the media.

      • and Palin can’t handle USA Today?

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        p>I want to know why she went to 5 different colleges to get one (1) degree.  

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        p>Would you hire someone who had this on their resume, and didn’t explain why?  I sure as hell wouldn’t.  Nor would my public high school teacher wife.  

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        p>We’re talking about a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the US here, with a pretty high actuarial probability of happening.

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        p>I want answers.  

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        p>By the way: We shouldn’t get too worked up about Palin.  As noted in this insightful piece, that’s McCain’s intent: Palin is the goon you throw in when you are two goals down and want to throw the other team off their game.

        • She went to four different colleges.  U of Idaho is in the list twice, and it is the college from which she eventually graduated.  Based on this article:

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          p>Hawaii Pacific: fall 1982
          North Idaho College: spring 83, fall 83
          U of Idaho: fall 84, spring 85
          Matanuska-Susitna: fall 85
          U of Idaho: spring 86, fall 86, spring 87

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          p>Nine semesters is pretty good given all of the transfers.  Six years, five colleges, four different colleges, three states, two turtle doves, one degree in journalism with an emphasis on broadcast news.

  2. As the right is so fond of saying, if you can’t take on Katie Couric and Steve Doocey, how are you going to take on Ahmadinejad or the terrorists?

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    p>”I refuse to take Putin’s call until I’m treated with respect!“

  3. That time away from the media apparently is being used as a VP bootcamp sort to speak to give Palin all the talking points to make her seem prepared.  

    • Unless you’ve done it all your life, a pack of yammering reporters, each one praying you’ll screw up and make their career, can be daunting.  All the federal agencies maintain a training program for the executives, teaching them the ambush defense, etc.  How many politicians have we seen cut down because of a miscue?  Universally, reporters are not your friends.  It is sensible to “hide her out” until she can get some training.  

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      p>I’m amazed, though, that “GI Joe & Barbie” have any following.  

      • Knowledge is not.  What they’re giving her is a baseline understanding of the issues so she doesn’t look like she’s two years removed from being the village mayor.

  4. She’s ready for the presidency (on Day 1), but not ready for the press.

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    p>Will she tell Putin and other adversaries that she won’t talk with them until they show her — What was it?  Deference? — they will bow and scrape before her?

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    p>Good grief, they want us to elect a prima dona!

  5. 1 — As noted she is probably not ready yet and is being taken to rightwing rhetoric boot camp.

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    p>#2 — This also reinforces and hopefully overplays the Sarah as Media Victim narrative they have been pushing.  She is more a victim now that Oprah has been so mean.

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    p>#3 — This lowers expectations when she does appear — especially when it will probably be before a sympathetic host.    

  6. If she can’t handle a few questions from journalists, she’s not ready to lead the country.

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    p>One question I’d like to ask: how many U.S. states has she been to? And has she ever been to New York City, Chicago, Miami, Dallas or Los Angeles?

  7. These are actually two different things.  Personally, I do hope she is treated with basic respect; that’s just polite.  Deference implies not being subjected to pointed questions and taking everything she says at face value.  An interviewer has both right and duty to be probing.

    • If you don’t show Caribou Barbie deference, then you’re sexist. If you challenge her with hard questions, then you’re sexist.

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      p>The Republicans and the corporate media have never treated Hillary Clinton or any other female Democrat with ‘deference. In, fact the term ‘bitch’ or worse has been used to describe them.

      • There will be a fine line media will need to walk when asking Palin questions. The Andy Hiller/George Bush ‘name some foreign leaders’ type of questions will be right out and summarily attacked by the right.

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        p>Other questions that may be an effort to judge her knowledge on a variety of issues will likely be seen as acceptable only if she is able to provide a good coherent answer.

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        p>If, however, she is unable to answer the question well, or at all, then the questioner will be attacked as sexist, picking on her, etc. After all, some on the right may add, she ‘doesn’t have a lifetime working in Washington’ so we can’t expect her to know all these things immediately.  

  9. Governor Palin, will you please explain your position on cute puppies?  How about apple pie?

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    p>Governor Palin, do you believe your family is all-American?

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    p>Governor Palin, what do you think of small towns?

    • It’s already been over a week for goodness sakes.  Can’t anyone ask her a question about her record?  Now she will anoint someone to ask her questions two weeks later?

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      p>You don’t get to pick.  You just answer the questions.

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      p>What a joke….

      • From TP and AP article:

        Palin will sit down for multiple interviews with Gibson in Alaska over two days, most likely Thursday and Friday, said McCain adviser Mark Salter.

        Political interviews are never done like this. Because it makes the questioning entirely at the discretion of the person being interviewed and their handlers. The interviewer has to be on their best behavior, at least until the last of the ‘multiple interviews’ because otherwise the subsequent sittings just won’t happen. For a political journalist to agree to such terms amounts to a form of self-gelding. The only interviews that are done this way are lifestyle and celebrity interviews. And it’s pretty clear that that is what this will be.

  11. How about some of the right wing ambushers sit down with Obama and start hammering him about Dept of Defense stuff?
    ie. Sen Obama would it be wiser to send a Marine Amphibious Group or a Marine Expeditionary Force into the Black Sea regarding the Russian move on Georgia?

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    p>Senator Obama, would you please explain you’re rationale regarding coal deposit exploration and it’s attendant costs and enviromental consequence viz a vis shale oil exploration and production?

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    p>Sen Obama, would show us precisely where AWR is, BTW, what does the acronym ANWR mean precisely, and would you kindly point out the several thousand acres that the oil companies propose to drill and produce on?

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    p>Sen Obama, would please tell us the approximate number of men & women in the armed forces and then give us a breakdown by service.

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    p>Why did Obama do a dance with Fox for months prior to sitting down with Bill O’reilly and Fox actually had to draw up an AGREEMENT !

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    p>Don’t spout this BS about Palin—Obama is just as guilty. Ever hear him without a teleprompter?

    • She hasn’t been interviewed by anyone, major network, anyone.  You have an issue with this even though Obama was interviewed by BillO at Fox?  Are you just plain nuts?!?!?!

        • please come up with something that’s factual in a discussion.  Please, come up with something, anything.  This is moronic.

          • No, of course I didn’t say that.

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            p>But I mean, if I had, it would make your ad homenim oh-so-righteous, donchathink?

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            p>No, johnk, I implied, and now I’m saying, that until the O’Reily interview, Barack Obama has assiduously avoided  tough venues.

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            p>I didn’t say, as you seem to desperately wish I had, that Obama has never been interviewed.

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            p>But hey, Very nice use of seething condescension. Not quite to a high art, but I’m sure you’ll get there.

            • Tough interviews?  He has been asked questions about his record and debated them with candidates.  Haven’t you been paying attention or are you just doing this on purpose.  I’ve had enough of this nonsense.  Just making stuff up like this just makes the point seem utterly ridiculous.  

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              p>NEWSFLASH EVERYONE!!!!!

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              p>Barack Obama never had questions about his record, nor has he ever defended his positions in debates.

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              p>Never…ever…ever …

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              p>I will now hold my breath, because I can’t make something up that’s completely moronic without being called on it.  I’m going to call Rush instead, he’s wicked smaaaat!

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