TPMtv: The First Dude Abides
Fox News's Greta Van Susteren conducted the first interview of Todd Palin since his wife Sarah was named the Republican vice presidential nominee. She grilled Todd on everything from the story behind the name "First Dude" to how he feels about the name "First Dude."
And just for the full edification of anyone who may not get the reference in today's title:
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Comments (59)
Gawd I feel dumber now...
September 17, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, when did Fox start airing actual fellatio during its interviews?
I haven't seen anything this close-the-shades-and-make-sure-the-kids-are-asleep since Katie Couric interviewed Condi Rice for 60 Minutes.
September 17, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
For comparison, here are some excerpts from the Katie-on-Condi action: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/21/60minutes/main2029782.shtml
September 17, 2008 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gawd, even the 1st dude was bored. Pathetic. This is what the right-wing deems important for the masses to focus on.
September 17, 2008 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Greta, NO this isn't fun. Jesus christ.
September 17, 2008 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow....I too feel dumber. The interview was painful to watch, but really the Big Lebowski scene helped a lot.
September 17, 2008 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Glad you enjoyed! (wink)
September 17, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
White trash is as white trash does. Nuff said.
September 17, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, I think I'm bleeding from my ears, that was excruciating.
September 17, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's been a long day, but I almost remember there was a time when I thought Van Susteren had at least a little integrity. Must have been someone else. That was painful to watch! Thanks for the real Dude clip; like a slug of Maalox. YD
September 17, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I realize it is likely a futile effort, but I would suggest that those posting here try to get up out of the muck and slime of political vitriol. What is demonstrated here by most is, at its most basic level, a failure of citizenship. The comments here, mostly (and you know who your are)demonstrate a failure or inability - whether willful or accidental - to construct anything approaching thoughtful criticism. I know it is a common tactic of the left to eviscerate, to deny the humanity of those perceived as opponents. It has been thus at least since Lenin. It is no accident that in the old Soviet Union those who dissented were persecuted as having a mental illness. It may be that there are some here who are simply incapable of engaging in spirited, civil argument. But I suspect that most have made the conscious choice to wallow in the muck and slime and then think they have contributed something of value. You have not. You have simply betrayed your obligation as a free citizen.
September 17, 2008 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
legrange, I'll try some "thoughtful criticism":
I found and read the transcript of this interview elsewhere; and, judging from said transcript, I have to say that Todd Palin is, to be charitable, intellectually detached from his wife's career thus far and, in particular, her having been selected as McCain's vice-president. I don't have the transcript in front of me, so I'll have to paraphrase, but the most enthusiasm he showed about the latter is when he relates that in these past two weeks he's gotten to travel to places he's never been before. From what I've read elsewhere, this is a man whose wife has consulted him on state budgetary matters, who sits in when his wife is being interviewed, whose wife has forwarded him e-mails concerning state personnel matters. This guy, that you see in these excerpts.
I think the other commenters are right on the money in their assessments.
September 17, 2008 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least temperate. Coming from the West, the rural West I should say, it is not uncommon for men not to be verbose, to be somewhat laconic - even seemingly "detached" in the way they speak. Reserved and, to some extent, aloof is not an uncommon demeanor. Excitability is not generally the order of the day. I've known bullriders, heavy equipment operators, lumberjacks, and just plain ordinary "Joes" who conducted themselves much like Todd Palin. You should not assume little is going on behind the quiet. As for his wife consulting him? Well, presumably Obama consults Michelle (but she is admittedly "credentialled"). I suspect Biden consults his wife. You "thoughtfully" imply that Todd Palin is stupid and therefore his wife errs greatly in consulting him. You are likely wrong on both counts.
September 17, 2008 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I loved the Village People too!
September 17, 2008 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Careful. Your bigotry is showing.
September 18, 2008 8:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
legrange,
I grew up in the West among just the sort of rural folk (specifically, farmers and ranchers) you describe. I know from laconic; I know still waters run deep with such people.
Find and read the transcript of the interview, if you haven't already. Todd's pretty still, you'll find, but not at all deep. There's no other reasonable reading. He is at his most analytical when he pronounces something "fun." That may be a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one.
You're right: I don't know if Todd Palin is stupid. And true, it's not exactly as though Greta Van Sustern is Charlie Rose in this piece. But even the fluffiest interview can allow a person to reveal some of his/her depth; so, to defer to your superior knowledge of western rural folk, I'll say that in this interview he shows extraordinary skill in hiding signs of his intellect.
September 17, 2008 10:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're describing a Canadian to a tee.
September 18, 2008 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're right. Being from rural Canada, I've known lots and lots of Todd Palins. Most of them are great guys ... real steady Eddies. If you need a buddy to go fishing with or help you with a construction project, they are cheerful, trustworthy and reliable. WYSIWYG.
But here's the thing ... most Todds are keenly aware of their limitations. And even if they're not, they'd be horrified at the thought of attending so many functions--luncheons, dinners, etc--wearing a suit and pretending to be interested in what's going on.
September 18, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
The futility originates in the phrase "common tactic of the left."
WTF is that?
What you describe rather accurately as a failure of citizenship is all about reducing matters to black and white, to groups who can be simply labeled.
When things are reduced to black and white, the way is cleared for violence--or at least, failure of citizenship.
Somewhere along the way, we have lost our respect for the opinions of others. Left, right, liberal, conservative, moderate, extremist... we seem to be largely polarized.
So, thanks for noticing that there's room for improvement. Regarding your hypocritical stance, however, I hope you're getting something out of it, because the odds that anyone else is are very, very low.
If you were a reporter, and your post was an article for publication, and I was the editor, I'd mark up the partisan crap and kick it back to you for revision to an op-ed. That is, you have the seeds of wisdom in there, but you planted them in concrete.
"Common tactic of the left..." Yeah, right. We're all leftists here on TPM. You're the only one with any sense or sanity left. We're devoid of the basic skills for citizenship, and you've come to save us.
Hooray. Huzzah. Let me know when we're all rehabilitated.
September 18, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I submit that you are only here to defend the husband of your favored Vice Presidential candidate. I would also wager that you have never as fervently defended any non-conservative as you display here. I care not whether you have; I only wish thus to acknowledge it, since you seem to be taking a principled opposition to "[t]he routine character assassination, the profane attack[s]". You are free to deny, however, that you have not a principled position and that you are simply defending someone from your "side."
September 19, 2008 2:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I will be sure to copy and paste this as a reply to every comment of someone referring to Obama as "O-BUMa" and so forth. Except, of course, I will change "left" to "right." Thanks, because I could never contrive something so ostentatious as a response to common internet vulgarity. It is too bad that these 'free citizens' do not share your conception of the phrase.
September 19, 2008 2:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, Todd seems about as sharp as a marble.
How many times did Gretta say 'First Dude' in that clip.
Mercy.
legrange,
Lighten up.
Good grief, overreaction maybe?
September 17, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lighten up? It's all fun and games right. The routine character assassination, the profane attack. Light-heartedness, humor (even sharp humor), satire, even sarcasm has its due place in political discourse. There is little on TPM that could be characterized as that, perhaps because it takes time and thought to do it well. I often fail at it myself, but I recognize the importance of trying. Not so for most here. It is an interesting spectacle to watch and comment on though.
September 17, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
The internet is a dangerous place to be for one so sensitive to the emotionally charged, often careless remarks of its denizens.
September 19, 2008 2:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
This dude is some statesman.Shows real creativity.
Maybe for a new snowmobile he can get you what you need.Who knows.
He may get to sit in these meeting as a method to improve his vision of the world, like see where he really is in all this you know?
It's a different view from holding a wrench on a pipeline to using the product as a tool to broker deals.
And maybe for the guy who threw him a new snowmobile or rifle he can give a smile or nod when that guys issue comes up meaning that's the one, that's why I'm here today.
But this legrange guy seems to have allot of time on his hands. Maybe he can work with this dude guy, show him some slick new words to use in his moose discussions.
We're all so ready for that.Or not....jeeeeez
September 17, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bigotry redux.
September 18, 2008 8:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Todd's country (that's good!, sez Otis), not that there's anything wrong with that. When the game is over, the pawn and the queen will go back into the same box.
September 17, 2008 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Greta sounds exactly like Ellen Degeneres.
September 17, 2008 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Legrange:
perhaps for a refreshing example of thoughtful discourse, as provided by good conservative thinkers, you might try freerepublic.com.
Or for some REAL deep thought without any invective, insinuation, name-calling, or outright lies try Sean Hannity's program.
Realize please, that with the advent of a billion "channels" of information now available, we the consumers can pick and choose what we want - usually that which is aligned with our world view. Pardon my observation, but to align with your clearly intellectual sensibilities, shouldn't you be consuming something a little more, uh, fair and balanced?
September 18, 2008 12:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't care for freerepublic.com and I don't like Hannity. Break free of your stereotypes. It's more interesting that way.
September 18, 2008 8:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I missed your point. Which apparently was something like "go find those who think like you do and leave us to play in our echo chamber". Thinking differently is a challenge I admit.
September 18, 2008 9:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
I can sympathize with Legrange's assessment of Todd's reaction to Van Susteren's questions: meak, not "verbose", etc. I do find it ridiculous to compare posts here to Lenin's Soviet Union. Anyway, I have met plenty of guys that do not invest alot of energy in conversations; just go with it. I can see that in Todd Palin. But it truly embarrassed me to watch as Van Susteren kept the interview going even though the conversation went nowhere. I recognize that what I've seen is merely a montage of clips that fit the narrative being created, but damn...The man hails from small town Alaska with experience primarily within manufacturing (muck work). What the hell do people expect the guy to be like? I believe the interview provided the public with more insight into the agenda of Fox News (and their minions)and other conservatives' attempts (miserable at best) to relate to the "common person". Todd Palin's reaction is just that...his reaction. Now, Greta...that's just sad.
September 18, 2008 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's no Jill Biden.
September 18, 2008 1:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hell, he's not even in the leagues of Marilyn Quayle.
September 18, 2008 1:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Was it me, or was Ms. van Susteren smitten beyond all recognition with this fellow (or aping it to get a response out of him?). While she sounds like and looks a bit like Ellen DeGeneres, I don't think that's precisely the right comparison here.
September 18, 2008 2:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Get a clue, Greta.
Bill Clinton came up with First Dude, when asked during the primaries what he would be called when Hill became President.
September 18, 2008 4:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
A man of few words, but with Sarah he probably doesn't get a chance.
God save us all.
September 18, 2008 7:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
My fellow Americans: close your eyes and imagine the First Dude in his supporting role as the ambassador of the Presidency. What kind of initiatives as The First Spouse would he hearld (a la Laura Bush, or Jackie O, or Mrs. Ford)? Imagine a world with the Palins presiding over stately events? I shudder to think...
September 18, 2008 7:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Gimme a break, Legrange! Have words and actions completely lost their meaning? Or can we simply state that Greta "Edward R. Murrow" van Susteren conducted a vapid interview in a style that can only be characterized as gushing and empty-headed. And that Todd seized no opportunity to cast himself as anything but a detached hubby of a tin-plated small-time politician. The description of their exchange about her speech ("Nice speech." "Thanks.") was the apex of self-parody. The whole show was anything but newsworthy. The piece says a lot about how far Fox News will go to hand the Republicans every little break.
September 18, 2008 9:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
I suppose it would be interesting to know what the standard is here. If I recall correctly Charlie Gibson did a very comforting interview with Obama (as a candidate for the presidency) that did not stray very much into substantive issues. No complaints there; it was interesting in revealing the human side of the candidate. To be "newsworthy" then, the interview with Todd Palin should have been what? Todd discoursing at length on the crucial issues of the day? Insightful, demanding questions from GVS? "Let's play 60 questions" on policy issues? I suspect the motivating idea was that the interview was to be a general human interest story. And it was interesting in that respect; although not so much for those determined to do political war all the time. And as for FOX handing "Republicans every little break". I know it pains those here to acknowledge it, but the Major Media are not exactly paragons of disinterested political commentary.
September 18, 2008 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
"the Major Media are not exactly paragons of disinterested political commentary."
Only one network I know of actually has a slogan such as "Fair and Balanced."
September 19, 2008 2:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Very, very tired of the major media myth. Is this the same major media that called Bush to task in the run up to the Iraq war? Is this the same major media that sheepishly followed the Clinton impeachment (over a sex lie), when they lay silent as Bush and Cheney edited intelligence for a specious war, subverted Constitutional rights, endorsed torture, and refused to testify under oath on anything? It's a joke, that phrase. Propagated by anyone with anything to hide, or cranky when some dark and nasty bit of business catches sunlight, or as a dismissal of any dogged reporting.
September 25, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nothing so bracing as a point device and pithy bitch slap. Cute, too. There's room for you in political punditry. Carry on.
September 25, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank u, thank u, TPM, that was AWESOME! Leave it to Fox News to softball the right and hammer the left. So fair & balanced it makes me wanna vommit in my lap.
September 18, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
How about just "The dude". Fewer words. Easier to remember.
September 18, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I know the clip was cut together to show the FD questions, but did Todd say more than 2 words together in the whole rest of the interview?
I gotta think that if someone has nothing to say, ahem, YOU SHOULDN'T INTERVIEW THEM!!!
D'oh.
September 18, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, after watching the interview with Todd Palin, I feel that I know this guy much better than I do Obama, who remains an enigma to me.
Obama = Empty Suit, Empty Words
September 18, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Todd has been "First Dude" since Sarah was elected gov 2 years ago. I believe that was prior to Bill Clinton's claim to ownership of the name.
September 18, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
You should go to adn.com and admire some of the right wing intellectual discussions. I think they go something like - "NOBAMA is a muslim terrorist loser. Liberals are socialist, baby killing maggots. You liberal retards are all alike." I see much more thoughtless hate speech and gutter level smearing coming from the conservative FOX "NEWS" crowd.
I wouldn't say Todd is stupid, he's just, well, a dude. Who knows what is going on inside his head.
September 18, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I read all the comments before I looked at the video, which I had no desire to watch. So, after reading the comments I took a look.. Well, the problem WASN'T with the woman's husband.. It WAS with Greta.. How else would anyone respond to such ABSOLUTELY STUPID questions??!! I could see what the man was thinking..."WTF am I wasting my time with this idiot?????!!!!!
If it where me I would have said even less than than he did.. I actually would have ended the.. 'whatever', you called what she was trying to do.. Unbelievable!!
BTW, I can't stand McCain/Palin.
September 18, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. How could you make any decision about him? Greta wouldn't let him get a word in. I wanted to count how many times she said First Dude, but I couldn't stand to watch again.
September 18, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's safe to believe the McCain Campaign has kicked him under the bus.
September 18, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone ought to email Todd and tell him "dude" was coined by Oscar Wilde. But I think the few words is a flight/fight reflex - which may indicate that there is more to hide from the public. Just speculating - but I'll bet the man can carry-on a conversation in a more relaxed venue. Maybe he feels emasculated by Sara. Who knows?
September 18, 2008 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I couldn't watch the entire thing. I was yelling (in my terribly verbose, urban East Coast high involvement speaker type of way): MAKE IT STOP.
Of course, the FD didn't seem to be a bit player in his wife's governorship; he was cc-ed on official business emails and possibly had a role in Troopergage...
If--deity of choice forbid--he's close to the WH, it would be nice to learn exactly what sort of person this is.
September 18, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I totally liked the way she asked him about his membership in the AIP and how he wants Alaska to seceede from the Union.
That Greta is totally "Dudettealicious"
September 18, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude! How did CNN let her slip away?
September 18, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
DanR2, I've watched Ellen DeGeneres.
I've liked Ellen DeGeneres.
Ellen DeGeneres was a sexual fantasy of mine.
Greta is no Ellen DeGeneres.
and Marylin Quayle would annihilate Todd without even displacing a hair in her perm.
September 23, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
having not read the full transcript, and only going on this mash-up, i just feel sorry for this guy. it's obvious he does not want to be in the spotlight. i suspect the only reason he was able to handle van susteren's dumbassedness is that he already has experience w/ that retarded kid that irresponsibly shot out of his wife's 40+ year-old ovaries.
September 24, 2008 3:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
LeGrange:
I bet the only time you get on the high road is when the argument is unimpeachable on any level. That is what this is. A bored and boring man who Greta is trying to fluff for 'aw, shucks' moments fails miserably. Now you can say be cool, but I'd like to see examples of that when some tirade is unleashed on Obama's wife. Seriously, dude, you just end up sounded like your feelings have been hurt because 'first dude' wasn't a better argument for voting for McCain.
September 25, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink