WTF!!

I mean, good grief! Wrote a little something to Roger about process on another thread and then saw this gem:

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/no_questions_please_were.html

They are kidding right?

There is nearly a 2 in 10 chance that McCain, if elected, won't survive through his first term. (That's from the Hartmann show and somebody talking about Insurance aging tables, and that does not count stress, etc... as additional factors.)

Not trying to be mean here, just rational. McCain is at that stage in life where the chance of stuff happening is fairly high, and getting higher by the year.

We've lived with Bush, who was selected, not elected the first time around. Basically got in the second time around.

Not exactly a strong pick of the people, for the people and by the people. This is a process problem and we are suffering because of it.

Now, there exists the very real chance we might have to do that again with Palin!

Does this mean they are giving up, or what?

Ready on Day 2, but not ready to be interviewed?

Any bets on where she'll grant her first interview?

Now that's an interesting question.

It's gotta be a soft-ball kind of thing right? So, FOX seems a very likely choice. Hannity maybe?

That was my thought.
Seems like a safe bet.

How soon before she makes the rounds of Eangelical Radio & TV?

She'll talk to the media. She'll grant interviews. But it will be too little too late. Something legitimately issue-based will force her to do it.

Let's not fall into a trap of taking our eye off McCain though. Sure, there is value in noting that Palin may just take enough heat for the both of them to cause defeat ( or victory if Palin becomes too great of a distraction for Democrats to make their point about Palin and then move on. I mean, at some point, since she's not addressing the issues people have questions about, we'll make up our own minds accordingly then, eh? ). But there is enough for them on their own merits.

Ignore the media? Fine. Ignore the voters? Not fine.

Really. Facing a media grilling is part of how a candidate proves him/herself to the voting public. If you don't have the courage to go into the lion's den, as Obama did this week with O'Reilly, then you can't play ball with the big kids. I can't imagine that she's too chicken to do it. Maybe she's in outside-world boot camp, and they'll let her out when she learns enough not to humiliate herself.

Too bad we can only imagine what Tim Russert would say about this.

"Too bad we can only imagine what Tim Russert would say about this."

Wince.

That stings. In a good way.

You are so right, Eastwood.

Tim Russert was our national Dad. I can't think of anyone who comes close to filling that role, let alone his shoes. He had his opinions, but nobody from either campaign would dismiss him the way that McCain flack dissed the Time Magazine guy in the link KSKD posted above.

Theory: now that the conventions are over and the GOP base is mollified with Sarah's appointment, we're going to see a gradual moderation in McCain in order to appeal to the center, where the votes are. For example, K103 interviewed Obama during the primaries, and he actually praised McCain for his views on global warming. We haven't heard a peep from McCain on that issue since then, but maybe we will, if not on climate change then on other issues of importance to thinking people...if the GOP has any hope of pulling the non-Creationist vote.

That would mean that the campaign will keep a tight leash on Sarah. No interviews except perhaps you-know-where.

Debate should be fun.

I think you are going to prove yourself spot on Eastwood!

The move to the center, while sequestering Palin will appeal to more voters than anything else they can do right now.

Just keep her mostly quiet on the issues, or risk popping the magic bubble!

I seriously don't see how they are going to do that without at least one debate though. And even that's not really enough for a VP decision.

RIP Tim --National Dad is a perfect characterization of his much needed role right now.

" CNN confirms that Palin will sit down with Charles Gibson of ABC News later this week; the exact date has yet to be announced."

That was quick.

Good for her!

Yes. Fight against your own party's / campaign's agenda. Give an interview!

You go and be that maverick.

Word.

Except ABC had all its teeth removed when Disney turned them into just another cartoon.

Palin will only be allowed to be interviewed by totally friendly correspondents to the Republican cause and all questions must be submitted in advance. ABC has no spine. They're gutless and Republican serving.

You won't see her on 60 minutes, NBC, or even on CNN anytime soon.

Eastwood:

I would like to suggest that Gwen Ifill would be an excellent Russert replacement as national Mom. She has proven herself to be just as hard hitting, just as fair, and just as exquisitely well prepared in her interviews.

I would also like to suggest that NBC lacks the (lets say) fortitude to announce her as Tim's full time replacement on Meet The Press until the election is decided, to avoid any appearance of bias. So until then we starve with warmed over Brokaw.

Seconded, Auntie T!

Gwen Ifill will be the moderator of the VP debate on October 2, so that'll be a good chance to show some chops. I've actually seen some grumbling about her on lefty blogs over matters of journalistic semantics, and I take that as a good sign. You have to be able to piss off both sides.

Drudge is trumpeting that Oprah's taking a pass on a chat with the lipsticked pit bull, though it's not clear from the story that an interview was actually offered. Sounded more hypothetical. Winfrey endorsed Obama, and says that in fairness she's not bringing any of the candidates onto her show.

"You have to be able to piss off both sides. "

Absolutely. I'll be watching that debate more closely now to see how Gwen comes off.