Two Very Different Interviews (Charlie Gibson w/Obama vs. Charlie Gibson w/Palin)

GIBSON: Public moments are not your own. There's a million people pulling you in a million different directions, but when everybody clears out, the staff is gone, you're in your hotel room at night and you're alone -- do you say to yourself: "Son of a gun, I've done this?"

GIBSON: (inaudible) when you announced, did you truly, in your gut, think that a black man could win the nomination of a major party to be president of the United States? GIBSON: You don't get much time to enjoy this before people immediately start talking about the vice presidency.

GIBSON: But there obviously is one name that looms over all. Hillary Clinton has already, to some extent, expressed her willingness. There are supporters putting out petitions. There is a drumbeat of pressure. There are those 18 million votes.

Is she a special case that you have to deal with before the others, or is she considered just like everybody else? How long can you let the "Hillary Clinton on the ticket" question linger?

GIBSON: Does there have to be a yes or no on the issue of Hillary Clinton before you get to the others, or can this issue linger on, because it pervades everything? You want to move on to the general election. You want to pivot to a campaign against John McCain. Can you do that while this question hovers over you?

GIBSON: So, you won't do -- you won't deal with her first, get that out of the way, and then either move on or not?

GIBSON: As long as that question lingers, can you get about the business of unifying the party, or does that have to be taken care of first?

GIBSON: John McCain has issued an invitation to do a series of town meetings (inaudible). Going to do it?

GIBSON: But there's a dynamic on your side, as well. You originally said you would take it.

GIBSON: If you already see that money coming in, it seems to me you're saying...

GIBSON: The picture of you in the paper, this morning, with your wife, watching the Clinton speech. What did you think of the Clinton speech? She didn't exactly acknowledge your victory.

GIBSON: And finally your daughters. What did they say to you? Did they take it as a matter of course that Daddy could be nominated to be president? They never knew what older people know in terms of discrimination, although they may still feel some. What did they say about that?

GIBSON: I watched closely your countenance last night, your mien, as you stood in that hall. You didn't smile much. Has the joyfulness of this hit home yet? Do you take joy from it?

GIBSON: Governor, let me start by asking you a question that I asked John McCain about you, and it is really the central question. Can you look the country in the eye and say "I have the experience and I have the ability to be not just vice president, but perhaps president of the United States of America?"

GIBSON: And you didn't say to yourself, "Am I experienced enough? Am I ready? Do I know enough about international affairs? Do I -- will I feel comfortable enough on the national stage to do this?"

GIBSON: But this is not just reforming a government. This is also running a government on the huge international stage in a very dangerous world. When I asked John McCain about your national security credentials, he cited the fact that you have commanded the Alaskan National Guard and that Alaska is close to Russia. Are those sufficient credentials?

GIBSON: I know. I'm just saying that national security is a whole lot more than energy.

GIBSON: Did you ever travel outside the country prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?

GIBSON: I'm talking about somebody who's a head of state, who can negotiate for that country. Ever met one?

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." Are we fighting a holy war?

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln's words, but you went on and said, "There is a plan and it is God's plan."

GIBSON: Let's start, because we are near Russia, let's start with Russia and Georgia.

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

GIBSON: Because Putin has said he would not tolerate NATO incursion into the Caucasus.

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

GIBSON: And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it to the United States to go to war if Russia were to invade.

GIBSON: Let me turn to Iran. Do you consider a nuclear Iran to be an existential threat to Israel?

GIBSON: So what should we do about a nuclear Iran? John McCain said the only thing worse than a war with Iran would be a nuclear Iran. John Abizaid said we may have to live with a nuclear Iran. Who's right?

GIBSON: But, Governor, we've threatened greater sanctions against Iran for a long time. It hasn't done any good. It hasn't stemmed their nuclear program.

GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and needed to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?

GIBSON: So if we wouldn't second guess it and they decided they needed to do it because Iran was an existential threat, we would cooperative or agree with that.

GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right.

GIBSON: We talk on the anniversary of 9/11. Why do you think those hijackers attacked? Why did they want to hurt us?

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

GIBSON: Do we have a right to anticipatory self-defense? Do we have a right to make a preemptive strike again another country if we feel that country might strike us?

GIBSON: Do we have the right to be making cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghanistan, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?

GIBSON: But, Governor, I'm asking you: We have the right, in your mind, to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government.

GIBSON: And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there. Is that a yes? That you think we have the right to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?

A PERFECT CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL

GIBSON: Senator, I’m curious about your feelings last night. It was an historic moment. Has it sunk in yet? (fade from Obama’s response)

Fade in to: Can you look the country in the eye and say “I have the experience and I have the ability to be not just vice president, but perhaps president of the United States of America?” (Fade from Palin’s response)

Fade in to: GIBSON: Public moments are not your own. There’s a million people pulling you in a million different directions, but when everybody clears out, the staff is gone, you’re in your hotel room at night and you’re alone — do you say to yourself: “Son of a gun, I’ve done this?” (Fade from Obama’s response)

Fade to: GIBSON: And you didn’t say to yourself, “Am I experienced enough? Am I ready? Do I know enough about international affairs? Do I — will I feel comfortable enough on the national stage to do this?” (Fade from Palin’s response)

Narrator: This year it is obvious who the media is rooting for - they might as well come out and say it - cut to “GIBSON: Didn’t that take some hubris?”

Narrator: Maybe the media needs to look at it’s own hurbis - subjective and favored reporting. Ask the same questions of an inexperienced Obama next time - a man that voted present 130 times as a state senator and spent half of his national career campaigning. Obama and the media - working together to deceive America.

How about looking at it this way, first Obama's first question, then Palin's first question. Then Obama's second question, then Palin's second question. I switch to Palin's question first about half way through. I think this shows the difference quite well:

Obama1: GIBSON: Senator, I'm curious about your feelings last night. It was an historic moment. Has it sunk in yet?

Palin1: GIBSON: Governor, let me start by asking you a question that I asked John McCain about you, and it is really the central question. Can you look the country in the eye and say "I have the experience and I have the ability to be not just vice president, but perhaps president of the United States of America?"

Obama2: GIBSON: What did your grandmother say?

Palin2: GIBSON: And you didn't say to yourself, "Am I experienced enough? Am I ready? Do I know enough about international affairs? Do I -- will I feel comfortable enough on the national stage to do this?"

Obama3: GIBSON: Public moments are not your own. There's a million people pulling you in a million different directions, but when everybody clears out, the staff is gone, you're in your hotel room at night and you're alone --do you say to yourself: "Son of a gun, I've done this?"

Palin3: GIBSON: Didn't that take some hubris?

Obama4: GIBSON: (inaudible) when you announced, did you truly, in your gut, think that a black man could win the nomination of a major party to be president of the United States?

Palin4: GIBSON: But this is not just reforming a government. This is also running a government on the huge international stage in a very dangerous world. When I asked John McCain about your national security credentials, he cited the fact that you have commanded the Alaskan National Guard and that Alaska is close to Russia. Are those sufficient credentials?

Obama5: GIBSON: You don't get much time to enjoy this before people immediately start talking about the vice presidency.

Palin5: GIBSON: I know. I'm just saying that national security is a whole lot more than energy.

Obama6: GIBSON: But there obviously is one name that looms over all. Hillary Clinton has already, to some extent, expressed her willingness. There are supporters putting out petitions. There is a drumbeat of pressure. There are those 18 million votes.

Is she a special case that you have to deal with before the others, or is she considered just like everybody else? How long can you let the "Hillary Clinton on the ticket" question linger?

Palin6: GIBSON: Did you ever travel outside the country prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?

Obama7: GIBSON: Does there have to be a yes or no on the issue of Hillary Clinton before you get to the others, or can this issue linger on, because it pervades everything? You want to move on to the general election. You want to pivot to a campaign against John McCain. Can you do that while this question hovers over you?

Palin7: GIBSON: Have you ever met a foreign head of state?

Obama8: GIBSON: So, you won't do -- you won't deal with her first, get that out of the way, and then either move on or not?

Palin8: GIBSON: And all governors deal with trade delegations.

Obama9: GIBSON: As long as that question lingers, can you get about the business of unifying the party, or does that have to be taken care of first?

Palin9: GIBSON: Who act at the behest of their governments.

Obama10: GIBSON: Did she squeeze you in any way by making known her interest in the job?

Palin10: GIBSON: I'm talking about somebody who's a head of state, who can negotiate for that country. Ever met one? Obama11: GIBSON: Should you choose her, how do you handle Bill Clinton?

Palin11: GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." Are we fighting a holy war?

(PALIN: You know, I don't know if that was my exact quote.)

GIBSON: Exact words.

Obama11: GIBSON: On what three issues will this campaign turn to you?

Palin12: GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln's words, but you went on and said, "There is a plan and it is God's plan."

Obama12: GIBSON: Do you worry that it could turn on race, age and class?

Palin13: GIBSON: But then are you sending your son on a task that is from God?

Obama13: GIBSON: John McCain has issued an invitation to do a series of town meetings (inaudible). Going to do it?

Palin14: GIBSON: Let me ask you about some specific national security situations. Let's start, because we are near Russia, let's start with Russia and Georgia. You believe unprovoked.

Obama14: GIBSON: Will you go to Iraq?

Palin15: GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

Obama15: GIBSON: Public financing: Going to take it or going to say no?

Palin16: GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they're doing in Georgia?

Obama16: GIBSON: But there's a dynamic on your side, as well. You originally said you would take it.

Palin17: GIBSON: Would you favor putting Georgia and Ukraine in NATO?

Obama17: GIBSON: That was before we saw a...

Palin18: GIBSON: Because Putin has said he would not tolerate NATO incursion into the Caucasus.

Obama18: GIBSON: If you already see that money coming in, it seems to me you're saying...

Palin19: GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

Obama19: GIBSON: Is the hardest part of all this behind you or ahead of you?

Palin20: GIBSON: And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it to the United States to go to war if Russia were to invade.

Obama20: GIBSON: The picture of you in the paper, this morning, with your wife, watching the Clinton speech. What did you think of the Clinton speech? She didn't exactly acknowledge your victory.

Palin21: GIBSON: Let me turn to Iran. Do you consider a nuclear Iran to be an existential threat to Israel?

Obama21: GIBSON: And finally your daughters. What did they say to you? Did they take it as a matter of course that Daddy could be nominated to be president? They never knew what older people know in terms of discrimination, although they may still feel some. What did they say about that?

Palin22: GIBSON: So what should we do about a nuclear Iran? John McCain said the only thing worse than a war with Iran would be a nuclear Iran. John Abizaid said we may have to live with a nuclear Iran. Who's right?

Obama22: GIBSON: I watched closely your countenance last night, your mien, as you stood in that hall. You didn't smile much. Has the joyfulness of this hit home yet? Do you take joy from it?

Palin23-37: GIBSON: So what do you do about a nuclear Iran?

GIBSON: So what do you do about a nuclear Iran?

GIBSON: But, Governor, we've threatened greater sanctions against Iran for a long time. It hasn't done any good. It hasn't stemmed their nuclear program.

GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and needed to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?

GIBSON: So if we wouldn't second guess it and they decided they needed to do it because Iran was an existential threat, we would cooperative or agree with that.

GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right.

GIBSON: We talk on the anniversary of 9/11. Why do you think those hijackers attacked? Why did they want to hurt us?

GIBSON: Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?

GIBSON: The Bush -- well, what do you -- what do you interpret it to be?

(PALIN: His world view.)

GIBSON: No, the Bush doctrine, enunciated September 2002, before the Iraq war.

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

GIBSON: Do we have a right to anticipatory self-defense? Do we have a right to make a preemptive strike again another country if we feel that country might strike us?

GIBSON: Do we have the right to be making cross-border attacks into Pakistan from Afghanistan, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?

GIBSON: But, Governor, I'm asking you: We have the right, in your mind, to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government.

GIBSON: And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there. Is that a yes? That you think we have the right to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?

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