4.57 pm. Now it's a love-fest between two celebrities with talk-shows.
4.53 pm. "You don't need a title to make a difference." Here again she uses the term "title" as opposed to "office." She really does see politics as an extension of being a Beauty Queen, subject to nice p.r. events, interviews that are restricted to the "light-hearted, working mother" puffery that Oprah is enabling, and cover images on magazines. The idea that a politician holding public office is required to address tough questions about policy and record and the truth of various factual statements does not seem to have occurred to her. I find this disturbing in a politician. It means a contempt for the Fourth Estate and for full public accountability.
4.52 pm. She's clearly hoping to run for president in 2012.
4.50 pm. Still no credible reason why she suddenly quit as governor. Until … she's worried about opposition research. Hmmm. And can we verify if Obama sent any researchers? I haven't heard of it. Another possible lie to be checked out.
4.48 pm. A question: how many vice-presidential or presidential male candidates had a just-born infant child when running? Secondly: how would Todd be able to help if he is physically absent for months at a time?
4.47 pm. We need to fact-check this notion that losing vice-presidential candidates get to speak on election night.
4.44 pm. Palin says that she and Todd are physically apart for months at a time.
4.40 pm. Small fact-check. Palin's statement that she anticipated only one interview with Couric is belied by this advance announcement on the web that says in advance that there were two scheduled in advance.
4.39 pm. Who is Auntie Katie?
4.37 pm. Having called him "Ricky Hollywood," and an aspiring porn star, she says he is loved. She also says she doesn't like "drama" which is like Oprah saying she doesn't like food or my saying I don't like beards.
4.35 pm. She describes "so many inconsistencies" in Levi's story. There are no inconsistencies in Levi's stories. There are only massive differences between his account of reality and Palin's. The real inconsistencies are within Palin's own confused and constantly changing stories and lies.
4.34 pm. Who is preventing Levi from seeing his son? Another useful factual question Palin will refuse to answer and the MSM will not ask. Palin is also doubling down on the notion that Levi never stayed with Bristol.
4.30 pm. A reader writes:
Why would Sarah Palin assume that the Couric interview was going to be "lighthearted, working mother" stuff, when she was just picked to be the VP candidate and no one knew anything about her?
Because she doesn't believe in accountability. She wants to be a celebrity, not a politician. And if she could get to be a politician using the prerogatives of a celebrity – and a propaganda channel like Fox News – she would be happy. That's what's at stake here – beneath this farce.
4.25 pm. Here's the key: she loves the crowds but she hates the idea that she is accountable for anything. She wants acclamation and believes that journalism should reflect that deference.
4.24 pm. "I love books." Levi says he never saw her crack open a book.
4.23 pm. A good question: did the campaign agree to multiple interviews with Couric before the interview started? Palin says she thought there was only one interview. Can we verify this, Mr Schmidt? Is this yet another bald-faced lie?
4.21 pm. Oprah gives the game away: "This was in the book so I assume it was fair game." Oprah clearly agreed in advance only to ask questions from the book's own narrative.This is not journalism; it's celebrity puffery. Of course, it's Oprah.
4.18 pm. So far, most of Oprah's questions can be summarized as: "Isn't it weird how great you are?" In the last segment, Palin was actually forced to be more critical of her campaign than Oprah is. One wonders: is Oprah this desperate to boost her ratings? Is anyone on TV actually interested in finding out the truth?
4.17 pm. "I'm sorry I apologized."
4.16 pm. Oprah is simply reiterating the arguments of the book as if they were true, even though all this is disputed. There is no journalism being committed here. As I suspected.
4.15 pm. It was such an ordeal picking out clothes to wear. If only she were a man.
4.14 pm. "I don't like to shop."
4.12 pm. She's now accusing Steve Schmidt of "diet manipulation". Steve should take out a cannon and fire back – with the facts at his disposal. This should not go unanswered.
4.06 pm. Oprah forced Palin to admit that Obama defended her. But how can Palin argue that her kids were off-limits when Trig was brought out onto the stage and made the subject of a campaign speech? I guess we know by now that logic and consistency are not Palin's strong points.
4.05 pm. She said that the written statement about the Bristol pregnancy was put out by someone else. But as I recall, the statement went out from the Palins, not the McCain campaign. I'll double-check that. Then she says that she re-wrote it but that the re-write did not appear.
4.04 pm "The one skeleton that was in my closet": a D grade in college. Oprah says: "Really?" I said the same thing simultaneously.
4.02 pm Palin says she said yes immediately on the phone. Before she said she had said yes to McCain himself. She has also said that she asked her children for permission first before she said yes. Just trying to keep all the various stories straight here.
4.01 pm It's all about Oprah. Palin says that at the time she thought it was entirely Winfrey's prerogative. Wasn't upset in the slightest. Barely aware of the issue.
The Dish 