Charlie Gibson, groomed for the Atlantic
Perhaps following in the fingertips of the Atlantic’s, Andrew Sullivan, Charlie Gibson, in his anticipated interview of Gov. Sarah Palin, reveals the sophistication of his ABC News research team.
Courtesy of the Mary Katherine Ham at the Weekly Standard blog:
Gibson’s Distortion of the ‘Iraq Prayer’ Question
ABC has two clips up now, one in which Gibson asks her if she’s ready to be vice president and possibly president. In the other, he asks her “if the Iraq war is a holy war.”
The second question is based upon a misrepresentation of this clip of Sarah Palin speaking to a group at her former church in Wasilla, in which she asks that the group to, “pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right also for this country. That our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to be praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God’s plan. Bless them with your prayers.”
As you can see in my transcription and the clip, she does not assert that Iraq is a “task from God” or part of “God’s plan,” but that people of faith should pray that God’s will be done and that the mission would be blessed. It’s a mainstream Christian sentiment, less presumptuous than some of Obama’s own pronunciations about God’s will, and entirely different from what Gibson presents to Palin.
The misrepresentation of the Iraq prayer has its roots in an AP report, which Gibson apparently took at face value. Disappointing.
Update: More excerpts, here.
Update: After watching the clip of Gibson ask her about the Iraq prayer, I was glad to see them run the video of her original words. I thought her response was forceful and personal, which is a combination that will work for the scads of normal Americans who see nothing wrong with praying for our mission in Iraq.
Another thought: Did Gibson just waste three follow-up questions in a finite interview with the most sought-after subject in America on whether she thinks she’s “sending her son on a mission from God?” I’m sure the McCain campaign isn’t smarting over the opportunity to talk about her family’s faith and her son’s service.
Sarah Palin Interview Grade A+ (for Sarah that is, not Charlie)
Apparently the buzz is Sarah Palin does just fine in her first Charlie Gibson interview Except for one major gaffe. By Charlie Gibson. Charlie Gibson quotes Gov. Palin’s words, but inaccurately, and the quote just happens to be from our first gay* president, Abraham Lincoln. http://ace.mu.nu/archives/273244.php
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/11/open-thread-palin-on-abc/
The point I assume tomorrow from Andrew Sullivan will be Sarah Palin is a dangerous Christianist because she quoted a notoriously gay (but in the closet and self hating) anti-states right athiest hypocrite racist radical.
* According to Andrew Sullivan http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-02-17
Oh, that John McCain is evil, a liar, and unqualified to lead. Did I forget that? Andrew Sullivan will say that too.
Andrew Sullivan reports (you decide):
I just read it. I’m not sure how to respond because I believe the entire last two weeks have been a farce, and ABC News is now an integral, enabling part of that farce. It’s also unfair to judge a partial interview, because Gibson has so far asked no questions about her record as governor or mayor, and none of the tough questions that a press conference would ask. Maybe that is to come. So I will reserve judgment until I’m able to watch and read the entire interview. All I have learned thus far is that a McCain administration would be prepared to go to war with Russia over Georgia and will never, ever criticize or oppose any decision made by the government of the state of Israel. And I knew that already.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-gibson-inte.html
Sounds like Sarah Palin just batted the series. With a grand slam too.
Oh yeah, according to Excitable Andrew, John McCain is a shameless liar too. Takes one to know one I guess.
o please — everyone is out to get poor little sarah. everyone is biased. everyone is a liberal in hiding — they PICKED charlie gibson remember.
that was pathetic. did she inspire confidence to you? she sounded like a bad actor who was stumbling over memorized lines.
plus, she doesn’t apparently read newspapers and has understanding of some important stuff.
palin came out too quick — she could have been something, but she’s not ready. tonight was painful to watch — i don’t like her at all and i felt bad how painful it was.
“plus, she doesn’t apparently read newspapers and has understanding of some important stuff.”
That’s a contradiction: reading newspapers and understanding important stuff! Just look at Matt Damon.
Publius. I don’t if you remember Ronald Reagan, but what you said about Palin they said about him. She reminds me a lot of Reagan, who was “just an actor” who was “just a governor” with no foreign policy experience. He won the Cold War.
BTW, has Obama been subjected to anything like the grilling Palin received? Absolutely not. I think she did just fine. I’d give her a B+, with room for improvement. I think that once she gets her groove, watch out, Joe Biden.
Well, take a look at the Reagan 1964 speech. And take a look at Reagan’s extensive record and speech giving and interview giving in California. And take a look at his damn near successful victory in 1976.
Anybody who said that about Reagan was an idiot — plus, people knew a ton about him.
So I don’t see how that’s a relevant argument at all. you’re essentially saying “because some other person in the past was underestimated, this completely unreleated person is too.”
No – that doesn’t work. She’s a joke — it’s an absolute farce. And it may backlash before it’s all said and done
I thought Gibson came off as very smug. He obviously was trying too hard to appear “tough.”
o gag me. yeah, she’s a real reformer alright. she said thanks but no thanks to that bridge to nowhere.
obama was all flash in 2004 when he gave 1 speech. but he’s since been a senator who passed real legislation with real republicans. and, who has shown mangerial competence and defeated teh clinton machine. did he have a teleprompter with oreilly? russert?
palin is a joke. i bet if tim kaine was selected I would have read post after post over here talkinga bout how “unserious” it was.
As a Virginian, I wish Obama would have chosen Tim Kaine for two reasons:
1st: To get him out of Virginia.
2nd: He’s a bigger joke than Biden and would make Biden’s daily gaffes look like eloquence. He’s an empty suit.
GO SISTER SAINT SARAH!
To Charlie Gibson:
Your misogyny is showing.
Would he adopt that patronizing tone with the Democratic presidential candidate?
All I know that if Andrew Sullivan says: “I’m not sure how to respond because I believe the entire last two weeks have been a farce, and ABC News is now an integral, enabling part of that farce.”
Then things went well indeed.
“palin is a joke”
Judging from the meltdown of the Democrats I think they perceive her as a bad joke on them. We Republicans will laugh with Palin all the way to her Number One Observatory Circle.
“yeah, she’s a real reformer alright.”
Ask the Republican Old Guard up in Alaska.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080910/ap_on_el_pr/palin_s_crucible
The real Andrew Sullivan is as bad as any parody of Andrew Sullivan (here’s Sully’s take):
“But this exchange is a classic example of how she tends to lie reflexively when caught in an uncomfortable part of her record:
GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?
PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.
GIBSON: Exact words.”
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/one-preliminary.html
Who is the liar Andrew?
“Let us pray that our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” The exact Sarah Palin quote.
Well guess what Andrew? Gov. Palin was correct. Gibson mangled the quote (doing a little Maureen Dowd editing). And guess what else dumbass, it is a paraphrase by that evil Christianist Abraham Lincoln.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/11/open-thread-palin-on-abc/
Andrew Sullivan lies and The Atlantic’s reputation dies.
Don’t forget pathological liar Andrew Sullivan who said this today:
But this exchange is a classic example of how she tends to lie reflexively when caught in an uncomfortable part of her record:
GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?
PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.
GIBSON: Exact words.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/one-preliminary.html
Well Mr. Excitable Sully, how about a correction? (here is the correct quote from Governor Palin):
“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,†she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.â€
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/04/yawn-the-ap-smears-palin-over-prayer-for-troops-in-iraq/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H-btXPfhGs
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/11/open-thread-palin-on-abc/
Charlie Gibson (I assume unintentionally) made a mistake by relying on the AP which changed the “quote”. Given Andrew Sullivan’s pathological slanders and libels over the last two weeks triggered by his fears of Obama losing, I assume Sully is just lying.
Volokh Conspiracy accuses Gibson and ABC of hishonesty:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_09_07-2008_09_13.shtml#1221191233
I think the sheer number of typos indicates how scared publius is of Palin. Good. I am completely amused that he actually thinks Obama’s legislative track record is anything to brag about, but when you’re already grasping at straws, anything will suffice.