Can You Hear Me Now?

From The Washington Post:

Prominent conservative columnist Peggy Noonan and former John McCain campaign manager Michael Murphy made disparaging comments Wednesday about the Republican’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, after a segment that aired on NBC with Chuck Todd. Thinking that the microphone had been turned off — or, perhaps, that the video signal had stopped transmitting — Noonan and Murphy ripped into Palin as someone who would weigh down the GOP ticket.

“It’s over,” said Noonan.

Original DVD cover.

Asked if Palin is the most qualified Republican woman to be McCain’s running mate, Noonan replied: “The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bull$hit about narratives and [inaudible] the picture.”

Later, she continued: “Every time the Republicans do that, because that’s not where they live and it’s not what they’re good at, and they blow it.”

Added Murphy: “You know what’s really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.”

The video is over at Crooks & Liars. Here’s the transcript:

Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor work. Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. And these guys, this is all like how you win a Texas race. You know, just run it up. And it’s not gonna work.

Noonan: It’s over.

Murphy: Still, McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

Todd: Don’t you think the Palin pick was insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too (inaudible)

Noonan: I saw Kay this morning.

Todd: She’s never real comfortable about that. [That’s what I think he said. You can listen and judge for yourself.]

Murphy: They’re all bummed out. I mean, is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

Todd: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

Noonan: The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bull$hit about narratives and (inaudible) the picture.

Yeah, but what’s the narrative?

Noonan: Every time the Republicans do that because that’s not where they live and it’s not what they’re good at and they blow it.

Murphy: You know what’s really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism and this is cynical.

And as you call it gimmicky.

You can read old Peggy’s explanation of the event over at the Wall Street Journal. Wear hip boots and bring a shovel! Here’s part of it:

In our off-air conversation, I got on the subject of the leaders of the Republican party assuming, now, that whatever the base of the Republican party thinks is what America thinks. I made the case that this is no longer true, that party leaders seem to me stuck in the assumptions of 1988 and 1994, the assumptions that reigned when they were young and coming up. “The first lesson they learned is the one they remember,” I said to Todd — and I’m pretty certain that is a direct quote. But, I argued, that’s over, those assumptions are yesterday, the party can no longer assume that its base is utterly in line with the thinking of the American people. And when I said, “It’s over!” — and I said it more than once — that is what I was referring to.

Pardon me for just a moment.

Here’s a bit more:

I do like Mrs. Palin, because I like the things she espouses. And because, frankly, I met her once and liked her.

Yet another person who has only met Sister Sarah once! For someone the talking heads keeps describing as a nice person, there doesn’t seem to be a very long line to meet her a second time! 😉