It’s a Sarah Palin vs. Katie Couric smack-down on the network television morning news talk shows,Tuesday morning.
It’s a Sarah Palin vs. Katie Couric smack-down on cable morning news Tuesday morning.
It's a Sarah Palin vs. Katie Couric smack-down on the network television morning news / talk shows Tuesday.
The former Alaska governor and one-time Republican Party vice-presidential nominee will be co-hosting NBC's "Today Show" at the same time Couric, a former "Today" host and CBS anchor, will sit in for Robin Roberts on ABC's "Good Morning America. Each program starts at 7 a.m., local time.
"I appreciate NBC's boldness in having me on," Palin told other "Today" hosts in a phone call Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
This wouldn't be the first time the two clashed on television. Palin famously flopped in a CBS interview with Couric while she was running as vice president with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ari., in 2008, fumbling over which newspapers she liked (she couldn't name what she reads) and her knowledge of the economy and foreign affairs. Since then, Palin has been chastising reporters for "gotcha" questions that take sources off-guard in order to embarrass them.
NBC teases in a promotional video (below) that the politician-turned-pundit will "reveal a different side of her than you've seen before."
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"What are you doing to prepare?" asked "Today" host Matt Lauer. "Are you reading some newspapers?"
Palin responded by laughing, "That's a fine how-do-you-do. That's a great start. Here we go."
When asked about her feelings on competing with Couric, Palin told Breitbart News, "Game on."
"I see this as a good opportunity to bring an independent, common-sense conservative perspective to NBC," she told the conservative news site. "We're 'going rogue' and infiltrating some turf for a day."
The "Today" Show guest spot is an unusual gig for Palin, who spends most of her time drawing big crowds by trumpeting Tea Party ideals or weighing in on Republican affairs on Fox News.
Sill, the move isn't too surprising considering that both "Today" and "Good Morning America" are looking to boost their ratings. According to TV Newser, "Today" experienced 15 percent fewer viewers during the week of March 19 from the same time last year, and "Good Morning America" has been struggling to beat the NBC show, the highest-rated morning program for some time.
Katie Couric left NBC for CBS after 15 years with the network. She announced she was leaving the CBS "Evening News" in April.
