Couric Has Palin to Thank for Ratings Boost

Newsax ^ | December 23, 2008

[Anita1]

After two years of relentlessly bad ratings news, Katie Couric finally has something she can smile about. . . That makes four straight weeks where her audience was bigger than at the same point last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. The improvement could be a result of the positive feedback Couric received for her interview of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the presidential campaign. Palin fumbled on a question about what publications she read regularly, and the interview was a launching point for one of Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" spoofs.

[Anita1]

"Basically, she remade her reputation as a result of the Palin interview," said Andrew Tyndall, a consultant who studies the content of nightly newscasts.

Since January, the "CBS Evening News" has averaged 6.1 million viewers, Neilsen said. People who have tuned in recently can see that the program is much improved, said Paul Friedman, senior vice president of CBS News.

"Let's not get too excited until we see a longer run" of improved ratings, Friedman said. "It is certainly better than the alternative."

[RushLake]

Couric is the quintessential bottom feeder. She found a tidbit in the muck on the bottom and she devoured it. I blame the MeMeMeCain campaign for this uptick in Couric’s viewership. Rule #1 under my plan is no interviews, guest shots, or make nice sessions with any organization that has demonstrated past hostility or bias. No letterman, no SNL, no Couric, no The Shrew.

[Darkwolf377]

As long as we blame everyone but Sarah Palin for some of her gaffes, we're no better than the victimization junkies of the left.

If Palin did an interview in a couple of years and admitted that some of her "answers" to Gibson and Couric were embarassing, but she knows better now, she could do some good for herself. But if she can't stand up to those two lying lightweights, she won't get enough respect from enough voters to get any traction outside the hardcore conservatives.

And if we keep covering for her--a talented woman who simply made some mistakes and didn't know enough about the issues she was asked about--we're due for a rerun of this election disaster.

[ilgipper]

what was wrong with the Gibson interview? The CBS interview was terrible. I thought the Gibson one was good. The left tried to spin trouble about the Bush doctrine, but it was old Charlie that got it wrong.

[Darkwolf377]

I know Gibson got it wrong, but that's not the impression that got out beyond the folks here who know that story. She should have been quick enough to correct him--the way she did it, she seemed as uncertain as he was confident. This isn't about fact but perception, and she really needed to put him in his place. If she did, that whole thing would have been cut, but Palin's people would have leaked it and BOOM--the story is Gibson tried to ambush her and she threw it in his face.

That's not what got out. Palin was right about the Bush doctrine(s), too, but she came off as uncertain, so if you don't POUNCE on those things--not in a bitchy way, but in a confident way, confidence that comes from having and KNOWING the facts--you come off as uncertain. She repeated talking points within the same exchange (she gave the same response to three different Gibson questions in a row about Israel "I don't think we can second guess Israel" instead of using the repeated questions to elaborate on her position, for example) and said because she could see Russia from Alaska that means something--come on, if a Dem said that we'd be laughing at them.

[PghBaldy]

Or was it a SNL about seeing Russia? I would like proof she actually said that.

[MathDoc]

Google this quote: "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

Governor Palin's point was that they are neighbors, so of course she interacts with Russia as the governor of a neighboring state. The media and SNL made it sound like something different, but her comment wasn't bad. What she needs is to learn how to make her comments more twist resistant because the left will continue their Kristallnacht-style destruction of everything Palin. She needs to provide more detail and connect the dots in every answer, and she needs to post a full transcript simultaneous with the broadcast of any interview.

[wmileo]

Can you or anyone else commenting here compare your life's accomplishments favorably with those of Sarah Palin? Please think about that carefully before answering less you make a fool of yourself.

Speaking of fools, so what about the gaffs of Joe Biden?:

1. FDR got on the TV in 1929 and spoke about the banks failing

2. Paying Higher Taxes makes you more patriotic from a Guy who took 7 college deferments during the Vietnam War so he could become a lawyer and Senator.

3. Pakistan has nukes pointing at Israel.

Since the media did not pay attention to them, they did not happen, right?

Palin would have done fine if she was left alone by the McCain handlers.

She has a 14 year history of achievement in Politics rising to the position of Governor of Alaska. Joe Biden has 7 years of deferments and 35 years of making a jackass out of himself in the U.S. Senate

[SunkenCiv]

After two years of relentlessly bad ratings news... "Basically, she remade her reputation as a result of the Palin interview," said Andrew Tyndall, a consultant who studies the content of nightly newscasts.

The Art of the Buried Lead.

[jws3sticks]

Perfect posting. Thanks.

[YepYep]

You are right about comparing lives. Sarah’s amazing rize and accomplishments are stunning. The 30 or so bottom feeder lawyers looking for dirt on her in Alaska could find nothing. I consider the media and the left looking simply foolish trying to diminish our beauteous Sarah.

[olezip]

After two years of relentlessly bad ratings news, Katie Couric finally has something she can smile about. . . That makes four straight weeks where her audience was bigger than at the same point last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. The improvement could be a result of the positive feedback Couric received for her interview of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the presidential campaign.

I actually saw that interview on tv. I thought Sarah Palin was set up to fumble by her handlers. Her handlers helped to ensure the McCain loss, probably with McCain's counter productive strategies. Sarah would have done better if left to being herself.

As far as Couric is concerned, I hope that she sent to Sarah a nice Christmas present to thank her for her help. Of course most of Couric's viewers are probably leftists with disordered minds, but even they have a choice of the alphabet channels from which to select their favorite news program.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Palin was right about the Bush doctrine(s), too, but she came off as uncertain, so if you don't POUNCE on those things--not in a bitchy way, but in a confident way, confidence that comes from having and KNOWING the facts--you come off as uncertain. She repeated talking points within the same exchange (she gave the same response to three different Gibson questions in a row about Israel "I don't think we can second guess Israel" instead of using the repeated questions to elaborate on her position, for example) and said because she could see Russia from Alaska that means something--come on, if a Dem said that we'd be laughing at them.

When you are dealing with people who are often wrong but never in doubt - and who have the ability to edit out the parts of an interview in which they afterwards realize that they had been wrong at the top of their voices - you just naturally have a problem. You are correct that in the TV context just looking unsure next to a cocksure interviewer can be as bad as being wrong. The Reagan Administration actually pointed that out to one of the networks when they did a hit piece on Reagan, and Deaver(?) thanked them for it because the video was positive if you didn't listen to the sound!

But considering that she was plucked from the Alaskan context of a small, far-flung population with scant notice, she did remarkably well. Better, actually, than McCain - who actually praised Obama in the middle of the campaign, and got booed by his own supporters! I'd have joined that chorus at that point, too! McCain was just as bad as I knew he would be. So spare me the criticism of Palin. I certainly agree with Ann Coulter that I wish I knew that Gov. Palin had read a lot of Thomas Sowell, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan, F. A. Hayek, M. Stanton Evans, etc. But I think it was presumptuous of Coulter to take for granted that it would take Palin 8 years to get up to speed on the issues, because I think Palin has the right instincts and will be a quick study.

If I'm wrong about that, there is no guarantee that 8 years of study would suffice, and If I'm right, we will want her in the lists again in four years, contending for the top slot. You want to consider that no one has ever attained the office of POTUS without getting it - or at least the vice presidency - within 14 years of being elected governor or senator (which is just another reason that the McCain candidacy was a nonstarter from the getgo). Palin's window of opportunity actually will already be closed if she's not POTUS (or at least VP) by inauguration day, 2017.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

My Sarah Palin tribute song (revised lyrics just recorded! "OUR SARAH"

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

This is my own logo design I just created and had embroidered on a dozen caps. (It's not available anywhere yet).

[ari-freedom]

if you can’t handle Katie Couric then how will people expect you to handle Putin or Achmeninijad?

[GBA]

Good post. She was plucked out of her home and suddenly found herself under the magnifying glass with all the cameras watching and I thought she was quite remarkable. She gave me a reason to vote for McCain and that's saying a lot.

Sarah Palin has the competitive instincts necessary to play in the big leagues and if she wants to return to that level of politics, she has plenty of time to fill in the gaps in her knowledge and practice dealing with hostile interviewers. She may or may not have read conservatism, but she has the obvious advantage of actually living conservatism. America needs more people like that, especially in government.

[EyeGuy]

The “qualifications” and “experience” double standard applied to Sarah Palin is appalling, even among...... ahem.....”Freepers”.

A single, heavily edited broadcast resulted from a painstakingly baited trap, posing as an interview, and the anti-Palinites have their perpetual bone to pick.

[EyeGuy]

The “qualifications” and “experience” double standard applied to Sarah Palin is appalling, even among...... ahem.....”Freepers”.

A single, heavily edited broadcast resulted from a painstakingly baited trap, posing as an interview, and the anti-Palinites have their perpetual bone to pick.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

You mean, Couric should appologize for studying With Anti-Palin Advisers Before Palin Interview

I hope that prediction comes true: I hope CBS disappears in 2009.

DNCBS:

http://republican016.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dncbs.jpg