Political Punch

The GOPUSA is behind the boycott to have Palin interviewed on the Oprah show. There reason is because Palin is a woman, and that the Oprah show caters to women. One of Palin lead boycotters said that Palin is breaking a glass ceiling for women.

Obama could use that same argument as to why he should be on Oprah'' show. He is after all, the first ever nominated Afro- American candidate in a country that not long ago legally endorsed slavery, discrimination against blacks and other minorities.

But notice Obama campaign is not doing this, he is not using his race as a tactic to gain support. His campaign is not boycotting any group or business by using his race as an excuse to force a hand picked interview. obtain favorable is not saying things like; there saying that because I'm black, there picking on obama and asking him tough questions because he's black or if he were white he would be considered qualified.

Is Palin using her sex to be treated differently? Is she asking for preferential treatment because she is a woman? Oprah, is not allowing any candidates on her show to be interviewed, democrat or republican of which has nothing to do with Palin sex. She announced her decision months ago way before the world even heard or knew about Palin, as she just appeared on the scene a couple weeks ago.

If Palin wants to be interviewed so bad, why won't she be interviewed by the tons of qualified professional news anchorage personnel that have been knocking on her door for the opportunity? Is it because she does not want to be asked the hard questions like the other candidates? I think the Palin boycott is more cynical, if Oprah interviewed Palin on her show and asked tough questions, she would be attacked by the GOPUSA who asked for the interview in the first place, as not being fair to Palin because of her support of Obama.

So I say to Palin and her campaign, move on and get Palin interviewed by the appropriate news forum. And stop boycotting Oprah show for enforcing policy that was already in place way before the world even heard of a Palin. The GOPUSA is very hypocritical, for they use sexism when it's convenient!

E. Ferguson
Missouri

PALLEAASEEE!

Poor Sarah...attacks on her and her family...so unfair?

ok...obama a muslim and an extremist...fair?

clarence thomas raked over coals/publically humiliated with unfounded charges of sexual misconduct fair?

hmmm...lets go way back...

Alexander Hamilton, for challenging autoractic, corrupt Burr, was challenged to a duel, and shot to death, WITHOUT DRAWING HIS WEAPON.
fair?

common...poor Sarah...first of all...why is she using her first name...it is, respectfully, Gv, Palin no?

Politics and digging truth and dirt, destroying enemies...is nothing being unleased on "poor Sarah" as something new in intent or degree.

Get you heads out of your...."sandboxes."

And let her put on one of "Hillary's pants suits" and face the Washington correspondents, and not some pre-orchestrated media interview...like the ones where you get the questions before the answers..."Cone of silence anyone?"

Answer no questions = has no brain.

I can't believe someone actually suggested that Geraldine Ferraro be interviewed in lieu of interviewing Sarah Palin. That would be as useful as interviewing Jack Kemp.

Here are some of the things Obama has done "besides running for president:"

After college, community organizer
Saw that helping people would require changing laws and politics

Not only got into Harvard Law School without benefit of family connections, but then became president of Harvard Law Review

Chicago – civil rights lawyer, taught constitutional law

Illinois State Senator for eight years

US Senate:
-first law passed was a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent
-Veteran's Affairs Committee
-worked on non-proliferation efforts, to help keep our country safe
-alternative fuels and higher fuel standards, to help keep our nation safe and independent

He has worked for over a decade now to help less fortunate people, veterans, and address the real safety issues that this nation faces

If this continues until November, this is a huge problem for McCain. However, I suspect she will be taking interviews within the next few weeks.

No, she's not ready to be President, but 1) she isn't running for President and 2) she's still more ready than Obama. Please tell me what Obama has done besides run for office?

Hey Concerned in Ohio... that's the point! At least he went on O'Reilly to answer questions from one of his most adversarial "reporters" (and I use that term loosely in this case). Yes, bullies are rude, vile, mean, obnoxious people who love to interrupt which is exactly who O'Reilly is and other people have more courtesy and tact. Also, all the idiots asking why Michelle hasn't gone on interviews - well, uhh... last I checked she wasn't running for any office and I don't recall Nancy, Barbara, Hillary nor Lauara being grilled on Face the Nation, etc. when their husbands were running for POTUS. LMAO!

Here's a thought! Why doesn't the American press show some respect for a change and talk to our country's ONLY other female VP candidate, Geraldine Ferraro, while waiting to interview Palin? Wouldn't it make sense to touch base with her and get her thoughts on Palin about now? Or is everyone afraid that she might actually be a strong woman who thinks for herself and not simply toe the party lines? Either way...where is Ferraro? Was she even invited to Obama's convention in Denver? What is happening to MY party!!!??

Sarah Palin
Great Celebrity with Manias,

But no "Meet the Press", No "Face the Nation", No "This Week"....

Oh, These are too difficult Programs for her brain.

It's as simple as this: the reason McCain will not let Palin speak is because he knows she won't be able to answer questions intelligently because she has no experience.

And that will scare the hell out of everyone knowing that she could be a heart beat away from the presidency; talk about nuts! Thank goodness the American people are smarter than that.

Obama/Biden'08

Good job. Keep counting and drawing attention to this. The notion that a VP candidate would go into hiding from the press is absurd. She's a joke. Not a funny one, unfortunately.

I recommend the McCain campaign continue to keep her in the "Candidate Protection Program". It just shows how unqualified she is to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

I find it ironic that Democrats are trying to compare their Presidential candidate to the Republican's Vice Presidential Candidate. Especially when Obama's first instinct during the Russian territorial expansion action into Georgia was to call for "Georgia and Russia to show restraint". Especially when Obama is willing to sit down with Ahmadinejad without preconditions. I don't care what side of the political spectrum you fall, the Office of the President has certain powers of presence and meeting with foreign leaders, hostile or otherwise, lends credibility to them. Even when negotiating Matters of State with the former Soviet Union, pre-meetings were conducted so the US could negotiate from a position of power. We know McCain will confront world leaders with backbone. Looking at Gov. Palin's record of standing up to Republican Party higher-ups and other state officials in Alaska, I think one can argue that Palin has that same strength. I'm not worried about international matters if McCain/Palin is elected. I truly wish, from a non-partisan, American-oriented position, that Obama will have those same abilities if he is elected. But I'm just not sure right now that he does. Maybe something will change between now and Nov 4, but right now, I'm just not convinced.

So, Palin is supposedly ready to be the Vice President (and maybe the President) of this country, but she is not ready to talk to reporters??? Alllllrightythen.

Caribou Barbie can't stand up to CNN, so how can she handle Putin and Iran?

What a complete utter joke the GOP has become. They push this woman to the front of the stage, then quickly rush her off to a secret location where she can study "Vice President for Dummies"

Now, if Obama did this, you wingnuts would be SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER, but it's okay if you are a Republican.

Of course the average GOP voter is just another pavlovian dog who salivates on cue when told to. They don't think, they just obey.

I can't believe that even the most partisan Republican chucklehead can see no problem here. I guess I overestimated people again.

I believe the root of the problem is that journalism is dead in america. All I see is screaming matches between supposedly opposing points of view, each trying to outdo the other in outrageousness. I would not put her in front of any one except perhaps C-span, Charley Rose or the guy that moderated the debate between her, Murkowsky and the other candidate in the 2006 election (he was pretty good). Otherwise the rest of the journalists on TV today are nothing more than a bunch of punks.

if you guys don't force this issue and isist that this woma submit herself to the same vetting process as every other candidate for office, we will lose faith in th epress and believe that this election is racist, sexist abd biased in ways unheard of. John McCain cannot force this woman down our throats without information about who she is and how and why she has made and will make professional decisions that will directly and indirectly affect our lives/

you press guys need to get busy, if she won't sit down then you need to find the news she is hiding.....

For a few weeks, yes, she will be little more than a spokesperson. So will Joe Biden. For better or worse, the campaign is led, ideologically, by the top of the ticket. Everything is very carefully orchestrated. Heck, put Biden's speeches and Obama's speeches recently next to each other, they'll be saying the exact same things. So will Palin and McCain when they do separate campaigning.

Its the old addage that if you say something long enough, loud enough, and often enough, it becomes truth. Messages, on both sides of the campaign, are so very tightly controlled. But that's not to say the VP brings nothing to the table, on either side. Heck, Palin was instrumental in convincing McCain on the virtues of offshore drilling. We know she's in favor of responsible ANWR drilling while McCain has been hesitant to support such a move. But I wouldn't be too surprised to see McCain swing around to that position in the debates.

Its the same thing wherever you work. If you go off and promise a customer (we, the voters) something other than what the boss told them, you're gonna get canned. But you can take your boss aside in private and say, "Hey, this is what I think we're capable of and this is what we need to change." Call me a political cynic, but I don't believe anything they say on the campaign trail is anything but scripted. Everything has been focus group tested, run by policy advisors, and practiced dozens of times before we see it on TV.

So essentially she's like some sort of "spokesmodel" for the campaign -- she's allowed to read canned material and look pretty, but her own thoughts and ideas are strictly off limits.

Women deserve better. Republicans deserve better.

There's a heck of a big difference between going out and answering questions with your own personal opinion as an elected official versus answering them for another person. She has to absorb decades of information about McCain and months of speeches and positions he's taken during this campaign in weeks. Any campaign will spend inordinate amounts of time briefing a new running mate before throwing them out on the road with anything but their stump speech. Granted, if she doesn't start showing up on these shows next week or the week after, there are legitimate concerns about why she is being hidden.

It is obvious that the republican party has been completely taken over by the Christian right. It started in 2000 and 2004 and now with the selection of Sarah Palin, the take over is complete. It should be obvious over the last 8 years that competence is of no concern for the religious right. They just want one of their own to be in the White House. Competence be damned. It is also rather amusing to witness the contortions regarding abortion and working mothers from the Dobson crown and the O'Reilly's. So I guess not only competence be damned, but credibility as well.

She should agree to hold a press conference on Oprah. Better yet, she should hold a press conference and invite only those outlets that didn't write a sexist article or mention anything about her daughter. That way two media outlets will show up and get to answer all the questions.

What they really mean to ask is: We want to try to stump her by asking her who the Preident of Turkmenistan is and then mock her lack of world knowledge. Her speech was direct to the American people. The internet provides the same. The MSM doesn't like directness......they want to filter the message before it reaches the masses.

Let the women send her son off to Iraq to fight for our country in peace. She is VP candidate, get a grip. You guys are chomping at the bit. Such a double standard.

Barracuda

I do believe that Jake has fallen in love....with Obama.

2 years of campaigning and finally the 'one' goes on a show that doesn't kiss his a##, and there is a big difference between Palin and Obama, with Obama just like with Michele who went on the View and had a list of things they couldn't talk about, the media went out it's way to make Obama look good even debates they were not allowed to ask him any tough questions ( ABC's debate the backlash from the messiah's followers) with Palin the media is gunning for her probably ask " Prime Minister of some dot on the map's name, so why should the McCain camp give you guys access when Obama is the least accessible campaign and he still gets the better coverage.

I think you are all being very sexist and you should just give Caribou Barbie some time to learn at the feet of the master. They need time to teach her all about current events in Czechoslovakia and also how to find the Iraq/Pakistan border on a map. You know, no one is just born knowing this stuff.

dl:

does that mean we get to see "Todd" hold a news conference?

he was a champion snowmobile racer you know!

yup!

The guy she’s alleged to have her affair with was trying to seal his divorce records by emergency order today and was DENIED.

3PA-07—1581C1A in the matter of: Richter, Scott Alan and Deborah Marie

Sarah Palin can't face the press on day one so why are we to believe she can lead on day one?

Palin is new, so some people come to see a pair of new buts. She will be gone in a few days!!!

her sex tape is on the way!!!!

Palin is running away from media. She is afraid of tough questions!!!

A coward and a slimy!

I saw Palin and came to conclusion that she is a dumb gal, good pair of buts and nothing else.

Bush team writes her speeches!

Shame on GOP, they have no quality leaders!

Obama gave a press conference today in York, PA. Had questions asked of him by reporters, and answered the questions too.

It's been an awfully long time since Obama has given a press conference with questions and answers. An awfully long time. And when was the last time he let Michelle talk in a potentially hostile environment.

Get it?

Interesting piece this evening on NPR about an email from Anne Kilkenny from Wasilla about her experience of and opinions about Sarah Palin. Quite detailed...anyone read it?

It's been an awfully long time since Obama has given a press conference with questions and answers. An awfully long time. And when was the last time he let Michelle talk in a potentially hostile environment.

Get it?

John Doe, the invasion of Iraq was NOT instigated by lies. THAT in itself is a lie. Have you even read the 2002 Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq?

President Bush rescinded the 1991 cease fire due to the 12 years of Saddam Hussein's failure to comply with the conditions of the cease fire. Whether Iraq had WMDs or not is irrelevant. Besides, many Democrats claimed that Iraq had WMDs back in 1998 when Congress gave President Clinton the authorization for regime change in Iraq. Some Democrats even said that Iraq posed an "imminent threat."

Those individuals who claim that Governor Sarah Palin used to be a member of the Alaska Independent Party, a party who supports Alaska's secession from the U. S., might be interested in knowing that Sen. Akaka (D-HI) offered a bill in 2006 that would have given Native Hawaiians their own race-based, sovereign government. Sen. Akaka acknowledged that had that bill passed it could very well have resulted in Hawaii's secession from the U. S. Fortunately the Democrats failed to end the filibuster. But Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden BOTH voted for closure and would have voted FOR the bill had it been brought to the floor for a vote.

It's one thing to be a member of a party that supports secession. It's quite another to actually VOTE for a bill that would likely result in secession of a state.

NOTE: It was actually Todd Palin not Governor Sarah Palin who was a member of the AIP. She has been a member of the Republican Party since 1982. And there is NO evidence that she was ever a member of the AIP Todd Palin has been a registered Independent since 2002.

Sam,

Obama's wife is not running for president or vice president. If you're fine with Laura Bush having her mouth "taped shut" through a failing US economy, rising unemployment, a war instigated by lies while our enemies get stronger and our influence in the world becoming weaker, then Michelle can keep her mouth shut as long as Barack wants it to be.

JOhn Doe

Let us start a clock that marks how long Obama keeps his wife's mouth taped shut.

That Palin is really a fast mover.

When she looked through the window and saw a family fracas between her sister and brother-in-law, it took her only 6 months to report the incident to the police, and she even had time to go a meeting!

Now that's what I call a quick response and multitasking. Everybody can relax now when she's got the keys of the WH.

Oh for Pete's sake, give the woman a break. Sanctimonious Joe is tutoring her on foreign affairs. That way, she'll know that if Venezuela attacks us, we should immediately bomb Mexico back to the stone age and ship weapons to Israel. This stuff is going to take a few weeks.

Perhaps media outlets should start a time counter for how long Governor Palin refuses to talk to the media like Fox News did with Senator Obama when he stalled with coming on their show.

The Republican's are SOOO hypocritical with this their Vice Presidential pick that its driving me nuts. In a matter of days they went from appearing to be the party of substance to making the Obama look like the next James Madison.

Palin is fast becoming quite the celebrity. Isn't she?

Doing interviews is below her? We have to accept her greatness just by the power of her lipstick?

dang, suokered in.

They're good.

Aston,

Pelosi looks a bit old to be nursing.

Okay no comment about Sarah so I will say only this:

NASCAR dad as "the second dude".

It makes me sooooo proud.

and i want to know why it took her six years and five colleges to get a degree in "broadcasting". what's up with that?

Isn't it Day 402 since the worshipful ABC News asked Obama a hard question, much less investigate his communist mentor or interview his Saudi sugar daddy who helped get him admitted to and funded his years at Harvard? It was truly pathetic to have ABC's Charlie Gibson make the morning talk show circuit this week to deny his left wing bias.

So Sarah is supposed to be a maverick? Then explain why McCain refuses to let her meet with the press. At least she is obedient to her man (McCain) and follows his orders not to speak and to follow the company line. Yeah, a real maverick alright. What a joke, both McCain and Palin.

kravitz:

yup

Pelosi has 5 kids. Maybe she should stay home and be a full-time mother.

"DRZOON | Sep 5, 2008 5:32:47 PM

Well yes, Sarah would be couple of ticks away... but Barack is even closer, and he has less experience than SHE does!

Fortunately, Mccain's family is long lived!

McCain and Palin!

Country before Party!

Did Jill Hazelbaker actually say "till she is ready"?!?!

Could that mean anything else than: she's not ready?!

Where's that headline then:

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN: PALIN NOT READY

Well, we knew it.

but i don't know if he went to college... or if he graduated from high school for that matter.

we should ask him.

Ashton:

does that go for "Todd" too? do you want him to have to do a press conference and maybe chat about ... oh... alaska becoming its own country?

or cindy? god knows what is going to come out of that mouth.

you know what? now that i think of it... i am all for Michelle doing this if... IF.... "Todd" does it!

He's a championship snowmachine racer you know!

Yup

Ronald R was a very good writer. i ready his diary book.

I didn't agree with him much.. but i never felt like he was "evil" like your party is now.

and it was his party ... the voters... that vetted him. and as you know... that included FOX "News" as well as all the press that you are so afraid of asking sarah any questions now.

seriously... what in the world can you be afraid of her saying in an interview?

i mean... we already know her "i was against the bridge" ... (after i was for it) white lie...

but this is your candidate. don't you want to see her talk about the world? about our country? what her vision has been... and will be if she were to have to ... heaven forbid... take over?

i know when we hear great leaders talk... we take great pride in what they say... and are interested in their thoughts and points of view.

don't you feel the same way?

Doc, please.

Executive and Legislative experience are both of equal value; neither trumps the other in political terms.

What matters is that Obama has been tested by overwhelming scrutiny, and also his experience is of a much broader base--Legal, Senatorial, Professorial, and yes, as a Community Organizer--and it was in the thick of American politics, not the backwoods of Alaska.

Palin is also apparently naive in terms of experience with Washington proper, and knowledge of foreign policy. She needs to be scrutinized and tested. Then we'll all know for sure what she's got, but before that it's only sensible to be suspicious that she can't speak without rehearsal.

Once again

When has Obama or his big-mouthed wife given a press conference lately where the reporters could ask open questions.

When?

"barack has been vetted by his own party for the past 19 months. he's written two books... 21 debates... countless interviews...

He's written two semi-autobiographical novels of hype and fiction and particpated in some debates (though the ones I saw were none too favorable for him).

Maybe he should be a writer!

He has had a ton of free publicity; the Chicago Tribune even went so far as to generate a comic strip about him... and last week's democratic convention took up the whole first section of that bloody paper.....

But none of the media asked the questions which needed to be asked of him.... or questioned some of the responses he gave to the questions he WAS asked!

And as for being vetted by one's party,
that is like having Hillary search for something wrong with Chelsea!

But he is OUTSTANDING...... at spending money....

concerned mom:

sarah palin isn't taking this time "learn" ANYTHING other than the old republican trick of not answering a question with anything other than attack your opponent.

it sucks... but its just the way these guys operate!

While ABC continues to migrate toward being a gossip page that invents the most ludicrous topics imaginable on both sides of he political table, FOX news has actually been doing some serious journalistic research. Today's web page features an article: "Top 7 Myths, Lies and Untruths About Sarah Palin". They've also debunked Obama rumors.

You'll never see this kind of journalism on ABC regardless of your party affiliation!

hmmmmmmm:

barack has been vetted by his own party for the past 19 months. he's written two books... 21 debates... countless interviews...

BIG BIG DIFFERENCE from sarah...

Does this mean she isn't ready to answer the questions from the media about the issues that voters are talking about around the dinner table.

Is she going to be trained to just attack or bite? I don't want to kiss a Pit Bull with Lip Stick. Every time my cat sees her on TV she hisses! Cats are smart. My dog just refuses to to acknowledge her.

Hillary can get the media to focus the issues back on McCain/Bush.

I'll be laughing all the way to the bank once Obama's tax cuts become law. Plus, he'll let get rid of "don't ask don't tell" in the military, something that has weighed heavily on me for a long long time.

'Well then it'll be a LONG TIME before I cast a vote for her because, I'm not buying a "pig in a poke"!

Well isn't that what you're so willing to do with Obama?

Gee, I wonder why she is avoiding the media. Maybe because any press appearance she will have will be filled with "legitimate" questions regarding her daughter's pregnancy and her parenting skills, from the media that forgets all about Edwards' "love child," yet claims that liberal bias is non-existent...

you mean asking hard questions about sarah's education is somehow ... belittling her?

i don't get it.

you don't want to know anything more about her? all you needed was her speech and what THEY TELL YOU about her?

The longer they keep Moose Lady under wraps, the more it is going to work against them. Furthermore I think it is sexist of them to keep her away from the press. Why does she get special treatment? Every other candidate from both parties throughout the long primary season has had to face the media and answer questions? Are they saying she can't handle it? Are they hiding something? Do they think she will blow it? How in hell do they think this strategy will work?

Anyone - when was the last time Obama or Michelle let themselves be exposed to the press in an open forum.

Anyone?

Ashton:

not only was that uncalled for... but it was inaccurate.

why do you (or any of these fearful republicans) have to say stuff like that?

or... let me put it this way....

are you one of those people who got upset when all those stories broke about sarah's kids? all the mean things that were said?

""Palin won't submit to a formal interview anytime soon. She may take some questions from local news entities in Alaska, but until she's ready -- and until she's comfortable -- which might not be for a long while -- the media will have to wait."

Well then it'll be a LONG TIME before I cast a vote for her because, I'm not buying a "pig in a poke"!

According to the McCain camp, she's ready to be VP, but not a VP who can answer questions?? What are they hiding? Her candidacy is a sham. Totally pathetic and it will back-fire on McCain because no one will vote for someone who has nothing to offer but jabs at her opponents and can't even express her own views.

This isn't Russia where we just take something at it's face value. Sorry.

SgtPepper

Changing the subject, huh?

if my kid was on his sixth college in five years? i would sit him down and tell him he's got a problem and that he needs to get his act together...

wouldn't you?

Aston,

You're quick to judge. I've never accessed KOS in me life.

Every year around 7,500 people apply to Harvard Law School. Roughly 560 students matriculate with, on average, a 3.8 undergrad GPA and a 99th percentile LSAT score. After 1L year studying legal theory, around 40 of the best students are appointed to Harvard Law Review based on their first year grades and writing. Law Reviews are highly competitive student run scholarly journals considered mandatory by many for high-end legal careers. For the 7% that make it on to Law Review, 2L year is more legal theory plus highly detailed editing of emerging legal scholarship pending publication in the journal. At the end of 2L year, one member of Law Review is elected to be the next year’s Editor-in-Chief by the existing members. The Editor-in-Chief then runs the process of producing the next year’s editions of the journal. Since 1887, 121 people have been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Law Review. There were more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholarships granted during the same period.

In other words, it ain't easy. it's not PTA, that's for sure.

yourgame:

no... barack has a higher IQ than HRC. and was editor of harvard law review (do you know what that is?)... and its not like going to Yale (like HRC) is like coming in second place. they are both very bright.

but mc cain graduated 895th our of 899 and .. well... you know what sarah did (or didn't do) in college by know.... right?

Sarah went to college and some how BRZOON thinks that means she's a mess. Huh....that's weird.

SGTPepper: Is the only strategy that Obama has when he is not doing well, race bating? Sure seems like it.

the bottom line is....

sarah went to five colleges in six years to get a degree in "broadcasting"

i get the feeling she's a mess... don't you think?

Yes, well if intelligence was the major qualifying indcator as to who should be Pres. Why is it Obama and not Hillary, I believe it was proven that she had the highest test scores and most votes. In any case, Obama went on THE FACTOR YESTERDAY IN ORDER TO ATTACK PALIN TODAY. He got 18 mos. to face opposing media. He so NOT brave or READY ON DAY ONE.