ABC gets Sarah Palin's first TV interview

That was quick.

Minutes after we posted the item below about Sarah Palin's nonappearance on the Sunday talk shows came word that the GOP's vice presidential nominee will be interviewed this week by (drum roll, please) Charles Gibson of ABC, the anchor of "World News."

McCain-Palin communications director Jill Hazelbaker told The Times' Maeve Reston that the offer was made Friday, and the details were worked out over the last two days.

"No ground rules on our end, multiple interviews over two days in multiple locations," Hazelbaker said in an e-mail. Palin is expected to be in Alaska this week; her son Track, who enlisted in the Army a year ago, leaves Thursday for Iraq.

[UPDATE: According to top McCain aide Mark Salter, who spoke this afternoon with reporters on a campaign flight from Albuquerque, N.M., to Kansas City, Mo., the interviews will take place in Alaska, probably on Thursday and Friday, and will be aired this week.]

Gibson, 65, is the "elder statesman" of the three network news anchors (the others are CBS' Katie Couric and NBC's Brian Williams).

A self-professed political junkie, he conducted hundreds of interviews on live television as the co-anchor, for nearly two decades, of ABC's "Good Morning America," and he moderated one of the Democratic presidential candidates' debates during the 2008 primary season.

When he took over the anchor job after the death of Peter Jennings two years ago, The Times' Matea Gold made note of his "straightforward, avuncular demeanor."

On his blog last Friday, Gibson had this to say: "Sarah Palin has steered clear of reporters and their questions. Speakers at the Republican convention this week bashed the press and their handling of Palin's family story. At what point does a candidate for higher office have a responsibility to take questions...to interact with reporters?"

ABC has, of late, been in second place in the network news ratings. Watch for a change in that figure this week.

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Photo credit: Heidi Gutman / ABC

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Comments

[noah]

Thoreau compared moose hunting to shooting a horse in your neighbor's pasture. I've seen moose up close. They don't even run away. Moose hunters say the real challenge is to shoot one close to the road so you don't have far to go to your vehicle.

[Landrum]

(Drum roll please) However, my comments are actually the appropriate place for the opinion I express, not via a "non-bias" newspaper. I can't believe Palin would actually grant ANY major media opinion spout an interview. She should only allow CSPAN that right since they will actually interview her as opposed to creating bread and circuses for the uninformed masses that choose not to be informed. Don't forget... Obama is only "present." McCain may waffle, but at least he can make a decision.

[time for change]

Gov Palin has livened up this election. She should be asked the hard questions but somehow I believe she will handle herself quite well. She reminds me of the book What If Everyone Lived Next Door to Jesus? (Hannibalbooks.com) She will bring a lively discussion of what things really matter in the USA today and what things don't. I'm looking foward to the interviews.

[Karl]

Just like Gibson repeatedly viciously attacked Obama during the ABC hosted debate, Gibson will repeatedly ask soft questions and laugh and giggle with Palin. He will ask a couple of carefully scripted pseudo "hard" questions that she will have advance preparation for.

God help us.

[WW Terry]

Gee do you think you can write honest reporting about Sarah? I hope can be fair, but I have no expectations of unbias reporting. One would think Gov Palin geting the agreement signed for the 40 Billion dollar gas pipeline would be big news but no even though for 35 years it was talked about but nothing was done. Mental midgets like Nancy Petoise, Barry Obama and others opposed any energy progress in America. What are they thinking ? Caio!

[baz]

It's good to see that someone will be interviewing her, but I suspect Gibson will be too scared to ask real probing questions... not that Gibson would ever ask a Republican a tough question.
But more importantly, it won't be broadcast live.
As a video editor, I know how tape can be manipulated.
I can make anyone say anything. And I suspect anything controversial, any glaring mistakes by Palin will be cut out.

If anyone watched today's talk shows, it's amazing how different McCain is questioned, than Obama or Biden.
Obama & Biden - - very adversarial in the questioning.
McCain - softball.

We're not going to know what Palin thinks, until after the Media gets McCain/Palin elected.

[Abbe]

I think Sarah Palin did very well for a nursing mother, and Trigger is really cute. It is too bad he had to be shoved off on pregnant Bristol Bay Palin. Luckily she did not have to upchuck as I used to do so constantly. It is sad that her friend Levi does not want children as he posted on his blog.

[Scy]

ROFL! yeah, with any number of strict requirements and pre-approved questions. Why won't this coward face the press? oh that's right . . . they might be mean to her. Guess those terrorists won't be mean to her either. I bet she's the type that thinks you can call "time out" during a war. Elect this coward and you deserve what you get.

[Merryl F. Goldman]

About time she came out from behind her good old boys! Eventually she would have to face the music. I wonder how much prepping she has gotten? Now she will have to answer some questions without a telepromter. Let's see if she lies through her pretty teeth!

[carlos castro]

This is the problem that we have in this country trying who is fisrt in the news bu no one looks in to the situation that we are going thru people loosing homes,and no one looks like to care, hope Obama says that he has the formula, hope he becomes a president, to see how he is going to ad 2 plus 2 and get four.

[RRT-MD]

Tom Jackson says:
"It would be nice to hear her explain how she was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it and her explanation of the earmarks she was so proud of obtaining while she was in Alaska but now is so adamantly against."

If you had paid attention, you would have realized that Ms Palin's constituency as Mayor and as Governor were different - and thus her actions were different. And, as Vice President, her actions would change to reflect a national constituency. Of course, for those whose only constituency is themselves or their political party, changes like this never happen!

[RLG19]

Simply put: I was waiting for the GOP to get energized, but it wasn't happening. Thank you, Sarah Palin. The base is consolidated nowwith the 'maverick' - ah, make that two mavericks. I do believe that something good will happen now after several surprisingly poor years of meandering.

[TF]

What housing crisis, Mr. Jackson... Oh, you mean where buyers thought they could get into houses with adjustable rates that would never go up, spend the difference to live beyond their means and then expect the government (insert democrats here) to bail them out. Why should I have my tax dollars used for a bailout caused by stupid mistakes of home buyers? Does that mean even though I don't need a bailout I should get a piece of the bailout too? Isn't that the Marxist thing to do!

[Greg in Indiana]

One thing you don't understand about conservatives. We want them to ask her the questions that you listed. Health care and the housing crisis is simple. Taxes will go up to cover the cost of these two. If you are for paying for them out of YOUR pocket, then OK. Falling economy is all based on the cost of energy. If we put more resources into the market and energy cost drop, then the economy will improve. National Security is a pretty broad topic, since you didn't narrow it down I will only say that what we have been doing for the last 7 years (with the exception of securing the border), what needs to be fixed? Sorry, I don't know how to field dress a moose, but I sure know how to shoot one. Semper Fi.

[Cataloo]

With all due respect Drummond1, Natasha you're responding in the wrong place -- keep your uneducated, flat-earth, right-wing wacko comments to the Fox News Channel articles where they belong -- and leave the adults to this discussion.

[stephen]

Palin needs to be questioned vigorously, what are her views on the many issues that we face, I trust Mr. Gibson will refrain from the inanities that he and Mr. Stephanopolus engaged in during the Philadelphia debate. Those questions if posed to Governor Palin would be deemed sexist, inflammatory, liberal elitism or as they were then, embarrassing. Palin could one day have control of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, as well as the largest economy. it is important that we have a deep understanding of her and her abilities,

[bjlanford]

Wonderful! I eagerly anticipate the interview of Governor Palin. What a breath of fresh air for politics. If only every member of Congress and the Senate could remember that they were elected to represent all the people and not the few. Thanks Governor Palin for being the great American that you are.

Bren

[Steve007]

No free pass for Ms. Palin, please.

Posted by: Thomas Jackson

So Tom, you feel she shoud be treated differently than The Anointed One,for whom the cheerleading old media is solidly in the tank?

[Ron West]

What I would like to know from Gov. Palin is why she didn't get into the race for President as Obama did? Her resume back then would have been much cleaner than today. She has convinced half the country in less than a week that she is capable of being the leader of the free world. She would have had no trouble apparently raising any money and if she only needed a week to get the nod then not much money or organization would have been necessary. No scandals back then. No family issues to deal with. No young child to parade around the country with. If she is the Republican answer, then why didn't the GOP good ol' boys pluck her out of Alaska sooner and put her on Hannity's show or have Rush drool on the airwaves back then. Got to be a reason why a woman thought to be the GOP Hillary has just now surfaced and is being allowed to overshadow their nominee. Dare you to ask this Charlie!

[DemocratforPeace]

Sarah went to a state school. Hillary and Obama went to good private schools. We need an accredidation program for our elected officials.

It is good to see that authorities like Gibson finally have a chance to determine her qualifications for us.

I am a democrat for Obama.

[Ann Locasio]

I agree with Thomas Jackson. There is a great deal we need to know about Sarah Palin and a great deal more that needs explanation, especially from someone a hair's width away from the Presidency. As Mr. Jackson points out, the health care crisis, the housing crisis, rising unemployment, the failing economy, and national security all need to be addressed. We do not need more name-calling. We need more information.

[Los]

I really hope there is some substance to these interviews and Mr. Gibson doesn't let Gov. Palin get away with the same old "Lower taxes/cut spending/fight lobbyists/USA USA USA" tripe that seems to be the only thing coming out of the McCain camp these days.

[kazekanazawa]

Mr. Gibson, Please don't let her get a easy pass like Barak Obama has got from all the journalists so far, especially from NBC anchors.

[Rob Nel]

Let's all give a warm welcome to the Ayatollah Palin! God be willing

[Ken]

Interesting that Palin won't talk to the press, but wait, her son is leaving for Iraq this week, the same time as it has been decided to let her talk to ABC. Of course the McBush/Palin campaign wouldn't politicize something like that would they.... ( Karl Rove, you can come out from behind the curtains).