E. J. Dionne Jr. In WaPo: Pulling The Curtain On Palin (McCain's Actions Tell You All You Need Know)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090801907.html

Pulling the Curtain on Palin

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008; Page A23

John McCain's campaign acknowledged this weekend that Sarah Palin is unprepared to be vice president or president of the United States.

Of course, McCain's people said no such thing. But their actions told you all you needed to know.

McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all subjected themselves to tough questioning on the regular Sunday news programs. Palin was the only no-show. And it's not just the Sunday interviews. She has not opened herself to any serious questioning since McCain picked her to be next in line for the presidency.

McCain's advisers clearly don't trust Palin to answer questions about policy and don't want her to answer many of the questions that have been raised about her tenure as governor of Alaska.

Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, gave the game away when he said on "Fox News Sunday" that she would not meet with reporters until they showed a willingness to treat her "with some level of respect and deference."

Deference? That's a word used in monarchies or aristocracies. Democracies don't give "deference" to politicians. When have McCain, Obama, Biden or, for that matter, Hillary Clinton asked for deference?

- snip -

It turned out that the McCain side misled journalists. Bumiller was right about the vetting. The lesson is that McCain's counselors are not interested in fair treatment, and they are certainly not interested in the truth.

If the media cave to McCain's pressure, it will be the third time this decade that conservative attacks led reporters to tilt to the right.

During the 2000 battle over Florida, Al Gore's perfectly defensible efforts to win a hand recount ran into a buzz saw of criticism from nonpartisan commentators, many of whom urged Gore to withdraw "gracefully." In the buildup to the Iraq war, the Bush administration and its supporters savaged the patriotism of many who raised questions about its strategy and its plans. Now, McCain hopes Palin will skate through the next two months without any real scrutiny or questioning.

- snip -

Of course, Palin's handlers are being hypocritical: They want to focus on her family life and her identity as a hockey mom when doing so helps them and to push aside any story that mars this perfect picture. Conservatives are always against identity politics until they are for it.

Nonetheless, what matters is not Palin's personal life but whether she is prepared to assume the presidency if called upon. The actions of McCain's lieutenants suggest that they know the answer. And they are doing everything they can to keep the media from finding it.

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[speedoo]

1. Big time smackdown. Great stuff. K&R,

Thanks!

[HomerRamone]

12. "Conservatives are always against identity politics until they are for it."

Conservatives are always against *antyhing* until they are for it. Like "celebrity", for example...

[lonestarnot]

2. Plug is getting pulled! Draining the tub now.

[orleans]

3. oh yeah. n/t (recommended)

[arthritisR_US]

4. ditto! n/t

[snot]

5. 'S'cuse me -- THIRD TIME -- what planet has this person been living on??? nt

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. Yeah, I noticed that too. It's been only one time

Continuously and unanimously, except for Olberman and now Rachel. There are momentary slips by others, probably regressing to a time when they were actually journalists, but they get back on track pretty quickly.

[chill_wind]

8. Are you asking about Dionne? What planet have you been living on?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/22/LI2005042201099.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Dionne

[AzDar]

7. K & R ...

[malaise]

9. Very good article

K & R

[Stuart G]

10. K & R

[noel711]

11. McCain's campaign is gonna pull any interviews from the WaPost

now that Dionne is casting aspersions on the esteemed Governor
from the great state of Alaska..
(the soon-to-be refuge for all the saved during the rapture!
Can't wait, can you?)

[Plucketeer]

13. I'm flabberghasted clear to hyperspace

that there isn't ROARING outrage that the VP (and possible president!) is being sequestered from questioning!!! What the HELL? Is this puppet SO out of touch that she can't speak for herself??? She should be LAUGHED right off the national stage - IMMEADIATELY!, if not sooner!

:banghead;