Sarah Palin's ABC Interview: Question Suggestions... And What Was Actually Asked

UPDATE: The first segment of the interview is out. Here's a link to ABC and a link to two clips. Check back for more.

Earlier--- see below for suggested questions for Gibson's interview with Palin:

In a taped ABC interview scheduled to start airing today, Sarah Palin will have to think and talk for the first time since she emerged almost two weeks ago as John McCain's running mate. The McCain campaign has flooded Americans with a pumped-up conservative dream biography (save her teenage daughter's pregnancy) filled with tales of moose hunting, gun wielding, midnight running, and a snowmobile-racing husband.

When it has come to discussing issues that aren't part and parcel with Palin's biography, the McCain camp has recycled the same stump speech Palin delivered to 40 million Americans at the Republican National Convention. Many of those lines - like her "opposition" to the Bridge To Nowhere and her crusades against earmarks - have been proven false over and over again by multiple media outlets.

Tonight, we have the chance to see how Palin will react on the spot. Will Charlie Gibson, the anchor conducting the interview, give Americans what they need to hear from Palin in this series of first interviews.... her understanding of foreign policy, the economy, education, how to fix the mortgage crisis? Questions that any politician should be obligated to answer, especially when they are potentially going to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Gibson's last chance with the presidential candidates during the ABC primary debate blew up in a cavalcade of gotcha questions that had no bearing [to change on what the american public was going through. During the ABC debate, Obama was peppered with questions about his flag pin, the 1960's radical Bill Ayers, and a list of other rhetorical slanders. Gibson and his co-host George Stephanopoulos were reviewed quickly by the audience with boos.

To help Gibson get it right this time, and in the name of the American people's right to vote in a capable administration after eight years of disappointment, here's a list of questions he should ask Palin.

(ABC's interview will be broken up into segments airing tonight at 630pm, 11:30 pm on Nightline, tomorrow on Good Morning America, Friday night at 630pm and then in an hour long special for 20/20 on Friday night.)

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1. With this "Maverick" slogan, you and John McCain appear to be trying to distance yourselves from President Bush and the Republican Party. What is it then that you dislike most about President Bush's administration? What would you change?

2. Some have pointed out that the meager Iraq troop cuts announced by the President on Monday are an indication that the surge isn't working as well as some politicians and members of the media are claiming. Please tell us what you think definines the surges as "successful."

3. Explain to us what it means to say "thanks, but no thanks" for that Bridge to Nowhere. Many media outlets are saying you were for the Bridge before you were against it. What happened?

4. Tell us about your position on global warming. Do you believe it's man-made?

5. The McCain campaign has claimed you've been attacked by the media. What's in bounds and out of bounds for you?

6. According to a recent Time Magazine article, Alaska ranks "No. 1, year after year, in money it sucks in from Washington." Can you explain why that is?

7. There has been a lot of talk about unfair slash and burn campaiging over the last two days. Your campaign even went after Barack Obama for using a common phrase about lipstick on a pig. What's your take on the episode?

8. The economy is front and center on Americans' minds. What would be your first fix in Washington to help fill up the nation's pocket book?

9. Joe Lieberman is helping you with foreign policy. Has he taught you anything you'd like to share?

10. Thanks for talking to us today, but why did it take you so long to do an interview?

Comments

[mezz1962]

She did great another Democratic hope that she falls flat on her face goes by the board

I still say if Obama wants to keep running against palin for the VP spot I am all for listening. Man Obama and the Dems spend a lot of time On Palin

Question is Joe Biden still alive?

He is so lonely and lacks love that he thinks Hillary would have been a better choice for VP. Hopefully Biden wont ask anymore cripple People to stand up.

[CamilleCamille]

Till TABLOID POLITICS runs its course, I'd like to help it along. Has anyone thought that PALIN is something like a Evangelical, grab the brass wing, TROPHY Trophy Wife. Cindy must be fuming now that Palen is apparently so much more important to McCain than she could have ever imagined! She give him those crowds.....that media time. All of Cindy's bucks have only taken McCain so far and now he needs the Evangelicals Pin-up power more than he needs his honor, honesty, and his record. I wonder if Palen was vetted with Cindy first before the annoucemen­t......aft­erall McCain and Palen only only met once before the annoucement....over the phone, or face to face. I'm not telling....can you? Palen has made politics sexy, get it, in a real trashy way? Evangelicals believe in only, ONLY a few issues....that is get in power, get Creationism in school ciriculums, get right wing Judges on the Supreme Court, and overturn Roe vs Wade....wake up, they don't care about the country....other than that. That's why their irrational exhuberance is drepressing to all thinking people who care about this country. Isn't about time we started talking about the fringe dead-end religions in this country.....yes, that's all of you who believe that we are all going down in flames Well, isn't that just so deadend precious!

[Chanel]

Don't believe it!

I'm watching the first part of this interview now, and even my untrained eye can see that this thing is EXTRA EDITED. Sarah Palin is EXTREMELY SCRIPTED, there are blunt cutaways, sloppy editing. They're using close-ups on her face when Charlie is asking the questions where she's listening intently and in deep thought, but when she answers, the camera pans to both of them and you can't tell if she's reading or not, but it certainly SOUNDS LIKE SHE IS.

She is not convincing me in the least. Not that she really could have, but I was trying to give her a chance.

[donkeybasketball]

I've been watching the ABC World News excerpts from the Gibson/Palin interview. The delivery itself seems like nothing else on television (normally slick). The edits are all over the place. Abruptly in what seems to be mid-statement. The audio levels and background noise change dramatically between question and answer. There is a plethora of jump-cuts. Feels heavily edited. She seems a little off guard and unprepared. This must have been a nightmare to edit. They didn't even smooth it over with room tone... which leads me to believe the edit was (ultimately) rushed.

[smag]

I'll bet that Gibson will jump at the opportunity to use Katharine Zaleski's vast years of journalism experience in to determine the questions he will ask Gov Palin. They appear to be perfectly "gotcha free" and clearly of critical importance; the answers to which will help the American voters make an informed decision on which candidate is better prepared to run the country; McCain or Obama. Why not Matt Matt Damon’s question about dinosaurs. Apart from Liberal anger at the excitement in the GOP these questions are by in large irrelevant to her qualification to be VP. Her approval rating in Alaska and in the country in general is far greater than the "Madam" Speaker who is in line behind Palin for the Presidency and the country as a whole would not even get a vote on her.

[Gotcha54]

So this wasn't a "live interview" - already I don't believe it. Who had rights to "edit" answers? What is going to be aired? I believe there was stuff negotiated right off the bat - and now I learn it wasn't going to be aired live. I'd be very leery of anyrhing that is fed us off of this "interview". this nowhere near compares to going on Meet the Press, or any other of the Sunday shows>

[Chanel]

The writer of this article said that this will be the first time that Sarah Palin with have to "think and talk" in an interview, which is probably not correct. This is the first time that she will have to memorize and recite her lines without a teleprompter, talking points or canned excerpts from her speech (not written by her) on flash cards.

The McCain campain themselves have admitted to giving her crash courses in foreign policy. They've been drilling her for days on what she is supposed to say in this interview. Like another commenter said before me, I already don't believe it either. This thing is gonna be highly edited, and if she comes across even remotely sounding like she knows what she's talking about, then I think people will have a right to be suspect.

[mezz1962]

Yea yea yea She does great so there has to be some conspiracy.

I am sure ABC let the republicans edit their interview grow up will ya

[lola85]

I don't know if the interview was edited to benefit her or not (I think not), but in my In my eyes I saw someone who CLEARLY knows very little about the world outside of Alaska where she is Governor. She is CLEARLY not any smarter than the average person (not good enough by my standard for VP of the US). She is ambitious, yes. So are most people who run for public office. But I did not see someone of great intellect, someone who thinks about things critically or has any foreign policy knowledge outside of the talking points she seemed to be given. To me she was not someone who did "great". The idea of Palin even 2nd in charge scares me. I am not attacking her personally, in my opinion she is just not qualified to be in the position she has suddenly been thrust into by becoming McCain's running mate.

[savconsulting]

Sarah, do you believe dinosaurs existed on earth about 6,000 years ago? , why do you believe that your god is the best god, since if you were born 12.000 miles away you probably would believe in Allah? are you able to speak in tongues and why does that happen? Do you believe anybody who hasn't taken Jesus Christ into their life as their personal saviour will go to hell? Do really believe in your heart of hearts that you are capable of being the leader of the free world and commander and chief of the U.S. Why?

[smag]

I am always intrigued by people who claim to religious (and assume they follow a deity belief system), but they want other people who believe what their Bible or Religious book teaches to ignore that their teaching state. Like Bidden who says he believes his faith teaches life begins at conception. but will not be bothered by those teaching when it comes to conducting his life and occupation. If faith is not strong enough to influence your decisions, it is not much faith. I am not saying he should try to make all folks Catholic but his belief system should guide him in his decision making process. What good is it if he does not? What is he going to say to his God, “Lord, you knew I was a politician and should be given a pass” Strange If a person does not want to have a religion that is ultimately between him and his God.

[johnbkk]

None of them follow their faith. Or they follow a version of their faith to suit their own needs. It would be a different world if they did.

[Sloane7]

Charlie Gibson will not ask Palin these questions. Charlie Gibson will ask Palin:

What's your favorite color?

Have you seen Dances With Wolves? Did you like Kevin Costner in that movie? He was good wasn't he?

What's it like working so hard as a mother?

It will go like that while Charlie looks oh so sincere.

[american2008]

Folks, it's worse than I thought. She says she would go to war with Russia because it invaded a weaker little country and we are part of NATO. Also, he asked her about her being qualified to be POTUS and she said yes, but he didn't ask her to give any examples of what qualifies her!



http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2008/09/the-palin-inter.html

[SILVANUS]

How about:
Is it true what Karl Rove is really selling is the image straight men love of
'Mean Mistress Polly, She-Wolf Milkmaid-i­n-Bondage?­'

AndIsn't this is what will get you votes from all the easily hypnotized idiots out there who vote for popular images, like that dumb alcoholic cowboy we got last time that can barely mount a horse???"

[LouisianaLiberal]

You know, these are pretty good questions, but what I find outrageous is that the media just refuses to ask follow-ups. Why do they let them get away with more lies? For instance we already know what her answer to "thanks but no thanks" is going to be. She'll just keep saying the same thing. She'll say that as soon as she received the details of this pork barrel project she IMMEDIATELY announced that she was against it. What no one, especially Gibson, will push her on (because the McSleaze Camp won't let them) is: Governor, we already know that you EVENTUALLY came out against the project, but you kept $300M of those earmarked funds and spent some of them on THE ROAD TO NO WHERE. Please respond.

Why are they afraid? So what if they get up and walk out. That will be more informative than any of the questions they can throw at her.

Damn. We want Helen Thomas!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[jhw22]

NO! If she is questioned by Helen, that means McCain/Palin are in the White House. We want Tim Russert!!

[Fair08]

See what the Republicans are up to now... Is this 2008 or 2000?

http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote

[rjbIowa]

I would love to see Gibson ask a "trick" question about 1/2 way through the interview. Something like: " As VP what would be your negotiating stance with Afghanistan regarding protecting their nuclear weapons in light of the recent coupe in that government"
Watch her try to give a coherent answer and not catch the fact that it’s Pakistan and not Afghanistan.
You know these are going to be questions that have been vetted by the McSame campaign and/or they will be softball questions that even an Alaskan soccer mom beauty queen runner up could answer.

[Ciribiribin]

And if she answers: "First of all, the VP does not negotiate unilaterally with foreign governments; second of all, Afghanistan does not have nuclear weapons; and third of all, Ahmad Karzai is still the leader of Afghanistan: there has been no coup?"

[IntelligentDesign]

Smiling faces...smiling faces...so­metimes...­....heh...­.they don't tell the truth

Smiling faces...smiling faces tell liiiiiiiiiies and I got proof......

[Ciribiribin]

Correct Answers To The Author's Suggested Questions:
1. Unlike Bush, McCain/Palin would submit a balanced budget and win the war in Afghanistan, among other things. Of course, if the Democrats maintain control of the Congress, all bets are off.
2. Since the Surge, American casualties are down. We and the Iraqis are winning the war.
3. When it became clear that Alaskans rather than the feds were going to pay for the bridge, I was against it. That's the way earmarks work. The system stinks. Do you, as a taxpayer, refuse to take lawful tax deductions even though you believe the tax system stinks?
4. Global warming is a natural phenomenon. We can do nothing about it.
5. I'm inbounds, my kids are out of bounds.
6. Don't criticize Alaskans for playing by the rules. You don't like the system? Change it. That's what I plan to do as Vice President.
7. "Move On."
8. If you're referring to filling federal coffers with tax money, you're talking to the wrong gal. If you're talking about filling up the pocketbooks of American individuals, McCain/Palin will cut taxes and government spending. We will free up the nation's energy producers allowing the market to increase the supply of energy making prices competitive.
9. Sen. Lieberman can speak for himself. I am a Reagan Republican. I believe in negotiating from a position of strength.
10. Thanks for inviting me. Like Sen. Obama, I meet with the media on my own schedule.

[mikatollah]

We can only hope that Palin is as big a smartass as Mr. Ciribiribin

[jmyoung666]

1. Really? How, since you have run up the budget in your home state?
2. Well any idiot knows that if you have more trrops on the ground, the violence will go down. What does winning mean to you? Please be specific and not offer some glib soundbite?
3. Why haven't you paid back the $223 Million you did take from the Federal Government? Also based upon your answer, it sounds like you're saying you and Alaskans put your own desires over well-being over that of the country or articulated Republican principles. Any comment?
4. What is the basis for your belief as the majority of evidence indicates human activity is contributing to global warming?
5. Thanks.
6. Why should we believe someone who has no problem taking money from taxpayers will behave any differently when in Washington?
7. Well, why do you think the McCain Campaign has raised so many distortions and lies while the Obama campaign has refrained? Is there any sense of desperation from the McCain campaign?
8. Well, by all accounts, Obamas tax cuts greatly exceed McCain's for 95% of Americans. Do you believe it's time to stop redistributing wealth from the poor and middle class to the top 1%?
9. Thank you for the nonsequitor. I'll take that as a no.
10. Good night.

[americanideal]

Oh my word, you are a bumbling idi*t. Do you really believe your own nonsense, or do you reap a ten cent bounty from Camp McCain on this?

I can't wait until she spouts out number 4!

How about number 3 - it's sure a corwd pleaser when they find out you couldn't keep your paws off of the money that fell out of that stinky system. The system may stink, but answer me this - under what twisted logic do you justify keeping the money after you've shut down the project for which the earmark was approved by Congress. MY REPRESENTATIVE(S) GET TO DECIDE WHERE YOUR STATE PUTS MY MONEY TO WORK, NOT YOU! That's the system, Ms. Palin and Mr. Ciribiribin. If you want to decide, you use your Alaskan Trust Fund and your state taxes, just like we do. By the way, if governments needs to stay out of our affairs, you could've started that effort long ago by knocking off your quest for my federal tax dollars BEFORE you were under the national spotlight.

[americanideal]

Continued...

Number 2 - define "winning" please. The American people have been waiting years for an answer, and we never get one. Is there a scorecard? What defines victory? How close are we (in time, lives, dollars, or whatever other means you choose to use) to winning?

Number 8 - According the recent CBO report, nearly 50% of the now $9 trillion deficit and debt to foreign nations is directly related to tax cuts. Is it my understanding that your administration feels it is morally responsible to continue mortgaging the assets of this country and the future of our children to preserve a permanent tax cut for the wealthiest 1% of Americans? And one follow up -- how many of those given tax cuts lined up to pay for a new bridge in Minneapolis that fell into a river? How many of these folks are funding the levy system in New Orleans that once again was the only thin line between a hurricane and the destruction of an entire city?

Number 10 - Unlike Senator Obama, who has campaigned for over 18 months and has availed himself to the American public throughout that time without stop, we don't know who you are, know nothing about your beliefs, and have yet to hear you utter a word without a script. Are you so above us to believe we are not entitled to our questions, Ms. Palin?

What a hoot... are these people for real??

[mmgpsych]

FOLLOW UPS:

1-FOLLOW UP:Other than the impossible task of continuing the occupation in Iraq and cutting corporate taxes while balancing the budget, how do you differ from Bush/Cheny policy on economics and health care?

2-FOLLOW UP: In an interview today, Gen Petraeus said he would probably not ever use the word 'victory' for Iraq. Are winning and victory different?

3- FOLLOW UP:So as long as you could 'legally' gouge the rest of country for the highest per capita pork in the nation, that's okay. Is that like 'legally' taking per diem expenses when you lived and ate home despite that no other Alaskan governor has ever done that?

4- FOLLOW UP: Since you don't believe the majority of scientists, do you also disbelieve scientists who tell you that the world is older than bible says.

5- FOLLOW UP: This is about you. Do you regret not teaching your daughter about birth control, and do you still support 'abstinence only' programs?

6-FOLLOW UP: So morality isn't important unless you're denying rape victims abortions based on *your* morality?

8-FOLLOW UP: Which programs will you cut, and if you make rape victims pay for rape kits as you did in Wasilla, how much will that save exactly?

9-FOLLOW UP: So you disagree with McCain's position that we ought not talk with Iran or anyone else we don't like?

10- FOLLOW UP: Obama appeared on Fox with O'Reilly. Will you on Keith Olberman without your moose hunting gun?