Katie Couric will do second "hard hitting" Palin interview

[nichomachus]

Wow -- watch for Katie to really dig and ask Palin the tough questions that will show her for what she is.

:sarcasm:

Couric will spend two days "embedded" with Sarah Palin

NEW YORK (AP) — Second in the broadcast network competition to talk to Sarah Palin: Katie Couric.

The CBS anchor will spend two days on the road with the Republican vice presidential candidate as well as presidential hopeful John McCain, the network said Tuesday.

Couric's interview material will be aired Sept. 29 and 30 on the "CBS Evening News" and "The Early Show."

It's timed for just before the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate between Palin and Democrat Joe Biden.

ABC's Charles Gibson had the first in-depth network interview with Palin last week. She's also talking to Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity this week.

There's no word on whether Couric's interview material will appear on "60 Minutes," which competed hard to get the first Palin interview.

Awarding Couric the interview also appears to be a clear message from the McCain campaign to NBC News. Republicans have been unhappy with NBC, primarily because of the active support for Barack Obama voiced by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann.

So while Gibson and Couric have interviews with Palin, NBC's Brian Williams — who anchors the top-rated evening news program — has been snubbed so far.

[Bleacher Creature]

1. Yawn. . . Ten bucks says Larry King is next.

[shadowknows69]

2. Haven't they fired Katie yet?

Softball anyone?

[nichomachus]

10. Couric's ratings plunged to a record low last week

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1111840920070912

The "CBS Evening News" averaged 5.4 million viewers, the lowest ratings on record since the current ratings system took effect in 1987, according to Nielsen Media Research. Her previous low was 5.5 million during Memorial Day week in May.

[LiberalFighter]

30. They should fire her producers too.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Doesn't she need to do a first hard hitting interview before she can do a second? n/t

[nichomachus]

8. I was counting Gibson's as the first

[qazplm]

4. why not?

Gibson surprised us, and Katie is going to want to be seen as at least as tough as Gibson given the criticism of her as not being a serious anchor.

I'd actually expect her to try to be hard hitting, to "one-up" Gibson.

[nichomachus]

7. Gibson's interview wasn't "hard-hitting"

Gibson tossed her a bunch of softballs -- what seemed hart hitting was that she couldn't even hit the softballs he lobbed her.

For crying out loud, you can't throw a stone on DU without hitting someone who knows what the Bush Doctrine is. Anyone in the country who has paid more than five minutes of attention in the last eight years knows what the Bush Doctrine is. Asking the candidate for vice president (president) to comment on the Bush Doctrine should have been a "gimme."

[shadowknows69]

9. We can hope

Occasionally they get a little competitive and almost slip into real journalism for a while. The corporate masters inevitably corral them soon after.

[tazkcmo]

5. "So, Sarah,

What's your favorite color of lipstick? That's all I have, thank you SO much for taking time out of your crusade to save America to answer my questions!"- Katie Couric

[seabeyond]

6. my question to couric, and i want to know, is important. did she OK mccain using the snippet

of hers in the commercial about sexism hitting obama with that allegation?

a simple yes or no. it is important to know.

[Lerkfish]

12. my guess is YES< but the network balked.

[seabeyond]

13. i dont want a guess. i want to know and i want the audience to know. thanks. n/t

[Lerkfish]

14. ok, sorry to piss in your cheerios, then, I don't have the real answer

:shrug:

[seabeyond]

19. no pissin and not directed at you.... really. i dont know either. but i want to know

the whole woman issue and sexism has me plenty riled. being female and seeing real problems in the u.s. i hate what repugs are doing to female advancement and is an important issue


but i am an avid cheerio eater. every morning, without fail. i will stick to milk though

[eshfemme]

11. What's funny is that the standards were so low that Charlie's softballs became hardballs.

That's just how pathetic the political discourse about Palin has been.

So I wouldn't be surprised if Couric gave her softballs only for Palin to flub them and the McCain campaign to once again complain about sexism and how it was more "gotcha" journalism. What's sick is that some of the primary complaints WERE valid and the Republicans are basically copying whatever moves the Democrats made because the GOP has no brainpower, no new ideas and no creativity.

[nxylas]

21. According to Charles Krauthammer and his Amazing Performing Eyebrows...

...Charlie Gibson was being mean to Mooselini by not telling her what the Bush Doctrine was.:rofl: Cos it's not like she should ALREADY FUCKING KNOW or anything. The Eyebrows wrote in their syndicated column that it just goes to show what a condescending elitist Gibson is.

[cynatnite]

15. Couric might actually do her job this time around...

on occasion she does come through.

The repukes, however, will cry that it's 'librul media' because the questions are too hard. Also, Palin is bound to know what the Bush Doctrine is by then.

[nichomachus]

20. I really doubt it

Katie is a few viewers short of being shown the door. She needs this interview. The interviews will take place over a couple of days -- on Palin's turf and on her terms. If Katie even comes close to asking Palin a tough question, they're going to end her access so fast it will make her head spin. Katie can't take the chance of pissing them off.

[cynatnite]

23. That's how it was with Gibson, too...

Few expected him to come even close to how he was with Palin and I don't think it'll be much different with Couric. If she even appears to lob softballs it'll harm her credibility and she knows it. That's what'll get her the door quicker than tossing out easy questions. I know Couric isn't well-liked here and I always laugh when DUer's expect her to be a real journalist. She's not and never was, IMO, but she has to put on the appearance of being a journalist. Anything less and her career is done.

Couric has actually improved from her days at NBC. She always was a perky cheerleader type when she was on the Today show. Now, she's more serious which I'm glad to see. Doesn't make her a good journalist, but it does make her easier to tolerate.

[nichomachus]

24. Gibson didn't ask tough questions -- that was the problem

He asked her questions that should have been gimmes. Someone running for city dog catcher could have answered Gibson's questions. Palin couldn't even do that -- making Gibson look tough. They weren't "gotcha" questions.

Google on "Bush Doctrine" and you'll get over 800,000 hits. This wasn't some arcane piece of knowledge. It is the foundational doctrine that has resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 Americans. Twice as many Americans have died from the Bush Doctrine than have been killed by Osama bin Laden.

[cynatnite]

25. I never said that Gibson asked tough questions...

He had to at the very least appear credible which he did. Gibson exposed her stupidity and he didn't have to ask tough questions at all. That's what makes it so hilarious.

Couric will basically do the same thing only this time Palin will be more prepared. It was Couric who exposed the fact that Cindy McCain didn't have a clue what McCain's position on Roe vs Wade was...although I think it was accidental. :evilgrin:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. In Couric's interview with McCain, they edited it and actually swapped answers

to make him appear in a better light. The most outrageous faux "journalism" ever. What a surprise that they would pick her again.

[nichomachus]

18. Forgot about that n/t

[baldguy]

17. "OOOO! Where did you get THOSE shoes!"

[NYC_SKP]

22. LOL!

Yea, shoes, clothes, family small talk.....with a few prearranged "tough questions" thrown in to make it seem like a serious grilling.

[merh]

26. Everyone needs to send Couric Palin's proclamation

where she says she is against the use of tanning beds and the articles confirming her tanning bed in the G mansion.

Let Couric ask her how she can proclaim the evils while having the evils in the mansion.

[DemsUnited]

27. 29th & 30th is when the interview airs? That's almost TWO weeks from now!!

Guess the beauty queen needs a lot more time to cram, even for a Couric interview.

[RedSpartan]

28. I actually think she might.

Her ratings are in the tank, and no one takes her very seriously. What better way to help both of those problems than by growing a pair and showing some journalistic chops? It's a big opportunity for Couric and CBS, and doing a softball interview will not help them; I'll actually be surprised if she doesn't come out swinging, or trying to.

[torbird]

29. Does Couric need a friend?

So...she's gonna hang out with Palin for a few days...and then she's gonna rip her new buddy a new one on national TV? Sounds like a long shot.

As per the Rude Pundit, though, I'd love to see Couric slip in a fake question, just to see if Palin even knows what's real and what's BS. But, of course, one woman asking another woman to be intelligent is so very, very sexist.

[JuniperLea]

31. Katie to lob cute little potpourri pillows at Palin!!

Pictures at eleven!

[LisaM]

32. I don't care WHO does the interview

Everytime the country gets a load of Sarah Palin (relatively) unscripted, it's a good thing.

[ericgtr]

33. Fuck McCain Do you think Obama was happy with that fucker O'Rielly supporting Bush or McCain?

Yet he still went on and faced him. Goddamned hypocritical pricks.

[Upton]

34. Katie will be doing her Cat Osterman imitation

you can count on it.

[Cha]

35. It better be as hard as it was for the Edwards interview 'cause

we have her gritty little teeth on record for that one or any Dem one for that matter.

[WI_DEM]

36. So when will they do the same with Joe Biden?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

37. Why does Katie need to be embedded - are they going to Iraq?

Why does Katie need to follow Palin around and see her in both her private and public moments? Is this going to be another human interest story with an attempt to humanize Palin for the American public? Why can't Couric just sit down and ask questions and be done with it? We don't need to see Palin having breakfast, kissing babies, and shaking hands. We just need to know the details of her beliefs, her plans and policies, and her knowledge.

[RufusTFirefly]

38. Hah! I have more faith that Wally the Green Monster will do some hard hitting

... and earn the Red Sox the division title than I do that CBS's own mascot will actually be able to conduct a hard-hitting interview.



The Beauty Queen gets grilled by the Cheerleader. Yea team!