It's Sunday, mid- to late-morning. Do you know where your presidential/vice presidential candidate is? Well, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama is on a Sunday talk show. And ditto for U.S. Sens. John McCain and Joe Biden (who pointed out that Palin may actually have to answer a question or two eventually). Who's missing here?
You guessed it. Self-desrcibed hockey Mom, newly annointed mega-celebrity, titanium-rimless-eyeglass-wearing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (oh yeah, and she's McCain's vice presidential nominee).
And where is Sarah this fine morning? Maybe she's fake-auctioning off the First Dude or moose antlers on eBay, but she's not doing media interviews, and that's my point.
I've been in political communications for almost 20 years now, and I've never seen anything like this. The media has more access to Osama bin Laden than to Governor Palin. I have never worked for anyone who wouldn't talk to reporters. I've always worked for smart, open public servants or pundits who weren't afraid of the media.
Last time I checked, running for office meant that you talked to reporters. Apparently, we are now living in a parallel universe that was carefully incubated and birthed in St. Paul last week; no media need apply.
Check out this new Politico piece and you'll see just how far McCain's campaign handlers are going to keep Palin's image intact. Palin's face may be all over the magazine covers this week, but it's going to be a while before you actually hear her voice again (unless it's a clip from the GOP Convention or similar).
Well, all may not be lost, according to Politico: "FOX News is rolling out a special (as are other networks): ""Gov. Sarah Palin: An American Woman," a one-hour biography hosted by Greta Van Susteren that includes "exclusive video and photos" and "interviews with her family, friends and colleagues"" — but not Palin herself."
You just know this is going to be hard-hitting.
Maybe it's no coincidence that Bob Woodward started serializing his latest book in the Washington Post today. Can you imagine him interviewing Sarah Palin? What a treat that would be.
I'll leave you with this YouTube video of TIME Magazine's Washington Bureau Chief Jay Carney duking it out with McCain Praetorian Guardswoman Nicole Wallace about the Invisible Governor. And then, just ask yourself why someone known on the basketball court as Sarah Barracuda can't handle herself in the court of public opinion?
She's busy, Melissa
Probably doing a new photo shoot since you liked the Adobe Photoshop job so much....
Such cynicism....you SOUND like you've been in journalism for 20 years...you might want to check again about talking to reporters...adapting to the new realities of the information age must be hard for you Old Media types...
This Just In...
I'll take a guess that you won't like the timing, the setting, the forum, the network, the interviewer, the questions, the answers, the weather, her clothes, her glasses, NOTHING about the interview (most especially Sarah herself and her positions), but she's apparently agreed to an interview with Charlie Gibson this week...
I'll even guess that that doesn't qualify as "soon" in your book, and that she probably only agreed to do so under pressure from you and the Democrat's talking points this morning that she was dodging interviews... sorta like the Rooster taking credit for the sun coming up...
See ya' in court...
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