Why is Palin so 'sheltered'?
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| 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.

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No, actually it makes no sense whatsoever. If she wasn't ready from the get-go, then McCain erred in choosing her, and she erred in accepting.
Public figures are open to public scrutiny.
Gettingahandle
Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.
Facts stifle the will, hobble conviction.
Gettingahandle
Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.
*** 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.
It isn't a matter of just what she stands for, she's also a representative of the McCain campaign. She has to become fluent in his policies, his reasons and his history, not to mention learning the specific "talking points" of the campaign and the specific answers to specific questions.
*** Asking difficult questions is one way to find out the depth of her understanding of issues.
The media isn't interested in the depth of her understanding...Gibson proved they're interested in "gotcha." Palin has to be prepared for that. As I said, all of the other candidates have taken years to prepare, so why begrudge Palin a few weeks?
*** if she treated the media the same way Obama does - and actually speaks to them........
No he didn't, not in the beginning. And even now, he avoids any media that isn't already in the tank for him. (Except O'Reilly...but then he was pretty desperate for indies after the big Palin bounce, and he knew O'Reilly would be fair.)
It isn't a matter of just what she stands for, she's also a representative of the McCain campaign. She has to become fluent in his policies, his reasons and his history, not to mention learning the specific "talking points" of the campaign and the specific answers to specific questions.
So, he just wants her to be his puppet?
<<So, he just wants her to be his puppet?
<She certainly seems capable of handling herself.
Sopal
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<<< It isn't a matter of just what she stands for, she's also a representative of the McCain campaign. She has to become fluent in his policies, his reasons and his history, not to mention learning the specific "talking points" of the campaign and the specific answers to specific questions.
*** So, he just wants her to be his puppet?
Surrogate...and his second, not a policymaker for McCain's campaign.
*** Do you think that is a good thing?
Pretty typical.
*** One reason I was pleased with Obama's choice of Biden is that he is open to someone who will challenge him - that makes more sense!
I doubt that Obama will be very open to challenges by anyone. He picked Biden to (pretty pathetically) try and shore up his obvious lack of experience, especially on foreign policy.
<<< As I said, all of the other candidates have taken years to prepare, so why begrudge Palin a few weeks?
*** This is a bit of a catch22 - people claim to want someone outside the beltway - someone "fresh" so to speak.
Right, someone "uncorrupted" by "Washington politics."
*** I think McCain was pandering a bit to that when he chose her.
When you think about it, she was a great choice on many levels.
*** However, that means inexperience which scares people.
Apparently not Obama supporters. He has even less experience than Palin does in every significant area, but for some reason, they think he's prepared to be President.
*** And again - the fact they are taking time to train her what to say and what to think makes her seem that much less credible.
Obama took years, and he still can't string two intelligible sentences together without a teleprompter. Palin gave a great speech after barely a day's prep and she's done several major interviews and many town halls in her first couple of weeks on the national stage. Pretty impressive when compared to Obama.
*** She is obviously a smart woman with strong opinions. Why is the McCain camp so afraid to let her speak her ACTUAL thoughts instead of feeding her the usual bs lines?
You could ask the same of Obama's campaign. But like I said, she's already given several major, unrestricted interviews and town halls, but it doesn't make any sense to just "throw her to the press" until she's properly schooled...otherwise you get gaffs like the ones Biden has been spewing.
C'mon now doc - u & I get along disagreeing pretty well here.
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