FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Sarah Palin may be talking; but it sounds like she doesn't want the media to hear her.
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The Orlando Sentinel reports that Palin is banning all video and sound recordings at two high-profile, big-ticket speeches in Florida in the next month.
Sponsors of these speeches say the rules for the events are set by Palin's agents. Members of the media can buy a ticket like anyone else - for a couple hundred bucks, that is. But no pictures, audio or video recording allowed. Also, Palin has banned media in most cases at her book signings - except for brief photo-ops.
You'd think someone considering a run for the White House in 2012 would want as much media coverage as possible. Which is what happens whenever the former VP candidate opens her mouth. The media just eat it up.
But that may be part of the problem too: Take Palin's widely covered Tea Party speech for example, where media coverage was allowed: While the base loves what she's selling, Palin has come under lots of criticism for the crib notes she had scribbled on her hand.
Meanwhile new poll numbers suggest Palin may want to reconsider a potential White House run. A Washington Post-ABC News survey shows only 37 percent of Americans have a favorable view of her - 55 percent have an unfavorable view.
Plus a whopping 71 percent say Palin is not qualified to be president - that includes more than half of Republicans. Only a quarter think she is qualified to sit in the Oval Office. Wonder who those people are?
Here’s my question to you: Why does Sarah Palin not want the news media to cover some of her speeches?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Steve writes:
Because they "ain't payin”. It’s becoming apparent that "hopey changey" and other Palinisms play well to a narrow crowd that have cash to spend. These little "Palinisms" do nothing to suggest an IQ getting to triple digits, so the less exposure the better. She takes Tea Party cash and endorses her great Grampa McCain. It’s totally all about the Benjamins, Jack.
David in Cedar Rapids, Iowa writes:
Because she's a fraud! You know it, I know it, 71% of America knows it and she knows it. The only ones that don't know it are the fools willing to pay money to have the sirens song drift harmlessly through their heads while she serenades them with her folksy mishmash of canned patriotism and twisted Christianity.
Kris writes:
Because every time she opens her mouth she makes a fool of herself.
Dave writes:
Sarah Palin closes her speeches so those who haven't paid to hear her speak don't have the opportunity to experience buyer's remorse.
Dan writes:
Because she is an idiot and she believes that if there are no recordings or pictures of her being an idiot then the 71% may forget that she is an idiot.
George writes:
No one needs to cover her speeches because we have enough to prove her incompetence already. Now, no more Sarah. Bad Jack, bad.
Eric writes:
Please, please stop covering, promoting, giving any validity to this simpleton trailer dweller. America doesn't need this. If she doesn't want media coverage, by all means honor her request!
Markel writes:
Damage control.