Game Change Page #6

Really? Yeah, I just--

I just love talking

to people on the rope lines,

getting to hear

their problems.

It's-- 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 jeez, I--

yeah, he's--

he's my hero, so...

Mine, too.

So, uh...

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.

Um, let's start with

something simple.

Uh... how do you

plan on maintaining

our alliance with

greabrbritain 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.

Uh, 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.

( Indistinct chatter )

You rang?

- The cavalry has arrived.

- ( Chuckles )

- Thank you, gentlemen. Come on in.

- You bet.

Yeah.

Well, I, uh--

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.

Biegun:
And in world war ii

, they were aligned with

Japan and Italy to form

what was known as the axis.

Randy:
Currently,

we're in the middle okay.

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 flippin' awesome.

Now, with Afghanistan,

after 9/11...

Reporter:
...

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--

- Woman:
That isn't anybody's--

Bristol:
Why won't they

just leave me alone?

I'm so tired of it.

( Sobbing )

Any grownup 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.

( Stammers ) Can you-- can you

protect my e-mails, Steve?

Can you--

can this campaign

at least do that?

Nicolle:

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

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.

Sarah:

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, D.C.,

so that the people there

can understand how the

average working-class family

is viewing bureaucracy

in the federal government.

( Clears throat )

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?

Um...

( Clears throat )

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 islamist 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, uh,

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?

Steve:
Um, 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,

domeicic 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?

( Bell dings )

I've come up with

a list of questions

that I think Charlie's

most likely to ask.

If you memorize

these answers,

I'm sure y'r're going

to nail this interview.

How do you know

he'll ask these?

I was the white house

communications director.

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