I've worked in television long enough to know that sometimes, things are in the TelePrompTer that aren't supposed to be there.
Perhaps that explains the faux pas from the co-chair of the Republican National Committee on Tuesday night.
In front of the entire convention (and presumably a national audience), Jo Ann Davidson of Ohio made a pretty noticeable slip of the tongue:
"We are holding a convention that will nominate a Republican woman, Governor Sarah Pawlenty, our next vice president," Davidson said.
Watch it for yourself:
Sarah Pawlenty? The delegates were clapping after she said it, even though most of them looked confused, some chuckled.
BUT it pays to look at this.
Governor Sarah Palin is the vice presidential candidate.
However, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota was, if you remember, one of the leading candidates for the position. Many found it to be a surprise that he wasn't picked.
I had a theory last Friday and I shared it with co-workers. The theory was that the McCain VP selection was changed at the 11th hour--after Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech.
Last week, Governor Pawlenty cancelled all appearances and headed back to Minnesota. He said it was so he could go to the State Fair.
At the same time, Governor Palin said that she had no other plans than to attend the State Fair.
My theory was that both governors were on standby. The final call on which candidate would be given the job came after Obama's speech was well received. Palin, by most accounts, took the steam out of Obama's speech the next day because of its historic and surprising nature.
Was Davidson simply mistaken?
What did the TelePrompTer actually say?
When she said "Governor Sarah Pawlenty" she was looking directly at the PrompTer. She was reading what was there, wasn't she?
Jo Ann Davidson is a big player in the Republican Party. She's not a novice.
I suppose anything is possible, but from a journalists' point of view it raises eyebrows.
