CNBC put its Gov. Sarah Palin interview, conducted Monday by Maria Bartiromo, to good use tonight. The network rushed together “A Maria Bartiromo Special: The Sarah Palin Interview” that aired at 10pmET.
The special concentrated almost entirely on energy issues, but Bartiromo did ask Gov. Palin if she’d been approached by Sen. McCain to be VP and whether she’d even want the job. “You know,” Palin said, “I go back and forth on thinking would I be able to help and contribute more as the Governor of the state of Alaska, which I am now and I think that we can do, help the nation more, become more energy independent and become more secure…I think today, where I am right now is probably where I can contribute most, so that’s my answer to the VP thing.”
And that admission didn’t come until the last minute of the show.
Producers kept a large CNBC EXCLUSIVE banner up through most of the program. The special was a series of questions and answers edited together, without Bartiromo creating “bridges” between them to create a true narrative. Presumably, that would have been the plan had today’s news not significantly moved up the air date.
Meanwhile, CNN and FNC aired recent interviews with Palin today as well.
CNN’s David Mattingly spoke with Palin in Anchorage July 31. That interview aired tonight on AC360. On being tapped as a VP candidate, Palin said, “You know I’m not one of those movers and shakers within the Republican Party that conventionally you would think would be tapped into. So having said that, though, I believe there is so much Alaska could be doing and should be doing to contribute to the rest of the US.”
Palin spoke with FBN’s Eric Bolling on June 25. Bolling asked, “Are you going to be the VP candidate to Mr. McCain?” “You’d have to ask Mr. McCain that,” Palin said. “I think that is such an extreme long shot that I don’t have to really worry my time thinking about that.”