Because to paraphrase Peggy Noonan off-air, they always go for that "political narrative bullshit."

There was never any way they were honest about her speech. Let's just be glad it's over and hope we can get some honesty now and in the VP debate (doubtful, but we can hope).

The real question is what do low info swing voters think. It's hard to know. Sometimes I think overplaying your hand may just as likely backfire, as with the GOP sexism cries and anger at the media. I'm sure a lot of women won't appreciate what they'll likely see as her getting selected solely b/c she's a woman.

The media isn't afraid of McCain and his campaign. McCain's people should be very very afraid of the media and this tactic of running against the media, keeping Palin away from interviews, will backfire big time. There's an old saying: Never get into a pissing contest with people who buy printer's ink by the truckload. Any campaign -- any campaign -- needs the media, or its message goes nowhere.

The biggest mistake is keeping her from the press. Even the dumbest of the dumb has to wonder why they don't want her to be interviewed. It's obvious that they're afraid she'll bungle it trying to talk about the economy and foreign policy, two issues that the press is chomping at the bit to corner her on, show her inexperience. The worst thing about this tactic is that reporters are like alligators -- you don't have to love them and you don't have to pet them, but you do have to feed them. If you give them nothing, they'll go after you because they have to. Behind every journalist is a big mean editor, pounding the desk and demanding a story. If you don't give them something, they'll dig where you didn't even know you had corners. This is PR crisis management 101.

It's going to get very interesting in the next couple of weeks.

The media isn't afraid of McCain and his campaign. McCain's people should be very very afraid of the media and this tactic of running against the media, keeping Palin away from interviews, will backfire big time. There's an old saying: Never get into a pissing contest with people who buy printer's ink by the truckload. Any campaign -- any campaign -- needs the media, or its message goes nowhere.

The biggest mistake is keeping her from the press. Even the dumbest of the dumb has to wonder why they don't want her to be interviewed. It's obvious that they're afraid she'll bungle it trying to talk about the economy and foreign policy, two issues that the press is chomping at the bit to corner her on, show her inexperience. The worst thing about this tactic is that reporters are like alligators -- you don't have to love them and you don't have to pet them, but you do have to feed them. If you give them nothing, they'll go after you because they have to. Behind every journalist is a big mean editor, pounding the desk and demanding a story. If you don't give them something, they'll dig where you didn't even know you had corners. This is PR crisis management 101.

It's going to get very interesting in the next couple of weeks.

The media isn't afraid of McCain and his campaign. McCain's people should be very very afraid of the media and this tactic of running against the media, keeping Palin away from interviews, will backfire big time. There's an old saying: Never get into a pissing contest with people who buy printer's ink by the truckload. Any campaign -- any campaign -- needs the media, or its message goes nowhere.

The biggest mistake is keeping her from the press. Even the dumbest of the dumb has to wonder why they don't want her to be interviewed. It's obvious that they're afraid she'll bungle it trying to talk about the economy and foreign policy, two issues that the press is chomping at the bit to corner her on, show her inexperience. The worst thing about this tactic is that reporters are like alligators -- you don't have to love them and you don't have to pet them, but you do have to feed them. If you give them nothing, they'll go after you because they have to. Behind every journalist is a big mean editor, pounding the desk and demanding a story. If you don't give them something, they'll dig where you didn't even know you had corners. This is PR crisis management 101.

It's going to get very interesting in the next couple of weeks.

The media isn't afraid of McCain and his campaign. McCain's people should be very very afraid of the media and this tactic of running against the media, keeping Palin away from interviews, will backfire big time. There's an old saying: Never get into a pissing contest with people who buy printer's ink by the truckload. Any campaign -- any campaign -- needs the media, or its message goes nowhere.

The biggest mistake is keeping her from the press. Even the dumbest of the dumb has to wonder why they don't want her to be interviewed. It's obvious that they're afraid she'll bungle it trying to talk about the economy and foreign policy, two issues that the press is chomping at the bit to corner her on, show her inexperience. The worst thing about this tactic is that reporters are like alligators -- you don't have to love them and you don't have to pet them, but you do have to feed them. If you give them nothing, they'll go after you because they have to. Behind every journalist is a big mean editor, pounding the desk and demanding a story. If you don't give them something, they'll dig where you didn't even know you had corners. This is PR crisis management 101.

It's going to get very interesting in the next couple of weeks.

The fact that they think the Enquirer is a valid news outlet speaks VOLUMES. I do agree that people need to hold the feet of the press to the fire. This is unacceptable for them to tip toe around this woman. Particularly after what they put the Obama campaign through.

"You guys are laughing now, but McCain/Palin has started to scare the shit out of the media with this bullying tactic."

Oh, Please. The National Enquirer is scared of the threat of a lawsuit? Come on, that's laughable.

Palin is a public figure, so lawsuits for libel or slander are nearly impossible to win. What else are they going to sue them for?

The fact is that the McBush campaign is ecstatic to have everyone talk about anything other than McBush.

That's the bottom line.

CFMA!!

Defamation suits can only be maintained by the defamed person, not relatives, running mates, etc.

What legal theory are you considering when you see McCain as a plaintiff?

He could join as a party. But no he cannot bring the suit himself.

Wrong.

Defamation suits are PERSONAL torts. The story would have to print a falsehood about McCain in order for McCain to have standing to pursue a defamation claim. And this is all aside from the fact that you run into the "public figure" buzz saw for pursuing this suit on behalf of a politician.

It won't happen. It's just posturing to get the N.E. to back off, and I'm pretty sure N.E. is more of an expert at this game than the McCain camp, so I doubt if it will be all that effective.

How can you state that so positively? Do you base that on something in the Enquirer's story?

Should the story be true, by rights it shouldn't disqualify her. It ought to be considered a private matter. But of course the precedents are inconsistent as with Henry Hyde and Bob Livingston.

Should this be true we ought to refrain from
trumpeting our pleasure . Both because we
ought to consider it a private matter and because to the extent we pile on , that will become the issue.