This has to be enshrined as one of the premiere moments in television news.
CNN’s Jack Cafferty rolled tape of Sarah Palin’s interview with Katie Couric. Couric asked Palin about the expense of the White House’s Wall Street bailout proposal. Palin gave a rambling and non-responsive answer. But what came after is even more startling.
When the camera returned to Cafferty he merely stared into it for a few profound seconds and then said that that was one of the most pathetic things he has ever seen. He said if you aren’t afraid that she is a 72 year old heartbeat from the presidency, you should be.
Then Wolf Blitzer tried to cover for Palin by saying that she was just trying to squeeze a lot into her answer. To which Cafferty replied:
“Don’t make excuses for her. That was pathetic.”
Cowed, but still deferential, Blitzer said it wasn’t one of Palin’s best moments. Does anyone have an example of one of Palin’s best, unscripted moments?
This is more evidence for why it so important for McCain to loosen the chains on Palin and let her speak. Most of the media doesn’t have the honesty and courage of Cafferty. But our nation’s future is riding on this: The Palin Watch
Addendumb: Later on Blitzer’s program he interviewed Lou Dobbs about tonight’s debate. Dobbs defied the reality that he is an anchor for one of the most prominent news enterprises in the world when he said…
“Imagine what it would take for the liberal national media to declare McCain the winner.”
Did he mean the same liberal national media for whom he works? Or maybe Fox News? Or GE, or Disney, or Viacom, or Simmons, or Comcast, or Tribune, or AP, or ….. ? The same media that employs Blitzer, Palin’s official apologist? Besides, Dobbs must not have heard that McCain won the debate before it even started.
I haven’t watched CNN in probably ten years. Jack Cafferty has gotten my attention in the last few months because I’m a curmudgeon too, only I’m 25 years younger.
When Cafferty said Palin was pathetic, I was proud that someone actually laid it bare with that much conviction.
Now – what is truly pathetic is that Wolf Blitzer – a guy who epitomizes what “left leaning bias in the media” means in the eyes of the Right – falling all over himself to defend Palin.
Wolf – do you defend Palin because she was unfairly portrayed by the media as someone whos’ incompetent with clever editing and soundbite manipulation? I don’t see it.
That’s one of the longest unbroken clips ever shown in any context on any network – it was worse in it’s un-edited form, Wolf – so there wasn’t anyone but Palin left to defend what prevented her from knowing anything about the job she is being asked to do.
Jack Cafferty, I hardly know ya. But I’m going to make an effort to do so now, because you just showed genuine human emotion in the glare of the headlights. That’s refreshing.