Palintology: A Sarah Palin online video archive

You can't throw a rock at the Internet this week without hitting a story about Alaska governor (and John McCain vice presidential pick) Sarah Palin, the white-hot spark that's ignited one of the biggest media frenzies of the 2008 campaign.  But because Palin has minimized her on-camera presence--preferring, for better or worse, to let her surrogates do the TV for her-- there's hardly any YouTube video of her to be scrutinized. We've collected several of the most notable clips here. 

 

Videos of Palin over the last year offer a peek at her folksy, low-key speaking style, which she uses quite effectively to soften her hard-line positions on energy policy, national security, and, more important ...   energy policy.  Palin is about as pro "resource development" as it gets. 

On the following clip from CNN's "Glenn Beck" show, Beck and Palin agree that the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is ready to be tapped, polar bears be damned.  Later, at 3:50, Beck asks Palin whether she'd want to be the vice president if John McCain came knocking.  Palin is coy:

"If I had to make such a decision today, it would be no.  There's a lot that Alaska could be, should be, doing to contribute to the U.S. and I think that I can help do that as governor of the state, staying here."

User 1984dobson has posted a montage of clips relating to Palin's participation in the Alaskan Independence Party, including a video welcome she sent to the party's 2008 convention.  In the clip, party official Dexter Clarke notes that Alaska is "the coldest state with the hottest governor," and brags that Palin is "pretty well sympathetic because of her former membership" in the AIP.

Below, Dani Carlson, a member of MTV's citizen journalism team, interviews Palin back on Super Tuesday  on what appears to be a cellphone video camera.  When asked which candidates she liked, Palin mentions Mitt Romney and Web-world favorite Ron Paul ("He's a good guy ... he's independent of like the party machine, and I'm like, 'Right on, so am I!'") -- but she doesn't mention McCain at all.

In the following clip from 2007, Palin grants "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson Alaskan honorary citizenship, and invites him to visit the state and partake of "rich, succulent wild Alaskan salmon."  "Is it just me," Ferguson asks, "or do you get a kind of naughty librarian vibe from the governor?" 

In an interview last week (but before being unveiled by McCain) with CNBC's Larry Kudlow, Palin defends herself from allegations that she fired a cabinet official who refused to dismiss her former brother-in-law, saying she welcomed the questions and that she "didn't do anything wrong."

Though not directly involving Gov. Palin, the MSNBC clip below has already garnered plenty of attention.  Commentators Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy, thinking their microphones are off after they finished a discussion segment, proceed to say what they really think about the Palin nomination.  Murphy calls the pick "cynical," while Noonan labels it a bit of political bologna (though she uses a stronger word)--before saying "it's over."

And topping the YouTube charts today is Web star LisaNova's funny (if work-unsafe) sendup of the McCain-Palin  ticket.   LisaNova has made sure that by the time the likes of "Saturday Night Live" gets its hands on the ticket, the joke will have already been told. 

Comments

[Dennis Woodruff]

Palin thinks that the war in Irag is "the plan of god" Does this sounds familiar? We hearthe same thing from the Islamists after suicide attacks on civilians. One might ask her, whose "God" . how does she know, or why does she believe such a thing? But the main stream press would never question her about her religious convictions.

[Alyssa]

Ha oh come on, we all know how Palin was able to win over McCain... or if you don't this article seems to point everything out with clearly captioned photographs: http://www.236.com/news/2008/09/03/inside_the_mccainpalin_meeting_8688.php
Just a hockey mom indeed. Ha the media doesn't seem into it.

[Sharon]

Los Angeles Times I congratulate you for reporting on Sarah Palin. I am a woman college education medical professional. I was excited when a woman was chosen. Friday morning I started my own research on Sarah Palin. My excitement soon turned to alarm. I found multiple alert issues I , but still don't have any answers to all my concerns. I have been reviewing the many news media outlets today. As a woman I am insulted the Republican women, John McCain, Cindy McCain are claiming "gender bias." They have claimed Barack Obama has been gender biased. I have found no evidence of such claims. In fact I see they have been very respectful. I have suffered gender bias professionally. I know what it is and if it is being done. THERE IS NO GENDER BIAS. I am insulted John McCain, Cindy McCain, Republican women feel I am not intelligent enough to see what is going on. THEY ARE CLAIMING "GENDER BIAS" WHEN NO BIAS EXISTS. Republican Party is blasting new media. News please keep up good work. Men and woman are to be treated equally and fairly. Sarah Palin needs vetting. Every woman, man, American, voter has an absolute right to know about Sarah Palin. Keep the investigative news coming. I have some concern as I have seen some information now disappear this week?? What is this about??

[H]

The sad thing is that there are NINE other Governors or Senators who are both women and Republicans that McCain could have chosen (the 10th is constitutionally ineligible, having been born in Cuba, but still more experienced).

Palin is the _LEAST_ experienced, but perhaps the best looking, of the bunch. Women everywhere deserve someone better to represent them as the first female VP than Mrs. Sarah "Mooseburger" Palin here. I don't care how eloquently Fred Thompson put it, but being able to field dress a moose does NOT qualify as presidential experience.

[E.A.]

Great. Another Creationist nature-hater meddling with sound science. Bush has already taken those superstitious lies too far. Even if her polar bear count is correct, it will certainly diminish as warming continues, unless she has zoos in mind. So much for McCain not drilling ANWR. That "2,000 acre" footprint is entirely misleading because it's not all in one spot. The plain will be webbed with access roads and other eyesores.

Right-wing takers have few aesthetic values. Don't ask them to conserve because they see it as a sign of weakness. It's all about getting, grabbing and taking whatever looks physically possible. If a species or scenic view is trashed, they'll call it collateral damage in the name of human overpopulation (77 million annually, worldwide).

Why can't the Palin's of the world admit that the U.S. only has 2% of the world's liquid crude oil? The rest is locked up in hugely expensive, land-scouring dry shale and tar sands (Canada). Sticking with the oil plan will just keep Americans addicted to a failed habit. Palin probably thinks Jesus is coming, so it will all be moot anyhow. That fundamentalist mentality is very real and very dangerous.

[scott]

the la times missed a hugely relevant video, sarah palin talking to a bunch of church youth asking them to pary to god to build a new alaskan pipeline
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html

also here is one of her as a sportcaster from 1988
http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1764733625

[dj Chang]

Sarah Palin is the latest great American story - rags to riches - ordinary citizen to second most important position in America. Let's applaud her.

[Deena Larsen]

You also need to add this clip:
Thank you for your reporting on Palin. I am appalled at the "leadership qualities" she shows when allowing shock jocks to call a cancer survivor a "cancer and a b****" :

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sara+palin+bitch+cancer&hl=en&emb=0#

The Anchorage Daily news reported this on January 25th, 2008 http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/293639.html

[sarah]

John Mccain and Sarah Palin are the best ticket and will be in the whitehouse next term. Even with a media brigade heavily slanted against them and an unpopular presidency everyone is using to try and discredit their legitimate plan to restructure our nation. thanks.

[Marsha]

Here's a video Called Palin tology that really nails her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ses8KJns-qE