I guess if you cannot do FoxNews you might as well do Charles Gibson.

Oh, wait, that didn’t come out quite right.

The McCain campaign and Palin have deigned to do her first interview outside of a quicky with People Magazine. And if that’s the case why not do the interview with they guy who so completely botched the Democratic Debate last Spring.

Maybe Charley and Palin can talk about how $200,000 a year is a typical-middle class income? Maybe he’ll ask questions about her patriotism? Maybe he’ll dwell on all the gossip? And I hope she passes that baby around in a flag-draped diaper or he’ll have a fit.

Aw, Who am I kidding? — it’s going to be softballs and soft-lighting. Maybe he can dig out the Barbara Walters questions?

The McCain Campaign itself proclaimed no press interviews with Palin until the press were deferential enough. And nobody is more deferential to Right-Wing talking points than Charles Gibson.

Josh Marshall found the tell in just how wretched this interview will be:

"Palin will sit down for multiple interviews with Gibson in Alaska over two days, most likely Thursday and Friday, said McCain adviser Mark Salter."

Political interviews are never done like this. Because it makes the questioning entirely at the discretion of the person being interviewed and their handlers. The interviewer has to be on their best behavior, at least until the last of the ‘multiple interviews’ because otherwise the subsequent sittings just won’t happen. For a political journalist to agree to such terms amounts to a form of self-gelding. The only interviews that are done this way are lifestyle and celebrity interviews. And it’s pretty clear that that is what this will be.

We can all imagine McCain watching creepily as Gibson kisses Palin’s ass.

So many reasons to barf early in the morning.