Palin And Gibson: "High Noon" In Alaska
This column was written by MarketWatch's Jon Friedman.
Hollywood doesn't have to do a sequel of "High Noon," one of the all-time great movies. Charles Gibson and Sarah Palin are doing their best to recreate the dramatic showdown when the hero confronts the villain in Alaska.
But who exactly do you think are the hero and the villain as you watch ABC's broadcast this week of The Interview Heard 'Round the World?
To much of America, journalist Gibson is clearly wearing the black hat. The ABC News anchor's probing questions threaten to expose the inexperience of John McCain's running mate. Palin has become a full-blown pop-culture phenomenon, as America seems to be fascinated with everything from her Alaska roots to her distinctive eyeglasses.
Gibson simply can't win. He is the sophisticated, big-city television anchor. She is the small-town mayor who rose to become a governor and is just doing her best to raise her kids. As Gibson ventures to Alaska to interview Palin on her home tundra -- in her first unscripted appearance since she received the vice-president position on McCain's ticket -- he runs the risk of disappointing every faction in the Western Hemisphere.
If he doesn't reduce her to a quivering mass of jelly, Democrats will attack him for being too soft on a wily politician. On the other hand, if Gibson does indeed drive Palin into a corner, Republicans will shriek that he is a sexist who bullied America's new favorite hockey mom.
If Gibson plays it down the middle, critics like me will dismiss him as a hopeless wimp.
What can he accomplish?
I'd be pleased if Gibson could help me understand what Palin is thinking. How has her life changed since McCain surprised the world and placed her in the spotlight? What does she stand for? What exactly would she tell Russian President Vladimir Putin in a sit-down? And has she ever really wrestled a caribou to the ground with her bare hands?
To many Americans, Palin is the real-life version of Kevin Kline's character in the movie "Dave," an ordinary Joe who has been thrust into the white-hot White House environment. Or, perhaps, she reminds others of "Chance," the accidental political hero of "Being There."
Who will emerge as the more credible TV star? Will it be the scholarly face of "ABC World News with Charles Gibson," who graduated from Princeton University and earns millions of dollars a year, or the former mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, who used to go moose hunting with her father and was nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda" because of her ferocious play on the basketball court?
Go easy on Charlie, Sarah. He's just doing his best.
By Jon Friedman