Rush Limbaugh Interview With Sarah Palin Reassures Supporters

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Warm, Candid Sarah Palin Interview Thrills Supporters





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Though they have apparently never met, a well-received interview with Sarah Palin yesterday could have given many the impression that host Rush Limbaugh and the Republican vice-presidential nominee were old friends.

During the ten minute conversation, the warmth and candor on evidence did much to reassure worried supporters who've been battered by recent mainstream media polls urging them to stay home in the face of a certain Obama victory.

And with a direct, unfiltered conversation, it's certainly a welcome relief from the way her words and actions are routinely twisted by mainstream media enemies.

Given allegations by conservatives that the McCain campaign had been "hiding" Palin in recent weeks, the timing of this interview does seem intriguing. Has McCain taken the advice of concerned supporters who feel she should be given more leeway on the trail?

Alternating between serious issues and several lighter, humorous moments, the chat led off with Limbaugh admitting he initially wasn't sure what to ask Palin and that he'd considered simply handing her the ten minutes to "let her rip":

RUSH: I tell you, I was in a quandary here this morning. I admire you so much I really don't know what to ask. I was tempted to say, "Okay, Governor Palin. You've got ten minutes. Let her rip." (laughs)

GOVERNOR PALIN: (laughs)

RUSH: But one thing I do want to ask you about: Obama's comment yesterday to the plumber who said, "Why are you going to raise my taxes?" and Obama said, "Well, it's not that I want to punish you. It's that I want to -- we want to spread the wealth around," which seems to me to sum it up. This is contrary to every economic and constitutional principle for which this nation stands. And it seems this comment by Obama -- and I know that Senator McCain hit this this morning -- is just an excellent opportunity for your campaign to contrast your vision of America with his.

GOVERNOR PALIN: Absolutely! You know, people on November 4th, they're going to have the choice. You can either support the ticket that will support policies to create jobs -- we do that by reducing taxes and reining in government growth and allowing our country to be energy independent -- or you choose the ticket that's going to kill jobs by increasing taxes, just like Barack Obama is purporting today.

In fact, Rush directly addressed the issue of Palin's rhetorical freedom on the campaign trail, while she made sure adequate airtime was given to Obama's ties to radical ACORN members who are fraudulently registering voters under multiple names:

RUSH: Well, now, as I listen to your campaign appearances and Senator McCain's, it seems that you are the more forceful in speaking out against Obama and his campaign ideas. Are they giving you pretty much free rein to attack this campaign as you wish?

GOVERNOR PALIN: Well, you know, there just aren't enough hours in the day I think to get out there and (cell garbled). Rush, I've got nothing to lose in this, and I think America has everything to gain by understanding the differences, the contrasts here between Obama and McCain. So, you know, I'm going out there and I'm just simply speaking. So be it that I'm a simple talker, but I'm just going out there and letting people know the differences and how absolutely paramount it is that voters are paying attention and that voters are understanding candidates' records, their associations, their plans for the future; instead of being kind of wrapped up into all this rhetoric of Obama's and buying into it and not holding him accountable for the things that he's done, the things that he's said, his associates, and where he wants to take America.

RUSH: That's exactly it. The media is not holding him accountable; the media is covering up for him. That's why there is so much enthusiasm for you, because you are the one in this campaign who is holding him to account and trying to explain who he is and who his alliances are with and have been. There are two stories today -- one in the Los Angeles Times, one in the New York Times -- both saying how wonderful you are as a speaker. The New York Times posited that you are the most forceful and dynamic speaker of all four candidates on the presidential circuit. Then they said that your forcefulness and your opinionatedness and your charisma and your overwhelming ability to say what you mean, is driving away moderates. Now, this is an attempt to get you to shut up.

GOVERNOR PALIN: (laughing)

RUSH: This is an attempt by the media to make you stop being who you are. What it means is, they're really worried about the effectiveness that you have.

GOVERNOR PALIN: Well, yeah, I guess that message is they do want me to sit down and shut up. But that's not going to happen. I care too much about this great country. Now, yes, speaking of some of those associations -- and you're right; mainstream media is not holding Barack Obama accountable -- let's talk quickly about ACORN and the unconscionable situation that we're facing right now with voter fraud. And given the ties between Obama and ACORN and the money that his campaign has sent them and the job that he had with them in the past, Obama has a responsibility to rein in ACORN and prove that he's willing to fight voter fraud. We called him on it.

RUSH: He's not going to do that. He's been paying for them.

GOVERNOR PALIN: (laughing) Yeah. Right.

RUSH: He's not going to rein them in! This is why you guys have to have the responsibility. Obama is not going to do anything to harm himself.

GOVERNOR PALIN: Well, here's the deal then. We call him on it again today, right, as we did almost a month ago. We reached out to Obama and we said that there has to be an effort to cooperate on potential voter fraud. That was a month ago. It wouldn't surprise you, of course, that we haven't received a response from back then. But again, though, calling him on it again today -- and for shame if the mainstream media were to cover this one up! There's already been too much ignorance, ignoring of, his associations with Bill Ayers and with others in the past. But this ACORN stuff, it is unconscionable.

Almost immediately, the interview received surprisingly decent mainstream media coverage. Reporting from her end of the phone line, CBS even briefly included her demands that ACORN's pro-Obama voter fraud not be covered up:

Palin Tells Limbaugh She Has “Nothing To Lose”

From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

(SCRANTON, PA.) - Before delivering her stump speech here in Joe Biden’s hometown, Sarah Palin called in for her first interview with conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh.

“Rush, I've got nothing to lose in this and I think America's got everything to gain by understanding the differences—the contrasts here between Obama and McCain,” she said.

Unprompted by Limbaugh, Palin brought up her concerns about accusations of voter registration fraud.

“Speaking of some of those associations, let’s talk quickly about ACORN and the unconscionable situation that we are facing right now with voter fraud, given the ties between Obama and ACORN and the money his campaign has sent them,” Palin said.

“Obama has a responsibility to reign in ACORN and prove that he is willing to fight voter fraud....for shame if the mainstream media were to cover this one up.”

The Politico followed the same theme:

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin suggested Tuesday that Barack Obama shares responsibility for recent reports of voter fraud conducted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

“Obama has a responsibility to rein in ACORN,” Palin said during an interview with conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

Palin said the group is responsible for the “unconscionable situation we are facing now with voter fraud” and attacked the Obama campaign for not addressing the problem after the McCain campaign sent a letter to the Democratic camp urging action against voter fraud in September.

While Obama makes a weak attempt to fight back, the Palin interview underscores the need for more direct, unfiltered discussions that can't be hijacked by Obama operatives working for the mainstream media.

Let's hope she makes a habit of phoning Rush for further chats between now and election day.


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