Game Change (2012) - full transcript

Summer, 2008: John McCain secures the nomination, but polls behind Barack Obama. Strategist Steve Schmidt suggests a game changer: picking a conservative female with media savvy, unknown Alaska governor Sarah Palin, as vice president. She's an immediate hit and a quick study - the gap closes. Then, Tina Fey's impersonation, a raft of criticism, and missing her family send Palin into a near-catatonic state: she doesn't prepare for her Katie Couric interview and bombs. Schmidt searches for an answer: don't expect her to learn the issues, but give her a script. Palin does well in the debate with Biden; she finds her voice, goes off script, and goes rogue. A mistake?

For you, picking Sarah Palin

was about winning an election,

not necessarily about who's gonna

be best as vice president.

My job is to give

political advice.

We needed to do something bold

to try to win the race.

If you had it to do over again,

would you have her on the ticket?

- Hello.

- They fucking hate me, Steve.

Who's that, sir?

Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter.

They're dancing on my grave

like it's fucking Mardi Gras.

That may be true, but

there's an upside

to being in last place.

You can say what you truly feel.

You think I've been holding back?

I do, Senator.

The surge is working,

but no one else is brave

enough to say it.

Romney, Giuliani, Huckabee...

all your opponents are hedging.

Even you hesitated

at the last debate.

A great man once told me,

I would rather lose the election

than see the country

lose this war.

And I meant it, Steve.

Then say it, sir.

John McCain doesn't

say what's popular,

he says what's right.

My advice would be

to get some old POW

buddies together

and travel the country

in a small caravan.

Stay in shitty hotels,

do American Legion halls,

V.F.W. posts, have a few beers

and enjoy yourself.

You're right, goddamn it.

I don't know what the

hell's wrong with me.

You get so caught up in winning,

- you start to lose yourself.

- It's gonna be easy because

there's only one message

you need to get across.

Yeah? What's that?

John McCain puts country first.

Would you consider joining us?

Even just for a few weeks?

Senator, there is

no one in this race

I admire more than you,

but I promised my wife

that I would sit this cycle out.

I know that, Steve,

but will you just think about it?

Just do that... Just think

about it, will you?

Of course, Senator.

- You promise?

- I will, I promise.

Great, I'll call you tomorrow.

- Okay.

- Thanks, Stevie boy.

Fuck.

Senator McCain today reshuffling

his most senior campaign staff.

John McCain wins the

New Hampshire primary,

a huge comeback for the

senator from Arizona.

You hear them

chanting behind me...

Mac is back, Mac is back.

A big win for John McCain

in South Carolina,

a win that he will relish.

The question on the

campaign trail was

can a soufflé rise twice?

John McCain wins the Republican

presidential nomination.

What a historic night.

And they said we were dead.

The White House.

Obama. Obama.

People of Berlin

and people of the world,

the scale of our

challenge is great.

The road ahead will be long.

But I come before you

to say that we are heirs

to a struggle for freedom.

We are a people of improbable hope

with an eye towards the future,

with resolve in our heart.

Let us remember this history

and answer our destiny

and remake the world once again.

Thank you, Berlin. God bless you.

Thank you.

If he heals a sick baby,

we're really fucked.

We're down by 15.

If his convention speech

is as good as that...

It'll be better.

Then we'll be trailing by 20

going into St. Paul.

It's an uphill battle, John.

Well, as Chairman Mao

was fond of saying,

It's always darkest before

it's completely black.

Senator, it always concerns me

when you quote Chairman Mao.

This guy is raising money

like he's some sort of

a human ATM machine.

John, if there ever was a time

to run a Reverend Wright

ad, this is that time.

- Absolutely not.

- I agree.

There's footage of his own

reverend saying goddamn America.

It's the single best

weapon we've got.

I want to run a fucking campaign

that my kids can be proud of,

and that precludes attacking

a black reverend.

I think we're going

about this all wrong.

This man is on the cover

of every news magazine.

He's on the cover of every

entertainment magazine.

He's got 200,000 people

screaming for him in Berlin.

And what has he done?

A man of no accomplishment

has become the biggest

celebrity in the world,

and we keep trying to reach

up and pull him down.

What we need to do is

ask the American people

a very simple question:

Do you want a statesman to

be your next president...

or do you want a celebrity?

Try it.

He's the biggest

celebrity in the world.

Obama. Obama.

But is he ready to lead?

With gas prices soaring,

Barack Obama says no

to offshore drilling

and says he'll raise

taxes on electricity?

Higher taxes, more foreign oil...

that's the real Obama.

Great job, Fred.

I thought we were the

grown-ups in this race.

John, it's his girlfriend.

This is a cautionary tale, John.

It's what I'm talking about.

Yeah, right. Yeah, let's...

- Let's watch it again.

- No, I can't, I can't. Please.

See, that's what

I'm talking about.

Now can you believe these guys?

He wants Lieberman on the ticket.

- Of course he does.

- Disaster.

Or historic.

- Or historic disaster.

- John loves him.

It would be a strong move

towards bipartisanship.

Guys, the base is

already concerned

that John is not a

true conservative.

Now, I don't think picking a

pro-choice Jewish Democrat

who just happened to be

Al Gore's running mate

is going to alleviate

that concern.

Maybe we have McCain

make a one-term pledge.

He announces in some huge

speech that he and a Democrat

are joining together for one term

so that the parties

can come together

and solve this country's

greatest problems.

Maybe, with a one-term pledge.

Nothing says country first

like picking Joe Lieberman.

Well, if it's gonna work,

it has to remain

absolutely secret,

right up until the convention.

If it gets leaked, the

right will kill it.

John McCain's decision

to put Joe Lieberman

front and centre at his convention

has the unique distinction

of unsettling

both Democrats and Republicans.

I think the idea of him

being the Republican

vice presidential nominee

would split the convention.

In the cabinet, fine. Not as V.P.

Bad choice. Conservatives

will bolt.

Comedy team of McCain

and Lieberman.

Maybe they'll play

Atlantic City this summer.

Thank you.

So what the fuck happened?

Lindsey Graham was trying to

build support for the idea

- and it leaked.

- Goddamn it, Lindsey.

Well, if it's any consolation,

my numbers show that

if you pick Lieberman

or any pro-choice candidate,

40% of your core supporters

will be less likely

to support you.

40%.

And you gain very

few independents.

Overall, it's a wide-net negative.

We've made a lot of calls.

Some people don't even think.

Lieberman can make it

through the convention.

Others say, yeah, he can,

but he's gonna rip

the party in half.

But Joe is perfect.

We're both mavericks

that are hated by the

assholes in our own parties.

It could have a tremendous

healing effect on the country.

We can't win without our base.

Lieberman is the

right thing to do,

but the wrong way to win.

- Who all have we vetted?

- Romney, Crist, Pawlenty.

- We're trying to vet Bloomberg.

- Who can we win with?

- None of them.

- None of them?

John, Obama just changed

the entire dynamic.

It is a change year, sir.

We desperately need a

game-changing pick,

and none of these middle-aged

white guys are game-changers.

So... what?

I just fuck off and die?

Well, the data shows we have

four things we have to do.

We have to win back

the independents,

we have to excite the base,

we have to distance ourselves

from the Bush administration,

and we have to close

the gender gap.

How bad is the gap?

It's fatal.

You've got a 20% advantage

with men, which is great,

but a 20% deficit with women.

You've got to pick

up 15% with females.

Because if you're trailing

by more than five with them,

you lose.

So find me a woman.

All right, ladies.

Who's it gonna be?

Meg Whitman supports

abortion rights.

Pro-choice, pro-choice.

- Who are you?

- These solar arrays combined

will allow us to produce

34 megawatts of power...

To make sure that risk management

is the best that we

can do to secure...

But as you know, the turnpike

ends here in Augusta.

At that point...

What was her name?

Once Alaska is allowed

to very responsibly and

safely develop our resources,

we'll lower costs of energy

across the United States,

and then we'd be able

to secure the nation

with a clean, domestic

supply of energy.

And I say that, Charlie,

even personally.

My one and only son,

my 18-year-old,

he just signed up for

the United States Army.

He's at boot camp right now.

And I'm thinking, you know,

this kid is doing all that

he can within his power

to help secure and defend

the United States.

Every elected official had

better be asking themselves,

are you doing as much also?

Are you doing all that you can?

She's a star.

She's so passionately

pro-life that at age 44,

she decided to keep a child

that she knew midterm

had Down syndrome.

And there's a lot more

that the base will love.

She has an 80% approval

rating in Alaska.

The highest of any

governor in the country...

80%?

And she got it by

taking on the oil lobby

and the Republican establishment.

She's the one who killed

the Bridge to Nowhere.

I fought Ted Stevens for months

on that stupid fucking bridge.

Plus, she is a devout Christian.

She's got a son about

to deploy to Iraq,

attractive mother of five.

- She likes to moose hunt.

- Moose hunt?

This is a woman with a gun, John.

I mean, come on, the base is

gonna be doing back flips.

What does Salter think?

He's worried that

she's a creationist.

Yeah, and that's exactly why

the base will love her.

Women will love her.

Plus, she gives you

distance from Bush.

Furthermore, she's

so outside the box

that she helps you recapture

the maverick label,

which will win back independents.

She's everything we need.

You don't think she might

be too outside the box?

Huh. Well, that's what makes

her such a maverick choice.

So is picking Lieberman.

That'd be pretty

goddamn mavericky.

Sir, we live in the age of YouTube

and the 24-hour news cycle.

How else do you think a man

who has absolutely no major

life accomplishments

is beating an American

hero by double digits?

He's simply sailing on his

charisma and star power.

We need to create a dynamic

moment in this campaign

or we're dead.

You think she's that good?

She could be.

And we can vet her in five days?

We can.

The vet has to be

as thorough for her

as it was for all the

other candidates.

Culvahouse says he

can do it, so...

The clock is ticking, sir.

If you are going to seriously

consider the governor of Alaska,

you have to call her now.

You know, Governor, these

gas prices are killing us.

Oh, my goodness, don't I know it.

They're killing me and Todd, too.

Hey, how are ya?

But once Alaska is

allowed to very safely

and responsibly develop

our resources,

we'll lower cost of energy

across the entire nation.

You keep giving 'em

hell, Governor.

Aw, thanks. Nice talking to ya.

Mum, can we go on the

roller coaster now?

Yeah. No, of course, honey.

- Hey, Bristol?

- Yeah?

Can you hold Trig? I'm gonna take

Piper on the roller coaster.

- Sure.

- There you go.

There you go, buddy.

- Mum.

- Just one second, hon.

This is Sarah.

Thank you for coming on such

short notice, Governor.

Should this go according to plan,

we will take you to meet

Senator McCain at his compound

first thing in the morning.

Now, if he chooses you

to be his running mate,

you will instantly become

one of the most famous

people on the planet.

Your life will be investigated,

manipulated, distorted,

and you will lose any

semblance of privacy.

Knowing this, are

you 100% committed

to going forward

with this project?

Absolutely.

I have a servant's heart.

And if you really think

I can help this ticket,

if you really think I

can help this country,

then absolutely...

I'll do this with ya.

Your private life

will be subjected

to harsh, often unfair attacks.

Nothing can prepare you for...

how ugly this can be. Not...

I do understand that.

Here's the deal.

I went through a tough

primary in Alaska,

and I know how ugly it can get.

Well, Governor, things can get

quite a bit rougher on

the national stage.

I don't know, Alaska's

pretty rough.

Now, you and Senator McCain

have a difference of

opinion on several issues.

He is pro-life, but he's

in favour of exceptions

in the case of rape, incest or

a mother's life being at risk.

- You are not.

- That is correct.

I am unapologetically pro-life.

Senator McCain supports

stem cell research.

- You do not.

- That's true, I do not.

John McCain would never ask you

to contradict your beliefs,

but we expect you to

support his positions.

And we may ask you

to appear in ads

advocating those positions.

Do you have a problem with that?

No, I don't. Not at all.

Senator McCain can count

on my full support.

I would be so proud to

be a member of his team.

Do you reject the

theory of evolution?

I'm the daughter of

a science teacher.

My dad showed me

fossils growing up.

I know about evolution.

I accept evolution.

But I will never deny that

I see the hand of God

in this beautiful

creation that is Earth.

I'm really glad that

you're asking me

these types of questions.

Why is that?

It's important that you know

exactly what you're getting.

John, let me be very clear.

Every other vet we did was over

a four-to-eight-week period.

This vet has been compiled

in absolute secrecy

in less than five days.

I understand.

Well, in doing a vet this fast,

there's certainly the possibility

that we may have missed something.

Yeah, I got it. What

do you think, A.B?

I like many of her answers

in the questionnaire.

And in the interview, she hit some

of my questions out of the park.

Now...

there are more potential

land mines with Palin

than with the other choices.

She told us she has a teen

daughter who's pregnant.

That should not prevent

this from moving forward,

but we don't know what

else could pop up.

But are you impressed

with her personally?

I am.

She has a great life story

and she's extremely

poised and confident

for someone in her situation.

But you have a candidate

who's only been

governor for 18 months.

Before that, she was the

mayor of a small town

of 10,000 people.

She undercuts your

best attack on Obama

that he's too inexperienced.

Well, that's played out.

We lose by five if we

stick with experience.

You think she's ready

to be president?

I don't think she's gonna

be ready on January 20th,

but I think she has the smarts

to get there eventually.

Give me the bottom line, A.B.

High risk...

high reward.

You shouldn't have told me that.

Why not?

I've been a risk-taker

all my life.

- Hi.

- Hi. How are ya?

Great.

Thanks so much for coming.

Thank you for having me

at your beautiful house.

Well, come on in. Please.

One of the things I'm

most proud of, Sarah,

is my independence.

And I'm very impressed

with how you've bucked

the Republican

establishment in Alaska.

Well, I am wired to be kind

of independent there also.

And I thought if I'm gonna

truly run the state

on behalf of the people,

I'm gonna have to do it

without that good ole boy network.

I love the way you squashed

Stevens's Bridge to Nowhere.

Yeah. I am pro-growth

and pro-infrastructure for Alaska,

but not at the expense of

the American taxpayer.

I told Congress if

we wanted a bridge,

we'd build it ourselves.

You remind me of myself.

We're both reformers

who are not afraid

to thumb our nose

at our own party.

Senator, you're an American hero.

I'm just Sarah from Alaska.

What do you guys think?

I know a guy like Tim Pawlenty

isn't exactly the

game-changing pick

you all seem to think we need,

but he's young, he's energetic.

He has solid conservative

credentials.

With Pawlenty, we

make the base happy.

And we know what the

hell we're getting.

Pawlenty's ready to be president.

Steve?

Well, there are

unknowns with Palin,

and certainly it could go bad.

But if it were me, I'd

rather lose by 10 points

going for the win than

lose by one point

and look back and say, Goddamn,

we should have gone for the win.

Our slogan's Country first.

Lieberman and Pawlenty are

country-first choices.

Sarah Palin will be perceived

as a self-serving

political manoeuvre.

You may not only lose

the election, John.

You just might lose your

reputation right along with it.

I'm not running for my reputation.

I'm running to be president.

Yes, sir.

It is absolutely crucial

that not a single person

know you're the pick.

Surprise of your announcement

will stop any momentum

Obama might get from

his convention speech.

That's smart.

You seem totally

unfazed by all this.

It's God's plan.

This election has

never been about me.

It's about you.

You understand that

in this election

the greatest risk we can take

is to try the same old politics

with the same old players and

expect a different result.

Change happens.

Change happens because the

American people demand it...

because they rise up and insist

on new ideas and new leadership

and new politics for a new time.

You're about to meet our nominee.

You are the seventh and eighth

person to know about this.

It's Steve.

Come in.

Because I've seen it...

Hi. Come on in.

I'm just watching Obama's

big, fancy speech again.

Governor, this is Matthew Scully.

- He'll be your main speechwriter.

- Nice to meet you.

And this is Nicolle Wallace,

former White House

communications director.

Hi. How are you?

And this is Governor Sarah Palin

from Alaska.

Yes, of course.

Congratulations, Governor.

It's a real honour to meet you.

Great to have you on board.

Hey, come here.

Lookit. Look at this.

I didn't know we were running

against a Greek god.

They sure do love him.

- They're gonna love you more.

- America, we cannot turn back.

Governor, you are the nominee

for the vice president

of the United States.

You will no longer be

carrying your own bags.

Yes, sir.

And never call me sir.

You can call me Steve, Schmidty,

Kojak, Potsie, shithead...

anything you want.

I will call you governor or ma'am.

Well, I don't curse, so I'm

gonna have to call you Potsie.

Very good, ma'am.

These gentlemen are

Secret Service agents.

They will take you into the arena.

And if everything goes

according to plan,

they will be with you

the rest of your life.

Everything's gonna change

the moment you walk out that door.

Are you ready, Governor?

I'm ready.

Breathe.

Welcome, Governor.

Thank you.

Thank you for that

wonderful welcome.

I'm very happy today to

spend my birthday with you

and to make a historic

announcement in Dayton...

a city built on hard,

honest work of good people.

The person I'm about

to introduce to you

was a stand-out high

school point guard,

a concerned citizen who became

a member of the P.T.A.,

then a city council member...

- Say a prayer.

- Then a mayor,

- and now a governor.

- Say a prayer.

- Say a prayer.

- Say a prayer.

To celebrate the anniversary

of women's suffrage,

a devoted wife and

a mother of five.

My friends and fellow Americans,

I am very pleased

to introduce to you the

next vice president

of the United States,

Governor Sarah Palin of the

great state of Alaska.

Just have fun.

This is a fantastic

rollout, Steve.

I can't believe you were

able to keep it a secret.

I had to confiscate her

kids' cell phones.

No hurry.

- Thank you.

- All the way, Sarah.

And I thank you, Senator McCain,

for the confidence you

have placed in me.

Senator, I am honoured to be

chosen as your running mate.

It was rightly noted

in Denver this week

that Hillary left

18 million cracks

in the highest, hardest

glass ceiling in America.

But it turns out

the women of America

aren't finished yet

and we can shatter that glass

ceiling once and for all.

We gotta get her ready for

her convention speech.

She'll need a vocal coach,

a foreign policy expert,

hair and make-up

consultants and a stylist.

No doubt.

♪ And if I was a movie star ♪

♪ I'd sip honey

from a pickle jar ♪

♪ In the back of my limousine ♪

♪ And they'd call me an icon ♪

♪ And I'd be looking back at you ♪

♪ From the cover of

a People magazine ♪

Not... Not too tight.

♪ I guess it's all

for the taking ♪

I love these Johnny Choos.

♪ My sister says

I've got to see it ♪

♪ And believe it,

and I believe it ♪

Oh, my gosh.

♪ I believe it ♪

- What do you think, Todd?

- It's cool.

- Nice, Dad.

- Mum, you look beautiful.

Aw, hey, look at you.

Look at your fancy shoes.

- You look so awesome, Mum.

- Yeah, it really looks good.

- You look great, Willow.

- Thanks.

- So do you.

- So good.

Look at Trig's little shirt.

Okay, if you all come with me,

it's time for your

campaign photos.

- Bye, Mum.

- Okay. Let's go, guys.

- See you in a bit, hon.

- Yeah.

Governor, this is

your new staff...

Tucker Eskew, Senior

Media Adviser.

- It's a pleasure.

- Nice to meet you.

Chris Edwards, your

deputy chief of staff.

- Hi.

- Hi.

And my husband, Mark Wallace,

former ambassador to

the United Nations.

He'll be a senior adviser.

We're all honoured to be

on your team, Governor.

- The honour is all mine.

- Shall we sit?

Well, our first order

of business, Governor,

is we need to find out

if there are any

unexpected surprises.

The press are gonna be

digging deep into your past,

so we need to prepare answers

about your background.

Oh, gosh.

I can't think of anything I

haven't already disclosed.

The Wasilla librarian

claims that as mayor

she tried to ban

books. Is that true?

What about the allegations that

Trig is not really her child?

Did she attend a Pentecostal

church where they speak

in tongues?

This source we

talked to intimately

involved in Palin's vetting

admitted that aside from

those they talked to

involved in so-called Troopergate,

they didn't talk to any character

witnesses in Alaska...

Why was the vet so bad?

Listen, granted, he

only had a few days,

but Culvahouse did clear her.

Oh, with what? Wikipedia?

There's no way this

vet was thorough.

What? What did he miss?

He had Troopergate. He

had Bridge to Nowhere.

No one went to Alaska to interview

her colleagues, her enemies.

There was no political

vet whatsoever.

These charges are such bullshit.

I mean, Trig isn't her baby?

What, speaking in tongues?

- She does.

- I don't care.

Is the first amendment

no longer law here?

Is she not entitled to

her religious beliefs?

You're missing the point, Rick.

John is getting slammed for

making an irresponsible choice.

- We picked her.

- No, you two picked her,

then slapped her on the butt

and shoved her out there

under a banner saying

Country first.

You're a real prick, Mark.

- Fuck you, Schmidt.

- Fuck you.

All right, all right. Let's

just get through this.

Come on.

Troopergate. What?

The Alaska safety commissioner

is claiming that he was fired

because he wouldn't fire.

Palin's brother-in-law,

Trooper Mike Wooten.

And what were the charges

against Trooper Wooten?

Besides the fact that he was

divorcing Palin's sister?

Yes. Do we have any

information that shows.

Trooper Wooten should

have been fired?

Yeah, Wooten was

accused of drinking

from an open container

from his police car,

Tasering his 11-year-old stepson,

and illegally shooting a

moose without a permit.

Jesus Christ.

Okay, coordinate all responses

with their Alaskan council.

Let's try to keep

it a local matter.

Bridge to Nowhere. I thought

we were good on this.

She had the project squashed

after she was elected,

but ran on a platform

to build the bridge.

It's a huge flip-flop.

Goddamn it.

How could she not tell us that?

What the fuck is the

Alaska Independence Party

and was she ever a member of it?

The A.I.P. is a political

party whose sole platform

is the secession of

Alaska from the union.

Well, ain't that a hoot?

Now, was she ever a member of it?

Well?

We know Todd Palin was a

member for many years.

We can't confirm if she

was ever a member.

Okay. Call our people

in Alaska right now

and find out if she was.

It's 3:00 a.m. in

Alaska right now.

The phones don't

work there at night?

We're under attack here, people.

You're gonna have

to raise your game.

I can assure you

that Obama's people

are all over this shit.

In the last 24 hours, I

have been asked questions

by the national media that are

outrageous and disgusting.

I have been asked when

her amniotic fluid

started to leak with

regard to her last birth.

It's shameful.

So when did it start leaking?

She's fought the oil companies.

She's taken on corrupt

special interests.

These accusations

are totally sexist.

Never in my life have

I seen a candidate

more attacked by

the liberal media.

Smear after smear after smear.

Are you sure we have to do this?

Bristol couldn't stop

crying when I told her.

It's going to come out tomorrow

with or without our

statement, Governor.

A positive from this

is that given the timing

of Bristol's pregnancy,

it makes it physically impossible

for Trig to be her baby.

So we can put that

absurd rumour to rest.

We're proud of Bristol's

decision to have her baby

and even prouder to

become grandparents.

We're not proud

that our teenage daughter

is pregnant, Maria.

And I don't want to send a

message that teen pregnancy

is something to be proud of.

I want that line out.

Of course, Governor. I'll

change it right away.

Governor Palin's 17-year-old

daughter Bristol

has been seen holding her baby

brother Trig at campaign events.

What the American people

didn't know until today

is that Bristol is

five months pregnant.

Her parents issued this statement:

We're proud of Bristol's

decision to have her baby.

I specifically wanted

that line taken out,

and you ran it without

changing a word.

You're absolutely right.

The campaign takes full

responsibility on this.

Maria's gonna personally

apologise to you.

How the flip did this happen?

Senator McCain is somewhat

a fly-by-the-seat-

of-his-pants type of guy,

and it does occasionally create

a little chaos in the campaign.

Well, I want Maria gone.

Governor, this was a mistake.

Maria feels terrible.

She's an excellent

press secretary.

My 17-year-old daughter

is being made fun of

by every talk show

host in the country.

I want Maria gone, period.

Of course, Governor. She's gone.

Done.

Who makes that call?

That'd be you.

The idea that if something

happened to John McCain

who is 72 years old and who has

had two bouts with melanoma,

and she could step

into the presidency...

it's just ridiculous.

The real sequence, Rachel,

is she said Please and Thank you,

and then Thanks, but no thanks,

only when the Congress had

de-authorised the bridge...

Hi, Governor. I just

wanted to check in,

make sure you're doing okay.

Should John McCain consider

replacing Sarah Palin

on the GOP ticket?

I want to talk to the press.

I want to set the record

straight on this stuff.

I'll just go put Trig's p.j.'s on.

Hey, there.

- There you go, baby.

- Just gonna put your p.j.'s on.

Now, we don't want you

to talk to anyone

until after the convention

because no one knows

anything about you.

If you answer these

ridiculous allegations,

you'll be defining yourself

in a defensive posture.

But isn't the press

defining me right now?

No news story lasts more

than 48 hours any more.

News is no longer meant

to be remembered.

It's just entertainment.

So if you hit your convention

speech out of the park,

the next news cycle will be

the comeback of Sarah Palin.

Yeah. I can do that.

Now, everyone's heard a lot

of crazy stories about you.

Now it's time for you to tell

the world who you really are.

You tell Senator McCain

I won't let him down.

And good evening from the

G.O.P. Convention in St. Paul.

All eyes will be on

Senator McCain's.

V.P. choice, Governor Sarah Palin,

when she takes the

stage at the R.N.C.

She's likely never seen a night

fraught with so much anticipation,

expectation and pressure.

The food's terrible, but I hear

it's gonna be worse in Iraq.

- My boy's so brave.

- Come on, Mum.

Thank you for inviting

me, Mrs Palin.

Thank you for cutting

your mullet, Levi.

I really appreciate it.

I didn't really want to at first,

but I think it looks

way better now.

I think it does, too.

Sorry to interrupt,

but the Palins need

to go to their seats.

- Bye, Mum.

- Okay.

I don't know. I don't know.

Hey, she's gonna be fine.

- Really?

- Absolutely.

Is she gonna be okay?

I'm more concerned

about one-on-ones.

How bad?

I'm not sure how much she

knows about foreign policy.

She didn't know why

North and South

Korea were different countries.

Okay, let's keep the

press away from her.

We have five days to

bring her up to speed.

She'll be fine.

She's on in five minutes.

I gotta get up there.

Good luck.

In choosing Governor Sarah Palin

as his running mate,

John McCain has chosen

for the future.

Governor Palin represents

a new generation.

She's already one of the

most successful governors

in America and the most popular.

Let's get John McCain and

Sarah Palin elected,

and let's shake up Washington

and move this country forward.

You're gonna do great.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the governor of Alaska

and the next vice president

of the United States,

Sarah Palin.

Thank you.

Mr Chairman, delegates,

and fellow citizens,

I will be honoured to

accept your nomination

for vice president of

the United States.

Thank you.

Our nominee is a man

who wore the uniform of

his country for 22 years

and refused to break faith

with those troops in Iraq

who now have brought

victory within sight.

Good, good. She's really good.

We were so blessed in April.

Todd and I welcomed

our littlest one

into the world...

a perfectly beautiful

baby boy named Trig.

Children with special needs

inspire a very, very special love.

She's amazing.

To the families of

special-needs children

all across this country, I

have a message for you.

I pledge to you that

if we are elected,

you will have a friend and

advocate in the White House.

She's incredible.

Before I became governor

of the great state of Alaska...

I was mayor of my home-town.

I guess a small-town mayor

is sort of like a

community organiser.

Except that you have

actual responsibilities.

Now I know why they call

her Sarah Barracuda.

I love those hockey mums.

You know what they

say the difference

is between a hockey

mum and a pit bull?

Lipstick.

Yeah.

She just came up with that.

Join our cause and help America

elect a great man as

the next president

of the United States.

Thank you.

And God bless America.

- Great job. She did a great job.

- Couldn't have gone better.

- Congratulations.

- My God.

She did it without a Teleprompter.

It broke halfway

through her speech.

- You're kidding.

- No.

If that happens to me

tomorrow night, I'm fucked.

We can win this.

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ And up, up, up ♪

♪ Can only go up from here ♪

♪ Up, up ♪

♪ Up where the cloud's

gonna clear ♪

♪ Up, up, there's no

way but up from here ♪

Thank you for calling. Yes,

we do take credit cards.

- I'd be happy to...

- I've got $500.

We're grateful for

every dollar we get.

Yes, Sarah Palin will be giving

a speech in Florida next week.

Thanks.

Hey. Here we go.

- Thanks for coming.

- I love you.

Hi. Hey. Hi.

- God, this is crazy.

- I know, they really love her.

How are ya? Hey.

- Hey, what's your name?

- I'm Sarah.

- Sarah?

- Yeah.

That's my name, too.

That's amazing.

- I know.

- Oh.

Hey, thanks for coming out.

Thank you. We never felt

welcome to go anywhere

before we saw you

give that speech.

Oh, thank you. Thanks so much.

Look at you. I want to

look at how handsome

my son Trig's gonna be

when he's all grown up.

She understands that you can't

solve problems with government,

that government is the problem.

When she talks about her faith,

you can tell it's for real.

When she talks about guns,

you can tell it's for real.

I've got five kids, too,

and there's something about her...

She's talking to me. And

nobody talks to me.

CNN has us even with Obama.

- Are you kidding me?

- Hey, Gallup has us up by five.

She's given us exactly

what we needed.

We've made more money

in the last few days

than we did all last month.

I've never seen crowds

like this in my life.

- They love her.

- She's a bigger star than Obama.

We can really win this thing.

I really understand your frustr...

I'm sorry, Pool. It's

not gonna happen today.

Sorry.

- Five minutes.

- Views matter.

Did you know that Todd

Palin is an Eskimo?

Oh, yeah, Steve? That's

really interesting.

Seriously, he's a Yupik Eskimo.

We're gonna take some serious

blowback from the press

if we don't let them

speak to her soon.

- They're really getting pissed.

- I know, yeah.

Well, I don't know

how ready she is.

Nicolle, you worry too much.

We always knew she'd be

weak on foreign policy.

We'll get her up to speed.

Steve, I don't think foreign

policy is her only weakness.

Sorry to bother you, Governor.

Is now an okay time to talk?

Sure, I'm just reading the e-mails

from the Prayer Warriors.

These guys are awesome.

I just want to take a

moment to inform you

of how thrilled Senator McCain is.

You're exceeding his

wildest expectation

for what a running

mate could achieve.

I am so happy to hear that.

These are the largest

crowds I've ever seen

in my entire political

career, ever.

Really? Yeah, I just...

I just love talking to

people on the rope lines,

getting to hear their problems.

It's really moving to me.

Well, you know, that comes across.

You're a transformative

figure, Governor.

You... You could be the

party's next Ronald Reagan.

Holy geez, I...

Yeah, he's... he's my hero, so...

Mine, too. So...

The next step is just... We're

gonna start doing some interviews.

Great. I've been dying

to talk to the press.

Also, I feel like I could

really help you there.

I've always been very, very

open with the press in Alaska.

The reasoning behind

holding you back

is the entire press corps

is in the tank for Obama,

so all they want in life

is to trip you up with

obscure questions.

- Gotcha questions.

- Gotcha questions.

So we just want to make

sure you're fully prepped

before we unleash them.

What about the local

Alaska papers?

There are no local

papers any more.

Anything you say goes national

the instant you say it.

Yeah, got it.

Okay, so I think the

best way to prep

would just be to go through

some sample questions.

Sure, let's do it.

Let's start with something simple.

How do you plan on maintaining

our alliance with Great

Britain on Iraq,

even though support

for the war there

is at an all-time low?

I think the United States

has always maintained

a great relationship

with the queen.

And John McCain will

continue to have

an open dialogue with her.

Governor,

the queen is not the head

of government in England.

She's the head of state.

Well, then, who's the

head of government?

The prime minister.

You rang?

The cavalry has arrived.

Thank you, gentlemen. Come on in.

You bet.

Yeah.

Well, I...

I think we should start

by prepping the governor

with Russian economic policy

as it relates to

post-cold war tensions

during the pre-Putin era.

I was thinking something

a little bit simpler.

How much simpler?

This is Germany.

They were the primary antagonists

during World War I

and World War II.

And in World War II,

they were aligned with

Japan and Italy to form

what was known as the Axis.

Okay.

Currently, we're in the middle

of what I like to

call the three wars.

That's Afghanistan, Iraq, and

the global war on terror.

Governor, would you... would

you like to take a break?

No way. This is flipping awesome.

Now, with Afghanistan,

after 9/11...

already put a protective wall up

around the family,

especially the key players.

Look at Bristol, Sarah Palin's

daughter, who is pregnant.

We've seen her, we've

seen her boyfriend

Levi, the father of her child,

but we haven't really

gotten to talk to them

about whose idea it

was to get married

and why, for example,

Levi on his Myspace page

- says he doesn't want kids...

- That isn't anybody's...

Why won't they just

leave me alone?

I'm so tired of it.

Any grown-up who makes

fun of a teenage girl

is a terrible person.

And we'll forget what

she said, honey, okay?

Okay?

My e-mails were hacked.

I know, Governor, and we're

on it. I promise you.

Did you know that my

daughter's cell phone

is online and she's

getting crank calls?

Did you know that my family

is being threatened?

Governor, you have every right

to be upset, and I am sorry.

I've already contacted

Secret Service

and they're gonna

increase security.

Can you... Can you protect

my e-mails, Steve?

Can you... Can this campaign

at least do that?

Charlie Gibson is good,

so I'm sure the questions

will have some depth.

Don't be afraid to elaborate

if it's a subject

you feel comfortable

with, like energy.

Are you okay, Governor?

Why aren't there any McCain-Palin

lawn signs in Alaska?

Well, Mr Obama

has five times the money we have.

Five times, and...

Alaska is only three electoral

votes, and it's solid red.

I'm concerned about my

standing back home.

Todd and I are hearing things,

and I can't talk to

the Alaskan press.

What are you hearing?

Things. None of it's good.

Can you at least do a poll to

check my approval rating there?

Governor, that would cost

the campaign $60,000.

I'd feel a heck of a lot better

if I knew where I was at.

Absolutely. We will do the poll

for your peace of

mind, just this once.

Great. Thank you.

So, can we get back to

prepping Charlie Gibson?

Sure, I'm ready. Let's do it.

- You ready?

- Yes.

Do you think the Fed

did the right thing

in their dealing with the

Bear Stearns collapse?

Our economy is hurting, and

the federal government

has not provided the

sound oversight

that we need and that we deserve.

I think we need a

little bit of reality

from Wasilla Main Street there

brought to Washington, DC,

so that the people there

can understand how the

average working-class family

is viewing bureaucracy in

the federal government.

Governor...

do you know what the Fed is?

In what respect, Charlie?

No, no. This is me, Steve,

asking do you know

what the Fed is?

Stands for the Federal

Reserve System.

No, please. Don't

write, just listen.

The Fed is responsible

for all monetary policy

in the United States.

On any Fed or Bear

Stearns question,

just say the Fed took

the appropriate action

that was needed at the time.

Okay?

Got it.

Your oldest son is proudly

heading off to Iraq next week.

Who do you see as the primary

enemy at this point?

Radical Islamic extremists.

Can you be more specific?

The terrorists who are hell-bent

on destroying our nation.

Governor, do you know

why we're in Iraq?

Because Saddam Hussein

attacked us on 9/11.

No. No,

Al-Qaeda attacked us on 9/11.

Not Saddam Hussein.

No, it was Al-Qaeda.

And that's why we're

in Afghanistan.

Do you know the

primary differences

between the war in Afghanistan

and the war in Iraq?

Excuse us for a moment.

Can I get some more information

about Afghanistan?

Of course, Governor.

- Should we cancel?

- We can't.

Even Fox is pounding

us for hiding her.

- We'd get murdered.

- When you interviewed her,

didn't you ask her about

national security?

Foreign policy, domestic policy?

I thought Culvahouse

would cover that.

So what did you ask her?

I just... We talked

about if she would

back John's positions when

they conflicted with hers

or if she was prepared

for her life to change.

There were no policy questions.

You guys didn't grill her

because you wanted it to work.

I wasn't in charge

of the vet, Nicolle.

She's a great actress, right?

Oh, the best.

Why don't we just

give her some lines?

I've come up with a

list of questions

that I think Charlie's

most likely to ask.

If you memorise these answers,

I'm sure you're going

to nail this interview.

How do you know he'll ask these?

I was the White House

communications director.

It's my job to figure

out the questions.

Shushkashvili.

Saakashvili, the

president of Georgia.

Shashkashvili.

Saakashvith...

- Saakashvili.

- Saakash-vili.

Let me ask you about some specific

- national security situations.

- Sure.

Let's start with

Russia and Georgia.

Do you believe the United States

should try to restore

Georgian sovereignty

over South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

First off, we're gonna continue

good relations with

Saakashvili there.

I was able to speak

with him the other day,

and we've gotta keep

an eye on Russia.

For Russia to have

exerted such pressure

in terms of invading a smaller

democratic country unprovoked

- is unacceptable, and we have...

- You believe unprovoked?

- Yes.

- I do, I do believe unprovoked.

And we have to keep

our eye on Russia...

She's a red-light performer.

Under the leadership there.

What insight into Russian actions,

particularly in the

last couple of weeks,

does the proximity of

this state give you?

They're our next-door neighbours.

And you can actually see Russia

from land here in Alaska.

Do you consider a nuclear Iran...

Damn it.

To be an existential

threat to Israel?

And I can see Russia

from my house.

I believe global warming

is caused by man.

And I believe it's just

God hugging us closer.

I don't agree with

the Bush doctrine.

And I don't know what that is.

She initially did not

understand this,

and I think that people can

make what they want of it,

but was I, or anyone,

confident that

Sarah Palin now has

the wherewithal

to be president of the United

States? I don't think so.

A conservative friend called me

up and said I just can't do it.

I don't know if I'm voting for

Obama, but I can't have her...

She shouldn't be in Washington,

let alone the White House.

Governor.

Governor Palin.

We really should prep for

your Katie Couric interview.

Fine.

I wrote a brief synopsis

on the collapse

of Lehman Brothers and

the financial crisis.

If you internalise this document,

you should be able to field basic

questions about the bailout.

Governor...

the Dow just dropped 500 points.

Lehman is collapsing.

The world economy is on

the brink of collapse.

I am pretty sure the bailout

is going to come up...

Okay.

Why don't we come back to it

after we've warmed up a bit?

I've put together a list

of the questions...

that Katie's most likely to ask.

I used to work with Katie, and I

know she'll ask about abortion.

Did Steve do the Alaska poll yet?

I think it's being

done as we speak.

Bet he didn't even do it.

Can we try and get through

just a few questions?

I know you're upset, Governor.

So why don't you get a

good night's sleep,

and I will come back first

thing in the morning

to prep you when

you're feeling better?

I'm gonna leave this for you to...

look over.

It's the worst financial crisis

facing the American people

since the great depression

of the 1920s and '30s.

The president's massive

financial rescue plan

under fire from the

left and right.

Good evening from the Ford Centre

at the University of

Mississippi at Oxford.

We're here for the

first of three debates

between Senator Barack Obama...

Steve, Steve, let's not

worry about that crap.

It's all bullshit.

I'm here at the podium.

Let's do the fucking debate.

Hey, John. Sorry to interrupt.

I just spoke to our

guy at Treasury.

The bill does not have

enough Republican votes.

Goddamn it.

Paulson thinks the

entire world economy

is on the brink of falling

off the cliff, so...

We're checkmated. If the

bailout doesn't pass,

we're screwed because

Bush, and thus you,

will be blamed for it.

- If you pass the bailout...

- The Republicans will despise me

- for supporting a bailout.

- That's it.

This is it, guys.

I mean, this is the

whole fucking election.

Now, we think you should

suspend the campaign,

postpone the debates,

go to Washington,

and try to negotiate a

bipartisan compromise.

You need to make a

bold move, John.

This is a big risk.

I mean, that's a big gamble.

We gotta do something.

I mean, nothing can

fuck me more than this.

Governor, have you had a chance

to go over the briefing

materials on the bailout?

I really think we need

to try and nail down

a simple two-sentence response

to the economic crisis.

It's gotta be supportive

of the concept...

That's enough powder.

Of the bailout, but

also disappointed

that we're at this point,

making it clear that changes

need to be made to the bill.

Oh, you need it a little higher?

I can do that. I can

do that for you.

That jacket looks fantastic

on you, by the way.

It's too open.

- Don't you think so?

- Yeah, it looks wonderful.

Really great, really nice.

It's a great colour.

Do you want me to read

the paper to you?

Senator John McCain

has requested of

his opponent, Senator

Barack Obama,

a postponement of

the upcoming debate

so that both senators may

return to Capitol Hill

to address the needs of the

country in this crucial time.

Senator Obama has said...

I hate this make-up. I hate it.

I don't like my hair this

way. I like my hair up.

Governor, you look amazing.

I look fat. I'm sick

of looking fat.

- You don't look fat...

- Can I get some more tape?

Yeah.

I don't know if we

should do Couric.

She's having a mini-meltdown.

Well, we can't have

McCain cancel the debate

and Palin cancel Katie

Couric in the same week.

I know,

but I'm really worried about her.

She won't respond

to anything I say.

Maybe we should bring McCain

in and see what he thinks.

He doesn't want to deal with her.

I haven't even told him that

she doesn't know anything.

You haven't told him?

Look, he doesn't want to know.

The world economy is on

the brink of collapse.

Can you just... prep her

in the car ride over?

I can try.

Okay, good. Try. Thanks.

Knowing Katie, I'm sure

she's going to ask

about your stance on feminism.

- Did you get the numbers?

- The what?

My approval rating in Alaska.

They're not in yet.

I am trying to trust you people,

but you're making it

really hard for me.

I'm sorry, Governor.

I'll call Steve right

away about it.

Yeah, like that'll do anything.

What are you working on, Governor?

It's a questionnaire

from the Mat-Su

Valley Frontiersman in Wasilla.

You know, an Alaska paper.

Don't you think we should prepare

for your national

Couric interview first?

No, Nicolle, I don't.

This is my priority.

I am not going to ignore the

people of Alaska any more.

You've cited Alaska's

proximity to Russia

as part of your foreign

policy experience.

What did you mean by that?

That Alaska has a very

narrow maritime border

between a foreign country,

Russia, and on our other side,

the land boundary that

we have with Canada.

It's funny that a

comment like that

was kind of made to...

I don't know. You know, reporters.

- Mocked?

- Yeah, mocked.

I guess that's the word, yeah.

Well, explain to me

why that enhances

your foreign policy credentials.

Well, it certainly

does because our...

our next-door neighbours

are foreign countries.

They're in the state that

I am the executive of.

Have you ever been involved

with any negotiations,

for example, with the Russians?

We have trade missions

back and forth.

We do. It's very important

when you consider even national

security issues with Russia,

as Putin rears his head and

comes into the airspace

of the United States of America,

where do they go?

It's Alaska. It's just

right over the border.

And when it comes to

establishing your world view,

I was curious... what

newspapers and magazines

did you regularly read before

you were tapped for this

to stay informed and

to understand...

I've read most of them, again

with a great appreciation

for the press, for the media.

What ones specifically?

I'm curious.

Name one fucking paper.

All of 'em. Any of 'em

that have been in front of

me over all these years.

Oh, my God. What have we done?

If John McCain wins,

this woman will be

one 72-year-old's heartbeat away

from being president

of the United States.

And if that doesn't scare the

hell out of you, it should.

In fairness, probably most people

can't name a Supreme Court case.

But most people are

not campaigning

- to be vice president.

- Right, right.

It's not that she doesn't

know the right answer.

It's that she clearly does

not understand the question.

This is way beyond

anything we have ever seen

from a national candidate.

Why'd you make me do Katie Couric?

Did you see the coverage? Did you?

Are you there? Are

you listening to me?

Yes, Governor. I'm here.

Katie was a logical choice.

She's been very fair to

us this entire campaign.

You call that interview fair?

Yes, Governor, I do.

I certainly don't. She was out

to get me from the get-go.

No, she wasn't.

The interview sucked

because you didn't try.

What do you mean, I didn't try?

You didn't fight back like you did

in the Charlie Gibson interview.

When you didn't know

the answers, you

clawed your way back

and it went fine.

You just gave up.

Nicolle, it wasn't my fault.

I wasn't properly prepped.

You weren't properly prepped

because you wouldn't listen to us.

You never listen to your advisers.

Because you're overwhelming me

with too much information.

I don't want to do

these interviews.

I want to do what I want to do.

We're just trying to help you

get through this, Governor.

All we want is for you to succeed.

Yeah, well, you're not helping.

You're just screwing me up.

You're telling me what to say,

what to wear, how to talk.

I am not your puppet.

Now I understand

what Hillary meant

when she said she had

to find her own voice.

Yeah, because you're

just like Hillary.

You have ruined me.

You have ruined my reputation.

I am ruined in Alaska.

This is Steve Schmidt.

Leave a message.

Steve, it's Nicolle.

I will gladly resign if you

want to blame me for Couric.

But if you want me to stay, then

I'm back on McCain's bus tomorrow

as I never want to deal

with that woman ever again.

What lessons have you

learned from Iraq

and how specifically would

you spread democracy abroad?

Specifically, we would

make every effort possible

to spread democracy abroad

to those who want it.

Yes, but specifically,

what would you do?

We're gonna promote freedom,

usher in democratic

values and ideals,

and fight terror-loving

terrorists.

But again, and not to

belabour the point,

one specific thing.

Katie, I'd like to use

one of my lifelines.

- I'm sorry?

- I want to phone a friend.

Friday's debate should proceed.

We've been working

around the clock

and presidents are going

to have to deal with

more than one thing at a time.

New CNN/Time opinion

research polls

show Obama surging in key

battleground states...

Son of a bitch.

Like Pennsylvania where he

is now up by nine points.

Governor, I just want you to know

I got your Alaskan

poll numbers in,

and you'll be pleased to know

- that you're in the low 70s.

- Fine.

Why are they fucking me like this?

Who?

The press. They used to love me.

Now all they want to do

in life is fuck me over.

I can't believe Katie

did that to me.

And did you hear what Olbermann

said about me last night?

Sir, you've got to stop

watching Keith Olbermann,

or Fox, for that matter.

It's all just bullshit.

Now, sir, you should have a beer

and watch ESPN, okay?

And while you're watching it,

think about what the

people who watch ESPN

really need in their

lives right now.

I thought Katie liked me.

She does. And the

questions were fair.

It was Governor Palin who

gave a terrible interview.

That poor girl.

She wasn't ready for this.

Yeah, I'm afraid

you're right, sir.

And YouTube is making

it exponentially worse.

People are watching Katie

Couric and Tina Fey

over and over again.

It's playing like an

infinite loop on the Web.

No presidential campaign has ever

had to deal with this before.

But she's gonna do a good

job in the debate, right?

Yes, sir. She'll be great.

Because if it goes like Couric,

I don't think we can recover.

I agree, and I promise

she'll be great.

I hope you're right.

I hope you're right, Steve.

It's gonna be fine.

Okay, this one came

up in the '96 debate.

Is there a magic bullet

to solve the problem

of public education?

If not, what is the best solution?

Governor?

Governor, would you

like something to eat?

Yeah, I think you should

eat something, Governor.

How about a Diet Dr Pepper?

Would you like... could you?

Governor?

I miss my baby. I miss

sleeping with my baby.

She constantly slips into

these catatonic stupors.

And then when we do

finally get her to work,

she writes all the information

down on note cards,

but she can't remember any of it.

Steve, did you do an

approval poll in Alaska?

- She keeps bringing it up.

- What the fuck?

I did that stupid fucking

poll a week ago.

I told her she's in the 70s.

Yeah, well, I don't

think she believes you.

She says you made

those numbers up.

Okay.

She is becoming

completely irrational.

Becoming?

I don't even like to say this,

but has it occurred to you guys

that she might be

mentally unstable?

Mark, look, the debate

is in five days.

What do you think?

I think this debate will

be a debacle of historic

and epic proportions.

Well, that's encouraging.

What would you say

best qualifies you

to be John McCain's running mate?

John McCain has that streak

of independence in him

that I think is very, very

important in our leadership today.

I have that within me also.

And that's why John

McCain tapped me,

to be a team of mavericks,

of independence as a team member

on this... in this new team.

I'm gonna do that one over again.

- Yeah, sure.

- John...

Governor, important to remember

that you don't need to

say anything specific.

Okay? If you don't know the

answer to the question,

just bring it back to the general

theme of reforming America

or pivot to one of your

stronger suits, like energy.

Yeah, because that's where

I'm most comfortable.

That's pretty clear.

Let's try another question.

Global warming...

Governor Palin, do you believe

that global warming is man-made?

Ahem.

I think all this talk

and jibber-jabber

about where global warming

comes from defeats...

defeats, you know, the point

that it's getting hotter

and that we all need to be

very concerned about heat.

And...

that...

I...

forgot it and it's not in this...

Mark, all the cards are

supposed to be in this pile.

- Okay.

- It's not in this pile.

I think we need to take a break.

Can you all leave us

alone for a minute?

The debate is in four days,

and this isn't working, Governor.

I know.

I think you should get off

this no-carb diet immediately.

This goofy diet is bad for you,

and I'm alarmed by

your weight loss.

Governor, the Katie Couric

interview didn't go well.

And it wasn't Nicolle

Wallace's fault.

It wasn't Katie Couric's fault.

It wasn't the liberal

media's fault.

It was your fault, because

you didn't prepare.

And there can never

be another instance

of something not going well

because you didn't prepare.

Hey.

Hey, hey, hey.

Look, you had a bad interview.

It's okay, it happens.

You know what Ronald Reagan

said caused pollution?

Trees.

- Reagan said that?

- He did.

He said trees cause pollution.

And he not only won the election,

he went on to be a

great president.

I just... I don't want

to let John down.

Stevie boy.

We have a problem, sir.

What's going on?

It's Palin.

She could be on the verge of a

complete nervous breakdown.

I don't know what to do.

We threw her into the deep end

without a life preserver.

Yeah, and we're

drowning with her, sir.

We need to get her

back with her family.

She needs to be surrounded by...

by people who love her.

Hey, let's get 'em

all out to Sedona,

out in the open air.

My neighbour's a doctor,

and Cindy can invite him over

for a barbecue or something,

and he can observe her

and see if it's truly serious.

But let's just get 'em to Sedona.

It'll do wonders for

her, I know it.

Yes, sir. Absolutely.

♪ There'll be ♪

♪ Greener pastures ♪

♪ Cross that borderline ♪

♪ We'll see new horizons ♪

♪ My darling ♪

♪ Far beyond the great divide ♪

Oh, hey.

I missed you guys so much.

- Hi. Mummy, Mummy.

- Oh, my goodness.

Got someone who wants to say hi.

Hi.

- What's up, Doc?

- Hey, how you doing?

That depends. How's she look?

For a woman who's just had a baby,

has a pregnant teen

daughter and a son in Iraq,

I'd say not half bad.

You, however, look like shit.

They keep piling all

this stuff on me,

and I just can't

remember everything.

- Are you getting some of it?

- Yeah.

Some, but I have to talk

for like 90 minutes up there.

Do you remember when

you debated Halcro?

He had no notes, no papers,

and he could spout off all

these facts and figures?

You were so intimidated...

until you looked out

at the audience.

What'd you realise?

That none of what

he said mattered,

because no one knew what

he was talking about.

It's the same thing here,

baby. It's just more people.

You're getting yourself in trouble

because they're trying to turn you

into something that you're not.

You gotta do what you do.

Just talk to people the

way you talk to them.

And they'll love you.

They always have.

I love you, first dude.

I love you, too...

Mrs Vice President.

Steve, what's up?

How many questions

does Sarah Palin

have to answer in the debate?

22 to 25.

And how long is each answer?

Two minutes with pivots.

So if all we have to do

is get the best actress

in American politics

to memorise 45 minutes'

worth of answers,

then why did we waste five days

trying to get her to understand

what any of this shit means?

Governor, I didn't know

you were going for a jog.

I have a different strategy.

I need to clear my head for a bit.

Well, we really need to prepare...

I really need to

go running, Steve,

because it's gonna

make me feel better.

Can you understand that?

Of course, Governor.

I think we need to get

rid of these note cards.

- They're not helping.

- Okay.

I hate those flipping

cards anyway.

Now, what we need you to do

is to memorise 25 answers

and four attack lines.

Do you think you can do that?

Yeah, I can do that.

And you're gonna be great.

And we are to be that

shining city on a hill,

as President Reagan

so beautifully said,

and that we are a beacon of hope

and that we are unapologetic here.

Governor Palin,

nuclear Iran is one of

our gravest threats.

What would a McCain

administration do to stop it?

On the subject of nuclear Iran,

Senator O'Biden and I are

most likely in agreement.

They cannot be allowed

to acquire nuclear

weapons, period.

Israel is in jeopardy, of course,

when dealing with Ahmadinejad

as a leader of Iran.

It was Ronald Reagan

who said that freedom

is always just one generation

away from extinction.

We don't pass it to our

children in the bloodstream,

we have to fight for

it and protect it,

and then hand it to them

so that they shall do the same.

We will fight for it.

And there is only one

man in this race

who has really ever

fought for you,

and that's Senator John McCain.

Yeah.

Yeah, she's back.

Sarah Palin is back,

ladies and gentlemen.

Whoo.

- Great job, Governor.

- It was pretty good, huh?

Pretty good? It was amazing.

There's just one slight

adjustment I want to give you.

You need to call

him Senator Biden,

not Senator O'Biden.

That's what I called

him, Senator O'Biden.

- You just said it again.

- Said what?

- O'Biden.

- Right. Senator Biden.

- That's it.

- Oh. Biden.

No, no, there's no O.

No, I meant Oh, as

in Oh, I get it,

not O as in O'Biden.

Oh.

Okay, well, let's practise it.

Governor, do you agree

with Senator Biden's

position on the bailout?

- Senator O'Biden...

- Biden.

Doggone it.

- This is Sarah.

- Hey, Mum.

Hey, honey. How are ya?

I'm good. I'm...

- I'm good, Mum.

- Where are ya?

I'm not really allowed to say.

Okay, sweetie, but you're safe?

Yeah, no, I'm fine, I'm fine.

I just wanted to wish

you a good debate.

Thank you.

- Did you study?

- I did.

A lot.

I'll be praying for you.

Please, I'll need it.

Come on, Mum, you're

gonna do great.

I love you.

I love you so much, Track.

- Fall in.

- I gotta go, Mum.

No, no, no. Just...

Just another minute.

No, I'm really sorry,

but I really gotta go.

You're gonna do great

tonight, okay?

Thank you, thank you, but,

sweetie-sweetie, you be safe.

I will.

Bye.

You okay?

My son is safe.

Well, what we are going to see

is probably the most anticipated

vice presidential debate

that I have covered ever.

A lot, a lot of pressure

on Sarah Palin.

As for Joe Biden, it's sort of a,

first of all, do-no-harm

night for him.

No one has questioned

that he is qualified

to be vice president.

He needs to... both of them

need to talk about the

top of their tickets.

After all, this isn't a

race to be vice president

so much as it is to be number two

to the top people on the ticket.

On the Joe Biden

side, you will see

an effort to say,

Look, Sarah Palin...

Hurry.

Pray with me.

What should we pray for?

Just pray that we win the debate.

Mum, that would be cheating.

Okay.

We want to welcome our viewers

in the United States

and around the world.

I'm Wolf Blitzer,

together with the

best political team on television.

We've been waiting for this

night for a long time...

I did this same walk for

Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.

Holy geez, that's cool.

This is your toe mark.

Okay.

30 seconds.

Two, pull back wide on

her entrance, please.

Ready, two. And take two.

Good evening from

Washington University

in St. Louis, Missouri.

I'm Gwen Ifill of the NewsHour

and Washington Week on PBS.

Welcome to the first

and the only 2008

vice presidential debate

between the Republican nominee,

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska,

and the Democratic nominee,

Joe Biden of Delaware.

Tonight's discussion will

cover a wide range of topics,

including domestic and

foreign policy matters.

Each candidate will

have 90 seconds

to respond to a direct question

and then an additional two minutes

for rebuttal and follow-up.

The specific subjects and

questions were chosen by me

and have not been

shared or cleared

with anyone on the campaigns

or on the commission.

The audience here in the hall

has promised to

remain very polite...

no cheers, applause, no

untoward outbursts...

- Biden. Biden. Biden.

- Except right at this minute

as we welcome Governor

Palin and Senator Biden.

Nice to meet you. Hey,

can I call you Joe?

You can call me Joe.

- Why... Why is the mike on?

- No, no, no, it's cool.

They're gonna think it's some kind

of Machiavellian Jedi power play.

From your lips, Steve.

Welcome to you both.

The House of Representatives

this week passed a bill,

a big bailout bill...

Or didn't pass it, I should say.

The Senate decided to pass it

and the House is wrestling

with it still tonight.

Was this the worst of Washington

or the best of Washington

that we saw play out?

Thank you, Gwen, and I

thank the commission also.

I appreciate this privilege

of being able to be here

and speak with Americans.

Please, God, be kind.

You know, I think a

good barometer here

when we're trying to figure

out has this been a good time

or a bad time in

America's economy is...

go to a kids' soccer

game on Saturday

and turn to any parent there

on the sideline and ask them,

How are you feeling

about the economy?

And I'll betcha you're gonna hear

some fear in that

parent's voice...

She's doing great.

We've got 88 more minutes.

Did we just take a major hit

with those investments?

There is something to be said

also for man's activities,

but also for the cyclical

temperature changes on our planet.

Senator, what is true and what

is false about the causes?

If you don't understand

what the cause is,

it's virtually impossible

to come up with a solution.

The chant is Drill, baby, drill.

And that's what we hear

all across this country

in our rallies, because

people are so hungry

for those domestic

sources of energy

to be tapped into.

We will end this war.

For John McCain,

there is no end in

sight to end this war.

We will end this war.

Governor...

Your plan

is a white flag of surrender

- in Iraq.

- Whoo. Yes.

Governor, please, did

you want to respond

to Senator McCain's

comments about health care?

Pivot. Pivot.

I'd like to respond about

the tax increases and...

Yes.

Darn right, we need tax relief

for Americans so that

jobs can be created here.

Barack Obama and Senator O'Biden,

you said no to everything...

She just said O'Biden.

We're probably the only

ones that heard it.

It was Ronald Reagan who said

that freedom is always

just one generation away

from extinction.

We don't pass it to our

children in the bloodstream.

We have to fight for

it and protect it,

and then hand it to them

so that they will do the same.

We will fight for it.

And there is only one

man in this race

who has really ever

fought for you,

and that's Senator John McCain.

Okay, here we go.

CBS instant poll says undecideds

give the debate to

Biden, 46%; Palin, 21.

Fuck CBS and fuck

their instant poll.

This is the greatest

debate victory

in the history of the republic.

Okay.

You see? You just had to be you.

I'm gonna grab a beer.

- Want one?

- No.

Senator McCain wanted

me to congratulate you

on a fantastic debate.

- You really did a great job.

- Thanks.

Tell John I want to bring up

Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright.

I think it's time to

go for the jugular.

You'll have to discuss that

with your running mate.

He made it very clear that he

doesn't want to touch Wright.

I'll talk to him about it.

We have to win this thing.

I so don't want to

go back to Alaska.

Stevie.

You know, I think the worst

of this thing might be over.

All she's got left are speeches.

There's no more debates,

no major interviews.

Yeah. We're doing great.

This was an unbelievable

win for Sarah Palin.

In fact, I think that it

unveiled a level of skill

in communication that I

really have not seen

since Ronald Reagan.

She is a superstar.

Her ability to by...

And she sure is a

breath of fresh air.

I mean, I think people want

someone from outside

of Washington.

She sounded like the future.

Oh, come on, honey.

Why don't you get some sleep?

One sec, okay?

Turned around. I think

she has done it

in the sense that of the

four debaters we've seen,

she was the most interesting,

attractive of them all.

- She is personable...

- I can still win this thing.

She's got a sense of humour.

She looked straight

into the camera

while Joe's talking to Gwen...

This map is now lopsided

in favour of Barack Obama.

John McCain pulling

out of Michigan.

The first domino in

an economic debate

that if John McCain does

not turn around soon,

many see more blue on this map

and more trouble for John McCain.

Yesterday it was announced

that the campaign

is going to leave

Michigan to Obama to win.

- What's going on there?

- I read that this morning also,

and I fired off a quick e-mail

and I said, Oh, come

on. Do we have to?

Do we have to call it there?

I want to go back to

Michigan, and I want to try.

What the fuck?

McCain had hoped to

just score a pick-up.

We made the decision to pull

the ads out of Michigan

because we can't win there.

We need the money in Pennsylvania

- and Ohio.

- You're making a big mistake.

You know, I know I'm not

an expert like yourself,

but seeing as we're

seven points out,

I don't see why the vice

presidential campaign

can't make a quick stop there

in the middle of the night.

And who are you gonna meet with?

Your press corps doesn't want

to hear you speak at

3:00 in the morning.

And there's no such thing as a

vice presidential campaign.

This is John McCain's campaign,

and this is the decision

that John McCain has made.

You must stick to the

script, Governor.

And what script is that, Steve?

Because I haven't seen

anything resembling

a script this entire

flipping campaign.

When you publicly

contradict John McCain,

you hurt John McCain.

I know what I know what I know.

And there you have it.

Afternoon, Governor.

This is a pro-stem cell ad?

Yes, Governor. That's

the senator's position.

Yeah, it's not my position.

I'm not saying it.

I thought that...

You guys should have shown

me the script ahead of time.

This is a waste of my time.

Why wasn't I informed

that Jeb Bradley

is appearing with me at the rally?

I don't think we foresaw

that being a problem.

I just googled him.

He's pro-choice.

There's no way I'm going on-stage

with anyone who's pro-choice.

Bradley's gone or

I'm gone, period.

Yes, Governor.

The R.N.C. spent a

stunning $150,000

on clothes for Governor

Sarah Palin and her family

according to the Federal

Election Commission reports.

The revelation that so much money

was spent at fancy clothing stores

like Neiman Marcus and

Saks Fifth Avenue

could be a huge blow to

the governor's image

as an everyday, average American.

Several Republican donors

have publicly expressed outrage...

- You watching this?

- Yeah, I'm watching.

Un-fucking-believable.

Why didn't you people tell me

these clothes cost this much?

It wasn't just your

clothes, Governor.

It was also for the kids,

Todd and your parents.

I want 'em gone.

Get 'em out of here.

You know, I buy my clothes

at consignment shops.

I never wanted this fancy

crap in the first place.

Hey, thanks for coming out.

Hey. Hi, nice to meet you.

- How are you? Hey, hi.

- Governor Palin,

what's your response

to the findings

of the Alaska state

legislature's report

on your involvement in

the Troopergate scandal?

I was thrilled to be

cleared of all wrongdoing.

You know you're not

supposed to be here.

Go back to the press

risers, please. Thank you.

You can't say you were

cleared of all wrongdoing.

- Why not?

- Because you weren't.

The report stated that

you abused your power.

That is the opposite of being

cleared of all wrongdoing.

- Then why was I told otherwise?

- You weren't told otherwise.

And why haven't you

released a statement

saying that Todd

was never a member

of the Alaska Independence Party?

Because that would be

untrue. He was a member.

He checked the wrong box.

He registered by accident

and rectified the

error immediately.

He was a member for seven years.

I'm sorry, Governor, but...

there is only a few weeks

left in this campaign.

You have got to stop

saying things to the press

that are blatantly untrue.

That is not the kind of campaign

that we are running here.

Campaign... Is that what

you're calling this now?

Governor, I admit that this

is a dysfunctional campaign,

but that is what I inherited,

and I am doing my level best

to help us win this election.

And that's what I'm

trying to do, too,

and all you're doing

is screwing me up.

That's all you've done this

entire time is get in my way.

Oh, oh.

And I am raising millions of

dollars for this campaign.

Hundreds of thousands

of people are coming

to see me speak, not John

McCain, God bless him.

They are coming to see me.

So if I am single-handedly

carrying this campaign,

I'm gonna do what I want.

Sarah. Sarah. Sarah.

Several McCain advisers

tell CNN they're annoyed

by what one aide called

Palin going rogue.

Goddamn it.

I hate it when there's

leaking and backstabbing

after a campaign, let alone

before it's fucking over.

I need you to step

in and talk to her.

I don't know, Stevie

boy. I don't know.

Sir...

I can't control her any more.

I don't know if she's

getting on a campaign plane

in the morning or what

she's gonna say at night.

We need to finish this campaign

with as much dignity as possible,

and the only way that can happen

is if you get her in line.

That's not gonna do it, Steve.

She might start turning on me.

Most of these polls

have us trailing

five to eight points.

- So what now?

- John...

I mean, these numbers do show it.

We've got to make

this about Obama.

We've got to get tough

and we've got to get negative.

If we go this way,

Reverend Wright is still

the best play we have.

Any of you ever been accused

of having a Negro

child out of wedlock

because your adopted daughter

was born in Bangladesh?

And then when she was 16

and googled her name, I

had to explain to her

why President Bush's henchmen

called her a bastard

when she was 10 years old.

Yeah, listen, South Carolina...

that was an ugly primary,

but this isn't the same thing.

I mean, Reverend Wright

really did say those things.

That may be true.

But there is a dark side

to American populism.

Some people win elections

by tapping into it.

I'm not one of those people.

Okay. So what about Bill Ayers?

Obama began his career

in the living room of

a domestic terrorist.

Domestic terrorist.

Nothing to do with race.

Yeah, okay.

Ayers is fair.

Okay. Who should do this?

And Barack held one

of the first meetings

of his political career in

Bill Ayers's living room.

Palling around with terrorists.

He's not a Christian.

And I am just so fearful

that this is not a man

who sees America

the way that you and

I see America...

He's a socialist.

As the greatest source

for good in this world.

U.S.A. U.S.A.

U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.

What does Barack Obama

plan for America?

Nothing.

In short, who is the

real Barack Obama?

A terrorist.

We believe that the

best of America

is not all in Washington,

DC We believe...

We believe that the

best of America

is in these small towns

that we get to visit

and in these wonderful

little pockets

of what I call the real America.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

Sarah. Sarah.

For a man who's

written two memoirs,

he's no open book.

You got that right.

What does Barack Obama

see for America?

He's a Muslim.

He's a socialist.

- He doesn't represent us.

- He doesn't belong here.

He hangs out with people

who hate our country.

- He's not American.

- Kill him.

Send him back to Africa.

Let me read to you, Tara,

what Congressman John Lewis,

the civil rights icon,

said on Saturday in a statement.

He said, As one who was

a victim of violence

and hate during the height of

the civil rights movement,

I am deeply disturbed

by the negative tone

of the McCain-Palin campaign.

Senator McCain and

Governor Palin...

We gotta tone the rhetoric down.

It's gotten out of control.

We can't even mention

Obama's name any more.

The crowd gets too hot.

This isn't the campaign

I wanted to run.

I can't trust Obama.

I've read about him,

and he's not a...

He's a... He's a Arab.

He's not an Amer...

No, ma'am.

He's a decent family-man citizen

who I just happen to

have disagreements with

on certain fundamental issues.

And that's what this

campaign is all about.

He's not. Thank you.

Cutting through the bull tonight,

on the eve of the election,

the campaigns are relying

on their lucky charms.

- Vodka rocks, lime.

- You got it.

How's he doing?

He's the most depressed I've

seen him the entire campaign.

I can't get him to

stop watching MSNBC,

which only makes him

more miserable.

I'm amazed that someone who has

been in politics this long...

takes all the petty

stuff so personally.

And that's why they

are who they are.

Reagan, Bush, Clinton...

All they want is to be loved.

The ones that don't

pathologically need to be loved,

they don't get the nomination.

They don't get to be president.

If you'd understood that fact,

you might have been able to better

handle our Alaskan moose hunter.

God, it was a tough campaign.

It wasn't a campaign, it

was a bad reality show.

She didn't cost us the election.

That was Bush. That

was the economy.

That was just the

cold hand of fate.

We didn't have a chance.

And if we did win,

would you feel comfortable

with President Palin?

Why not? Then we would have won.

Come on, guys, listen.

I, too, wish that

the American people

would choose the

future Abraham Lincoln

or Thomas Jefferson,

but unfortunately,

that's not the way

it works any more.

Now it takes movie star charisma

to get elected president.

And Obama and Palin, that's

what they are... they're stars.

Primary difference being

Sarah Palin can't name a

Supreme Court decision,

whereas Barack Obama

was a constitutional

law professor.

Fuck you.

You know what Dick Cheney said

- when he found out we picked her?

- What?

He said we made a reckless choice.

When you lose the moral

high ground to Dick Cheney,

it's time to rethink

your entire life.

Enough Cheney cracks, okay?

I mean, he's very misunderstood.

How does he eat when he's wearing.

Darth Vader's helmet, anyway?

There we go.

Gentlemen, let's wish

each other good luck.

Who knows, we could have another

Dewey-Truman situation here.

Always room for an upset.

Yeah, maybe I'll wake up

with a full head of hair.

You know, if we had just

asked her policy questions

in the briefing, then

we would have known.

I thought Culvahouse was gonna

grill her during the vet.

Culvahouse thought we

were gonna grill her.

It haunts me.

After a hard-fought battle,

the nation's longest-running

presidential race

comes down to this

day... election day.

Voting is now under way in

all the lower 48 states

as we approach the end of

this historic election.

People lined up across the country

by the millions today.

Turnout looks to be the

highest in decades.

John McCain will carry Kentucky

once again, as expected.

Eight electoral votes,

not a huge surprise.

We are not able to

make a projection

in the four other states...

that are closing all their polls

at this hour right now.

And some of them are

battleground states...

Georgia, Indiana, South

Carolina and Virginia.

It doesn't necessarily mean that

it's gonna be close or not...

Where's Virginia?

Negative five. And Ohio's gone.

- Got it.

- I'll keep you posted.

Call you in 10.

What's going on?

We're gonna lose Pennsylvania.

And Ohio.

Steve...

There's something I

have to tell you.

What's wrong?

I didn't vote.

I couldn't do it.

I didn't vote.

I couldn't do it.

It's okay.

- Soledad.

- Alright, Wolf,

we'll take you right to

the voter analysis...

How we doing, Stevie boy?

We lost Pennsylvania

and Ohio, sir.

When my grandfather

found out that the

Japanese had surrendered,

he was lost.

He didn't know what

to do with himself.

He came home,

dropped dead the very next day.

Fought his war, then he died.

And my dad,

when he retired from the navy,

he fell into a sense of despair

for the rest of his life.

I'm never gonna quit, Steve.

I can't.

I don't know how

to just fade away.

Senator, I...

I just want to say...

What?

I'm s... I'm s...

I'm so sorry that I...

suggested her.

Don't be.

Fuck 'em.

What were we supposed to do?

A truly historic night

here in the United States.

Barack Obama will become

the 44th president of

the United States.

Sorry, Mum.

Oh, thanks, kiddo.

I'm really sorry, Mum.

Sweetheart.

You did great. You

know that, right?

- Yeah.

- Okay?

Come here, baby.

It's all right. We're okay. Yeah.

Yeah.

I'll take the stress

very literally here.

Just one quick... you think?

And on this next part, would

you make sure you bold that?

Oh, Chris, I need you to load

this in the Teleprompter for me.

Steve Schmidt told me you

weren't making a speech.

No. I am making a speech.

Scully cleared it with Rick Davis.

So just go ahead

and load it, okay?

Okay.

Okay, so, on the stress on

this one, I'll take it.

- Jesus.

- Hey, sorry.

Steve, I'm getting a bunch

of mixed messages here.

Is the governor giving a

concession speech or not...

I've already said this

five times already.

She is not giving a speech.

Well, she seems to

think otherwise.

Well, she's not.

What do you want me to tell her?

Tell her she's not

fucking speaking.

Okay, well, you both

seem pretty certain...

Well, let my certainty

supersede her certainty.

Goddamn it.

Steve.

You want to see me?

Yes. This way.

Excuse us a moment.

I understand you've prepared

a speech. Is that correct?

Yes, I have. I want to salute John

for everything he's

done for this country.

It's not going to happen.

You're not giving a speech.

And why is that, Steve?

You're not giving a speech

because the vice

presidential candidate

has never given a concession

speech on election night.

It's not about you.

It's about the country.

Yeah, well, there's a lot of

things never been done before.

Governor...

this country has just elected

the first African-American

president

in the history of its existence.

And it is the concession speech

that will legitimise

his succession

as commander in chief.

It is a serious and

solemn occasion,

and John McCain, and

only John McCain,

will be giving this sacred speech.

This is how it has been done

in every presidential election

since the dawn of the republic,

and you, Sarah Palin,

will not change the importance

of this proud American tradition.

We fought... We fought

as hard as we could.

And though we feel short,

the fail... the failure is mine.

Oh, geez, no...

I don't feel that short, Mark.

Fell short, boss.

- Yeah, thanks.

- Fell short. It's a typo.

- John.

- Hi, Sarah.

Well, we fought the good fight.

We did.

Now I'm just gonna get out

there and thank America.

I can't wait to get out

there and thank you.

I have a speech written that

is a real tribute to ya.

No, I think these guys

have that covered.

Right, Steve?

Yes, sir. We have it covered.

I just want the people to know

what a great man you are.

I appreciate that,

but these guys got

it all worked out.

Yeah, you know, we probably

should get going now, sir, so...

All right. Good.

- Okay. We'll see you afterwards.

- I'll see you out there.

You're one of the leaders

of the party now, Sarah.

Don't get co-opted by Limbaugh

and the other extremists.

They'll destroy the

party if you let them.

Remember, you're a hockey mum.

You just wanted to

make a difference,

and you did.

A big, huge difference.

I'll always be

grateful. Thank you.

- We should go, sir.

- Thank you, John.

My friends, we have...

we have come to the end

of a long journey.

The American people have spoken,

and they have spoken clearly.

A little while ago,

I had the honour

of calling Senator Barack Obama...

to congrat...

Please.

To congratulate him

on being elected

the next president of the

country we both love.

Whatever our differences,

we are fellow Americans.

Yes, sir.

I am so deeply

grateful to all of you

for the great honour

of your support

and all you have done for me.

I am also, of course,

very thankful to

Governor Sarah Palin,

one of the best campaigners

I have ever seen.

Still think she's fit for office?

Who cares?

In 48 hours, no one will

even remember who she is.

We can all look forward

with great interest

to her future service to Alaska,

the Republican party

and our country.

Sarah. Sarah. Sarah.

There were numerous instances

of her saying things

that were not accurate

that opened the door to criticism

that she was being

untruthful and inaccurate.

And I think that is something

that continues to this day.

And you think that's

fair criticism?

I think that's fair criticism.

Early on, though, you apparently

said she doesn't know anything.

In the immediate aftermath

of her selection,

it was clear to us that we...

had a lot of work to do.

For you, picking Sarah Palin

was about winning an election,

not necessarily about who's gonna

be best as vice president.

My job is to give

political advice.

We needed to do something bold

to try to win the race.

If you had it to do over again,

would you have her on the ticket?

You don't get to go

back in time, Anderson,

and... and have do-overs in life.

♪ God bless America ♪

♪ Again ♪

♪ You see all the

trouble that she's in ♪

♪ Wash her pretty face ♪

♪ Dry her eyes and then ♪

♪ God bless America again ♪

♪ You see all the

trouble that she's in ♪

♪ Wash her pretty face ♪

♪ Dry her eyes and then ♪

♪ God bless America again ♪

♪ Wash her pretty face ♪

♪ Dry her eyes and then ♪

♪ God bless America again ♪