McCain Camp Doesn't Let Palin Spin After Debate

As the New York Times reported before Friday night's debate, Sarah Palin would not be providing post-debate spin for John McCain on the major TV networks:

After Barack Obama and John McCain stop talking on the debate stage Friday night, their surrogates will start spinning. But one high-profile supporter of Mr. McCain will be missing: his running mate Sarah Palin.[...]

Ms. Palin is scheduled to be at a debate-viewing event in Philadelphia, covered by a limited group of reporters, and she is not listed by any networks as a post-debate guest. On NBC and CBS, the former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani will be commenting on the debate performances.

As The New Republic's Michael Crowley noted during the post-debate coverage, Palin's absence looked particularly awkward given the fact that Joe Biden was appearing all over the place:

Amusing moment on CNN just now. Wolf Blitzer, coming out of a commercial:

"We've been getting some emails from views out there wondering why we spent some time interviewing Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee and not Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee. We would have loved to interview--we'd still love to interview Sarah Palin. Unfortunately we asked, we didn't get that interview...We're hoping that Sarah Palin will join us at some point down the road."

I'm told that Biden appeared on every major network tonight except ABC (which only turned him down because Palin wasn't available, on an equal-time sort of basis).

It's pretty strange when a candidate can't trust his own running mate to be out there spinning on his behalf.

Comments

[GrouchyJim]

10 days and they throw her under the bus.

[JavaKat]

I'm not surprised, given her track record so far. It's sad that she's the best that McCain could do, as far as women goes. There HAVE to be better running mates out there, female or male. She reminds me of a woman I knew in college who tried to get by with "cutsie" when she didn't know the answer. It made all of the rest of us (women) want to throw up. Some of the professors ate it up, but the really good ones saw through it. However, Biden has had some gaffes of his own, in particular the one about coal plants. I'm glad to see another site besides PoliticalS­lavery.com that is willing to talk about both sides of the issue.

[mybostonjack]

The only group that's being sexist to Palin is the McSame camp. How degrading that they treat her with no respect and not allow her to speak. Shameful!

[pdyoung]

While Sarah Palin is stumping on the campaign trail and telling supporters that she will definitely attack Pakistan, there is serious trouble brewing up in Alaska. Yesterday the Alaskans had a huge rally and protest with thousands of people filling the Alaskan streets demanding that Sarah Palin be held accountable for her part in Troopergate. Thousands of brave Alaskans are demanding that Sarah Palin step down as governor and they are demanding that McCain's lawyers get out of the state of Alaska. These Alaskans are angry and will not be deterred. To see the bold moves that took place in Alaska yesterday, go to: mudflats.w­ordpress.c­om and you can see pictures, videos, songs and action that took place. This is serious!!

[timmmahhhh]

Actually they have updated the Mudflats link. The one above will get you there but it wll direct you to this site:
http://www.themudflats.net/
And what a rally it was!!

[anniegirl9]

Is it just me, or does it bug anyone else the way Cindy McCain follows John arround - three steps behind - at every campaign appearance?

[RaineyDay5]

OMG!!!! Please get outta my head or pay me rent! My husband and I said this chick will NOT let him appear anywhere without being right there!!!! Meanwhile, Michelle is out getting her campaign ON! Cindy is muzzled as well. McCain likes the women around him to sit silent and support him. Idiot.

[TAC]

Is she worried about leghold traps Yup Yup might be putting out?

[ignorantwillyharper]

I would suppose that every time one of McCain's advisers enters the room, McCain assumes the position for a kick in the ass, due to choosing Palin as a running mate.

[timberdoodle]

What I can't figure out is how any grown up person with an average IQ can still support the Palin/McCain ticket and think their future will be better. Palin's family is so disfunctional it makes Ozzie Osbournes family look a poster for family values. Sorry about that Perkins!

If the main stream news medias can pounce all over John Edwards or Obama's pastor why can't they even do a little bit on Sara and John as their histories are out there for the world to see and the world is clued in to the facts.

[btanner]

It just goes to show that Himbo's staff of lobbyists are the ones running the show and not Himbo. So if you think that Himbo will go back to being the maverick he once was, think again. If elected, his ties to these lobbyists will never be extricated.

[philadem]

This "debate-viewing event" Palin attended was actually sitting in an Irish pub in Philadelphia.

[kallisti7]

Actually, it's wasn't just any Irish pub in Philly, it was the rowdy frat guy, puke in the street Irish pub in Philly. Classy.

[mysterygirl18]

Hey Moncar- well said!!!!!! Bravo...that is the best analysis of this "debate" so far. You're right. He needs to bring her down and challenge her on every single thing...I am so sick of everyone being afraid of this woman. And free Sarah Palin? Oh please.. she's loving every minute of this...

http://www.myspace.com/wakeupnowpeople

[SailFree]

Where was she? Probably doing her job!

[2876]

her job right now is to campaign for john mccain which she wasn't doing. she's definitely not running alaska right now.

[jfor]

Thats the biggest probably I have ever heard.

[70sFez]

Yes, doing her job. Probably keeping an eye out on Russia from her porch.

[LemonMeringue]

Nope, she was at a debate screening where Giuliani spoke afterward but she did not. Read the article.

The McCain campaign is running Alaska. By what authority, I do not know.

[edgarallenpoe]

Her job is to hide her face and shut up so the public doesn't realize what she is really like.

[bluzz]

She's a "prop up" candidate, they should just make a cardboard stand-up of her with the "lipstick" quote.

It's to sad to be funny. HuffPO reported last week that mcSame aide were "freaking out" when trying to teach her how to debate and to be interviewed at how little she knows and understands.

[BillyShears]

The problem with sara is that even SHE doesn't know- what she doesn't know. She's 44 years of ONLY Alaska. Her remote upbringing is the factor that no amount of coaching will fix.

[ezrider]

"It's pretty strange when a candidate can't trust his own running mate to be out there spinning on his behalf."

Maybe he is not as dumb as I thought.

[TAC]

"Maybe he is not as dumb as I thought."

Unlikely...

[truthforme]

From a sign in the Palin demonstration in Anchorage, Alaska:

and so McCain says . . . "Sure, I'd love to try Para sailin' . . ."

Funnest. Sign. Ever.

[JavanDyer]

I THINK WE SHOULD START ON HUFF THE FREE SARAH PALIN CAMPAIGN!!

[GrainOSand]

After he muzzled her, did he trot her around on a leash?
http://www.etoday.ru/uploads/2008/02/12/westminster_kennel_club_dog_show12.jpg


It has been said here many times by many people, the way he chose Mrs. Palin and the way he is treating her is disrespectful to the idea of empowering women. Campbell Brown came late (publicly) to that conclusion, but I was happy that she arrived. Of course, Ms. Maddow was right on cue with her analysis. What would you expect?

I was going to write, let the woman speak Senator McCain. I then thought that does not sound right for who is he to give her permission to speak if he has confidence and respect she can govern an entire nation? Therefore, I implore Mrs. Palin to speak because it occurs to her she has her own voice, or is she not considered adroit as Joe Biden is? Is she considered more show dog than capable human being with demonstrable intelligence and skill? Was her convention speech a case of a dog owner saying speak and a dog speaking and securing a VP treat for good behavior?

I think the governor is more than that and I trust she considers herself more than that, otherwise she is a real throwback to those “songs that made the hit parade” and thinking that we could “use a man like Herbert Hoover again”, even though Glen Miller and Benny Goodman were hot.

[valleyrose]

Can't this GOP find a human being with a green card who doesn't need phonetic tele-prompting spellings to get thru two syllable words like nuclear? Come on America, we're not really this stupid here are we?Or are we?

[GrainOSand]

I think there are intelligent and reasonable people in the Republican Party. There are capable men and women within the Party. They may have bought into an untenable philosophy, but life is complex and most need a paradigm of validation from within which to operate. The rare individual self-defines. I know this because my daily work out of mind centers on self-actualization in terms of not being the all but being the all in terms of not being. It is a lifelong lesson.

Directly, yes, there were VP options for McCain other than Mrs. Palin who would have brought credibility to his campaign. His campaign is now a hoax, hype, and desperation.

[TN]

Why would you think she is more than that. If she was more than that, she wouldn't have done the speech they wrote for her at the convention, where every single thing she said wasn't true.

[GrainOSand]

I always give the benefit of the doubt before I go completely off the beaten path of criticism. I want to believe this woman is redeemable in some way, but you are right, she sealed her fate with that speech. However, that happens all over America, as women and men are victimized by their fears and aspirations for fame and wealth. Just leave the money on the pillow is the lingo. Prostitution is not gender specific it is mindset specific. See, I did not want to call her a hoe (garden utensil)!