A reader says,
I just read your note about Gibson’s demeanor and interviewing “method” vis à vis Palin. Last night, my husband, a Fulbright Scholar years ago, noted that Gibson’s style was that of a scholarship interviewer. (My husband is still on the fence and no fan of Palin, by the way.) Also, we are both lawyers, and I’m something of a litigator. And I thought of an oral argument before a court, where you’re trying to make your point while the judge/panel interrupts to blast questions at you.
At any rate, while the style may be fully appropriate in a scholarship interview or the courtroom, we found it a bit off-putting to see it in this interview. Getting your answers is one thing, playing school principal with the interviewee is quite another.
A second reader:
His glasses accentuated the sense that he was looking down his nose at her. I felt like he was treating her as though she were fresh out of community college, but interviewing to be president of Harvard. And he was humoring her by interviewing her — but hoping to show her, by his questions, that she had no business even applying for the job.
A third:
Gibson was horrible, and it ticked off my wife. She wanted to hear the complete answers and was irritated that Gibson kept cutting her off. At first, given Gibson’s past professionalism, I blamed it on editing. Perhaps that accounts for some of it — but not all.
On another note, I’m sure Palin will get better. And her interview — her continued composure despite the gotchas — made me realize that this will be good for her. If she can stay that cool under that pressure, we will have a rock as VP. Further knowledge will come. Punting will come. Evading traps will come. But her fortitude now counts for a lot.
Note “rock,” not “rock star”! A fourth:
Just this minute my wife, who watches GMA every morning while walking on a treadmill and used to love Charlie Gibson, said she never wants to look at him again. The nastiest part of the interview was his “Exact words” response when Palin questioned whether he had quoted her accurately.
And she was right to question. One mo’:
I’m sure I am one of millions of American women who have had to keep smiling through the infuriating condescension of Charles Gibson. [Charles!] I wrote to ABC this morning to congratulate them, because Gibson’s behavior has surely persuaded many more women to vote McCain-Palin.
Sorry, just one more:
Jay, forget Biden and October 2 — Palin’s just had her first debate!
Yes!