Sarah Palin:
CNN’s Peter Hamby Going Rogue?
Who knows?

On August 29, John McCain announced that Sarah Palin as his running mate.

On August 30, CNN announced what type of reporting the campaign could expect from the cable network’s Peter Hamby.

Technically factual with a heavy accent on the negative, so as to change the meaning of the story for those who were not present.

Palin booed for mentioning Hillary Clinton:

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania (CNN) – This might not be the best way to reach out to those disillusioned Hillary Clinton supporters.

In just her second appearance on the campaign trail with John McCain, newly-minted GOP running mate Sarah Palin was showered with boos on Saturday for attempting to praise Clinton’s trail-blazing bid to become the first female president.

CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby was technically factual but grossly misleading: the large, enthusiastic crowd showered Palin with practically non-stop cheers during her appearance with John McCain.

When Palin mentioned Hillary Clinton, there were some scattered boos, quickly replaced by cheering after a few seconds. DBKP knows: we were there. [McCain, Palin a Hit in PA; CNN’s Story Leads with “Boos”]

So Hamby wouldn’t have been convicted in a court of law for perjury over his reporting.

Which suggests that readers may want to take his latest story with 55-gallon barrel of salt.

McCain aide: Palin ‘going rogue’:
From CNN Chief National Correspondent John King, CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby, CNN’s Dana Bash

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) – With 10 days to go until election day, long brewing tension between Sarah Palin and key aides to John McCain has become so intense, it is spilling out into the public.

Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin “going rogue” recently, while a Palin associate says she is simply trying to “bust free” of what she believes was a mishandled roll-out that damaged her.

So maybe the McCain adviser did make the statement.

Or maybe the adviser said he was “going for some Rogaine” and Hamby didn’t catch the whole remark.

Who knows? You twist your report of what happened once–so that others who were there don’t recognize it–and your future stories are greeted with skepticism.

No CNN stories have appeared with the headline “Joe Biden “going rogue”.

Like the 2-3 seconds of scattered boos that transformed into “Palin showered with boos” back in August, Peter Hamby may be technically correct–but grossly misleading.

So maybe Sarah Palin is ‘going rogue’–or maybe it’s only Peter Hamby, once again, going rogue from an accurate account of what took place.

Since we weren’t present, we don’t know this time.

by Mondo
image: pegatours