The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

California Journalists Caught on Video Making Fun of Sarah Palin Speech

Posted on | June 26, 2010 | 25 Comments

“The dumbness doesn’t just come from soundbites” says one reporter in the open-mic moment after the Palin speech, while another asks: “How am I going to write about this? There’s nothing there!” To which a colleague replies: “Well, there’s your story.”

This is nothing new. The first time I went to cover a Sarah Palin speech (“Sweetheart of the Heartland,” Sept. 10, 2008) in Ohio, I saw a network reporterette  mimicking a certain phrase in Palin’s speech, with an eyeroll reaction indicating that there was no news value in hearing the candidate repeat what she’d said at previous campaign stops.

It’s a common situation in campaign coverage: The candidate wants to deliver their well-rehearsed talking-points, whereas the reporters want the candidate to “make news” by going off-script or taking questions at a press conference.

Steve Schmidt’s policy of tightly-controlled “message discipline” for the McCain-Palin campaign thus had the unintended effect of alienating those reporters (the “traveling press”) who covered the campaign day after day without ever having direct access to the candidates and seldom got to report anything unplanned or unscripted. But the campaign seemingly didn’t care about how bad they were pissing off the press.

Were there ways the campaign could have dealt effectively with that problem? Yes. Does any Republican ever ask a journalist for advice on media relations? No.

Sigh.

More at Memeorandum.

Category: Media Bias, Sarah Palin

Comments

25 Responses to “California Journalists Caught on Video Making Fun of Sarah Palin Speech”

  1. jefferson101
    June 27th, 2010 @ 2:55 am

    Wow. “I’m shocked…and stunned!”

    Obscure movie quote there, but that’s about the size of it. I give you Cindy Lauper.

    “I see your true colors shining through….”

    It’s on you tube, but you can go find it yourself.

  2. jefferson101
    June 26th, 2010 @ 10:55 pm

    Wow. “I’m shocked…and stunned!”

    Obscure movie quote there, but that’s about the size of it. I give you Cindy Lauper.

    “I see your true colors shining through….”

    It’s on you tube, but you can go find it yourself.

  3. MrPaulRevere
    June 27th, 2010 @ 3:29 am

    “California Journalists” says it all. No elucidation required.

  4. MrPaulRevere
    June 26th, 2010 @ 11:29 pm

    “California Journalists” says it all. No elucidation required.

  5. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 3:48 am

    This isn’t a story. Those reporters are schmucks, everybody (not just politicians) repeat certain points when dealing with the public, it’s called consistency. Next these reporters will roll their eyes when Palin opens a speech with “hello.” “God, she said that so many times before!” Yeah, like Captain 15 Teleprompters is so fricking original and different every time he speaks. Give me a break, this guy has used the same cliches so much he oughta be on a sitcom. ‘Blah, blah, hope, blah, blash, industry is bad, blah, blah, change, blah blah.

    And this post was a waste of time. The whole point was that McCain and Palins campaign was too closely managed? Give me a break. Palin and McCain went into enemy territory and put themselves under fire a million times more than Oblamma, who Anita Dunn blatancy admitted they tried to control the press around him and even now the WH kicks press members out if they don’t like them. There is more originality in Palins pinkie than in Obamas entire fat head.

    And for Palin making “friends” with the press, who gives a crap? Leave the insipid press butt kissing to the libs. Who gives a crap about what the press wants and their stupid opinions? Screw their comfort, they only want access so they can distort, smear and attack. “Traveling press?” More like traveling rats.

    And hey, gg, go back to your sheep-filled loony lefty blogosphere, where everybody thinks killing babies is okay, government should run everything, and terrorists should have their ass kissed. The only one who worships any politicians is you guys, so go back to kissing your posters of Dumbo the Chosen One. Oh, and no thanks for your retarded implication.

  6. zf
    June 26th, 2010 @ 11:48 pm

    This isn’t a story. Those reporters are schmucks, everybody (not just politicians) repeat certain points when dealing with the public, it’s called consistency. Next these reporters will roll their eyes when Palin opens a speech with “hello.” “God, she said that so many times before!” Yeah, like Captain 15 Teleprompters is so fricking original and different every time he speaks. Give me a break, this guy has used the same cliches so much he oughta be on a sitcom. ‘Blah, blah, hope, blah, blash, industry is bad, blah, blah, change, blah blah.

    And this post was a waste of time. The whole point was that McCain and Palins campaign was too closely managed? Give me a break. Palin and McCain went into enemy territory and put themselves under fire a million times more than Oblamma, who Anita Dunn blatancy admitted they tried to control the press around him and even now the WH kicks press members out if they don’t like them. There is more originality in Palins pinkie than in Obamas entire fat head.

    And for Palin making “friends” with the press, who gives a crap? Leave the insipid press butt kissing to the libs. Who gives a crap about what the press wants and their stupid opinions? Screw their comfort, they only want access so they can distort, smear and attack. “Traveling press?” More like traveling rats.

    And hey, gg, go back to your sheep-filled loony lefty blogosphere, where everybody thinks killing babies is okay, government should run everything, and terrorists should have their ass kissed. The only one who worships any politicians is you guys, so go back to kissing your posters of Dumbo the Chosen One. Oh, and no thanks for your retarded implication.

  7. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 3:58 am

    By the way, it was actually a great speech. There was nothing “scripted-talking points” about it. If those ‘reporters’ didn’t get the juicy tidbit they were looking for so they can twist her words to create another fake Palin “controversy” news story or that she didn’t give a completely different speech so they could accuse her of contradiction or flip-flopping, too bleeping bad.

    And God forbid anyone repeat things from another speech or stay on target with a message, what’s the fun in that? Cripes.

  8. zf
    June 26th, 2010 @ 11:58 pm

    By the way, it was actually a great speech. There was nothing “scripted-talking points” about it. If those ‘reporters’ didn’t get the juicy tidbit they were looking for so they can twist her words to create another fake Palin “controversy” news story or that she didn’t give a completely different speech so they could accuse her of contradiction or flip-flopping, too bleeping bad.

    And God forbid anyone repeat things from another speech or stay on target with a message, what’s the fun in that? Cripes.

  9. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 4:13 am

    And it’s not like Sarah just repeats stuff without new around it framing it. She was spoken on a myriad of topics at many different venues and why she may repeat certain things (My God, how dare someone be consistent and unambiguous!) the message as a whole has a different focus or touches on different issues.

    By the way, since when is The Anointed One such a “off-the-cuff, loves to face a hostile crowd and take unfriendly questions” politician? The guy takes a teleprompter to talk to his own freaking cabinet. He’s allowed questions from the non-fawning MSM what, twice?

    And what gg meant by “playing by the rules” is having principles and sticking to them, instead of venturing off your rocker and agreeing with the idiotic things liberals, believe, say and do. By the way, I can name the number of unique “go against the grain” liberal bloggers on two fingers.

  10. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:13 am

    And it’s not like Sarah just repeats stuff without new around it framing it. She was spoken on a myriad of topics at many different venues and why she may repeat certain things (My God, how dare someone be consistent and unambiguous!) the message as a whole has a different focus or touches on different issues.

    By the way, since when is The Anointed One such a “off-the-cuff, loves to face a hostile crowd and take unfriendly questions” politician? The guy takes a teleprompter to talk to his own freaking cabinet. He’s allowed questions from the non-fawning MSM what, twice?

    And what gg meant by “playing by the rules” is having principles and sticking to them, instead of venturing off your rocker and agreeing with the idiotic things liberals, believe, say and do. By the way, I can name the number of unique “go against the grain” liberal bloggers on two fingers.

  11. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 4:28 am

    “who covered the campaign day after day without ever having direct access to the candidates and seldom got to report anything unplanned or unscripted”

    According to who? You trust the words of those leeches, those germ incubators? And also, boo freaking hoo. Someone go get a violin.

    Those numbuts were only complaining because Plain give a great speech and the MSM ain’t interested in great speeches from conservatives, just anything remotely “controversial” or wrong” that they make a big stink out of and feel good about themselves. Piss on them. How long are we going to labor under the false impression that reporters will be nice and fair to the right once we stop being “mean” to them and keep shooting ourselves in the foot? The problem with McCain is not that he not “accessible” to them, but that he kissed their ass and tried to pally up with then. Yeah, that got nowhere. And why would McCain be afraid to answer question from them and deliver “unscripted” moments? He agrees with 75% of what they do, anyway.

    Sorry about the repeated postings, keep thinking of new stuff after I’m done. You can combine them all if you want.

  12. zf
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:28 am

    “who covered the campaign day after day without ever having direct access to the candidates and seldom got to report anything unplanned or unscripted”

    According to who? You trust the words of those leeches, those germ incubators? And also, boo freaking hoo. Someone go get a violin.

    Those numbuts were only complaining because Plain give a great speech and the MSM ain’t interested in great speeches from conservatives, just anything remotely “controversial” or wrong” that they make a big stink out of and feel good about themselves. Piss on them. How long are we going to labor under the false impression that reporters will be nice and fair to the right once we stop being “mean” to them and keep shooting ourselves in the foot? The problem with McCain is not that he not “accessible” to them, but that he kissed their ass and tried to pally up with then. Yeah, that got nowhere. And why would McCain be afraid to answer question from them and deliver “unscripted” moments? He agrees with 75% of what they do, anyway.

    Sorry about the repeated postings, keep thinking of new stuff after I’m done. You can combine them all if you want.

  13. Adobe Walls
    June 27th, 2010 @ 4:29 am

    Don’t hold back.

  14. Adobe Walls
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:29 am

    Don’t hold back.

  15. Erich Madden
    June 27th, 2010 @ 4:33 am

    Obama spits in the press’s face on a regular basis and they keep saying “please may I have another”. You can’t seriously be suggesting that the hostility expressed by these tools towards Palin or any other Conservative has the slightest thing to do with their not generating sufficiently interesting copy. You know better.

  16. Erich Madden
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:33 am

    Obama spits in the press’s face on a regular basis and they keep saying “please may I have another”. You can’t seriously be suggesting that the hostility expressed by these tools towards Palin or any other Conservative has the slightest thing to do with their not generating sufficiently interesting copy. You know better.

  17. Erich Madden
    June 27th, 2010 @ 4:54 am

    This is exactly what I’m talking about. He does this type of crap on a regular basis. I can’t imagine the uproar if a sitting Republican POTUS did this sort of thing.

  18. Erich Madden
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:54 am

    This is exactly what I’m talking about. He does this type of crap on a regular basis. I can’t imagine the uproar if a sitting Republican POTUS did this sort of thing.

  19. Grimcargo
    June 27th, 2010 @ 10:45 am

    So what is new? The liberal brain deads demonizing and trashing Sarah? Nope that’s not new. They also believe Obama is the Savior.We know how that works. Come Nov.2, these pos will have to revise their talking points.

  20. Grimcargo
    June 27th, 2010 @ 6:45 am

    So what is new? The liberal brain deads demonizing and trashing Sarah? Nope that’s not new. They also believe Obama is the Savior.We know how that works. Come Nov.2, these pos will have to revise their talking points.

  21. Ben (The Tiger)
    June 27th, 2010 @ 12:38 pm

    Palin seems to be following the Nixon strategy — build up huge goodwill among Republican pols around the country.

    We’ll see whether she can translate it into something more.

    Would still like to see Reagan fav/unfav data from, say, 1977-79. It’d be worth seeing whether these things can be turned around…

  22. Ben (The Tiger)
    June 27th, 2010 @ 8:38 am

    Palin seems to be following the Nixon strategy — build up huge goodwill among Republican pols around the country.

    We’ll see whether she can translate it into something more.

    Would still like to see Reagan fav/unfav data from, say, 1977-79. It’d be worth seeing whether these things can be turned around…

  23. Guest
    June 27th, 2010 @ 2:39 pm

    Journo-listed Journalism on full display; go suck on your Weigel-fracking-flaccid-Fanboy- pricks.

    Thanks for nothing

  24. Guest
    June 27th, 2010 @ 10:39 am

    Journo-listed Journalism on full display; go suck on your Weigel-fracking-flaccid-Fanboy- pricks.

    Thanks for nothing

  25. Virginia Right! News Hound for 6/27/2010 | Virginia Right!
    June 28th, 2010 @ 6:34 am

    […] California Journalists Caught on Video Making Fun of Sarah Palin Speech […]