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Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Palin, used to small-town atmosphere at home and in state capital, faces increased media scrutiny

John McCain's surprise pick Friday of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate has had reporters scrambling to dig up whatever they can on the relative political unknown. A long weekend of revelations and speculation culminated in Palin's Monday disclosure that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant, following rumors that Palin's five-month-old son was actually her daughter's child. It's a hard introduction to the national political media for Alaska's chief executive, who has been accustomed to a more small-town, rural environment.

Politico.com media reporter Michael Calderone contrasts the congenial relationship Palin held with Alaskan reporters with the intense scrutiny she has already faced from the national political press corp in the days since she joined McCain's presidential ticket. In Alaska, Calderone writes, "Relationships were like those in a small town, where the neighbors may know your dirty laundry, but the local paper would be unlikely to splash it on the front page."

Referring to the announcement of Palin's daughter's pregnancy, Pat Forgey, political reporter for the Juneau Empire in the state capital, population 31,000, said, “I heard that rumor a long time ago. ... I probably would not have wasted any time on it.” By contrast, after only four days in the national spotlight, Palin has already had to face questions about charges of ethical impropriety in firing her public safety commissioner, her husband's 1984 DUI arrest, $27 million in federal earmarks for her town of 8,500 as mayor, and her daughter's pregnancy. And she will be asked about her support of the canceled "Bridge to Nowhere" in Ketchikan, which came before she opposed it -- and touted the opposition in her initial speech as McCain's running mate. (Read more)

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