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 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 301-313 next last
To: coffee260

Bump


41 posted on 09/13/2008 5:36:24 AM PDT by AmericaUnite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

Unbelievable even for the MSM. Editing out words from mid-sentence to change the meaning! This goes far beyond bias. This is strictly partisan activity.


42 posted on 09/13/2008 5:36:26 AM PDT by SampleMan (Community Organizer: What liberals do when they run out of college, before they run out of Marxism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj
They failed at getting what they wanted... even in the edited interview she still came across as calm, likable and knowledgeable. Sarah gave ABC nothing to work with that could be used against her and its going to be a long time before McCain-Palin does another MSM interview... unless they have the full unedited raw interview footage first. And it only confirmed for many Americans the MSM is enemy territory.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

43 posted on 09/13/2008 5:36:30 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

This is unbelievable. More bias than I ever imagined.


44 posted on 09/13/2008 5:36:39 AM PDT by nhwingut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

OUTSTANDING! Thanks for posting. Propagandist at work.


45 posted on 09/13/2008 5:36:51 AM PDT by PGalt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

The raw video is out there but only if you have access to the Internet. Hopefully, more and more of it will come out via Fox as well as alphabet tv and am/fm radio stations. The live debates will give McCain and Palin the opportunity to bring out what was buried as well


46 posted on 09/13/2008 5:37:48 AM PDT by Evil Slayer (Sarah Palin reminds me of the story about David and Goliath)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

I’ve had it with the mainstream press. I thought Charlie Gibson was one of the good ones left. This interview showed that he is in the liberal pocket. He was condescending, patronizing , and disrespectful of this courageous woman. Were the other candidates subjected to this elitist grilling? The MSM gets what they deserve. Brian, Tom, Stone, etc. make a moral choice and separate yourself from these wretched propagandists.


47 posted on 09/13/2008 5:37:52 AM PDT by 2nd Amendment
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Evil Slayer

Exactly. I feel even more confident now after reading this transcript. They can’t edit debates.


48 posted on 09/13/2008 5:38:34 AM PDT by nhwingut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Virginia Ridgerunner
Charlie is a first-class jackass!

And that's not just the way he votes.

49 posted on 09/13/2008 5:39:03 AM PDT by reg45
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: coffee260
Great article...

Sarah should only agree to LIVE INTERVIEWS from now on. I hope she considers an interview with Britt Hume.

50 posted on 09/13/2008 5:39:13 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Evil Slayer

I was disappointed (and remain disappointed) that McCain didn’t make more of fried-chicken-Obama refusing to meet him in townhall debates.


51 posted on 09/13/2008 5:39:16 AM PDT by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: coffee260
They also cut a strong portion from Sarah qhixch ended with "Look Charlie, we killed the Bridge to nowhere, and that's the bottom line", as she cut him off and pointed, looking forceful.

That clip appeared on Hannity and Colmes only 30 minutes before the 20/20 broadcast. I am convinced that the Obama Campaign called Gibson to take it out, and they complied.

ABC will say "we had to make edits because of time constraints". It is a lie. They had tons of extra time for a nasty hit-piece "bio" before the 20/20 segment, and time for a pointless after-interview analysis with Dee Dee Myers and backstabbing dingbat Torie Clarke.

52 posted on 09/13/2008 5:39:48 AM PDT by montag813 (www.BoycottUsWeekly.com | Fight the Smears)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief

LOL!


53 posted on 09/13/2008 5:39:59 AM PDT by mike-zed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: tobyhill

I believe he may be this election cycles Dan Rather


54 posted on 09/13/2008 5:40:23 AM PDT by No Socialist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

Charles Gibson is this cycle’s Dan Rather. He is finished.


55 posted on 09/13/2008 5:43:11 AM PDT by montag813 (www.BoycottUsWeekly.com | Fight the Smears)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

Thanks for the link. I just sent them an e-mail. When Mac and Sarah goes to the Whitehouse, all of these “news” outlets are going to pay hell.


56 posted on 09/13/2008 5:43:51 AM PDT by mmanager (What a mess we are in.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

What dirty lying bastards ABC is. This is totaly unacceptable. Editing is not supposed to change the meaning of anything said.

This is deliberate deception.


57 posted on 09/13/2008 5:44:18 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coffee260

I did send in a comment. What they edited out really changed the Palin’s responses to the questions. Then when you look at the questions asked of Obama as compared with Palin. Well we see there is still only one fair and balanced network...and it’s not ABC.


58 posted on 09/13/2008 5:44:51 AM PDT by woofer2425 (You will all be using Macs within 10 years)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ml/nj

I also sent a message telling Gibson that he was not fair and balanced and release of the entire interview will answer some questions.

That said, I think McCain knew it would be a hit piece and expose the MSNBC organization.


59 posted on 09/13/2008 5:45:41 AM PDT by healy61
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: No Socialist

"Nice shoes, Mr. Rather. Oh, and just one more thing...

It's probably just me, but there's something about these memos that doesn't add up."

I really apologize for not bringing this up earlier but.....

what do you think of the food they're serving at San Quenton?

60 posted on 09/13/2008 5:45:42 AM PDT by Evil Slayer (Sarah Palin reminds me of the story about David and Goliath)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 301-313 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