Archive for the 'Palin' Category

What Was It Like For Reporters During 2008?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, McCain, Media, Palin, Video

Two CBS reporters, one who covered Obama and one who covered McCain, talk about it…

I do think one of the biggest reasons McCain started seeing more negative coverage in the last half of the campaign is he went negative and cut off press access, so the press were left to report on nothing but the [...]

December 1st, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Sarah Palin Goes Back On The Campaign Trail

By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in 2008 Election, Palin, Republicans, Senate

Sarah Palin is headed to Georgia to campaign for Saxby Chambliss:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will make multiple campaign appearances on behalf of Sen. Saxby Chambliss next week in Georgia, serving as the political closer for the GOP senator who is battling to win a second term.
This is Palin’s first campaign [...]

November 25th, 2008 | Permalink| 5 Comments »

Thank You Sarah Palin!

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2012 Election, Palin, Republicans, Video

A new PAC is launching some ads thanking Sarah Palin for running for VP this year, and there’s little doubt that these folks want her to run in 2012.

Part of me wants to think that this stuff is nice, but the marketer/social media strategist in me screams, “Why did they have to form a PAC [...]

November 22nd, 2008 | Permalink| 4 Comments »

Will The GOP Back Palin?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, 2012 Election, Alaska, Palin, Republicans, Video

A Hardball panel discusses her future and her recent appears at the Republican Governors Association convention…

As usual, Pat Buchanan loves Palin, but the other Republican on the panel isn’t too keen to give her the same praise.
And frankly, I think many in the GOP are embarrassed by her performance on the trail. Especially guys like [...]

November 14th, 2008 | Permalink| 6 Comments »

Palin Talks About Her Future

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Palin, Republicans, Video

Regardless of what she’s saying now, it seems to be pointing directly at 2012.

36 Governor races are open in 2010. Can the Republicans save some face by capturing more or holding onto their existing seats?
We shall see…

November 13th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Palin Speaks At The RGA Conference

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2012 Election, Palin, Video

One of the first things she does is commend Bush on his decision to go to war in Iraq. Not the smartest move right out of the gate.

She’s talking a good game about being the party of ideas, but does she really think that 2012 is realistic for her? Because what ideas will the GOP [...]

November 13th, 2008 | Permalink| 7 Comments »

Palin’s Interview With Fox News

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2012 Election, Alaska, Palin, Video

Pure fluff, but hey…it is Palin and she’s auditioning for 2012 at this point.
So, here’s Greta Van Susteren’s interview in five parts.
Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

And scene.

November 13th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

More Palin Interview On The Today Show

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, History, Palin, Video

This time she goes after the media…

One word: wahhhhhhhhhh!
And, by the way, she’s not really that well spoken. Sure, it may be seen as folksy, but presidential? Not a chance.

November 12th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Palin Needs To Undo A Lot Of Damage

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, 2012 Election, Palin, Polls

Ron Brownstein details just how badly campaign ‘08 hurt her…
In the national Election Day exit poll, fully 60% of voters said they did not consider her qualified to serve as president if necessary, while only 38% thought she would be ready to step in.
Those figures were daunting enough, but new calculations from the exit [...]

November 11th, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

Palin Talks To Matt Lauer

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, 2012 Election, Palin, Video

A pretty lengthy interview describing the ups and downs of campaign ‘08.

This is the thing…she’s definitely interested in a 2012 run. Because this interview is designed to undo what the McCain’s media strategy did to her.
But will it work?
Not really. Sure, it may save her for her next run as Governor, but hanging out [...]

November 11th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Palin Says She’s Interested In Being President

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Alaska, Palin, Republicans

Well, the woman certainly doesn’t mince words, does she?
This from her interview tonight on Greta Van Sustern’s show…
“You know, I have — faith is a very big part of my life. And putting my life in my creator’s hands — this is what I always do.
I’m like, OK, God, if there is an open [...]

November 10th, 2008 | Permalink| 6 Comments »

HOAX: “Palin Doesn’t Know Africa Is A Continent” Leaker Outs Himself

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Foreign Policy, Palin, Partisan Nonsense, Republicans

Well, I got duped. But then again, so did MSNBC.
And not only that, Martin Eisenstadt does it in the blogosphere.
How very Smear 2.0 of him…
As you know, I was one of the foreign policy advisers on the McCain campaign who worked with Randy Scheunemann to help prep Sarah on her debate with Joe Biden.
Did [...]

November 10th, 2008 | Permalink| 14 Comments »

Palin Doesn’t Have It In Her

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2012 Election, History, Palin

Why?
Because she doesn’t seem to have the curiosity that America needs for a President, especially when it comes to the foreign policy matters.
James Joyner expands that lead…
Bill’s right that it’s inconceivable that she got elected and re-elected to so many offices over the years, culminating with a state governorship, by being an airhead….I saw little [...]

November 9th, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

Does Palin have a future in national politics?

By Nick Ragone | Related entries in Jindal, Palin

Now that the election is over, it’s not too soon to contemplate Sarah Palin’s future in national politics.
Though she’s only been on the national stage for less than three months, I’ve seen enough to proffer a point of view.   I think the evidence is clear: Sarah Palin was a huge net drag on the [...]

November 9th, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

More Palin 2012 Fodder

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, 2012 Election, McCain, Palin, Video

No way, no how.
Still…the speculation is rampant…

I’m still blown away at how Pat Buchanan is so singularly focused on her good, but not great, RNC speech. It’s crazy, but I guess we all have to fall in love some time.
Give it up Pat. The dream is dead. She ain’t gonna be President…or your secret girlfriend.

November 9th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Reversal: Palin Doesn’t Call For Stevens To Resign

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Alaska, Palin, Senate

First she said he should.
Now she’s deferring to others, which is the same as backing away from her previous statements without explicitly saying as much.
This is a pretty big development, and one that signals Palin’s unwillingness to cede the Senate seat to a Democrat. Because Stevens challenger Mark Begich would obviously be the favorite [...]

November 8th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Newsweek: Palin Fought Decisions Behind The Scenes

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Ayers, History, McCain, Palin, Video

Yes, she actually did go rogue, and even more so than previously thought.

The William Ayers thing is telling and suggests that she definitely has killer political instincts. Nothing wrong with that, but it definitely reinforces the image of Palin as the “mean girl.”
However, the news that she was unwilling to share the stage with [...]

November 8th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Newsweek: On Palin’s Shopping Spree

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, History, McCain, Money, Palin, Video

These were the reporters behind the scenes telling it in their own words…

As I’ve said before, I can buy the spending spree story since the truth will eventually come out when the RNC audits everything. That makes me think that aides wouldn’t lie about this.
The other stuff, like the Africa and Nafta stories, I just [...]

November 8th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Palin Fights Back Against Smears

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, History, Palin, Partisan Hacks

As many of you know, I was a pretty strong critic of Sarah Palin during the campaign given my opinion of her unreadiness for the VP spot, but now I find myself defending the veracity of her intellect.
All I can say is that the pursuit of truth and fairness can sometimes make strange bedfellows.
So [...]

November 8th, 2008 | Permalink| 14 Comments »

FiveThirtyEight Thinks Alaska Senate Could Go Blue

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Alaska, Palin, Senate

Why?
Because early, absentee and provisional votes seem to favor challenger Mark Begich (pictured above).
Analysis from Nate Silver:
Although Ted Stevens currently holds a lead of approximately 3,200 votes in ballots counted to date in Alaska’s senate contest, there is good reason to believe that the ballots yet to be counted — the vast majority of [...]

November 8th, 2008 | Permalink| 5 Comments »