The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review
More of the Same.
By Mark Kilmer Posted in Special Features | Sunday Morning Talk Shows — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Sunday, April 27, 2008
PREFACE:
Candidate Obama gave a rather bland interview with FNS host Chris Wallace. It wasn't hard-hitting, no tough questions were asked, and Obama was not challenged. Said Barry: "I've worn flag pins in the past; I will wear them in the future."
On TW, George Stephanopoulos spoke with four standard-issue surrogates, two from each campaign. White, working class Democrats in Pennsylvania are racist, according to the host, and Hillary will cut gasoline taxes and help our pocketbooks, argued Sheila Jackson Lee and Evan Bayh.
On MTP, DNC boss Howard Dean showed why he is still relevant to today's political discussion. Not really. He said that Michigan and Florida did not play by the rules and if they were permitted in the process, they would be cutting in line and there would be a riot. He said, though, that it was all up to the Dems' Rules Committee. He later said that he would seat their delegations and that President Bush was not interested in capturing Osama bin Laden.
On FTN, Obama strategist David Axelrod called certain things said by Bill Clinton, "regrettable," but excused him for saying things to get his wife elected. Hillary's mouthpiece Howard Wolfson argued that this ongoing fight has been great for the Democratic Party as it has driven Democrats to the polls.
On LE, Dianne Feinstein and Pete Hoekstra blamed Bush. A lot.
Read the Review of the Shows beneath the fold…
OBAMA ON FNS. On FOX News Sunday, host Chris Wallace talked to Democrat Barack Obama. Wallace began by asking about Obama's inability to win white, working class voters, and Obama pointed out that they are more familiar with Hillary but will vote for him in the General Election. He offered that he had won those voters in Iowa and Wisconsin.
Of voters, Obama explained: "They're looking for someone who can solve their problems." He offered: "If I lose [the General Election], race will not be an issue."
Wallace played a clip of Jeremiah Wright telling Bill Moyers that he has been treated unfairly, that he is a victim. Obama said that Wright was not the victim; people are legitimately angry at some of Wright's comments. The snippets of Wright's sermons, taken from a thirty-year-career, were unfair. Barry doesn't like "civilians" like Wright "being dragged into these political fights." He emphasized that Wright "is a former pastor of mine."
Obama said that Martin Luther King, Jr. had sermons which were just as "harsh" as were Wright's; it's a "generational" thing, he explained, having to do with having faced Jim Crow laws.
Wallace asked him about the flag lapel pin. Barry responded: "I've worn flag pins in the past; I will wear them in the future."
Wallace asked him about his equating of Billy Ayers and Senator Tom Coburn. Obama explained that he was not comparing them; rather, he was making the point that you can work with someone without agreeing with all of their views. For instance, he worked with Tom Coburn, with whose positions on abortion he disagreed. (I wish he'd have used the adverb "violently," but alas, he did not.) He pointed out that what Ayers had done was forty-years in the past and Ayers is leading a different life now. Wallace did not ask him about his comments to the New York Times, published on September 11, 2001, that he didn't think he had done enough damage with his bombs and would gladly bomb again.
Wallace said that Obama had been portraying himself as a uniter, so when would he unite with Republicans? Obama answered that he liked their stand on regulations, in that they should not be a governmentally-designed set of rules but a set of mandates with business deciding how best to meet them. Wallace pointed out that Obama has not moved to the center in the past, and Obama blamed the way Republicans phrased their bills, allowing no middle ground.
As proof of his moderation, Obama proudly proclaimed that, though he voted against the nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, he had defended his colleagues who had supported Roberts.
Obama told Wallace that he would ignore General David Petraeus's requests to stay in Iraq and finish the job; rather, Obama said he would set a timetable for surrender and demand that Petraeus implement it.
Obama deliberately refused to answer the question of whether he would accept Hillary as a running mate.
Obama said the Democratic Party would be unified even if Hillary wins the nomination.
SURROGATES ON TW. On ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos had a four-person panel: Tom Daschle and Artur Davis for Barry, Evan Bayh and Sheila Jackson Lee for Hillary. It was standard far but very mild. No fights.
Daschle said that the delegates would select the nominee, and Lee said that the "greatest thing for the American people" would be for the Dem race to continue and everyone have a chance to vote.
Stephanopoulos declared that race was an issue amongst Pennsylvania's white, blue collar Democrats.
Bayh said that Hillary had a way to cut the gas taxes, while Hilary did not.
Lee argued that this campaign is "about issues," and that Hillary will "help their pocketbooks." She said that the big tent lived in the Dem Party: "Can't we all get along? The answer is: YES!"
Davis said that while he respected the Clintons and all that they've done, they have "pissed away" their legacy by arguing that Barry is not electable. (NOTE: It sounded to me as if he said that the Clintons have "pissed away" their legacy, and it is fun to think so, but I heard it only once and have not seen a transcript.)
HOWARD DEAN ON MTP. On NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert interviewed the increasingly irrelevant DNC boss Howard Dean. Russert wanted to know: "How is it going to be resolved in the spirit of unity." (It's not, Tim. Too bad.)
Dr. Dean said that he hoped this would "all be over by the end of June." They "need to figure this out before the convention. We need time to heal." He asserted that it took him three months to convince his supporters to back John Kerry.
Russert played a clip of Ed Rendell saying that popular vote should choose the nominee, not the elected delegates, as the elected delegates were chosen "unfairly." Dean disagrees, and he says that though Ed "might not like the rule," he has to live by them. Dean called John McCain a "weak candidate."
Dean predicted that the candidate who is deemed most likely to win in November would get the nomination. He rejected Russert's language asserting that superdelegates could "overrule" the elected delegates. He argued that most of the superdelegates have to face the electorate.
Russert asked if, and Dean answered that the "elected delegates represented the "will of the people." He also believes the superdelegates represent the will of the people.
Dean said that the calculus for the voters in Indiana will be: Who can beat John McCain? In North Carolina, Dean tacitly believes that race will be the deciding factor.
Dean said that Americans care more about the issues than they do about the process within the Democratic Party.
Dean said that Americans want change and they cannot get change "without a different party controlling the White House."
Russert suggested that black Americans would defect if Hillary were given the nomination. Dean said that he wouldn't answer a hypothetical and claimed that "we don't divide people."
Dean said that the party had to united in the end and that the person most important to that will be the one "who doesn't win."
With regards to Michigan and Florida doesn't know what the rules committee will do but they "have to respect the rules." He added, "Michigan and Florida are very important States, [but] that doesn't mean they are more important than anybody else." He likened the situation to "having a line full of people waiting for something." If two people try to "jump the line, go to the front, it's not long before you're going to have a riot." A riot, predicts Dean.
Dean said that he is "determined" to seat Michigan and Florida "in some way."
Howard Dean said that George Bush is not interested in catching Osama bin Laden.
Howard Dean is a loony. On all levels.
WOLFSON AND AXELROAD ON FTN. Over at CBS, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer jawboned with Hillary's mouthpiece Howard Wolfson and Barry's strategist David Axelrod. Schieffer's stated them was: Is this campaign harming the Dem Party? A racial divide?
Schieffer opened by quoting Congressman James Clyburn about how the Clinton's are trying to damage Obama so badly that he cannot beat McCain. Wolfson said that he disagreed with Clymer, but that this contest has been great for the Dems due to the record turnout. He said that when this is finished, they'll come together as a party. Axelrod responded: "Well, in many ways, I agree with Howard." He said that we need change and we need to move forward. He doesn't think Hillary is campaigning hard because she wants to damage Barry in the fall.
Schieffer pointed out the racial, age, and economic divides. He posited that they both need each other and will have to put the other on the ticket. Wolfson said that there are lots of contests remaining and it is premature to talk about a ticket.
Wolfson said the divide is not unusual, as there are two strong candidates with passionate supporters. Schieffer asked Axelrod how a Dem could win in November without working class voters. Axelrod said that Barry is winning those voters.
Schieffer said that both surrogates claim that their candidate can bring the various elements together, but neither has. Axelrod predicted that people across the country "will come together in a coalition for change." Wolfson questioned whether or not Obama could win the blue collar voters, as he couldn't win them in Ohio or Pennsylvania despite his outspending Hillary. Axelrod said that Hillary was going to lose them anyway; his goal in Pennsylvania, he said, was to reduce her margin to single digits, which he said she did.
Schieffer brought up Bill Clinton, challenging his reputation as a masterful politician because of his campaign hijinx. (Note: That's the press. I've never thought Clinton anything more than a political oaf with a winning smile.) Wolfson said that the media has treated Bill unfairly. Axelrod said that some of the things Bill said were "regrettable," but that he was just trying to get Hillary elected. He said that people (Bill Clinton) should think before they speak.
Axelrod argued that Jeremiah Wright did not say that Barry was "just another politician." He called Wright an "unwilling participant in this campaign," and that there is "more to this story than we saw in the Moyers thing." He argued that Wright had "lived out the prophetic word." Axelrod said that it is up to the voters whether or not to hold Obama accountable for was Wright has said; in Pennsylvania, he argued, he was held accountable to what Obama himself had said.
FEINSTEIN AND HOEKSTRA ON LE. Blitzer opened his CNN show, Late Edition, by talking with Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Pete Hoekstra. It's Syria stuff: Why did Bush wait 7-months to tell us about the Syrian nuke facility taken out by Israel?
Wolf asked Feinstein if she really believed Bush's assertion that North Korea and Syria were cooperating on nukes. Feinstein replied that she had been briefed that the facility was not for civilian use and she faulted the President for not alerting the IAEA. She believes the experts that this was a nuclear facility.
Blitzer pointed out to Hoekstra Bush's "credibility problem" based on Colin Powell's "bogus" presentation to the UN on Iraq. Hoekstra believes that the information is "solid" but he faulted Bush for not briefing him seven months ago. And it should have gone to Mohammed El Baradei and the IAEA.
Blitzer played a clip from the Syrian ambassador saying that the facility was just a vacant building and the administration was lying about it just as they had with Iraq.
Blitzer wanted to know why the Administration did not contact the IAEA, and neither Hoekstra nor Feinstein said that they knew. Feinstein thinks the Administration is "sending some kind of message" to the Norks by releasing the information now. She thinks that if the Bush had told her about this seven months ago, they could have taken care of this problem. Now, she asserted, "it could blow up."
Blitzer quoted from the New York Times reporting that "Republican hardliners" are trying to thwart an agreement which would close down North Korea's nuclear program.
Hoekstra wants to know if North Korea is proliferating nuclear technology to anyone else. He asserted that he could have known this if Bush had been more open. He said that the Israelis did the right thing by taking out this facility. Feinstein agreed.
Feinstein called on Bush to start negotiating with Iraq – not with Ahmadinejad but with the Supreme Council who actually run the country. Hoekstra thought we should reach out to Iran, but only with Russia and our allies. They both thought that "going in militarily would be a huge mistake."
DiFi has "great respect for President Carter," but she wishes that he hadn't met with Hamas. She said it looks like "a rolling marble on the deck of a ship." Hoekstra said that it shows how weak this President is, that a former President can pretend to do his work. (Hoekstra will face a reelection battle in Michigan's CD-2 between either Kimon Kotos or Fred Johnson.)
= = = = =
And that's that. Have at it!
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The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review 6 Comments (0 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I don't know that Obama's appearance was bland. I think I heard him say something about a speech he gave being one of the most patriotic speeches in a long time. Don't throw a shoulder patting yourself on the back there Barry.
Here's your back pat Mark. You do a great service doing "show prep" for elRushbo and the rest of us who enjoy staying hours ahead of the MSM and The Left.
Nice pick up on FNS and the whole SCOTUS BHO B.S. line. I took all of that interview a wee bit further into the weeds here:
http://redstate.com/blogs/hammer2008/2008/apr/27/the_color_purple_the_le...
Cheers all, #20 kickin' tailpipe at Talledaga. Time to break for another fine "It's a Boy" cigars =o)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15."
--Ronald Reagan
You pointed out what I thought was the highlight of Obama's interview on Fox.
It is pretty sad that Obama's proof of his own conciliation with Republicans and conservatives is that he supported his colleagues' right to vote for John Roberts although he, himself, voted against him.
Has there been a more qualified appointee to the Supreme Court than John Roberts? On what basis did Obama oppose his nomination? Oh, that's right, John Roberts appeared to differ idealogically from Obama.
I wonder if Ruth Bader Ginsburg differed idealogically from the Republican Senators who voted almost unanimously for her. Thanks Barak for your great show of unity and conciliation.
I thought Chris Wallace hit him pretty hard on this point by following up asking if Obama wants unity with the Republicans or if he just wants them to play by his rules.
that this guy's definition of "compromise" is allowing people to have divergent opinions from his own.
Fred Thompson, 2008
And THIS post may complete the "Triumvirate Curse of Threes"!!
Pres. Carter and Rev. Wright represent an inconvenient political reality and truth that the status quo will CRUCIFY any who challenges their authority. It is interesting in this Easter-Passover season that the words and deeds of these two "cultural heretics" have been dragged into the forum for the inquisitory mandarins of cultural rectitude to lash them both severely, along with anyone else associated with them. (Ahh, Simon of Galillee, where art thou?)
For Carter, the Hamas legitimacy for Palestinian expression, and, for Wright, the victims who've been the collateral damage of US Govt benign or malignant neglect are denied a robust advocacy due to the culture that is suppressed by these mandarin-oligarchs. Pres. Carter's trip and advocacy for LISTENING to the grievances and proposals of those, who'd otherwise would use violence as their political expression, is denounced by the mandarins who do nothing more than give lip-service sympathy to the plight of the civilians population, a lip-srvice as meaningless and hollow as their political posturing for the plight of the people of Darfur.
Rev. Wright's bombasity in the tradition of the social gospel that echoes Jesus' driving the coin collectors and hawkers from out of the temple continues the ecclesiastical debate of whether subservience to authority (Rome) espoused by St Paul excludes the rebuking of secular authority that a prophet Samuel would have rained down on King Saul. Is there a devotion to principle that trumps nationalism and parochial provincialism? Even Jesus rebuked the pharissees and sadduccees as HE rebuked the cities and towns of Judah and Israel for their abuse of the poor and the weak.
Because the main stream "bleeds it leads" media has not done an investigation of the spread of AIDS or the distribution of cocaine and crack during the Iran-Contra administration of St Ronnie Reagan with his ex-CIA chief Veep, George H. W. Bush, as tooo conspiratorial and irresponsible a topic, the questions go begging "how was it, beyond the easy reductionist blaming personal irresponsibility, that such an esoteric virus and non-native plant product were able to have such widely insidious distributive spread in the black and minority communities?"
No such questions or insinuations are allowed. Cultural suppression for political expediency and the narrative of historical stereotypes and myths must be maintained. Jimmy Carter and Jeremiah Wright are secularly god-damned for their political and cultural heresies.
Let the mobs howl in the forum for these two criminals of the "state of suppressed questions" be condemned and rhetorically crucified and their legacy be in the pauper's graves of infamy and disgrace. But those with eyes to see and ears to hear know for themselves despite the Orwellian dissemblings of those who'd allow the inequity and injustice go unquestioned for any open serious discussion and debate.
The daring few must lead to undo the predations of the callously audacious.
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You missed Susan Rice (Obambi's foreign policy advisor) on Blitzer's Late Edition this morning emphasizing that McCain's "Bomb, Bomb Iran" was an unequivocal statement of warmongering against Iran. You'll find the money quote during the section where she is asked about Barry's position of unilateral political engagement with terrorist-sponsoring states. Not surprisingly, Blitzer brushes right on by it, as if it is common knowledge that McCain is a dangerous, Barbara Ann-singing neocon.