In Palin-Obama sports matchup, White House changes game
By Dave Cook | 07.01.09
At Thursday’s White House briefing, spokesman Robert Gibbs deflected a question about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s statement earlier this week that she could beat the President in a long footrace.
In an interview with Runner’s World Sarah Palin was asked if she could beat the president in a race. She replied, “What I lacked in physical strength or skill I made up for in determination and endurance. So if it were a long race that required a lot of endurance, I’d win.”
Better at basketball?
When first asked about Gov. Palin’s comment, Obama spokesman Gibbs replied, “How’s her jump shot?”
The President is a well known basketball fan. It turns out Palin is, as well. She told Runner’s world “ we both love basketball. But look, he towers over me and I wouldn’t be complaining about an unfair advantage there, but maybe I’d do better playing H-O-R-S-E with him than one-on-one.”
Gibbs said the outcome of a race would depend on “where they were going to run.”
And he ended by saying he would ask the President “if he’s got any free time in his summer to do that.”
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2. Eagle Trace | 07.01.09
Can’t Blame Palin for saying this. She was set up by the reporter’s silly question. I wonder how Obama would react if he had been asked the same question? I am sure that the last thing he would say is he would win or lose.
4. John Frum | 07.01.09
This is hilarious. First Palin challenges Obama to an activity she practices and he doesn’t, and sees nothing unfair about such an idea. Then when it’s suggested that she choose a sport (basketball) that they both have engaged in (Palin played for the state champion in high school) to provide an apples-to-apples comparison, she cites his height advantage as a “fairness” issue. Not that she’s complaining, of course…
6. Christopher Bieda | 07.02.09
But for the fact that professional Democrats (the men and women who run the day-to-day of the party, pollsters and the DNC) would scream bloody murder at the prospect, I imagined Palin and Obama doing a charity one-on-one to benefit the Special Olympics in the wake of Obama’s clumsy joke about his bowling. Given Trig Palin’s disability, their common love of basketball and the undeniably great work the Special Olympics does, it seemed an ideal way to lower the partisan temperature.
Of course, it could never happen; those professionals I mentioned would (correctly) advise that the president would be elevating Palin to the presidential stage level by appearing with her. One can imagine the cover of Time (or SI!) with the two of them standing back-to-back in red and blue uniforms above the caption, “Preview of 2012?”
Great is the pity.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Tom | 07.01.09
At last, a competition that really matters!