Our political Quote of the Day comes from Steve Benen who touches on what many mainstream and other pundits have noted: Sarah Palin in answering her critics does not face them head on by answering media questions (which could produce a political “home run” if handled correctly) but gets the last word (via Facebook, You Tube, Tweets and new and old media coverage) by issuing what when I was a staff reporter on newspapers were called “statements”:
I agree that responding to the tragedy by curtailing the First Amendment would be a mistake, but let’s be clear about the context: what Palin chooses to overlook is that Giffords has taken a leading role in trying to lower the temperature of those who engage in rhetorical excesses, and specifically complained publicly about Palin’s use of rifle crosshairs targeting Giffords’ district just last year.
To suggest that Giffords and Palin are on the same page on this is at odds with reality.
And with that, the former half-term governor will probably go back into hiding for a while, content with the knowledge that the media will air her video over and over again, and that she need not have the courage to answer questions to get her message out.
Palin had an opportunity to step up, demonstrate some real leadership, and prove to everyone that she deserves a role on the national stage. That opportunity is now gone, and Palin has failed.
Actually, to Palin’s admirers, she succeeded. Anytime she issues a “statement” they consider it the final definitive word. Which is her problem:
She continues to be a political figure who is not trying to rope in more than her existing base. That can be done by engaging with the media in questions.
Which is not being done.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.