Keeping it 'Real' with Bill Maher

@Michel Martin

On Real Time with Bill Maher you compared Tim Kaine's experience to Sarah Palin. That's not a good comparison. Did you know that before he was Governor he was the Lieutenant Gov. He sat on the Richmond City Council and served as Mayor for about 7 years for the capitol City, a City much larger than the whole state of Alaska? Not to mention helping to curb the horrible gun violence that plagued the city as well as penned project exile. If I'm not mistaken wasn't this gun control law used as an example for new gun control legislation in Washington because of it's success?

Sent by Brian | 12:03 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Michel,

I just caught you on the season premiere of "Real Time", like you I don't believe the Palin pick should be overlooked. As an African American woman of Obama's age, I was proud as hell of his speech. I watched the entire convention on CSPAN and I even caught your discussion with the students. You were informative as usual. It is unfortunate that people do not understand how much they miss watching the wrong station. I was so impressed with Montana's Governor Schweitzer he was great and motivated the crowd well. I thought Kucinich (Ohio) was abbreviated but inspirational. :) Also I am now a big fan of Mrs. Duckworth, who spelled out the informed reasons why Mc Cain is wrong to lead us out of the military situations. Every topic Bill was saying wasn't mentioned was, as you noted. This is my worry about our informational sources, even Bill didn't watch the convention in its entirety for one evening, so his show is reduced to pure entertainment instead of a viable show to get real information. I am afraid of the consequences of Palin because those PUMA's are extremely bitter and they are organized. You are right that Roe V Wade isn't an issue that will galvanize all women behind Obama or any Democrat. For me it is more important to note her other right wing leaning tendencies; Gun rights, the consequences of her disregard for wildlife and their habitats; drilling as a primary goal of combating our foreign oil dependency and more importantly her lack of foreign policy knowledge. Further this seems like a means of the Hillary getting in, in 2012. The PUMA's are pumping it as a woman against a woman epic for that voting cycle. I know Obama's resume is thin, I don't kid myself but there is something to be said for him being vetted in the public campaign for 2 years and watching his response to attacks against him. I also recognize the elephant of race in the room that has been used to Obama's benefit and to detract from him. This is still America and we know what minorities still face. But that being said, it prepared us for the inevitable obvious and subtle attacks that we knew and know are coming. This is the dreaded game changer I was waiting for. She energizes the conservative base of evangelicals. While I believe religion shouldn't be a guiding force in politics, I know many are guided by it. I felt before that Barack at least, had the faith issue over Mc Cain now this! It will be more important to register more people and educate them in the process and actually drive their behinds to the polls.

Sent by Valerie McQueen-Haywood | 12:04 PM ET | 09-01-2008

I always enjoy you on Bill Maher, though they did not give you much of a chance to speak last night. I thought your comment about how the GOP VP selection might have a bigger impact than anyone seems to be giving her credit for was important, and certainly merits further discussion. She may bring more to the ticket than anyone is giving her credit on the Democratic side, and that could be problematic in what could be a close election. I appreciated your insight, even if your fellow guests missed it.

Sent by Susan Oshman | 12:05 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Hi Michel. I have admired you as a journalist for quite some time. You are insightful, wise, and in the sea of chaos that is American political discourse, you are often the voice of reason. It is for these reasons that I was so disappointed with your pointed comment last night on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), that Sara Palin has as much experience as Tim Kaine, the Virginia governor Obama apparently nearly chose for his running mate.

This is a false and misleading statement and you should know better. Kaine is a Harvard Law grad. His career of public service began when he took a year off from law school to volunteer with missionaries in Honduras. Governor Kaine practiced law in Richmond for 17 years, representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability. He won many precedent-setting cases in this area and was recognized by local, state and national organizations for his fair-housing advocacy. Kaine also taught legal ethics for six years at the University of Richmond Law School.

Governor Kaine entered political life in 1994 and was elected to four terms on the City Council, including two terms as Richmond's mayor (population 1.2 million), where he worked to build Richmond's first new schools in a generation, cut taxes and slash the city's crime rate. Richmond's success in reducing violent crime won national recognition from Presidents Clinton and Bush and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The improvements in Richmond's economy during Kaine's tenure earned the city its first-ever listing in Forbes Magazine's annual ranking of the top 10 cities in America for doing business.

Governor Kaine was elected Virginia's Lieutenant Governor in 2001. He worked for four years with Governor Mark Warner to reform the state's budget and invest new resources in education.
Governor Kaine has been elected to become Chairman of the Southern Governors Association in the summer of 2008.

I have no connection to anyone's campaign, and am not any particular fan of Kaine. I am, however, mindful of the fact that people listen to journalists like you. To suggest that McCain's inane pick of this woman is somehow akin to Obama's shortlisting of Kaine more than implies that Obama's judgment is no better than McCain's on this matter. It lessens the impact of the dangerous choice McCain has made. It also minimizes the fact McCain thinks one woman is as good as any other -- Hillary supporters will flock to her because she's female. I don't have to tell you how wrong and demented this kind of thinking is.

Kaine is not Palin. But more to the point, Obama is not McCain. McCain's move was not politics as usual. It was a horrible choice and showcases his serious lack of judgment.

You are such a respected journalist and people listen to you. Please keep better track of the facts. Especially, when it comes to something as critical as the future of our country.

Sincerely,
Jill Bennett Gaieski

Sent by Jill Gaieski | 12:06 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Michel mentioned on Bill Maher's program that Sarah Palin had been governor as long as Tim Kaine, in a discussion about experience (comparing Palin and Kaine).

Tim Kaine has actually been governor a year longer than Palin. He took office in January '06, she took office in '07. Before that, he was Lt. Governor for four years and presided over the State Senate. Before THAT, he was mayor of Richmond, the state capital, and a city with far more population and issues than her city of 7500. There is a big difference in their background and experience.

Sent by Drew Lankford | 12:06 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Hello Michelle,
I saw you on Bil Maher. Great Job, however your comment on Time Kaine vs. Sahra Palin was quite inaccurate. Tim was the elected LT Gov. of Virgina for 4 years prio to running for and winning as Gov. His story is much more complex that Palin's by far. He was in politice for the Capitol fo VA, Richmond(City council and Mayor). Prior to that he was ans accomplished lawyer fight for the rights of common people, where he took on a corporate giant, found guilty of racial practices. Just FYI. Keep up the good work.

Sent by HT Branch | 12:07 PM ET | 09-01-2008

John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin in hopes of luring Hillary's supporters is so beyond ignorant and/or cynical that I can barely form a response. Apparently, we gals are so shallow that we just vote for the person in a pantsuit, regardless of their views on evolution, guns, drilling in the Arctic preserves, abortion. Nope, even if she is wrong on every single issue we supported with Hillary, all that matters to us is she's female. He doesn't give us much credit for intelligence, does he?

This election just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Sent by Gerri | 12:08 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Michel was, in my opinion, singular among the panel and moderator in imparting real clarity and balance to the discussion. Her point, for example, that Govs. Palin and Kaine have been in office for a similar period of time necessarily elevates discussions of relative experience beyond the simple narrative of "time-in-grade."

Sent by Steve | 12:10 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Jill -

I take your point but what I said was that Palin has been a GOVERNOR for exactly the same amount of time as Tim Kaine has. Which is a fact. You can argue about whose prior experience is more relevant but they have exactly the same amount of time serving in that executive post. That's not debatable.

Sent by Michel Martin | 12:41 PM ET | 09-01-2008

Michel Martin is no stranger to TV or cable, but did add some sanity to 'REAL TIME' with Bill Maher. Since technology is an non-issue in this election the selection of a woman will not address the United States weakness in deeper levels of science and mathematics. Sarah
palin certainly will not touch this issue.

Sent by jerry a. Myers | 2:49 AM ET | 09-02-2008

Ms. Martin,

You said Pallin has been GOVERNOR for the same amount of time as Tim Kaine--and that is FALSE, not a fact.

Tim Kaine was elected in November of 2005 and inaugurated on a very wet day in Colonial Williamsburg back in January of 2006. I was there and saw it.

Sarah Pallin was elected the following November and swon in in December of 2006. That means Tim Kaine has been governor for nearly a full year longer than she has. Given that she has been in office for well under two years, that extra year means he's been a governor for roughly 150% as long as she. That's a pretty significant difference.

Your other comments showed much insight, but this was a FACTUAL error you repeated twice on the show and once here.

Sent by Josh | 7:42 AM ET | 09-02-2008

i saw u although i didn't agree w/u most of the time. you seem 2 b 4 on the right. in any event i would like 4 u 2 look very closly at bristol pilin on stage w/her mother during vp acceptance speech. you will not only c her holding her brother w/blanket but you then c her w/out the baby yet she still holding the blanket? why? and then she is holding it so that it's spread out all over her stomach. i mean why did she not just tell us about it then? she new it would come out. seems 2 me they were trying 2 hide it. if she was so proud of being a grandmother seems 2 me she would have been open at that time. i really would like 2 hear back from u. just look at the whole video.

Sent by maybell covington | 8:03 AM ET | 09-02-2008

Michel,

Save for your implication equating the experience of Tim Kaine with that of Sarah Palin (an implication by omission of Kaine's total experience, but an implication nonetheless), I thought you were consistently the most intelligent speaker on the panel. I was truly impressed. ...until Overtime.

I was stunned that you actually had to think, hem, and haw about whether or not you believed in a literal, Abrahamic hell (which I think is what Bill Maher meant). If your "it depends what you mean" caveat falls outside of my above description of literal and Abrahamic, my critique below should still apply.

You are a reporter. As such, you try to live by evidence, no? If centuries of history and science show you there is zero evidence for said hell, it is a good idea to say, at the very least, "I find that a literal, Abrahamic hell most probably does not exist for the simple reason that there is zero supportive evidence."

Millions of people believing something doesn't make it so.

The sooner "believers" clear away their myth-induced myopia, the better off we all will be, and the more credible they and the reporters among them shall become.

Thanks for reading, Michel. I do sincerely look forward to your next appearance on Real Time.

Sent by Mark Specht | 8:34 AM ET | 09-02-2008

Hey people --

Read Michel's post-HBO appearance notes by clicking here. (Scroll to bottom portion of linked post.)

There, she addresses some of the feedback she's received since her appearance on "Real Time." So, rest assured, your thoughts -- supportive or critical -- are being read ... by her.

Thanks for writing!

Peace, and more ...

Sent by Lee Hill, TMM | 11:51 PM ET | 09-02-2008

Trite but true: Like many, I was introduced to Michel Martin on Real Time with Bill Maher. She really is a sane breath of fresh air. Agree with her or not -- and plenty of time I don't -- you always know you're hearing from someone who truly is considering everything.

Sent by James | 9:12 AM ET | 09-03-2008