Skip to main content

The Charlie Gibson-Palin interview

Well, the big interview is over...in some ways I am less concerned about Palin...but mostly I feel the way I did before. Some highlights:

Positive
  • She got through it without any major gaffes. To be honest, this was the main goal.
  • Although she wasn't stellar, she showed her ability to think on her feet when given an unexpected question. Sometimes it wasn't pretty, but it wasn't a bloodbath.
  • She was able to pivot the question on "task from God" to pride in her son nicely. It didn't hurt that attention has been paid to how Charlie Gibson twisted her words.

Negative

  • She seemed nervous and tentative. She didn't seem nearly as confident as when giving a speech -- and, let's be honest, did not seem as "Presidential" as Obama.
  • The foreign policy answers seemed rehearsed and wooden. I didn't at all get the feeling the words were coming from her. Even if you're being coached, you need to find a way to translate the information into words that are "yours". She didn't do that, and seemed uninformed.
  • Her earmark answers seemed "politiciany". I felt this was her weakest area. Gibson pointed out that even as Governor, she has accepted hundreds of millions in earmarks...and she didn't have a good answer. I do think this hurts her credibility as a pristine reformer.

All in All...

I'd give her about a B-. It wasn't great, but she passed. The things I worry about most (she's uninformed, she lacks the ability to go toe-to-toe with congressmen or world leaders), I'm still worried about.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things you didn't know about Judd Gregg

He's held all major electoral positions in New Hampshire, serving as Representative (representing the district that includes Nashua) from 1981 to 1989, Governor from 1989 t0 1993, and Senator from 1993 to the present. His father, Hugh Gregg, was Governor of New Hampshire from 1953 to 1955 Gregg stood in for John Kerry during practice sessions held by George W. Bush in preparation for the 2004 United States Presidential Election Debates. Four years earlier he had played the part of Al Gore for the same purpose. Gregg won more than $850,000 in 2005 after buying $20 worth of Powerball tickets at a Washington, D.C. convenience store. Gregg endorsed Mitt Romney in 2008, and is considered a fiscal conservative and social moderate
Post a Comment
Read more

The Problems with Palin

When it comes to the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate, I'm with David Frum ...I think it's an irresponsible choice that could (will?) come back to haunt McCain. Of course, there are scurrilous charges that have no merit. Of course, there is media bias. But here are some details that are coming out that are issue-based, and much more troubling to me: She favored many earmarks as Mayor that John McCain specifically criticized (reformer? or opportunist?) She favored the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she opposed it She said in an address to her church that the Natural Gas Pipeline was a "task from God" and that people should "pray for it" (yes, it's the Huffington Post...but they have video) My take: I think it's clear she was a rash choice. I'm not at all comfortable with her as VP. I would strongly have preferred someone like Romney, Pawlenty, Cantor, even Mike Huckabee to her. I think (and I get no plea
Post a Comment
Read more

Pakistan frees A.Q. Khan...and the world's a little less safe

The New York Times has the story...A.Q. Khan, Pakistani scientist and proliferator of nuclear weapons material and technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran, has been release from house arrest by the Pakistani government. Our reaction was predictably concerned: In Washington, officials condemned the move. While it is almost inconceivable that Mr. Khan would again be actively involved in Pakistan’s nuclear program, which has created an arsenal of roughly 100 weapons, there was broad concern that he could reactivate an international black market network that was only partly dismantled. “He’s still a proliferation threat,” said Robert A. Wood, the spokesman for the State Department. “We’re very troubled by this.” Khan himself was defiant and unapologetic: Washington’s concerns were defiantly dismissed by Mr. Khan, who, beaming and smiling, was thronged by supporters and television cameras outside his residence in an affluent neighborhood upon news of his release. “Let them talk,” he said.
Post a Comment
Read more