The Press Trainwreck that is Sarah Palin

by jill ~ September 2, 2008

A political friend reminded me today that the first rule of picking a VP was “do no harm” - no one wants a running mate that steals the limelight, especially if it’s bad publicity.

The McCain publicity camp must be shaking their over-worked heads right about now, 5 days and a half dozen crises after the announcement that Sarah Palin was named the Republican VP candidate.

Here is just some of the coverage of the crisis and the response from the McCain camp from around the world about Sarah Palin.  It’s a good reminder of why I am happy to work in corporate PR today.

Boston Herald:  Baby drama unfolds on Sarah Palin’s campaign trail

Courier Mail (Australia): Odd bedfellows in team McCain-Palin

The Jerusalem Post: Power and Politics - The Palin Shocker

Guardian.co.uk: Was Palin Vetted at all?

CNNMoney.com: Betting on a Palin Withdrawal

Agence France Press: McCain ‘proud’ of Palin as Republicans launch defense

CNN Political Ticker: Top Republicans defend Palin and vetting process

If one thing is for certain, it’s that McCain is currently winning the battle for the daily news cycle.  But at what cost?