Sarah Palin On Sean Hannity

Real Clear Politics has the complete transcript.

Here’s what David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun had to say:

Talk show host Sean Hannity and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin came together for what Fox News Channel promoted as an exclusive interview. But, in truth, what viewers saw was a carefully staged display of partisan political theater — from the executive-office backdrop to the non-stop stream of smiley-faced softball questions Hannity served up with great servility.

In TV terms, the imagery was impressive, with an American flag over her left shoulder, a richly appointed china cabinet off to the side and thick carpeting throughout. Every table had flowers in a fine vase. It was all supposed to remind viewers of the White House while sending the message: Look how comfortable and natural she looks here.

Typical of their staged conversation was the following exchange:

Hannity: “Senator Obama yesterday was attacking Senator McCain for saying the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Do you believe the fundamentals of the economy are strong?”

Palin: “It was an unfair attack on the verbiage… because he (McCain) means our work force, of course, and that is what’s strong… So, that was an unfair attack.”

Note that she didn’t answer the question. Instead, she used it as an opening to attack Obama. And Hannity let her go run with that – rather than asking the question again or pointing out that she didn’t answer it.

Even on the friendly confines of the Fox News Channel with Hannity serving up heaping helpings of home cooking, she couldn’t get it right. Her handlers might want to re-think letting her face as skilled an interviewer and journalist as Katie Couric on CBS.