Sarah Palin on Dick Cheney: Too bad about that hunting accident

It seems like CBS has strung out Katie Couric's interview with Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin longer than just about any in presidential history, or television history for that matter.

Tonight's installment, aired before the debate, featured Couric asking both Palin and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden to name the best and worst things that the incumbent vice president, Dick Cheney, has done over the last eight years.

Biden was substantive. Citing Cheney's approval of torture and his fierce defense of the president's prerogative to make unilateral decisions without consulting Congress, Biden said Cheney had "done more harm than any other single elected official in my memory in terms of shredding the Constitution." As for praise, Biden cited Cheney's strength under duress, saying, "I admire his willingness to take positions that are completely contrary to popular opinion."

Palin was not as policy-oriented. Citing as Cheney's worst moment the "duck-hunting accident" in which he accidentally shot his friend Harry Whittington, Palin, who hunts animals with rifles from airplanes, explained that the accident "was made into a caricature of him, and that was kind of unfortunate."

As for his best achievement, Palin, whose oldest son has just deployed to Iraq, said Cheney has "shown his support along with George W. Bush of our troops."

Here's the clip.

— Johanna Neuman

Comments

[abby0802]

Can Palin answer a question directly? Can she answer a question without distorting the truth? Can she answer a question without resorting to rhetoric that doesn't relate to the question?

No!, No!, No!

She is unqualified, inexperienced, and too in the far right field to be vice president.

The debate seems like it is between a mature statesman (Sen. Biden) and a high school beauty queen reciting all the little catch-phrases she had to memorize to try to win a beauty crown.

[Krish]

Hope Palin doesn't shoot McCain in the face during one of her moose-hunting trips. If she does, she can still say, "it was made into a caricature of me, and that is kind of sexist".

[Ila]

I think Joe Biden had tough position then sara for answering Questions. Sarah Palin being young women was in a good position. She was only looked at as if she could stand there and discuss rather than she could discuss it properly and technically. Many times she went on different subject and many places she did not answer more than description of her party rather than technicality of the subject. If there was a man in place of her, it was Joe Biden's winning in terms of technicality of answer. He knew what he was talking.

I am not against women as I am a women myself but that doesn't give me right to be unfair to men

[leapblog]

Palin - it's time to let the grown ups get back to business and address the real issues that Americans confront on a daily basis. I would normally advise someone in your position to bow out gracefully but that would only give McCain a better chance of winning in November - so, please, keep on keepin' on..........

[Lokken Liane]

I think Biden trounced Palin completely. He stayed pretty cool, answered the questions, which she did not, and used all his knowledge and experience to maximum effect. I respected him even more after the debate. He also made mince-meat out of John McCain, which is more important anyway.

So Sarah can talk. She can wriggle out of answering direct questions and attacks on McCain. That's all she did. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. The media is being awfully kind to her. (never thought I'd say that!)

[Vonn]

I think Palin did better then anyone expected but she lacks substance and her answers were canned and repetitive.When she didn't know what to say she just brought in her own agenda. Just because she didn't totally implode like she did with the Couric interview did not make her VP material or a good debator.

I think Biden answered the questions honestly and with knowledge. No, he is not a dynamic speaker, that is a gift that few have, but he knows what he is talking about. Are we looking for showmanship or experience and knowledge?

[John]

I found the debate to be totally sexist. If it had been fair then Sen.Biden would have been allowed to tear Sarah Palin to shreds. It couldn't happen to a nicer person too. She is annoying,false,a demonstrated liar,and arrogant beyond reason. I kept wishing it would happen,there's plenty of material for it.

[Katharine]

When you combine the first debate with McCain and Obama and last night's debate with Palin and Biden, you get a profile of two highly intelligent, experienced, reasoned and reasonable adults vs an angry arrogant and erratic old man with a cute, folksy but fairly empty headed tow-along. Obama/Biden have won hand down.

[Peter]

I swear, all those cutesy winks by Palen to the camera last night made her look like the girl sitting at the end of the bar, promising the world if you bought her a drink.

[WHYNOT]

When will Sarah Palin release her Tax Returns

[Beekay]

Well, is Cheney surprised to hear that Palin wants to expand the VP office? Can't wait for this regime to end. Winky and Blinky are NOT ready for prime time and I still believe that the IRRESPONSIBLE selection of Sara Palin to possibly be MY president is outrageous. Will she have a stack of index cards next to the phone at 3am? Who is backing her? Who is pulling the strings? Her reference to "Exceptionalism" should be code word out to the biggest Neocons in our history. Beware America ahd not only wnat s more of the same she wants MORE to do with the same.