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The Sarah Palin Phenomenon Is Doomed (Barf)
cBS ^ | September 15, 2008 | Jon Friedman

Posted on 09/15/2008 12:15:39 PM PDT by Red Steel

MarketWatch Columnist Jon Friedman Warns The Media Live To Build You Up, Then Knock You Down

The Sarah Palin Phenomenon is doomed.

But it's not because of her lack of foreign policy experience or her deer-in-the-headlights look during part of her interview last week with ABC's Charles Gibson.

The primary reason why the Palin bubble will burst is that the media will decide that they are bored with her. They'll need to move to shine a light on a fresh issue or individual.

This is how the world works in the age of 24/7 news cycles. Whether the subject is Britney Spears, Michael Jordan or Sarah Palin, we inevitably raise stars to mythic levels, out of all reasonable proportions. Then we knock them down. (Look out, Michael Phelps. Your time is coming, too.)

It isn't a case of quixotic behavior by reporters and editors. Internet sites, blogs and cable news operations all thrive on presenting fresh headlines and updated story angles as often as possible so readers think we're on top of things. The news world moves at warp speed.

Palin's story is especially captivating because she emerged as an overnight sensation. The governor of Alaska was virtually unknown on the national scene before Sen. John McCain tapped her to be his running mate. Amid the media crush accompanying her rise, it now seems as if Palin has been around forever.

For as long as she has been in the public eye, people have been skeptical about her qualifications, but the allure of her beginner's pluck catapulted Palin to the covers of magazines ranging from Time to People.

The interview with Gibson may be remembered as the first brick being pulled out of the wall. The reviews weren't favorable from the media in the segments when Gibson asked Palin questions about foreign policy.

For instance, the New York Times called the exchange "strained." The Washington Post-owned Slate went so far as to say that "The ABC News anchor flummoxes the GOP amateur."

I'll be interested to see how Palin -- not to mention McCain and the Republican campaign machine -- reacts when the media's disillusionment sets in for real. Their actions may determine the course of the 2008 race.

If they handle the media's about-face with aplomb, her chances of looking, well, vice-presidential will be enhanced. But if Palin's handlers blow it out of proportion and show a strain, their behavior will reflect negatively on her.

Gibson, as dignified a newsperson as America has now, treated Palin fairly and didn't resort to hectoring her with "gotcha" questions, either.

Palin's supporters may be chagrined that their candidate didn't sound more self-assured or expert when she discussed Alaska's relationship to Russia. But Gibson didn't try to trip her up. He pretty much asked the kinds of questions I would have put to Palin as well.

Gibson treated her with the respect befitting a vice presidential candidate. ABC, while discussing the interview Friday on "Good Morning America" unleashed political correspondent Jake Tapper to assess the "truthiness" of Palin's remarks on the ABC show.

The television networks appear to be treating Palin carefully, trying hard not to seem sexist or liberal or come across as intellectual, big-city bullies.

When ABC noted that Tapper had found a few holes in Palin's comments (though nothing earth shattering), the network took pains to add that it, too, would be dissecting the statements of Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Specifically, Palin seemed to have little idea about the Bush Doctrine, in which the U.S must spread democracy around the world to halt terrorist acts. When Gibson put it to her and asked if she agreed with the doctrine, she answered, "In what respect, Charlie?"

Some analysts have suggested that Gibson knew more about the Bush Doctrine than the vice-presidential candidate.

"She sidestepped questions on whether she had the national security credentials needed to be commander-in-chef," the Associated Press noted.

Since we're all clear on the nuances of the Bush Doctrine, we can move on to the Fickle Media Doctrine.

Now that we've built you up, it's about time for us to knock you down.

Can Sarah Palin withstand the body blows that are being inflicted by the national media?

The media aren't the bad guys in the Palin discussion. It's easy to accuse us of acting like sexists or big-city egomaniacs. Let's be real, though. McCain selected Palin for exactly those reasons - because she is a woman from a little-known state, who can take some of the heat off McCain and behave like an attack dog against Barack Obama. So far, the Republicans' plan has worked to perfection, as Palin has dominated the political discourse over the past few weeks. Now we'll see if she has the right stuff to go the distance.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: death2america; hatefilledlefties; hatred4america; mccainpalin; sarahpalin
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To: Red Steel

Jon Friedman: “Alex, I’ll have ‘media phuckwits who need a clue’ for $100!”

Alex Trebek: “Jon Friedman!”


21 posted on 09/15/2008 12:26:19 PM PDT by mkjessup ("It's the ONE! it be the ONE!! Look Ethel, it's the ONE! - ** BEHOLD HIS MIGHTY HAND! ** [oh my!])
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To: Lx

“Now that we’ve built you up, it’s about time for us to knock you down.”
“Bad premise, wrong candidate”

Absolutely!

The MSM tried to abort Sarah from conception.


22 posted on 09/15/2008 12:26:24 PM PDT by Mrs.Z ("...you're a Democrat. You're expected to complain and offer no solutions." Denny Crane)
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To: ConservativeGreek

When they found out what she represented, how she lived her life, and how genuine she is,

they immediately, like the screaming minions of Satan that they are, went into a gnashing attack mode.


23 posted on 09/15/2008 12:26:45 PM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Red Steel

“Specifically, Palin seemed to have little idea about the Bush Doctrine, in which the U.S must spread democracy around the world to halt terrorist acts.”

I thought Gibson said the Bush doctrine was about preemptive strikes

what a dumb article


24 posted on 09/15/2008 12:27:05 PM PDT by ari-freedom (We never hide from history. We make history!)
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To: Red Steel
The reviews weren't favorable from the media

Well, what the H*ll would you expect?

25 posted on 09/15/2008 12:27:09 PM PDT by NewHampshireDuo (Earth - Taking care of itself since 4.6 billion BC)
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To: Red Steel
The reviews weren't favorable from the media

Well, what the H*ll would you expect?

26 posted on 09/15/2008 12:27:52 PM PDT by NewHampshireDuo (Earth - Taking care of itself since 4.6 billion BC)
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To: Red Steel
The primary reason why the Obama bubble will burst is that the media will decide that they are bored with him. They'll need to move to shine a light on a fresh issue or individual.

This is how the world works in the age of 24/7 news cycles. Whether the subject is Britney Spears, Michael Jordan or Barack Obaman, we inevitably raise stars to mythic levels, out of all reasonable proportions. Then we knock them down.

27 posted on 09/15/2008 12:27:56 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Does anyone remember the olden days when the US presidential election was boring?)
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To: jersey117
Are they watching the same polls and rallies we are? These people are dillusional.

The media really believe that they are so much smarter than other mortals. They fancy themselves "kingmakers." It is they who choose the candidates and they are the ones that decide who will win. They will make stuff up in order to make sure that "their choice" does not lose. (Dan Rather arrogantly set his pants on fire 4 years ago)

They were so blindsided and gobsmacked by Palin that it led to this momentous panic and confusion.

28 posted on 09/15/2008 12:28:04 PM PDT by Alouette (Vicious Babushka)
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To: Red Steel

Complete fiction, a fairy tale, a complete fabrication of events.

Amazing!


29 posted on 09/15/2008 12:28:07 PM PDT by roses of sharon (The MSM vampires must die!)
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To: Red Steel

The primary reason why the Palin bubble will burst is that the media will decide that they are bored with her.

he is so bored that he decides to write an entire article just on Palin.


30 posted on 09/15/2008 12:29:56 PM PDT by ari-freedom (We never hide from history. We make history!)
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To: Red Steel
"deer in the headlights"?

This guy is delusional. And the media has, from the start, tried to tear Palin down. Not build her up. Her popularity is, in part, due to people's absolute disdain and disgust with the media. But those compulsive masturbators don't understand that.

31 posted on 09/15/2008 12:30:20 PM PDT by webrover
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To: Red Steel
the media will decide that they are bored with her.

YAWN... Last time I checked, middle American voters outnumbered those dufus's 10,000 to 1.

32 posted on 09/15/2008 12:30:27 PM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: MrB
"Leaving a legacy of 8 Roberts/Scalia/Alito ideological clones on the USSC bench."

Leaving also a legacy of inspiring thousands of small town conservatives to run for higher office and take back their government from the elitist attorneys.
33 posted on 09/15/2008 12:30:38 PM PDT by j_k_l
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To: Red Steel
Now that we've built you up, it's about time for us to knock you down.

The media thinks that it built up Sarah Palin? Brahahahahahaaaaaagh

Can Sarah Palin withstand the body blows that are being inflicted by the national media?

Taking it and punching back. Will the media stop whining when Palin deals a few blows of her own? Naaaaaw!

The media aren't the bad guys in the Palin discussion.

Yes they are!

It's easy to accuse us of acting like sexists or big-city egomaniacs.

And there's a reason that the accusations are resonating.

Let's be real, though. McCain selected Palin for exactly those reasons - because she is a woman from a little-known state

Alaska is a little known state? I guess Friedman needs to open a geography book

34 posted on 09/15/2008 12:30:49 PM PDT by Smedley (It's a sad day for American capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park)
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To: Red Steel

He’s right, the media will get bored with her... Team Mcain needs to adjust properly...


35 posted on 09/15/2008 12:32:01 PM PDT by bahblahbah (http://explorations.chasrmartin.com/2008/09/06/palin-rumors/)
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To: Red Steel
or her deer-in-the-headlights look during part of her interview last week with ABC's Charles Gibson

Apparently he watched a different interview than I did.

36 posted on 09/15/2008 12:32:14 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (If I wanted a Chicago politician as my President, I'd vote for Richard Daley)
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To: Red Steel

Mr. Freidman

37 posted on 09/15/2008 12:32:15 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Red Steel; SierraWasp; tubebender; BOBTHENAILER

Is he another one of Market Watche’s GayFrisco hot tub boys?


38 posted on 09/15/2008 12:33:56 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (I do not want to know the type of person, who does not like Sarah Palin!)
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To: Lx

The guy doesn’r see straight. Thje MSM has been trying to knock her down since she burst on the scene at Akron. If they have built her up, it is because they have devoted such much time to take her down. Even the interview was a concession to the media’s demand to know more than they are entiled to know about any candidate. They were furious at the McCain campaign for hiding their cards so well, and have demanded a whole new deal.


39 posted on 09/15/2008 12:34:29 PM PDT by RobbyS (ECCE homo)
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To: roses of sharon

“Complete fiction, a fairy tale, a complete fabrication of events.”

Libs wouldn’t call it “Complete fiction, rather they refer to it as “Framing The Debate”...

Witness this Chief KOS-Moonbat Markos paid-for Research 2000 “poll”.

Palin’s rapid fade
by kos
Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 02:16:23 PM EDT
Here are Sarah Palin’s daily approval numbers from the Daily Kos/Research 2000 tracking poll:

Approve Disapprove No Opinion
9/11: 52 35 13 +17
9/12: 51 37 12 +14
9/13: 49 40 11 +9
9/14: 47 42 11 +5
9/15: 47 43 10 +4

In the span of five days, Palin has gone from +17 to +4 — a statistically significant shift. This includes the Gibson interview as well as the media’s sudden focus late last week on the Palin/McCain lies. In comparison, Biden is at 48/32/20, Obama is at 54/38/8, and McCain is at 51/45/4.

Of course, Markos in a LATER post admits that he is using a “Heavy” Democrat Bias, and is even dumb enough to post the numbers!

D: 35
I: 30
R: 26
O:9

This is the Meme they want to push:
“Palin is FADING!” to steer the media away from her, and
“McCAIN LIES!!!, PALIN LIES!!, REPUBLICANS LIE!!”

This is what the idiots running Obama’s campaign are reduced to now. Push-polling and screaming “LIES!! IT”S ALL LIES!!”. Hillary must be beside herself, realizaing she lost to these morons...


40 posted on 09/15/2008 12:36:02 PM PDT by tcrlaf (SARAH PALIN-The American Everywoman (Yes, You Really CAN!))
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