Following an interview with Hillary Clinton on Tuesday’s CBS "Early Show," co-host Harry Smith talked to "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer, who said of Barack Obama: "It makes people feel good to see someone who has managed to get where he has, a black American who won out in Iowa..."
The segment began with analysis of Clinton’s "display of emotion," which Schieffer thought was "rather touching." Schieffer even referenced former Democratic Senator and presidential candidate, Bill Bradley, who cried on camera, and declared "So at least, I guess we've come to accept that people can cry on camera and that's not a sign of weakness." Smith concluded: "It certainly got her back on the front page."
Following this discussion of Clinton, Smith went on to ask about Barack Obama:
SMITH: ...Barack Obama who we showed in these polls, just phenomenal response. The crowds at his events have just been stunning, so huge, that I think the question is he -- I think it's presumed that he's going to win today by a lot of people. Is this real? Is this for real?
SCHIEFFER: You know, I really think it is. I mean, I think he has tapped into something here. And I talked to Bill Bradley about that yesterday. He endorsed Obama. And he said, you know, the thing about him is he -- when people see him, they realize how far the country has come, and they feel good about that. And he said, I think that's part of his -- of what's going on here. It makes people feel good to see someone who has managed to get where he has, a black American who won out in Iowa where, you know, almost 100% --
SMITH: It validates themselves in a way.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓SCHIEFFER: He says, you know, he's kind of the feel-good candidate. So there's something beyond just politics going on here Harry. People seem to like him. And you know, we sometimes tend to forget likability is a very important factor in American politics.
So much for America being "finally color-blind" as Smith suggested in a segment on the show yesterday.
Finally at the end of the segment, Smith and Schieffer managed to remember there was a Republican primary race going on as well. However, unlike the "feel-good" image of Obama or even the "touching" emotion of Clinton, they described Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee this way:
SMITH: So on the other hand, on the Republican side, some people are saying one of the -- Mitt Romney's problem is he's not likeable enough. This whole notion he's this very successful businessman. He's all kind of spit and polish, you never see sort of a chink in the armor in any way. And all of those things that should serve him in good stead seem to be running against him.
SCHIEFFER: Well in Iowa he got beat by a guy who had a nice smile and a shoe shine and not much else.
Here is the full transcript of the segment:
7:06AM SEGMENT:
HARRY SMITH: I am joined now by Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent and host of "Face the Nation," our CBS sage. You saw that yesterday. What -- what do you think was going on?
BOB SCHIEFFER: I have no idea.
SMITH: Yeah.
SCHIEFFER: I have no idea. I saw it. I thought it was rather -- rather touching. It made me think, though, back to 1972, you know, Ed Muskie got so mad at the newspaper up here --
SMITH: Yeah.
SCHIEFFER: They had said something about his wife that he cried. He said he didn't. He said it was just cold and he teared up.
SMITH: Right.
SCHIEFFER: And a lot of people think it cost him the New Hampshire primary. He was seen as weak. His campaign at one point was so worried about it they actually put out a press release that reminded people that Jesus wept. That's how seriously that was taken. In 1980 Bill Bradley choked up at one point.
SMITH: Right.
SCHIEFFER: People thought he was seen as human. So at least, I guess we've come to accept that people can cry on camera and that's not a sign of weakness. But I don't -- I don't know how to evaluate this.
SMITH: It certainly got her back on the front page. Took some headlines away from Barack Obama who we showed in these polls, just phenomenal response. The crowds at his events have just been stunning, so huge, that I think the question is he -- I think it's presumed that he's going to win today by a lot of people. Is this real? Is this for real?
SCHIEFFER: You know, I really think it is. I mean, I think he has tapped into something here. And I talked to Bill Bradley about that yesterday. He endorsed Obama. And he said, you know, the thing about him is he -- when people see him, they realize how far the country has come, and they feel good about that. And he said, I think that's part of his -- of what's going on here. It makes people feel good to see someone who has managed to get where he has, a black American who won out in Iowa where, you know, almost 100% --
SMITH: It validates themselves in a way.
SCHIEFFER: He says, you know, he's kind of the feel-good candidate. So there's something beyond just politics going on here Harry. People seem to like him. And you know, we sometimes tend to forget likability is a very important factor in American politics.
SMITH: You know there's a couple pieces in some papers today about that. And it is -- you know, you don't want to think of it that way, but these guys -- they're all running for student council. We're back in we're back in high school again.
SCHIEFFER: In the presidency, more than any other office. I mean, you vote for a city councilman because of his position on a zoning issue.
SMITH: Right.
SCHIEFFER: Or something of that nature. People vote for a president because it's someone they feel comfortable with. Especially in a time of crisis.
SMITH: So on the other hand, on the Republican side, some people are saying one of the -- Mitt Romney's problems is he's not likeable enough. This whole notion he's this very successful businessman. He's all kind of spit and polish, you never see sort of a chink in the armor in any way. And all of those things that should serve him in good stead seem to be running against him.
SCHIEFFER: Well in Iowa he got beat by a guy who had a nice smile and a shoe shine and not much else. And so again, likability is a factor.
SMITH: Yeah. Always a pleasure to visit with you Bob.
SCHIEFFER: Thank you Harry.
SMITH: Thanks, alright.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.




















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The most true thing he said was:
January 8, 2008 - 15:25 ET by mattm"I have no idea."
"It makes people feel good
January 8, 2008 - 15:29 ET by Darth Dutch"It makes people feel good to see someone who has managed to get where he has, a black American who won out in Iowa where, you know, almost 100% --"
You know Schieffer was going to say it was amazing to see a black candidate win in a state that is almost 100% white.
Darth Dutch
I feel SO good,So good ( James Brown, no?)
January 8, 2008 - 16:36 ET by iveseenitallAs a 60's generation guy, I must say the I feel, feel, feel SO good about this man from Hope,er, of hope. I feel like I did when Bill Clinton gave us so much hope,from Hope. I hope to feel good the rest of my life as B.O. leads America out of the dark forest of despair into the light of hope. After eight years of low taxes, no attacks after 911, freedom for the people of Iraq, and a booming economy, I can now hope for change. Lead me , oh great B.O.; I can't do it on my own. I need higher taxes, a world of "love" from other nations, and a "can do" atttitude about socialized medicine, affirmative action, and abortions on demand. I depend upon those liberal judges you will appoint, those oh-so- active interpreters of my beloved Constitution. I will sing your praises as you "negotiate" with the terrorists. I will follow you off the cliff. And I promise not to even look at those people sneaking across the border. Oh, Hope makes me feel so fine! Go B.O.! ( something smells in all of this B.O. mania.)
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Im sick of this nonsense of
January 8, 2008 - 15:37 ET by MrSnugglesIm sick of this nonsense of "is america no longer racist"? yes, democrat voters ARE STILL RACIST. if obama was white, the guy would be getting less votes than richardson. hes an empy suit with a black man in it.
Ouch Texas Bob......blacks make you feel bad?
January 8, 2008 - 15:57 ET by Lame CherryWow Bob Schieffer sure is Freudian..........wonder how black Randal Pinkston of CBS feels if he makes Bob feel bad like most blacks.
I do start laughing when I hear liberals actually say what they think in their racist dogma.......is just interesting that Bob saying all blacks make Americans feel bad is worse than Imus with his napster chics.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
Hey Schieffer.......
January 8, 2008 - 16:01 ET by JayTeeSlavery didn't end last year. There are lots of "Got it made" people of color, Obama isn't the first this Century. See College Football or the NFL.
BUT, you do have it right when you say "a guy who had a nice smile and a shoe shine and not much else" .... now there is the Real Obama, and a very accurate description of him.
But, Obama didn't whip any Republicans, Mitt Romney did not get beat by Obama, Clinton did, and even that "defeat" was with only 10% of the Iowa voters voting.
Sorry, I quit reading the article after the first inaccuracies...with more to follow I'm sure.
Funny
January 8, 2008 - 16:04 ET by allanfFunny that an old time Texas Democrat like Scheiffer sees Obama as a black American, while Rush Limbaugh merely sees him as an American.
right. limbaugh plays 'the
January 8, 2008 - 16:51 ET by crsheddright. limbaugh plays 'the happy negro' for EVERY presidential candidate.
Limbaugh's....
January 8, 2008 - 17:02 ET by Prester John...not the one who came up with the "Happy Negro". That was the LA Times.
Magic Negro
January 8, 2008 - 17:19 ET by allanfLimbaugh has a parody called "Magic Negro" - a term coined by a liberal LA Times columnist. It is a parody of the race based politics of the left.
The actual quote that Limbaugh parodys
January 8, 2008 - 17:30 ET by RJ"But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination—the 'Magic Negro."
-Los Angeles Times columnist David Ehrenstein
That's silly, crshedd
January 8, 2008 - 17:17 ET by RJThe other candidates aren't black. ;^)
However, he's also done quite a few parodys for the other Democrat candidates. Instead of your PC tsk-tsking, you ought to listen to a few. They're quite funny.
Just in case you haven't read it in one of the other many, many times it's been discussed here: in the "magic negro" parody, Rush was going after the LA Times and it's journalist who used the phrase quite seriously (and I think offensively) in his column. Limbaugh used it as yet another example of the blatant hypocricy of the left when it comes to race.
Don't you find it odd that he was the only one who challenged the journalist and the Times? Oh, never mind. Liberals cannot be racist, right? That's because they know what's best for their "children."
I know I'm repeating,
January 8, 2008 - 16:11 ET by motherbeltI know I'm repeating, because I asked this in another thread, but this inquiring mind wants to know: why is Obama called "black" and not "bi-racial"? He seems to be running as a black man. It seems to me that he has completely discarded his American mother; everyone calls him black and he doesn't correct them. I wonder what would be thought of him if he ignored his Kenyan, rather than his Kansan heritage.
motherbelt...
January 8, 2008 - 16:16 ET by Clear thinkerGood question. His father has never been a father, so why the connection? I guess the liberal MSM is not as color blind as they would have people believe.
Rush Limbaugh stated that of the top 5 Republicans running for the presidency, only one was a true conservative. http://www.fred08.com/
His father has never been a
January 8, 2008 - 16:45 ET by motherbeltHis father has never been a father, so why the connection?
That's a good question.
It's the same with Halle Berry. Her black father deserted her and her white mother when she was young and her mother raised her alone (which could not have been easy). But she disregards her mother who sacrifieced for her and identifies herself as a black woman. Why is that?
I know I'm being cynical, but could it be that that's the label that's most advantageous?
you are being cynical,
January 8, 2008 - 18:17 ET by red_dragon311you are being cynical, (nothing wrong with that) and yes it is more advantageous to be "black"
what sounds better " the First black ....( fill in the blank)
or
the first bi-racial (fill in the blank)
bi-racial could be Inuit and Slavic. way to vague to get the "black" vote
"Get off the phone you big dope!!!!!!!!!!" Mark Levin
If his Father was missing, then
January 8, 2008 - 16:50 ET by JayTeeIf Obama's father was missing in action, then that's probably his claim to being called "Black" other than bi-racial. Lets at least get the stereotype right.
Obama...
January 8, 2008 - 16:57 ET by Clear thinkerIf I remember his bio correctly, Obama saw his Father one time in his entire life. That's more than just 'missing in action'.
Rush Limbaugh stated that of the top 5 Republicans running for the presidency, only one was a true conservative. http://www.fred08.com/
How black is black?
January 8, 2008 - 16:12 ET by majman55To me it is funny, I hear all the garbage about Obama and wonder about his "blackness"...
In the US I think being 'black" means being the ancestor of slaves, raised poor in the inner city...
To me Obama doesn't meet the criteria...
1. His mother is white.
2. His father is African.
It is like the arguement about Tiger Woods...he is more of an Asian golfer than he is "black".
I think the reality is that our nation is truly becoming a melting pot where these labels will disappear.
Can't say if that is good or bad.
Romney
January 8, 2008 - 16:34 ET by iveseenitallYeah, Harry. That Romney guy. He's just not likeable. He's, he's just too, oh, I don't know, too....competent...don't you think, Harry?
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
I think the reality is
January 8, 2008 - 16:44 ET by motherbeltI think the reality is that our nation is truly becoming a melting pot where these labels will disappear.
Not as long as we have Liberals around. They have to label and pigeonhole everyone to keep count and be sure we have "diversity" you know.
As for your suggestion that being black" means being the ancestor (I think you meant descendent) of slaves, raised poor in the inner city...
Not any more. Being "Black" now is more of a political philosophy than genetics. That's why Clarence Thomas and Condoleeza Rice, although they have the correct skin tone, are not considered "authentic blacks."
good Point Mamacita...
January 8, 2008 - 16:54 ET by JayTeeI'll put Clarence Thomas's blackness against Obama's anytime....same with Secretary of State Rice.
wait a minute, don't these two have "republican" nomination in common ? Anything Democrat about these two ?
Bush'es, the First Black nominating Presidents.
Schieffer and Smith
January 8, 2008 - 17:04 ET by iveseenitallThese two old f**ts remind me of what I've had to put up with from the "liberal" media all my life: ignorance, shallowness, stupidity, bias etc. Thank God for the new world of information we now live in. By by, you old coots, and good riddance.
BTW, racism does still exist in America---on the part of guys like Jackson and Sharpton. If B.O. gets the nomination and then loses in a close general election, I can see them causing riots in the streets. Let's hope it doesn't happen.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Another interesting thought...
January 8, 2008 - 18:01 ET by Indiana JoeBTW, racism does still exist in America---on the part of guys like Jackson and Sharpton.
It's occurred to me: with all the exhortation for blacks to "come together" to support Obama, isn't that by it's very nature racist? "Support him because he is black," right?
And if voting FOR him because of his race ISN'T racist, would voting AGAINST him BE racist? Assuming (ala "hate crimes") that a vote against him would be because of his race?
Of COURSE it would!
So, if he loses, it MUST be due to RACISM!
The logic of victimhood, Jackson-and-Sharpton-style.
I just want to know why
January 8, 2008 - 21:10 ET by red_dragon311I just want to know why these bastions of civil rights, these gods of fairness, these "leaders" of the black community (who elected them that by the way), voices of the african-american, pillars of a proud race of people, are not shouting from the mountian tops and supporting shama lama Obama ding dong. They have been very very quite.
I am sure as soon as Barry Obama get the nomination they will jump right on the black-wagon.
"Get off the phone you big dope!!!!!!!!!!" Mark Levin
sharpton and jackson
January 9, 2008 - 13:44 ET by majman55What happens the first time a Jackson or Sharpton approach Obama for something (even as Senator) and he turns them down...not that will be interesting.
`splains the falling MSM ratings
January 8, 2008 - 19:15 ET by drillanwrObviously even these people don't even listen to themselves ...