I just realized- Couric must really despise Palin.

[Mother Of Four]

(DISCLAIMER: I don't really care for Couric, but it's not because of gossip- it's because she allows her assignment to fluff pieces to stay in her career field)

All her career Couric has been fighting the image of being the "cute" girl that got her way by flirting to the top and being a fluff piece expert. To the extent of having to wear short skits to get ratings (Example- when she had Jay Leno/Simon and such on)

Along comes Palin, the epitome of everything Couric has been trying to squash down to be considered a "serious" journalist.
Just a couple of short years after she got the golden ring she'd been looking for- an anchor on the weekday evening news. Now once again, she's on a fluff piece and you can TELL by the expression on her face that she desperately wants to do her job. (Blink blink, stone expression, followed by WTF look, then blink blink)


How much do you want to bet Katie REALLY wants to smack the CRAP out of Palin?


:popcorn:

[justiceischeap]

1. Palin is the stereotype Couric was/is trying to get away from

And I don't blame her one bit. Think what you will about Couric but she's done some damn good interviews in her past. Let's not forget when she interviewed Poppy & Mommy Bush and pissed them off. They thought this cute, puff piece reporter was coming to do a heartwarming interview and she went in for the kill.

[Mother Of Four]

3. ---

Also, something I found out recently that REALLY made me take a second look at Couric was her Cancer awareness courage. Colon and breast exams done publicly. Her first husband AND sister dying from forms of cancer...

This woman hasn't had it easy at all, no matter what the "gossip" likes to say.

[sammytko]

9. I wonder if Sarah has ever come up against a really

attractive, intelligent and very important well groomed female?

There was Lyda Green, that she mocked for being fat.

To be shallow, I think the contrast of her sitting next to Katie, in a really nice expensive outfit and Sarah in her pink top, black shirt, gray skirt ensemble, made her feel bad.

Not only is her lipliner tatooted, so is her eyeliner and eyebrows...

And that is my catty comment for the day!

[Retrograde]

38. like Hillary Clinton?

Or Barbara Boxer? Diane Feinstein? Nancy Pelosi? Kathleen Sebelius? Barbara Lee? Or any other woman in the House or Senate?

Or even Condi Rice?

She'd get chewed up and spit out in a nanosecond.

[Zenlitened]

22. Palin is the stereotype MILLIONS of women all across America...

... have been struggling against in the workplace for decades.

:thumbsup:

[Shine]

2. I don't think she despises Sarah as much as she is bemused by her.

Also, I don't consider her interview of Palin a "fluff piece" at all. She asked her some pretty great questions which managed to show how LITTLE Palin is ready for the VP job. In that sense, her interview was incredibly valuable. I think Katie redeemed herself, professionally, quite a bit.

[Mother Of Four]

6. Let me clarify-

I think M/P and others THOUGHT it was going to be a fluff piece, and it's turning into a disaster for the M/P ticket. Even though it's really bad for them, you can still tell that Couric is on somewhat of a leash.

I wish with all my heart that the times she reigns herself in, she just ONE time let's herself go.

(Edited to try for clarity)

[PA Democrat]

24. Yes. I think that Palin was expecting Katie to ask questions

based upon their common ground, and that is that both are working moms in demanding professions. Notice how Palin brought her one daughter along to the interview, probably to encourage just that type of questioning.

But what they failed to consider, is that Katie Couric wants to break out of the mold of the perky morning show host doing light, feel-good interviews. Couric is fighting to be taken seriously. There's no way she was going to give Palin the type of interview she was hoping for if she cared about her own career.

[gblady]

13. I agree...

I think her interviews have been instrumental
in "outing" Palin's inexperience and naivety...
and her total unpreparedness for being VP

[krkaufman]

14. Gotta agree. Couric *has* redeemed herself, at least in my eyes.

Not necessarily fully-redeemed, but her questioning of Palin wasn't the fluff piece I was expecting (or apparently the cakewalk the McCain campaign thought it might be). Couric's questions haven't been all that tough, but at least Katie's asked followups, in some cases, when Palin's dodged.

[juno jones]

4. There is probably some rivalry.

They are peers of a sort as 'journalists'. I suspect Katie Couric resents this untalented upstart who has based an entire career on her ability to pout at men. Heck, Katie surely has far better creds in the journalism field than "6-school" Palin could ever scrape together. On one level, we're seeing why Katie made the big leagues and Sarah was a mere regional sportscaster.


I'm sure Ifill won't be impressed either.

[gravity]

5. Palin really boosted Couric's career

I bet people will take her more seriously as a journalists now

[BlooInBloo]

7. Au contraire. Katie is happier than a pig in shit that she found someone dumber than she is...

Katie LOVES Palin.

[rusty charly]

8. I was thinking yesterday:

Palin has finally given Couric "gravitas."

[demnan]

10. Her sister who died of cancer

Was destined for a career in Democratic politics and would have run in Virginia as Lt Governor had she not gotten sick. She probably thinks of the career her sister might have had.

[krkaufman]

15. Damn. However glamorous her life might be, she's had some tough experiences.

(loss of sister, husband. ugh.)

[LostinVA]

29. She also had a top-notch education at UVA, where she excelled

Including being invited to reside on "The Lawn." That's better than winning a Rhodes Scholarship if you go to UVA.

[Shakespeare]

32. Her husband died of cancer, as well. n/t

[irish.lambchop]

11. I don't suppose there's any way that Couric can reveal

what was actually going through her mind re Palin during these interviews - even after the mcCain ticket loses in Nov. - and still hold to unbiased journalism. I would love to know, though!

[gravity]

It was along the lines of "You're an idiot"

[tosh]

20. Couric did a great job of keeping a neutral face,

but her eyebrows spoke volumes.

[irish.lambchop]

25. Morse Code?

blink, blink, blink, eyebrow raise, eyebrow raise, blink, blink

[Lars39]

12. I'm still chuckling at her handling of Palin...

"Can you think of any?" :rofl: Catie could have said "can you name any?"
Truly made us wonder if Palin could think at all. :rofl:

[irish.lambchop]

16. I'm reminded of a parent helping a child with homework

without actually giving the child the answer.

[Lars39]

18. Yes! Lots of hints and opportunities, but the child just isn't up to that level.

[marshall]

17. You can see the disgust in Couric's face

Ms Perky has morphed into a Joan Crawford B movie.

[nosillies]

19. Every intelligent and attractive woman in the world should want to smack the crap out of Palin. n/t

[nancyr]

21. Palin is an insult to all women.

Every woman I know wants to slap the crap out of her. She's ghastly beyond words.

[closeupready]

23. I've never really liked Couric, but she did an EXCELLENT job with Palin, very fair.

I do respect her a little more for helping inform us as to Palin's lack of fitness for national office.

[northernlights]

26. Couric played it very, very smart

and did us all a favor in the process. McCain/Palin expected softball. They were outsmarted, but so were the people screaming for Palin to be grilled.

Couric's questions were exactly on the money. There was no need to "hardball" it, which could easily have backfired and gained sympathy for Palin. Too hard of questions would have given the rethugs an excuse and another reason to whine unfair.

Instead, she asked reasonable questions and gently persisted in trying to obtain answers. Nobody could honestly accuse her of laying traps or being "mean" to poor Palin.

Just hard enough questions -- totally fair questions -- and plenty of time for Palin to babble on inanely, laid bare her shocking level of ignorance for all but the most ignorant to plainly see.

[jillan]

33. I agree! I loved the expressions Couric used when she was trying to get Palin to be

more specific.

Like a couple of friends just talking - Oh come on, Sarah, you can tell ME!

Couric deserves a raise for finding out the depth (or lack of) of Sarah Palin.

[kiranon]

27. Doubt Couric thinks that way. She did a very good interview.

[Window]

28. I hope Katie writes a book about her experience with Palin.

[TxBlue]

30. Couric did a fantastic job as maybe only Couric could have with Palin

Who'd a thunka it?

I love the question "What newspapers do you read?"

Innocent, simple question that exposed of Palin's lack of any intellectual curiosity.
She didn't ask what great tomes of history, political science, economics or the like. Just what newspapers, current events did she read.


Is Katie from Virginia? UVA is an excellent school, nearly impossible to get in from out of state back in the day.

[Eyes_wide_ open]

36. Exactly!

IMO the most TELLING question in any of the miserable few interviews Palin's done. Easy, innocent, and also obviously totally unexpected, and Palin couldn't think of the name of even one. Even Joe Stupid, who doesn't read any more than she does, would know enough to say Time or Newsweek, mention his area's daily paper, anything other than "all of them".

It's all too obvious the woman has never had any interest in anything outside of Alaska, and that question showcases that better than any other could have.

Katie deserves KUDOS.

[rvablue]

31. Your post doesn't make sense

Getting one of the first interviews with a woman who potentially could be the next VP of the United States is a "fluff piece."
I don't think so.
It was one of the biggest opportunities she's gotten since taking the anchor chair to show her true mettle.

[Orsino]

34. Journalism is a new interest of Couric...

...who has spent years as something of an apologist for the Right, and big money interests in general.

Palin is an easy target for Couric, and a way to get big ratings without having to work hard at all. I think Couric appreciates Palin, even as she might be vaguely repulsed by Teh Stoopid.

[Essene]

35. I dont think Couric or Gibson were able to hide their lack of... amazement

[MANative]

37. I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Couric finished doing

any of these interviews. While Palin has been a help to Couric in re-establishing some of her journalistic credibility, there were clearly a couple of times when the side-long glance to someone off camera said "oh sheesh - is she really this dumb?" Watch (if you can stomach it!) the "what newspapers" interview where they are walking together. Katie also tends to purse her lips just a little when she's frustrated with her guest's response - and there were several of those moments in last night's session. Fascinating!

[undeterred]

39. During Hillary's campaign I realized how much all women

have been fighting in different ways. I am too, but I thought it was because I went into an all male field.

Katie Couric has been fighting to do well her whole career, just as Barbra Walters and Helen Thomas and Gwen Ifil and every other woman in journalism has. For every lucky break they've gotten the men have gotten 2 or 3 they probably didn't deserve. Sarah Palin did not deserve this VP chance in any sense and she isn't smart enough to figure it out.