Open thread: Palin and Couric on foreign policy

People have been bringing up Reagan, and I remember very clearly how different it was watching him handle those pressers, as compared to his speeches. He often looked unsure of himself, and when asked questions, he would answer the question he wanted to answer, not necessarily the question that was asked. Sometimes those were painful to me to watch, but very quickly they became a rare ocurrence. The press didn’t like it at all, but Reagan had b*tch-slapped them so hard about their rude behavior that half of them were wearing red to the pressers because they knew it was Nancy’s favorite color. The reason it didn’t matter that Reagan wasn’t always so great on his feet was that Reagan was speaking past the press to the American people. That’s what Palin needs to do. If Katie asks her an obnoxious follow-up which is clearly her way of saying, “You didn’t answer the question to my satisfaction,” (e.g. the question about Russia) Palin should just smile, look at the camera, and say, “You know what Katie? I like to think that some of the pilots who are charged with protecting the air-space over Alaska, and I’ve spent time with them by the way, I like to think that some of them are watching, and those that are, I’m sure they understood what I said.” Next! She is strongest at connecting with the people, that’s why the crowds are showing up in such numbers. She should just remember, all the time, that she is speaking to them, right past, through, or over the head of whatever dweeb reporter is hocking her half to death. What a great way to neutralize the agenda of the reporter, by inserting her own agenda, and reminding everyone of what she said at the RNC–”I didn’t come here to seek your good opinion of me, I came here to serve the American people.”

smellthecoffee on September 25, 2008 at 7:50 PM