Katie Couric single-handedly destroyed Sarah Palin as a candidate for vice president

[We tip Janet Napolitano and Bill Richardson for Obama's cabinet]

 

Everyone in the John McCain campaign, from McCain downward, thought Katie Couric's CBS Evening News would be a good opportunity to showcase their VP pick, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. Couric would obviously not be as accommodating as Sean Hannity of Fox News, but no McCain staffer believed Couric would be tough on Palin. They expected an easy interview, in which telegenic Palin, the everywoman hockey mom, would shine. The first sign of trouble was Palin's refusal to prepare properly. She wouldn't read and wouldn't be coached. Nicole Wallace, a campaign staffer who knew Katie Couric, tried to impress upon Palin how necessary it was to do background reading, but the Alaska governor either couldn't or wouldn't. One McCain spokesperson said Palin lacked the necessary "bandwidth" for debate and interview preparation. She couldn't concentrate and she hated details.

Sarah Palin's Pitiful Answers to Simple Questions On Russia: "And it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where -- where do they go, Katie? It's Alaska. Those Russian planes leave Russia and where are they? They're in Alaska. Think about it. It's just over the border. It's from Alaska that we send those people of ours to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there." On poor poll results: "I'm not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who's more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who's actually done it?" When asked three times to name examples of McCain's record on deregulation: "I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you."

Palin also believed, falsely as it turned out, that Couric owed her respect as the Republican Party's first female vice presidential candidate. Palin expected the interview to be nothing more than an opportunity to present her ideas, explain how wonderful she was, and slam Obama.

Palin and her advisors failed to take into account that Couric had struggles of her own. She was fighting for her survival as a serious news journalist. Couric's high profile move to CBS had not gone as well as anyone had hoped, ratings were low, and there was a niggling suspicion that Couric was a lightweight.

Couric wanted to eliminate this gossip once and for all. She saw herself as better than ABC's Charles Gibson and the equal of any of the male star news presenters. The Palin interview was Couric's opportunity to shine.

Couric has a disarming manner which can make unwary politicians relax, believing they are off the hook, then Couric will throw a tough question into the mix, pause and wait for your answer. If your answer is poor, she'll push you. If your second attempt is bad, she'll push you again. She'll let you wrap yourself in knots, she won't help you, and she'll no sign that she knows you're sinking fast.

Palin came unstuck with Couric as soon as the questions moved to subjects demanding more than platitudes as answers. Palin tried to bluff her way through, disappearing in a web of subclauses, meaningless, meandering sentences, and cheap slogans. It's not that Couric's questions were tough but that Palin had no grasp of any issue beyond Alaska and energy.

McCain staff watching the interviews sank into their chairs embarrassed. "Oh my god, oh my god," they could be heard saying. Senior staffers wanted to know what had gone wrong with Palin's prep. Nicole Wallace defended herself, saying Palin had point blank refused to prepare.

In contrast, the Obama team were all smiles and laughter. In front of their eyes, a wheel had just fallen off the already wobbly McCain machine. Palin was a disaster, which threw McCain's judgment into doubt. How could he choose such a woman? What was he thinking? Was he really that desperate?

After the Couric interviews, Palin was barely allowed to open her mouth to the press. She had to be kept under wraps until the vice presidential debate with Joe Biden on October 2, 2008, a debate in which Palin performed adequately but not well.

The Couric interviews were the beginning of the end for McCain-Palin. What had started as a bold, maverick move by McCain was seen as a desperate measure by a desperate man.

Sarah Palin never recovered from the Couric interviews, and she had to suffer the humiliation of watching her double, Tina Fey, mocking her on SNL week after week. It was very sad and very funny.