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Monday, April 2, 2012

Sarah Palin On Today Show – Is Someone Getting Used?

With much fanfare, NBC announced that, none other, than Sarah Palin would sit in as a co-host for NBC’s the Today Show. Yes, you read that right, the same network, who with Katie Couric, showed to the world some 4 years ago that Sarah Palin was of questionable talent to become Vice-President. In that infamous interview by Curric of Palin, Palin was at a loss to describe which newspapers she read in order to be informed as to world events. The fallout from that interview in large part doomed the McCain presidential run. 

Following that interview it was widely reported that Sarah Palin felt as if she had been ambushed by NBC and was portrayed in an unfair light. Ms. Palin’s supporters expressed anger that NBC and the Today Show had tried to target Sarah Palin in order to “bring her down.” It also raised allegations of a “liberal media bias,” out to destroy Palin’s reputation.
So here we are April 2, 2012 (not April 1st which could then be dismissed as an April fool’s joke) and Sarah Palin is returning to the scene of the crime to CO-HOST the Today Show. Again, this is not an April fool’s joke. Ms. Palin is to discuss the Wisconsin primary and join the Today Show’s panel to tackle the day's hot topics alongside Star Jones, Donnie Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman.
I am not a fan of Sarah Palin and her politics. I believe she is woefully underqualified to serve as Vice-President much less the role of Governor of the State of Alaska. Nevertheless, Palin has become a media super-star among her supporters and even haters. She has developed a very lucrative “brand” and commands hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaker’s fees, to address her adoring fans.
Then there is the Today Show. Morning “news shows” are a mix of general news stories and, for lack of a better term, “fluff.” It is meant to be entertaining and not as much a news broadcast; yet, there is still an element of reporting and news journalism.
So one must ask why would NBC and the Today Show invite Sarah Palin to co-host? Is it because Ms. Palin has important and probative information about the Republican Primary (here the answer seems clear that, yes she does have an important view-point as concerns the Republican election) and “other” news of the day; or, is it for the entertainment value of having Sarah Palin on the network in order to show what helped derail the Presidential bid of John McCain and her?
The answer may be more obvious than we think. On today’s Today Show, Sarah Palin called in about her guest appearance and Matt Lauer wasted no time in proving that Palin’s visit was nothing more than a garish and petty attempt to grab ratings.
"Are you reading some newspapers?" Matt asked, referencing her TV interview gaffe from 2008.
Palin, for her part, cracked up: "That's a fine 'How do you do,’" she said. "Here we go."
Clearly Ms. Palin does not feel as though she is being “trapped” now and has become part of the entertainment show. But in so doing, has NBC lost credibility and relegated the Today Show to simple circus theatre?
In an earlier article, Ms. Palin told Breitbart News: "We’re 'going rogue' (also the name of her Book) and infiltrating some turf for a day." For those not familiar, the term “going rogue” was attached to Ms. Palin during the presidential campaign by members of John McCain’s staff who felt that Sarah Palin would not listen to their advice and instead decided to do what Palin alone thought right (which became a book and HBO movie); which from a historical perspective is extraordinary as the Presidential nominee is the person who sets all agenda for the election. So Ms. Palin’s statement that she was “going rogue” is clearly advertisement and theatre to keep her “brand” alive.
Matt Lauer, not to let sleeping dogs lie, jokingly pressed Palin for an explanation of her “going rogue” statement, the former V.P. candidate was coy: "What do you think that means?" Palin said.
"You're taking over Matt's dressing room," Al Roker joked.
“Special guest” Meredith Vieira also joined in the comic routine with what can only be described as a condescending tone as to it all (doesn’t Meredith host a game show?).
So there, in those brief minutes, it is clear that NBC and the Today Show threw themselves in the gutter to garnish ratings. If anything, Sarah Palin comes out as the “better person” not only forgiving NBC and the Today Show for the incidents of 2008, but bettering them and showing that Sarah Palin has the “mystique” to draw a crowd.
It is often said it is NOT important who wins the battle, only who wins the war.
In this War, Sarah Palin has thus far proven the winner and NBC and the Today Show have shown they will wallow in pig’s shit if it will achieve a ratings boost. As “news-people????”, Matt and Vieira should be well aware of the saying: “If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.”
NBC needs to fumigate as they have sunk to a new low. And as to Sarah Palin (even though I am not a fan), I say bravo! Sarah, you are beating them at their own game.

21 comments:

  1. NBC so sold out for ratings!

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  2. Matt Laurer is such a smug bald man. He thinks he is right about everything. I am not a fan of Sara Palin but they the hosts treated her horribly and you know what? She was spot on with her come backs.

    Could this help this help humanize the two parties towards one another?

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  3. Sarah Palin is no more of a stupid bitch than the real stupid bitch Ann Curry.

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  4. Matt Lauer is such an asshole. I have plenty of problems with Sara Palin but is need to make fun of a woman to look like he is superior. Sara clearly knows exactly what she is doing. I'm a liberal but i feel THE TODAY SHOW
    behaved like children in this effort to make fun of Sara Palin. Nancy NYC

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  5. LOVE SARAH PALIN. HATE HER VIEWS. LOVE THE HATERS WHO HATE HER, WHO MAKE HER 15 MIN OF FAME AN HOUR!

    She wouldn't be on the show if they thought she wouldn't bring in the ratings. Probably better then stupid Katie! Katie hasn't being doing so well has she?

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  6. "GOTCHA QUESTIONS" Who got whom?

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  7. No thank you. Been watching today show most of my 61 years. I guess I'll give ABC a shot. I do not want my mornings wasted with a politician as a host. Always did like Katie Couric anyway. Allen

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  8. Palin may not be book smart but she is no dummy. NBC is eating crow having Palin on after they assassinated her last election.

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  9. This is dumbest thing today show has ever done. I will definitely change morning show after over 10 yrs of loyalty. I cannot imagine waking to hear that voice and her ridiculous views.

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  10. This is a colossal mistake.

    Scott

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  11. Will she talk about her biggest secret scandal -- the one that's revealed in "My Night with Sarah Palin"?
    http://www.amazon.com/Night-Sarah-disturbing-stories-ebook/dp/B007KOAIRY
    Excerpt: "I admired her stamina. Her ability to Charlie Sheen it night after night."

    Joe Trip

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  12. After watching the Today show all my life, you've been gradually losing me but this is THE straw. Ugh!

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  13. I will submit that it is this type of demagogue like behaviour that is at the helm of what is destroying the political process in America. When prominent media forces are willing to do ANYTHING to boost their ratings by contracting a complete idiot (no matter whether they are democrat/republican male/female) we are lessening our news and/or media influence. I can think of nothing Sarah Palin can add to ANY news and or current event knowledge. They are contributing to the confusion and the denigrating of the intellect of the American political process--FOR RATINGS! This is pathetic! Who really loves this country? I would forward the opinion that Sarah Palin cannot add any intellectual conversation to America?

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  14. It's proof that "Today" is nothing more than an entertainment show and a bad one, I might add. While it may garner enough rating success, no one should take them seriously any more.

    Edward Lee

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  15. These morning news shows are hard enough to take seriously with all of the concerts and truncated cooking displays; peripatetic news anchors and wind-blown weather persons. This is a curious move to an anti-intellectual extreme, and while dedicating 40 percent of prime-time to (un)Reality shows has been the normal thing for broadcasters, doing it within the news department exemplifies the total lack of respect NBC has for its' audience.

    All of this in the midst of CBS's attempt to gain news credibility in the morning, NBC can't do better than to pull this stunt. This is such a cynical, New York Jets move just to grab headlines and ratings instead of increasing its' news capacity and maintaining some dignity.

    Shame on you, NBC.

    What's next, Tim Tebow for Easter week?

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  16. I saw a vid of her complaining about people who go into politics and somehow a few years later find themselves filthy rich. I agree with her sentiment but isn't she the Poster Child for that phenomenon?

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  17. Why do we as a society continue to legitimize a circus performer who lacks the qualifications to even be considered as a STREET SWEEPER (with apologies to street sweepers everywhere), let alone a person whose opinions matter? How can we ever hope that this know-nothing, narcissistic, proudly-ignorant harridan will be exposed as the charlatan she is - and relegated to the obscurity she so richly deserves - when the media obsesses over her every snarling breath (including this site, btw)?

    Good grief - please make it stop! Josh

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  18. Sarah Palin pretends she's superior to everyone in the Democratic party every time she opens her mouth. She has no problem criticizing others but if anyone dares to say anything in return, she labels them a "hater" and whines about her free speech being infringed upon. The idiot who claims she has a degree in journalism didn't even understand the right to free speech in the '08 election because she thought no matter what she said, the media was not allowed to criticize her for it.

    She's a hypocrite by going on the very same "lamestream" media in order to try to remain relevant. Her 15 minutes are up and she'll say or do anything to remain in the public eye.

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  19. All sell out! Whores!

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  20. "God told Palin VP Nom was his plan for her." I guess GOD changed his mind and thought a publicity stunt on NBC for ratings made more sense. What a joke this country has become.

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  21. NBC and Palin are whores. Neither one comes across as better than the other as both are doing this for ratings and money. Same motives, same results. As my mom used to say, if you can't take the heat stay out of the damned kitchen. If Palin can't handle the flake get off the stage. She put herself out there in her idiotic glory KNOWING she was not qualified, she should take the criticisms and learn from them but she refuses to do so. How else would she get any attention if she became the same as every other female political animal? Her status as GOPper victim queen would be gone and that is ALL she has.

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