Thursday, we wrote about the change in the "progressive" media's strategy in its war against Sarah Palin. The Alinsky method the media had been using for nearly two years included blatant personal attacks on her character liberally sprinkled with snark and mockery. But it has failed to destroy the first woman to win the Republican Party's nomination for vice president. It was well past time for the old media journos to try something different, leaving the Alinsky stuff to the leftist bloggers and the DNC.
So we said to expect a new approach from the major media outlets, one which only superficially would appear to be softer, kinder treatment of Gov. Palin. Watch, we advised, for news articles which in the opening paragraphs seemed to acknowledge her political skills and popularity with the Republican base, even going so far as to admit that she could very likely win her party's nomination for president. But deeper into the stories, we said to be on the watch for the narrative that despite her political skills and power, Sarah Palin has no chance of winning a general election, especially against Barack Obama in 2012. Or so the media will try to convince you.
As if on cue, Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times provides us this weekend with another fine example of the newer, more subtle media approach. In this article, published Saturday, it is not until the final paragraphs that the new strategy taken by the old media comes into focus:
Indeed, the endorsements provide little evidence that she is moving closer to a presidential run. A willingness to inject herself into so many primary fights and frustrate the supporters of the candidates she overlooks is a risky way of building establishment support.Notice how Zeleny moves from denial about Gov. Palin's intentions for 2012 to wishful thinking, by calling her endorsement strategy "risky." You can almost see the gears turning in his head as he hopes that enough of the governor's endorsements will somehow backfire on her to stop her march toward 2012 in its tracks.
In conversations with Republicans in recent months — including at a rally Ms. Palin held with Mr. McCain in Arizona, at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans and at campaign events here in Georgia — voters often give Ms. Palin high marks. But asked whether they believe she should run for president, few say yes.
Judy Pruitt, a 70-year-old retiree in Lawrenceville, said she came to see Ms. Handel partly because of the Palin endorsement. But she had a swift answer when asked if she would welcome a 2012 Palin campaign.
“I’m not sure she’s ready for the presidency,” she said. “I do like listening to her, and I respect her views on things. But I think she can have more of an impact if she’s not running. I really do.”
Then Zeleny writes that "...voters often give Ms. Palin high marks. But asked whether they believe she should run for president, few say yes." Few? How many did he ask? We would really like to know the size of that particular sample from which Mr. Zeleny draws his conclusions. Unfortunately, he doesn't say, and only offers as evidence one septuagenarian in Georgia who says that she likes Sarah Palin's speeches and respects her views "on things," but isn't sure if Gov. Palin is "ready for the presidency." Zeleny wraps things up with the woman saying, "I think she can have more of an impact if she’s not running. I really do."
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And there in the nutshell of that final quote you have the new Palin meme from the old media. They are so fearful of a potential candidacy by Gov. Palin in 2012 that the lamestreamers are willing to concede the power of their target to be a kingmaker if they can just convince voters that she would be somehow less powerful if she were to challenge a
- JP
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