Snow apparently didn’t see much irony in featuring Biden, who once exhorted a paraplegic man to "stand up," for a segment on a new poll showing 71 percent of Amerians don’t think Palin is qualified for the presidency. Instead, she included a clip of White House Press secretary Robert Gibbs mocking the former Alaska governor for writing on her hand at a recent speech. He joked, "I wrote, eggs, milk and bread. Then, I wrote down hope and change, just in case I forgot."
Snow dismissed, "Palin is a polarizing figure, but her detractors feel even more strongly than her fans." Of course, the reporter didn’t show any clips of Palin’s fans. She did play a snippet of comedian Stephen Colbert mocking, "Oh, big deal! Writing notes on her hands shows she's an average Jane. Not like those elites and their memory"
Reveling in the "nasty jokes," Snow highlighted yet another comic, Jimmy Kimmel: "You know, maybe she’d be smarter if she had bigger hands."
On the subject of the poll, which showed even Republicans split as to whether Palin's qualified to be President, Snow noted that the politician receives briefing E-mails each day from strategists. Snow taunted, "And you have to imagine that, this morning, our new poll might be part of her briefing note."
Finally, February 11 is Palin’s birthday. The segment mentioned three times that the former vice presidential candidate is now 46 years old.
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 7:08am EST on February 11, follows:
ROBIN ROBERTS: We’re going to start with our latest, ABC News/Washington Post poll. And it is not good news for Sarah Palin, if she is truly considering a run for the presidency. The poll shows Governor Paln’s unfavorable rating at an all-time high. Good Morning America weekend anchor Kate Snow crunches the numbers for us. Good morning, Kate.
ABC GRAPHIC: Palin Panned in New Poll: 71% Say Unqualified for Presidency
KATE SNOW: Good morning, Robin. Well, every morning Sarah Palin is getting a briefing e-mail from political strategists who have stuck with her since the last election. And you have to imagine that, this morning, our new poll might be part of her briefing note. The numbers are a dramatic indicator of where she’d have to catch up if she did want to make that run for the White House.
SARAH PALIN: How’s that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you?
SNOW: She’s got America’s attention, but is it backfiring? Our new poll finds Palin’s negatives at a new high. 55 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Palin and 71 percent believe she’s not qualified to be President.
CHRIS WALLACE: Why wouldn’t you run for President?
PALIN: I would. I would if I believed that that is the right thing to do for our country and the Palin family.
SNOW: To win, she’d need to broaden her base in the Republican Party. Even in the GOP, 52 percent think she’s not qualified for the White House. Up 16 points since last November. Last night on Larry King Live, Vice President Joe Biden called Palin engaging, with a great personality. But, he doesn’t agree with the things she says.
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Some of the comments made are just so far, sort of, out there, I just don’t know where they come from.
SNOW: Palin is a polarizing figure, but her detractors feel even more strongly than her fans.
ROBERT GIBBS: I wrote, eggs, milk and bread. Then, I wrote down hope and change, just in case I forgot.
SNOW: That might help explain all those nasty jokes about the notes she wrote on her hand.
STEPHEN COLBERT: Oh, big deal! Writing notes on her hands shows she’s an average Jane. Not like those elites and their memory.
JIMMY KIMMEL: You know, maybe she’d be smarter if she had bigger hands.
SNOW: Palin is ignoring the chatter. The Daytona 500 this weekend her next big stop. And over the next few months, she’ll keep a packed public schedule, watching Todd at the Iron Dog Snow Machine Race, campaigning for John McCain, against Harry Reid, another tea party rally in Boston. She’ll even headline a bowling expo. She is a busy lady. And our new poll also has some interesting findings on the tea party movement as well. The movement has potential. 45 percent of Americans agree, at least somewhat, with the tea party movement’s positions on the issues. But, Robin, there’s also a lack of familiarity with the tea party movement. We found that two thirds of our respondents said don’t really know what the tea party movement is all about.
ROBERTS: And going a little deeper, who is most attracted to the tea party?
SNOW: The poll found, as you might expect, it’s conservatives, Republicans. It’s people who are against Obama, critics. It’s people who criticize health care reform and those who are angry with the government, the middle, they’re split on the tea party movement.
ROBERTS: Well, not quite the news she wanted on her 46th birthday today.
SNOW: That’s right. It is her 46th birthday.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: She’s only 46? Wow. That is something.
