Why is Palin so 'sheltered'?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-16-2008
Why is Palin so 'sheltered'?
48
Tue, 09-23-2008 - 8:26pm

I read this article a little while ago on USA Today:
After standoff, media gets some access to Palin's meetings with world leaders
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A combined protest from ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, CNN and Fox News Channel succeeded a short time ago in getting the Republican ticket of presidential nominee John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin to partially back down from an attempt to severely limit the media's access to her meetings today and tomorrow with world leaders in New York City.

As ABC News' Political Radar blog reports, the campaign had said only one TV video journalist -- a photographer -- would be allowed at Palin's meetings. No reporter or producers were going to be let in. That flies in the face of standard procedure. Usually, one "print" reporter, one radio reporter and one TV producer are also present at such meetings.

In protest, the networks agreed not to broadcast any of the video footage from Palin's sessions. That got the campaign's attention.

The compromise: A producer is also going to be in the room. In the past, TV producers have also sent their "print" and radio brethren notes about what went on at such events.

Still, as The Politico reports, "print reporters" remain "on the outs."

Update at 12:48 p.m. ET: The AP now reports that the campaign has agreed to let some reporters into Palin's upcoming meeting with leaders. Earlier today, she talked with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Update at 2:20 p.m. ET. A pool report.

Elizabeth Holmes of The Wall Street Journal was the "print" reporter who was supposed to be allowed into the Karzai-Palin meeting, but was not. She sent a report to other journalists who cover the GOP vice presidential nominee. Among the things she wrote about the scene at the New York hotel where the meeting took place:

Gov. Sarah Palin emerged from ... a beige SUV. ... Senior policy advisers Randy Scheunemann and Steve Biegun were outside the hotel waiting for her. ...

Your pooler then ran into the hotel lobby and was restrained from boarding the crowded gold elevator, despite her shouting on behalf of the pool. The group of cameras returned via another elevator just a few moments later. ...

From CNN's Peter Hamby, who was the only editorial representative allowed in:

The press pool (still and TV cameras only, plus this producer) entered into Karzai's sizable suite ... shortly after noon. One handler, who did not appear to be with the campaign but rather with Karzai's entourage, repeatedly said "No writers," and he tried to keep this pooler from entering the room when he saw my notebook. However, Chris Edwards, Palin's deputy chief of staff, allowed me to pass.

Palin was seated in a large chair a few feet from Karzai, with a table in between them. From the view of the pool cameras, Palin sat on the left, and Karzai to the right.

Seated slightly behind Palin were foreign policy advisers Steve Biegun and Randy Scheunemann, who are accompanying the governor in her motorcade today.

As the pool entered, the Afghan president appeared to be telling Palin about his young son, who was born in January 2007.

Palin, her legs crossed and at one point patting her heart, was leaning in eagerly and smiling. Karzai, wearing his traditional clothes but without his trademark karakul hat, was also grinning while discussing the child. His remarks were unintelligible as the noise from the clicking cameras drowned them out.

This was the only exchange that was heard:

"What is his name?," Palin asked.

"Mirwais," Karzai responded. "Mirwais, which means, 'The Light of the House.' "

"Oh nice," Palin responded.

"He is the only one we have," remarked Karzai.

At this point, the pool was hustled out the room and down to the hotel lobby. Pool was in the room for a grand total of 29 seconds.

Posted by Mark Memmott at 12:43 PM/ET, September 23, 2008 in Media, Presidential race, 2008, Republicans | Permalink

So it this is her change to 'meet world powers' why is she being so sheltered? Why aren't the press allowed to cover it? Could it be that they are afraid of a major screw up? I really don't get it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-18-2006
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:46pm

<<She doesn't have to be buddies with the media.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:47pm

*** Well, that certainly makes sense...hope it's not long until we hear from her, though as I really want to see if she's as tough & smart as some claim her to be.

I think she's doing Katie Couric tonight. But she's got to be doing pretty well...she's the governor of a state with an 80% approval rating. Not to shabby.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:48pm
Years of "preparation" for the campaign...not years of "experience."
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 2:52pm

*** There is plenty of "smear" to go around and based upon her sarcastic attitude

No more sarcastic than Obama or Biden have been.

*** we've seen in her orchestrated appearances, I don't think she will have any trouble there.

She's appeared in both "orchestrated appearances" like interviews with Gibson and Hannity...and also "unorchestrated appearances" like town halls. She's done well in all.

*** If she isn't prepared to handle the media from the get-go, I don't see how she could be prepared to handle being vp!

Handling a "gotcha" media and the duties of VP are entirely different things. I'd venture to say if the media treated Obama the same way they treat Palin we'd all be saying "Obama who?" and McCain would be running against Hillary.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 3:00pm
Sounds exactly like what we said about Obama. ; )
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 3:02pm
Exactly right...it's her job to communicate McCain's platform to the people, not subject herself to a left-wing media hit job.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 4:15pm
Why do you think it is that she doesn't know his platform enough to discuss it?

Sopal


Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 4:20pm

*** Why do you think it is that she doesn't know his platform enough to discuss it?

It's a broad platform with a lot of details, and she doesn't want to become a gaff-fest like Biden has or open herself up to more "Gibson-like" gotchas.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 4:31pm
Theoretically, if she's smart enough to be president (let's face it, that the vice presidency is just one heartbeat away) then she should be smart enough to know what she supposedly stands for.

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-28-2008
Wed, 09-24-2008 - 4:32pm

if the media treated Obama the same way.......


if she treated the media the same way Obama does - and actually speaks to them........