SHE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SHOES AND CUTE GUYS AND STUFF

National Review's Rich Lowry interviewed John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, for an article on the election and came away with (among other things) this little tidbit about the woman right-wingers consider the new model of feminism:

On the Couric interview, which Davis says Palin thought would be softer because she was being interviewed by a woman: "She was under the impression the Couric thing was going to be easier than it was. Everyone's guard was down for the Couric interview."

Women have lady parts! They don't ask tough questions -- it's physically impossible!

But note that Davis says the whole campaign underestimated Couric. So did Palin refuse preparation for the Couric interview, as we've been told, or did her team not take the interview seriously because Couric was, y'know, just a girl?

And yes, I know Couric has conducted many a softball interview in her day, but why, if this story is true, did the McCain-Palin team just assume she was incapable of anything else -- especially given that in recent years she's struggled to be taken seriously as a journalist, and really, really needed a shot of credibility?

Or did sexism have nothing to do with the staff's response? Did the significant number of Bushies on Palin's team simply think -- especially given Nicolle Wallace's ties to CBS -- that Bubble Boy rules would apply, i.e., that you do as few as interviews as possible and then assume that anyone who's granted the rare privilege of an interview will inevitably be in the tank?