Caught on tape! The truth about Sarah Palin!

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Okay, so here's what happened. Yesterday evening, Sarah Palin gave a speech at California State University (CSU) Stanislaus. But, well... I'll let FOX Sacramento explain:

Thousands of people from California and around the world tuned in to FOX40.com to listen to a speech prepared by Sarah Palin Friday evening from the campus of California State University, Stanislaus. During that stream, other reporters in the media overflow room were heard on our microphone, due to the unusual circumstances of how we managed to bring the live feed.

First, FOX40 News was the only station streaming a live signal from CSU Stanislaus during Sarah Palin's presentation. Friday, we were told by officials organizing the speech that we were not permitted to beam a live signal direct from the dining hall where Sarah Palin was presenting. Instead, we were offered the opportunity to aim a FOX40 camera at a projection screen inside a room for assembled media several hundred feet from where Sarah Palin was speaking. They would not allow us to get a direct feed of audio, so we had to hold a mic up to their speakers. Our choice was to not carry a speech of local and national importance due to the low-quality video and audio options, or to provide a signal by any means necessary. It was with the public interest in mind that we opted for the latter.

While our cameras pointed at the CSU screen, showing the CSU camera, several reporters for other stations walked in front of our camera. Also, again, since CSU did not offer us a direct audio feed, we had to put a microphone in front of their sound system. Other reporters were overheard on that, despite several warnings that we had a hot mic, and several thousand people watching.

Following Sarah Palin's address from CSU Stanislaus, several reporters were again heard making comments about the speech that some viewers considered inappropriate and unprofessional.

By "inappropriate and unprofessional," FOX40 KTXL means critical of Sarah Palin. You can catch some of those comments here:

Hardly vicious stuff. The commenters laugh and say she jammed "as many quotes in as possible." They say said a lot of "random things." They say she "didn't finish a statement," or maybe that she didn't even make a statement. They say they don't know how they'll make a story out of what she said.

And then: "Now I know that dumbness doesn't just come from soundbites."

Inappropriate and unprofessional? Well, they didn't know they were on tape and, what's more, reporters are allowed to have opinions. It may be inappropriate and unprofessional to share those opinions on air, but they didn't know they were on air.

Otherwise, big deal. Other than the "dumbness" line, what did they say that was so (supposedly) wrong? We all know Palin's speeches are full of random comments and incoherent arguments. As for being dumb, is it not the case the Palin is widely considered to be... how shall I put it... intellectually unimpressive?

Of course, the conservative blogosphere is freaking out, and lashing out, as if some terrible transgression had been committed. I won't bother quoting the all-so-predictable wingnuttery, but you can find some links over at Memeorandum.

Suffice it to say that it can all be summed up with this spot-on headline from Whiskey Fire:

Breaking - In Shocking Scandal, Sarah Palin Perceived as Idiot By Entire Non-Wingnut Universe

And so, really, those reporters caught on tape were just reporting the truth. As impossible as that may be for conservatives to accept.