Time to Palin: GOP's in Trouble, How Would You Change Platform

Over on the magazine's Web site, Time's Jay Newton-Small published a brief phone interview she conducted on August 14 with Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska), a full 15 days before being chosen by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as his running mate.

The agenda of questions were overall devoid of a political slant and did include one softball about how her youth and gender affect her approach.

But Newton-Small did pose one loaded question:

The Republican party nationwide has a lot challenges. What ideas do you have to bring the party back, to gain back majorities in Congress, to change the platform to appeal to more people?

It's that last part that's problematic. A more balanced wording might have:

What ideas do you have to bring the party back, to gain back majorities in Congress? What, if any, areas of the party platform would you like to see changed or is it more a question of communicating your party's message more effectively?