Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

ABC News Edited Out Key Parts of Sarah Palin Interview
Newsbusters ^ | 09/13/08 | P.J. Gladnick

Posted on 09/13/2008 5:08:24 AM PDT by coffee260

A transcript of the unedited interview of Sarah Palin by Charles Gibson clearly shows that ABC News edited out crucial portions of the interview that showed Palin as knowledgeable or presented her answers out of context. This unedited transcript of the first of the Gibson interviews with Palin is available on radio host Mark Levin's website. The sections edited out by ABC News are in bold. The first edit shows Palin responding about meeting with foreign leaders but this was actually in response to a question Gibson asked several questions earlier:

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

PALIN: There in the state of Alaska, our international trade activities bring in many leaders of other countries.

GIBSON: And all governors deal with trade delegations.

PALIN: Right.

GIBSON: Who act at the behest of their governments.

PALIN: Right, right.

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

PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. But, Charlie, again, we’ve got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody’s big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they’ve had opportunities to meet heads of state … these last couple of weeks … it has been overwhelming to me that confirmation of the message that Americans are getting sick and tired of that self-dealing and kind of that closed door, good old boy network that has been the Washington elite.
 

Next we see that Palin was not nearly as hostile towards Russia as was presented in the edited interview:

GIBSON: Let me ask you about some specific national security situations.

PALIN: Sure.

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

The administration has said we’ve got to maintain the territorial integrity of Georgia. Do you believe the United States should try to restore Georgian sovereignty over South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

PALIN: First off, we’re going to continue good relations with Saakashvili there. I was able to speak with him the other day and giving him my commitment, as John McCain’s running mate, that we will be committed to Georgia. And we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable and we have to keep…

GIBSON: You believe unprovoked.

PALIN: I do believe unprovoked and we have got to keep our eyes on Russia, under the leadership there. I think it was unfortunate. That manifestation that we saw with that invasion of Georgia shows us some steps backwards that Russia has recently taken away from the race toward a more democratic nation with democratic ideals. That’s why we have to keep an eye on Russia.

And, Charlie, you’re in Alaska. We have that very narrow maritime border between the United States, and the 49th state, Alaska, and Russia. They are our next door neighbors.We need to have a good relationship with them. They’re very, very important to us and they are our next door neighbor.

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

PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

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

PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

We also see from Palin's following remark, which was also edited out, that she is far from some sort of latter day Cold Warrior which the edited interview made her seem to be:

We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We’ve learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.

We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

Palin's extended remarks about defending our NATO allies were edited out to make it seem that she was ready to go to war with Russia. 

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

PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.

But NATO, I think, should include Ukraine, definitely, at this point and I think that we need to — especially with new leadership coming in on January 20, being sworn on, on either ticket, we have got to make sure that we strengthen our allies, our ties with each one of those NATO members.

We have got to make sure that that is the group that can be counted upon to defend one another in a very dangerous world today.

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.

PALIN: What I think is that smaller democratic countries that are invaded by a larger power is something for us to be vigilant against. We have got to be cognizant of what the consequences are if a larger power is able to take over smaller democratic countries.

And we have got to be vigilant. We have got to show the support, in this case, for Georgia. The support that we can show is economic sanctions perhaps against Russia, if this is what it leads to.

It doesn’t have to lead to war and it doesn’t have to lead, as I said, to a Cold War, but economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, again, counting on our allies to help us do that in this mission of keeping our eye on Russia and Putin and some of his desire to control and to control much more than smaller democratic countries.

His mission, if it is to control energy supplies, also, coming from and through Russia, that’s a dangerous position for our world to be in, if we were to allow that to happen.

That answer presented Palin as a bit too knowledgeable for the purposes of ABC News and was, of course, edited out. Palin's answers about a nuclear Iran were carefully edited to the point where she was even edited out in mid-sentence to make it seem that Palin favored unilateral action against that country:

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

PALIN: I believe that under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the hands of his government are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe, yes.

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?

PALIN: No, no. I agree with John McCain that nuclear weapons in the hands of those who would seek to destroy our allies, in this case, we’re talking about Israel, we’re talking about Ahmadinejad’s comment about Israel being the “stinking corpse, should be wiped off the face of the earth,” that’s atrocious. That’s unacceptable.

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

PALIN: We have got to make sure that these weapons of mass destruction, that nuclear weapons are not given to those hands of Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them, but that he would allow terrorists to be able to use them. So we have got to put the pressure on Iran and we have got to count on our allies to help us, diplomatic pressure.

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.

PALIN: We need to pursue those and we need to implement those. We cannot back off. We cannot just concede that, oh, gee, maybe they’re going to have nuclear weapons, what can we do about it. No way, not Americans. We do not have to stand for that.

Laughably, a remark by Gibson that indicated he agreed with Palin was edited out:

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.

That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie. And I do believe, though, that this war against extreme Islamic terrorists is the right thing. It’s an unfortunate thing, because war is hell and I hate war, and, Charlie, today is the day that I send my first born, my son, my teenage son overseas with his Stryker brigade, 4,000 other wonderful American men and women, to fight for our country, for democracy, for our freedoms.

Charlie, those are freedoms that too many of us just take for granted. I hate war and I want to see war ended. We end war when we see victory, and we do see victory in sight in Iraq.

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 took her point about Lincoln's words but we wouldn't know that by watching the interview since it was left on the cutting room floor. I urge everybody to see just how the unedited version of the first interview compared to what we saw on television  by checking out the full transcript. It is a fascinating look into media manipulation via skillful editing.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: 2008; abc; abcnews; bias; charliegibson; chucklestheclown; democrats; dncmediamachine; dnctv; elections; enemedia; gibson; gibsonpalin; inquisition; interrogation; interview; marklevin; mccainpalin; mediabias; mediagestapo; msm; obamedia; palin; propagandawingofdnc; sarahpalin
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300301-313 next last
To: coffee260

Send Drudge this link. This has to get out. I don’t see it in any of the headlines- not even FOX.


261 posted on 09/13/2008 10:44:14 AM PDT by keats5 ("I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing."- Rudy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

I heard a fellow from the Alaska press say that this interview with Gibson didn’t seem like Palin at all. He siad she’s terrific during her Alaskan press conferences, and that is a better venue for her.


262 posted on 09/13/2008 10:49:25 AM PDT by keats5 ("I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing."- Rudy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: se_ohio_young_conservative
I have a book on this nonsense edited by a guy named Fetzer, The Great Zapruder Film Hoax: Deceit and Deception in the Death of JFK. It's real moonbat stuff.

As four your four second gap, if it exists, it's quite possible that Zapruder wasn't continuously rolling the film. As I recall those cameras held about two minutes worth of film; so not much. It's also possible that in some 8mm cameras one had to keep a button depressed in order to keep the film rolling making gaps almost inevitable.

ML/NJ

263 posted on 09/13/2008 10:52:43 AM PDT by ml/nj
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: PJ-Comix

I didn’t see you pinged on your own article.


264 posted on 09/13/2008 11:02:22 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (What's "Price Gouging"? Should government force us to sell to the 15th highest bidder on eBay?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
It was stupid and biased to do it, but I have even less respect for ABC than before (if that is even possible) because it seemed the equivalent of writing a bank robbery note for the teller on the back of one of your own personal checks.

ABC isn't a machine--it's a television producer staffed by lots of people. I wonder if any people were told to edit things but had sufficient qualm about doing so that they deliberately held shots a little too long so as to show where Palin's answers were cut.

Also, am I the only one who thought it strange the way the interview segments ended with an abrupt stop, rather than any sort of closing or semi-closing ("Back right after this") remarks on the set?

265 posted on 09/13/2008 11:10:59 AM PDT by supercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Scarpetta
Sarah should only agree to LIVE INTERVIEWS from now on.

Exactly. She can't subject herself to this again. Far more people saw the biased, edited interview on ABC than will see any articles about the heavy editing and the original transcript.

266 posted on 09/13/2008 11:11:34 AM PDT by Cinnamontea
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
Well, I got a response from ABC:
As you can imagine, we receive thousands of messages a day from our viewers and while we appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback regarding our programming, we are not able to respond to each one directly.

We encourage you to continue to communicate with us!

Translation:
We really don't give a sh!+ about what you think. That comment box is there to make our viewers think they are important to us, but they are not.

Please feel free to bang your head against a brick wall.

ML/NJ
267 posted on 09/13/2008 11:12:51 AM PDT by ml/nj
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: keats5

That’s what I thought. Stop “handling” Palin and stop putting her in positions where the Stalinist media can air-brush out her good-points.

Just put her out there, in the world, and let her take on the wolves. I trust her to do it with grace and excellence.


268 posted on 09/13/2008 11:13:41 AM PDT by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 262 | View Replies]

To: ozark hilljilly

You said: “...Aside from slanting the view, was there another reason to be less than professional with the editing?...”

My response:

I think being under the influence of hate is a lot like being under the influence of alcohol; it affects your judgment.


269 posted on 09/13/2008 11:20:07 AM PDT by keats5 ("I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing."- Rudy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 249 | View Replies]

Comment #270 Removed by Moderator

To: coffee260

I did send them a short note

I reviewed the original transcript of your interview with Sarah Palin and compared it to the highly edited broadcast version.

Shame on you people

Dan Rather was perhaps duped, you people are just hateful.


271 posted on 09/13/2008 11:23:43 AM PDT by UB355 ( Slower traffic keep right)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj
As I recall those cameras held about two minutes worth of film; so not much. It's also possible that in some 8mm cameras one had to keep a button depressed in order to keep the film rolling making gaps almost inevitable.

The standard roll for an 8mm camera is 25 feet long and holds five seconds per foot on each side. One must load the film away from direct sunlight, shoot about two minutes, of which the first and last portions will destroyed in loading and unloading, then take out the film and turn it over--also away from direct sunlight--and shoot the other half. One must then remember not to turn the film over and shoot it a third time.

If the Zapruder film is Kodachrome or Ektachrome (as would seem likely for its vintage), and there is exactly one splice with 25 feet of film on either side, missing footage would only be a factor in assessing authenticity if the amount of 'missing' time at the splice was unusually short. Camera films stocks are different from duplication film stocks, so any 'edits' that appear on a camera film would represent material that was never photographed.

272 posted on 09/13/2008 11:30:58 AM PDT by supercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 263 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

Why does the GOP agree to let Gibson and his ilk moderate the debate(s)?

I guess because in the final analysis, we’re still the Stupid Party.


273 posted on 09/13/2008 11:31:50 AM PDT by freespirited (Obama's idea of change: from D.C. politics as usual to Chicago politics as usual.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UB355
I like that. I'm going to send a version of it if you don't mind.
274 posted on 09/13/2008 11:32:07 AM PDT by Cinnamontea
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

Has everyone noticed the link to Zer0bama’s DNC campaign? What a waste of air space.


275 posted on 09/13/2008 11:32:24 AM PDT by gathersnomoss (General George Patton had it right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UB355
What' the email address you used?


276 posted on 09/13/2008 11:33:04 AM PDT by Cinnamontea
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: Cinnamontea
Bump
277 posted on 09/13/2008 11:52:39 AM PDT by Cinnamontea
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 276 | View Replies]

To: Diogenesis
On top of boycotting ABC sponsors, go and send a note to these companies that you are boycotting them for being sponsors on a deceptive network. Don't just quit.
278 posted on 09/13/2008 11:57:30 AM PDT by hermgem (Will Olmr)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: Bailee

Don’t “insist” there be no editing- do them LIVE or not at all.


279 posted on 09/13/2008 12:12:52 PM PDT by Burr5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4mKWceq0vY


280 posted on 09/13/2008 12:25:46 PM PDT by sweetiepiezer (I have a friend and pal in SARAH!!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 241-260261-280281-300301-313 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson