Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Another Geoffrey Dunn interview!

From Mercury News:

Q. Palin is a pretty well-covered subject, and I think it's difficult to make a case that she's been treated with kid gloves by the mainstream media. Her popularity persists regardless. What does this book add to the conversation?

A. Not kid gloves, but maybe 16-ounce gloves. Part of the problem with mainstream journalism is their 24-hour news cycles and lack of in-depth reporting. The major example is TrooperGate. I turned up several emails and records that never have seen public light. And I've turned up dozens, if not hundreds of documents, that no one had ever seen before. Now, was it because I was a great investigative journalist? Not really. It was because I was persistent, and developed sources.

Q. Could you talk about some of the sources you were able to develop? How did you get that kind of access? Did writing for the Huffington Post help?

A. The fact that I knew Alaska, that I had a history in the state really helped me. I knew my way around the state, and I knew my way around the culture, helped me. The fact that I came from a fishing family here in Santa Cruz helped me. That I had family members that had been going up there to fish for years. But I didn't just do this as a fly-by-night reporter. I developed friendships; people had a confidence in me. In addition to that, the fact that I was breaking stories for the Huffington Post, gave people confidence that I could, one, respect confidentiality, and two, do a good job with it. They worked hand in hand. I thought I was going to have to tell the story of the election through the eyes of Democrats, that the only people that were ever going to talk to me were Democratic operatives who were following Palin around, so that's how I was going to tell the story. In fact, the Republicans leaked me everything. There are documents and emails in the book from Republican operatives during the McCain campaign, and no one's ever seen those. And they really tell the story on the ground of what it was like to work for Sarah Palin.

What's fascinating to me is the reaction of two people to her selection as vice-presidential candidate: George Bush and Barack Obama. Both said she'll never get up to speed. There's no way she can ever get up to speed. This is unfair to her and unfair to her family.

Two national figures who know how hard that road is, knew she wasn't ready for it.

I am sorry I am posting this so late.  I tried to put put up yesterday, but you all know what yesterday was like.

Anyhow click the link and give it a read, it has more interesting information about Dunn's research and his opinion of her political future.

 I REALLY hope that Geoffrey gets much more attention in the near future.  His book is really quite good.

40 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:24 AM

    If palin was someone I knew personally I would just be making fun of her!

    ReplyDelete
  2. dancingthroughlife11:28 AM

    Gryphen, the DailyMail is reporting that Bristol's reality show is with her "new boyfriend"- Kyle Massey! If that is true, I can only imagine how Mama Grizzly reacted. Have you heard anything to that effect?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1390790/Sarah-Palin-furious-Bristols-new-Disney-Show-star-boyfriend-Kyle-Massey.html

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  3. Dunn's book is outstanding. He paints a picture of a destructive woman with such massive insecurities and resentment that she can never be happy.

    Of course SP couldn't get up to speed. She doesn't even try. She thinks she's already bypassed everyone else with her wonderfulness, and she's enraged that most people don't acknowledge this and give her the adulation to which she feels entitled.

    I actually feel sorry for Sarah Palin, until I see her mean, smirking face and hear her spouting faux-patriotic, faux-Christian, anti-Obama word salad lies. Then I just want her to go away and confine her misery to her own private sphere.

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  4. Anonymous11:42 AM

    G, your opening premise is wrong. Since the Couric and Gibson interviews early in the 2008 campaign, Palin's approval rating overall has declined NO MATTER WHAT SHE'S DONE. Sell books, talk on Fox, avoid the MSM, produce a reality TV show, expose her kids, insult Obama, speak to business crowds, speak to pro-life crowds, post Twitters and FBs, have her daughter become famous, act like an energy expert, keep up her looks (kind of), tell jokes on Leno, go on SNL, visit Israel and India, endorse Tea Party winners, and now, apparently, produce a 2-hr(!!!!)doc about herself--she does not become more popular but rather less popular. If you're talking about "still popular among her base," OK, but they will never be enough to elect her as president.

    The real issue exposed by Frank Bailey and Mansewer's big fail on her emails is that Palin cannot count on blind loyalty--from Bailey, from the guy who released Mansewer's emails...she cannot trust and she does not have an "organization" that would prevent a breach like Mansewer's.

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  5. Anonymous12:09 PM

    Just saw on CNN (bottom of the screen text"...)

    Palin's movie will be released in THEATERS this summer..........!!!!!

    So, that solves THAT mystery. I am sure we will have to stand in long lines to get in.

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  6. Anonymous12:13 PM

    I enjoyed reading "The Lies of Sarah Palin". I came away with the idea that Sarah's sickness is deeply rooted and she is now her sickness. I don't know if she was born with a disposition to lie and be a narcissist or if her upbringing made her that way. Probably a bit of both. At any rate, she clearly has no conscience or any empathy toward others.

    We all better watch closely what this manipulative sociopath does next.

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  7. Lisabeth12:19 PM

    I also wish his book could get more attention. In a way everyone is Palin saturated. I know I can hardly stand the whole thing anymore. Why is she still around and will she ever go away?? She's like a gnat- they serve no purpose but to irritate you and they constantly have to be flicked away. I just will never get what her cult sees in her. She is such an obvious fraud to the rest of the world.

    Anyhow, how can this book get more attention. It really is very well written and he is more neutral than Bailey in some ways. Mr Dunn would be great on so many shows. He needs to send copies of his book to a target list of people.
    Joe McGinniss said books and movies won't stop her because we are preaching to the choir.

    Someone HAS to stop her. I think she will bring herself down or big shots in the GOP will bring her down.
    She better be gone from Fox SOON

    Damn I'm sick of this nasty piece of work.
    I can only hope everyone else is but her worshippers.

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  8. silvermoondog12:25 PM

    I'm two thirds of the way through Dunn's book and I think its quite well written and well researched. Wish it would get more attention. I really wish babygate would get the attention it deserves too.

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  9. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Her movie will be in theaters?? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Is she Hitler for Gods sake?? I hate using that analogy but I'm so sick of having this evil bitch shoved down our throats. She is everywhere and I have had enough!! Have you all??

    Do you realize how dangerous this ignoramus would be as president. She is NOT presidential material -this is getting ridiculous. WTF is wrong with the media?

    Thanks John McNasty for unleashing this psychopath on our country.

    Who the H could stomach two hours of Palin, Jesus Rises Undefeated??? Worship her or you will be in her crosshairs!

    ReplyDelete
  10. She knew the books were coming but the tweets were a Big Surprise! And now she never knows where the next surprise could come from.

    Speaking of....when is the babygate book coming? And is this journalist the one that asked you to help date two photos from the spouses lunch?

    ReplyDelete
  11. hedgewytch12:43 PM

    My husband just told me this joke, I hope you laugh like I did!

    "A plane with 4 passengers is about to crash, but has only three
    parachutes. The first passenger says "I'm Kobe Bryant, the best NBA
    basketball player. The Lakers need me. I can't afford to die." So he
    takes the first parachute and leaves the plane.

    The second passenger, Sarah Palin, says "I was the running mate of the
    former Republican Party candidate for President of the United States. I am the most ambitious woman in the world. I am also a former Alaska Governor, a potential future President,and above all, the smartest woman in America." She grabs the second
    parachute and leaves the plane.

    The third passenger, The Rev. Billy Graham, says to the fourth
    passenger, a 10 year old school boy, "I am old and I don't have many years left. As a Christian I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute."

    The boy says, "It's okay. There is still a parachute left for you.

    America's smartest woman took my school backpack."

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous1:01 PM

    Does anyone really believe that theatre owners are going to give up valuable summer screen time to Palin's documentary? I think this is going to be a straight to video release. Harry Potter -- Sarah Palin. Hmmm. Who to chose?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:20 PM

    His book is excellent and I so, so wish Dunn would receive more press on/for it. It's very well written and researched. I couldn't put it down.

    I'd recommend it to everyone. It especially should be noted to friends sitting on the fence about Palin - assuredly should she run for ANY office!

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  14. Anonymous1:20 PM

    Jack Cafferty suggests Dunn, Bailey and others as great reading. He seems to not be impressed by her movie announcement.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous1:21 PM

    Just finished Dunn's book. Very good, Very detailed!!! -E

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous1:23 PM

    About that movie: It's scheduled release follows the primary states, first to be released in Iowa, then New Hampshire, South Carolina, followed by 50 to 100 markets. You can bet that it will play in red states with primaries, the South and the Bible Belt. It is also available to political groups.

    The guy paid a million dollars to make the movie, and he expects to make it back through theater ticket sales. Using it on TV or used in connection with GOP fund raising groups would mean that the film maker was making a million dollar contribution to Palin. No, it's like Elan Frank, Lorenzo Benet, and that gal who wrote Sarah from Alaska, they all want to make money by writing a favorable piece about Sarah, and marketing it to her people.

    By releasing it into theaters, that film can be subject to the same reviewers treatment as any other movie, good or bad. In addition to the Oscars, there are also awards for the worst movies, which should put this film in its proper place.

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  17. Anonymous1:24 PM

    C'mon people, get creative! Have any of you attended a Rocky Horror Picture Show movie when people come in costume and throw things at the movie screen? Let's turn this into the parody that it deserves to be! Show up wearing your best SP garb; hoot and holler at all the known lines that she'll give; and treat this as the comedy that it is meant to be. Time to go on the offensive with this person...be a Patriot and defend your country from power-hungry idiots, even if it means showing up at her movie in your Naughty Monkey's and exposing her as a fraud.

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  18. The Balloon Juice thread on alternative titles for Palin’s vanity film is killing me right now!

    http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/05/24/coming-soon-to-a-theatre-near-you/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous1:28 PM

    OT, but check out the transcript from Frank Bailey's interview on Hannity:

    http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/hannity/transcript/palin-whistleblower-defends-tell-all-book

    What a dick! Does nothing but go after Frank and covers NOTHING of substance from the book. Pretty funny, actually.

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  20. Anonymous1:31 PM

    As an Alaskan who has been paying attention, I will say that the first half or so of Dunn's book revealed nothing new to me. However, once he got into the vice presidential campaign and afterwards, I found the book fascinating. I believe in Dunn as a researcher and author. Am glad that he has written this book.

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  21. Anonymous1:32 PM

    Imagine tossing a soup can every time she says "That" and popcorn when she utters "Also, too."

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous1:37 PM

    Yes, Geoffrey's book is GREAT! I learned so much from it. Thanks for pointing us to the interview in the Merc (or the "Murky News" as we affectionately call it around here).

    -SantaCruzNative

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous1:43 PM

    It's a great book!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous1:58 PM

    What theater chain would release that movie. I think what is happening is that the producer is renting out theater space in hopes of making a profit. Good luck with that. TWO hours of Sarah?! Her reality show kept losing viewers, and it was on basic cable. Who is going to get in their car, drive to a theater, spend $9-10 and TWO hours watching that crap? Yea, you would have to be pretty desperate for entertainment.

    By the way, I saw the guy's other movie Titus. CRAP. Violent and crappy. The acting was good but then how can you go wrong with Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins. And even with Julie Taymor of Lion King fame, the movie still flopped!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Paige2:05 PM

    First of all, that SP joke was hilarious, mostly because it's so easy to see ms hunter hunter huntington oh daddy can ya load my gun, daddy can ya aim my gun, daddy can ya just shoot the darn thing for me Palin totally choosing a backpack thinking it was a parachute. I can imagine her on the way down:

    "Katie Couric told that boy to place this backpack in a way that was deliberately obscuring, so to speak, that is, a GOTCHA maneuver which also too I really do not condooooooooooone..." < insert roadrunner & coyote SPLAT sound here >


    And I LOVE the point about theaters not giving up valuable summer screen time. Let's see, it's the biggest blockbuster season in years, during a horrible economic time...what to see, what to see...
    The final Harry Potter film, expected to easily surpass one BILLION dollars in revenue?
    The first part of the next Twilight movie, which has a large and committed fan base?
    The Green Lantern, a big budget epic expected to be very successful?

    Or...two hours of Sarah Palin stroking herself like a teenage boy who just found his mother's new bottle of jergen's in an unoccupied restroom?


    This muggle will be choosing Harry Potter over "The Godfather 4: this time it's an Alaskan muth-ah".

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous2:06 PM

    Jack Cafferty plugged Dunn and Bailey's books today on CNN as required reading for anyone who seriously considers Sarah Palin a viable Presidential candidate for the Republican party, right after he made fun of her movie.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous2:08 PM

    " I think it's difficult to make a case that she's been treated with kid gloves by the mainstream media."

    Seriously? Where has this person been living? The mainstream media has been fawning all over Palin and lavishing her with attention and giving her any and all platforms to spew her stuff ever since the election. She has published two books, is employed by FOX, had her own reality show, numerous magazine articles, etc...etc...

    When is the myth that the mainstream media has been hard on her going to die?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous2:11 PM

    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos
    spouse's lunch photos

    Does Geoffrey Dunn, Frank Bailey, Joe McGinnis, player to be named later all have access to the extra photos?

    Has G. been told the fate of the photos?

    sitting here in tornado alley listening to the wail of the warning sirens and really, really wishing for some good news.

    How about a nice little crumb, G. We all need a boost.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous2:23 PM

    www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/sarah-palin-movie-tweets_n_867030.html#s283523&title=NASHAD

    The Best Names For Sarah Palin's Movie

    Maybe we could have some fun with this one on the IM?

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  30. Anonymous2:27 PM

    2:05 PM, OMG that was funny!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous 1:24 - perfect. I have shamelessly stolen your post (with as much credit as I could give) and posted it in my liberal discussion group on facebook. I hope it becomes the standard response to this million dollar lie. Brava!

    ReplyDelete
  32. A J BIllings3:25 PM

    Just read the article at the DailyMail that Dancingthroughlife posted

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1390790/Sarah-Palin-furious-Bristols-new-Disney-Show-star-boyfriend-Kyle-Massey.html

    Boy, I bet some canned good were heaved around the new house, and also, too, there was a lot of yelling and screaming about "family values".

    to start with, Bristol's new boyfriend is, well.... NOT white.
    Darn, that could be a problem for
    Queen Esther, who of course LOVED the blond Track-wife.

    And, he's into the Hollywood scene,
    and Bristol is of course being led astray by those and of em, and all of 'em , those damn left winger types in the studios.

    Why, golly gee willikers, Bristol might end up supporting gay rights, and maybe even think twice about a rape victim's right to choose to not be forced to carry a resulting pregnancy to term.

    The Queen Grifter had better put a chastity belt on Willow, cuz if one more Palin turns up preggers before the election, it might reflect badly on her FAMILY VALUES!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous3:34 PM

    Some Sarah movie names:
    http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23NamePalinsFilm
    Razing Arizona
    The Hustler
    One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest
    The White Stuff
    Psycho
    Man, Alaska Really Fucked Up, Didn't They?
    Aim Where The Heart Is

    Here's mine:
    All About Me
    Apocalypse Now
    Dumbo
    Ethics Schmethics
    Grifty Girl
    Husbands and Wives Rewriting History
    Lover Come Back
    Much Ado About Quitting
    My Deranged Lady
    Raging Bullshit
    Spin City
    The Great Escape from Reality
    The Lying Game
    The Ten Commandments and My Interpretation
    The Way We Weren't
    Twisted

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous5:21 PM

    Off topic but still interesting:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1390790/Sarah-Palin-furious-Bristols-new-Disney-Show-star-boyfriend-Kyle-Massey.html

    Gryphen--any truth to the details?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous5:45 PM

    Up next, a cafe au lait grandchild for Sarah.

    ReplyDelete
  36. h/t to Gryphen on the recommendation on Dunn's book. Bottom line: this is a great read!

    I didn't get to download it until last night and once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down.

    I'm about one-third of the way through the e-book. I hope to finish reading it tomorrow evening.

    I'm not going to spoil this one for anybody, but even if you think you know everything about SP, you're in for some surprises. Dunn's research is so thorough and documented, and it is well-written.

    Bailey's book will have to wait on the sidelines until the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous8:42 PM

    I know this should go on a Bailey post but I already had this comment page open, so...

    Has anyone else noticed the INORDINATE amount of misspellings, punctuation errors, and lowercase/uppercase confusions in Bailey's book? I'm only on page 48 (in iBooks, not sure what "real" page) and I've noticed eight or nine major blunders already.

    What on earth is the editing process even FOR?

    ReplyDelete
  38. GoingBrogue9:04 PM

    I just posted a comment about punctuation etc errors in Bailey's book. I wanted to make clear I do not view this as a reflection on Frank.

    Also, too...I thought I'd post a juicy tidbit in the form of Sarah's own email-

    From: Sarah
    To: Scott Heyworth Cc: Todd Palin
    Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:19 AM
    Subject: Todd's son
    Scott:
    Todd just told me you had spoken with him awhile back and reported that some law enforcement friends of yours claimed some dumbass lie about Track not being Todd's son? (snip) I want to know right now who said it, who would ever lie about such a thing...this is the type of bullshit lie about family that WILL keep me from running for Governor...I want to know NOW what this latest BS is all about... (snip)



    Sorry for the (snips) but I was transcribing by hand.

    SO...what's interesting to me:
    Obviously, we were not the first to notice Track's uncanny resemblance to Mr. Menard- people in "law enforcement" were talking about it in 2006 which is when Track really started to grow into his face and thus his Menard features.

    But perhaps even more interesting...Sarah writes "Todd told me you had spoken with him AWHILE BACK"....
    So, a law enforcement official tells Todd Palin that Track isn't his son and instead of running straight home to immediately clear the air with Sarah, Todd waited long enough that when he DID bring it up...it was so long ago Sarah referred to it as "awhile back"?

    Now that is interesting. Very much so.

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  39. GoingBrogue9:21 PM

    Oh! One last thing in reference to Sarah's email...

    So a rumor like "Track isn't Todd's" WILL keep her from running for GOVERNOR...but a rumor like "Trig isn't yours" will NOT keep her from running for PRESIDENT?

    Now we know why she's so often saying "Trig is my kid" rather than the more obvious "I gave birth to Trig"...she likely taught Todd to be a good boy in 2006 and made him parrot "Track is my kid" over and over.


    I'm officially glad I bought Bailey's book on iBooks. Yes, I hate even informally appearing to endorse Jeanne Devon or to a lesser extent Bailey due to their (mostly hers) ridiculously flamingo like denials of Babygate...make no mistake, this book is JUICY. And I just LOVE picturing SP frantically trying to read it, yelling an expletive every time she sees something like this email in the book!


    I feel I should say (since it IS a Dunn thread) that Geoffrey Dunn's book was excellent as well. I would say Bailey's book will mostly only appeal to people who already loathe SP. But Dunn's book is great for people who are on the fence about SP.

    Gryphen, I would just love if you could give us any tiny morsel about the BabyGate book? I SO hope the author is matt taibbi. Holy smokes, it's gonna be a fun summer!

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  40. Julie3:12 AM

    I know I can't be the only one to consider this possibility, dancingthroughlife @11:28a-


    Before I delve into what is certain to be a very long comment, let me say that I am a longtime reader and have been so proud to watch Gryphen refuse to wither under the nasty and predatory glare of Sarah Palin. What a true patriot.

    So back to my theory...

    Bristol was obviously pregnant last year. Any other explanation defies logic, defies what is right in front of our eyes. I don't know if that baby was given up for adoption, was being cared for back Track & Britta as the occasional rumour has suggested, or some other scenario I've not thought of.

    So now there's rumours about Bristol and Kyle Massey being a "couple". Naturally I take this with a Scottsdale mansion sized grain of salt- but it COULD be true. Think about this timeline-

    Bristol meets Kyle during the first contract negotiations/costume fittings/whatever at DwtS. I know there was a photocall test at least a couple weeks before the first show was aired...perhaps they met then. Bristol being who she was sadly and unfortunately raised to be, sleeps with Kyle right away, and since Bristol is as fertile as a rabbit on clomid, she of course falls pregnant.

    She was only 2-6 weeks when filming started but this being her second pregnancy, she showed much earlier than with Trig and even Tripp. As such, by the time she realised she'd be telling granny lulu for yet a THIRD time about an unexpected bub, she was well into filming and had just filmed the ridiculous PSA with that clod from MTV. She did exactly what her mother does concerning these pesky Trig rumours and evidence: acts like it's not happening.

    I think Bristol's attendance on the Haiti trip was possibly as necessary as Sarah's attendance.

    Now, when Bristol is living with Kyle Massey under the guise of what is being billed as "reality show" but is likely just "want to live with my boyfriend but am highly paid abstinence spokesperson"...and she shows up with a dark-skinned baby...rather than go the obvious route of telling everyone that Bristol is human and abstinence in fact was NOT realistic just as Bristol had said on television, we'll hear a song and dance about how Bristol was "so touched" by the plight of Hatian orphans, she's expanded her wee family under the loving and generous auspices of ADOPTION.

    Of course, I know one's instinct is to think no, that's MAD, that's stopping at G, K, and Q when you could have quickly just gone from A to B. Remember who we are dealing with- charged women for rape kits, writes letters about herself in many "voices", wrote her birth announcement in the voice of a rambling and patronising God, and lest we forget...faked a pregnancy as the governor of the largest state in the US!

    I am not saying this is definitely going to happen. But you look at those photos of Bristol in Haiti, where the heat was over 90*F and the humidity was at 100% yet she is wearing a large scarf round her neck and upper body. Look at her inexplicably swollen belly. Truly look at those photos and tell me there isn't a baby SOME where that will have to be explained at SOME point in time.


    I'm just saying...I for one will not be surprised if Bristol and Kyle have a quickie wedding and "adopt" a Hatian "orphan".

    ReplyDelete

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