Palin To Couric: Media Coverage Isn't Sexist

CBS' Early Show aired some new quotes from Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin. While previous clips have focused on Palin's slip-ups, these are a little more substantive -- illuminating her positions on sexism in the race, abortion, and creationism in public schools.

On sexism:

COURIC: Do you think the coverage of you has been sexist?

Governor SARAH PALIN: No, I don't. I mean, I know that there--it's obvious there's some double-standards here, you know, in terms of what the media has been doing, but I think that's more--I think more attributable to just the media elite, the Washington elite, not knowing who I am and just asking a whole lot of questions and not so much based on gender though, but based on just the fact that I'm not part of the Washington herd.

COURIC: Having said that, do you think it would be sexist, governor, not to question your credentials and your policy positions?

Gov. PALIN: It would be sexist if the media were to hold back and not ask me about my experience, my vision, my principles, my values, you're right.

On abortion:

COURIC: Palin says she makes no apologies for her pro-life views and opposes abortion, even in the case of rape or incest.

Gov. PALIN: I'm saying that personally I would counsel that person to choose life, despite horrific, horrific circumstances that this person would find themselves in. And if you're asking, though, kind of foundationally here should anybody end up in jail for having had an abortion, absolutely not. That's nothing that I would ever support.

On creationism:

COURIC: Should creationism be allowed to be taught anywhere in public schools?

Gov. PALIN: Don't have a problem at all with kids debating all sides of theories, all sides of ideas that they ever--kids do it today, whether it's on paper in a curriculum or not. Curriculums also are best left to the local school districts, instead of big brother, federal government, telling a district what they can and can't teach.

Comments

[prcleburne]

A thought on Sarah Palin's intention to pursue " Victory " in Iraq :

Life begins at conception and ends on the battlefield.

[unite4change]

commissaris - McCain campaign knows they cannot release the Palin's income taxes. Because if their income taxes were released, those poor uneducated white voters would know Palin's income level is not like theirs. She would not be seem like them.

[lilsongbird101]

Do not be fooled people... McCain chose Palin to "gain the evangelical vote" because of her stance on the abortion issue. McCain certainly did not pick her for their foreign policy expertise! McCain chose Palin to gain support and endorsement of Christians because he knows that's how Bush got re-elected in 2004 "the evangelical vote". Bush & McCain are buddies & they talk... despite what they lead others to think. Bush has his interest in oil... Bush wants McCain to continue looking out for his own interest and McCain wants to join the "oil legacy of Bush administrations"... all of them! So who better to use than a "carrot like Sarah" to gain McCain the evangelical vote and obtain his own gain in the "oil slick industry".
Think about it before you vote!
The system is already corrupt, do we really want to get hit by the same train twice?

[RallyGrrrl]

Palin said no woman should "end up in jail for having had an abortion," - now ask her if she'd put the doctor in jail who performed the abortion.

No one is saying they'd lock up a woman for having an abortion - but their way to deter abortions is to threaten doctors with jail time and losing their medical license if they perform one.

[RallyGrrrl]

RightWingMarine: "She has a personal view on abortion but can seperate that from her legal view."

Nowhere in this article does she state that she can separate her personal view from what she would want to see as law. This is the ENTIRE argument for many Pro-Choice people: Politically Pro-choice, Personally Pro-life.

So when someone in politics says they are "Pro-life, period", what that means is that they want to prohibit you from making your own choice.

I know this is obvious stuff - I shouldn't have to repeat it - but some of these comments...

[grantlingel]

Gov. PALIN: It would be sexist if the media were to hold back and not ask me about my experience, my vision, my principles, my values, you're right.

too bad that isn't the case... we haven't heard that much from her and the little we have has shown how incompetent she is.

http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[TroubleNYC]

Gov. PALIN: It would be sexist if the media were to hold back and not ask me about my experience, my vision, my principles, my values, you're right.

Straight from the Hockey Moms mouth folks. Gloves off people.

[strangelet]

Except I'm never gonna be available for questions.....

[RightWingMarine]

After reading the article above I actually like Palin more than before. She's not going to cry sexism when the media is unkind. She has a personal view on abortion but can seperate that from her legal view. She holds a divergent view on where we came from but doesn't advocate teaching that instead of something else and would rather have a debate where each idea is left to stand or fall on it's own merits. Even better than that she wants to limit the federal government being involved in education and let this be something accomplished by the people in that community. Why is any of this a bad thing?

[MsCanadian]

Because she's lying! She has softened her position publically since the beginning of the campaign. She is starting to understand that it won't get her the women's votes, and so she is changing her views.

[j.gold]

RightWingMarine- She doesn't need to cry sexism . . .her campaign does it for her.

[strangelet]

Well, as MsCanadian points out, first off she's backpedaling to make her views more palatable. When people change their positions -- even subtly -- during a campaign, you have to wonder what their real beliefs are.

Second, she's "not going to cry sexism" if the media ask her tough questions. But she's never available to TAKE any tough questions (as in, an actual press conference), so the claim is meaningless.

Third, in this interview she did not separate her personal view on abortion from her legal view. She allowed that a woman who had an abortion shouldn't go to jail for it. However, she didn't say a thing about whether abortion providers should go to jail. In case you haven't been paying attention, laws that attempt to ban or restrict abortion (in the US) always apply to the provider.

Fourth, she simply parrots the anti-science view that creationism and evolutionary theory are somehow equivalent. You may believe that, but I don't, so I think her opinion is a bad thing. BTW, if you favor having a "debate" in the schools about beliefs on the origin of life and humankind, are you open to including, say, Hindu creation science on an equal footing? If not, why not?

Fourth, limiting federal involvement in education may be a good thing. Does that mean you oppose No Child Left Behind? If so, we agree on something. BTW, what do you suppose is Gov Palin's opinion on NCLB? Do you think she knows what it

[Js420]

RWM-how about doing some more reading...

[fredguff]

After reviewing Sarah's Alaska debates I am still unimpressed. Take away the "sparkling generalities" and "canned talking points" and you are left with a vapid ditz. When Sarah has to deal with specifics or explain her thought processes you almost always are left with a "word salad" moment.

Because Sarah is incapable of coherently explaining how she reaches her conclusions, I am hoping that when she says something like, "Obama will raise taxes on the middle class", Gwen will follow up by asking her "What specifically about Obama's economic plan has caused you to come to this conclusion?"

Mark my words, on Thursday, when Gwen leads off a question with "Explain" or "Please provide some specific...", Sarah will flop around like a salmon caught in a bears paw.

If they didn't know already, the McCain operatives who are prepping Sarah for Thursday's fiasco are quickly learning that you can't teach intelligence.

[atciii]

i just hope biden stays calm and answers his questions directly. He does not need to attack her or interupt her. Let her dig her own hole as she babbles on about nothing. it is obvious she does not know how to stop talking when she babbles on incoherently.

[meede]

Check for hidden ear pieces!!!

Imagine watching her trying to talk and listen at the same time. That might provide some entertainment!!

[tabaqui]

To be honest, considering all the conditions and time limits and special 'rules' they've put into place for the VP debate, I'm not expecting much of anything. Mrs. Palin will spout her memorized GOP pap, and then - time will be up! There just won't be any opportunity for debate or anything else.

I'm so, so disappointed and really rather angry that the committee in charge of the debates knuckled under to so many demands.

[Guylephat]

So creationism is a scientific theory and man and dinosaurs were on the planet at the same time? This woamn is not qualified to be d.c.'s head dog catcher let alone be one slippery step from the presidency

[commissaris]

Yeah, but what about those tax returns?

[atciii]

too much conflict of interest and money under the table, back room deals to show her taxes.

[atciii]

i hope now people stop saying she has more experience than Barack Obama. If she really feels that way, Obaba should have a debate with her about US History and the Constitution, something DIRECTLY related to the job of President, not moose shooting!!

[MsCanadian]

LMAO! Yes, let her debate Obama. And do not give them the question:

"When field dressing a moose, what kind of clothes do you put on it?"

LOL


Cariboo Barbie is a diz! Send her back to Alaska.


Go Obama!

[meede]

I'm tired of the pundits, analysts, etc. recently jumping on the bandwagon saying because of her handling, she has to learn too much and has lost confidence. Bull crap. She has no problem throwing barbs with that pasted smile. Wipe it off her.

If you're a reg. Rep, you should know what party stands for. A government, political, elected person, whether local, state or federal, know firstly, who's in your party. Secondly, being sitting President is your party, know issues going on around world, especially reading "all" thats available. Thirdly, campaigning & primaries started going on 2 years ago, knowing candidates visit your state, know what they stand for issue/policy wise. There should be no need for any candidate, whether a mayor or governor, that should have to cram to this extent. It displays total mentality of being disjointed from their country, being unconcerned as to issues/policies of country, and being state so close to 2 foreign countries, know issues/policies about foreign security especially. To cross border to Canada, you need ID-- Passport due to security changes. The Commander In Chief of the State National Guard and having son enlisted in military, should be well aware of foreign policies as to safety, war, ports, homeland security as you have 3% of county's oil, etc.

Plain and simple -- she doesn't give a rat's arse about the lower 48 or she would already have info in her brain. FOCUS!!!

[atciii]

this is what they get when they pick a small town person to run for the highest office in the country. Alaska has less people than Obama's district when he was a State Senator. Alaska is no different than any little small back woods town in the middle of nowhere USA.

[TheHater]

What IS sexist is that she is one of the most popular Republican politicitian.

She has no incite in foreign policy, domestic policy, the constitution, or solutions to the needs of the American people at large.

She has marginal education and scant experience in provincial politics.

She can't put a cogent thought together in powder puff interviews.

So, why is she so popular? She is an attractive woman.

[atciii]

McCain choosing Palin is sexist, he chose her only because she is a woman and thinking women would vote for her because of that fact. McCain has consistantly disrespected women his entire life, nothing has changed!

[Girlmec]

About Palin's abortion answer...just in case anyone missed the interview, the question before that was a very specific and extreme case where Couric point blank asked this woman would she still uphold her pro-choice stance if:

a 15yr old girl was raped by her biological father resulting in pregnancy.

Above is Palin's answer. She said she would counsel the girl to keep the baby.

I am afraid and sickened at the same time.

[atciii]

so if her own daughter was pregnant by her husband (todd), she would encourage her to have it so the child would be her granddaughter and step-child at the same time????

[Girlmec]

You bet!

Hopefully the link to the full abortion section is out there.

[XXYR]

Though if you listen carefully, she said she would counsel her to make the right choice, and would not be throwing women in jail for

So is she pro-choice or pro-life? Or just a liar?

Since I have yet to hear of any outrage at her comments from pro-lifers, I can only assume she's anti-abortion and telling a lie, which the pro-life crowd finds acceptable, in order to hider her extremist views.