Bob Schieffer Laughs Off 'Campaigner-In-Chief' Charge Against Obama
Bob Schieffer didn't think much of the accusation that President Obama is the "campaigner-in-chief" on Friday's CBS This Morning. When anchor Erica Hill wondered if that charge could be "harmful" to the President, Schieffer laughed aloud and replied, "If he raises enough money, it won't hurt him at all."
Just a day earlier on the morning show, correspondent Bill Plante actually pointed out that as of early June, Obama "will have done 153 fundraisers since formally declaring his candidacy for reelection a little over a year ago. That's nearly double the number President Bush had done at the same point in 2004."
The Face The Nation host's remark came in the midst of two segments on the "week to forget for the Obama administration," as Hill put it. During the first segment, correspondent Jan Crawford outlined that Mitt Romney's fundraising lead over the President in May ($76.8 million for Romney versus $60 million for Obama) was "just the latest example of a not-so-great week for Mr. Obama's reelection bid."
Crawford continued by highlighting the "off message" statements from former President Bill Clinton and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, and how Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's defeat of the union-led recall effort on Tuesday was "a bad sign for Mr. Obama. Unions have long been important organizing and fundraising forces in Democratic politics." She concluded her report by stating that "those fundraising numbers are important, but so is another bad number: the unemployment rate. It was up slightly in May."
Co-anchor Charlie Rose then brought on Schieffer. The veteran CBS News personality echoed what Crawford had spotlighted, that "the thing that would worry the people at the White House the most is that fundraising number," and adding that "the numbers that are really going to count is what will the economic numbers be in October."
Hill's "campaigner-in-chief" question came near the end of the segment. Despite the larger "week to forget" context, Schieffer tried to find a silver lining, and also took the opportunity to slam the campaign finance system:
HILL: We can't ignore the money factor here. You touched on some of those figures, Bob. There's been a lot of criticism about President Obama being the campaigner-in-chief. How harmful could that be to him?
SCHIEFFER: (laughs) If he raises enough money, it won't hurt him at all. (Hill laughs) I think the -- I think he's got to do it. I mean, think about this: both of these candidates are going to raise in the neighborhood of a billion dollars. I mean, that might be -- they might say it's necessary, and I suppose if one is out there raising money, the other one has to, too. But what are the rest of us to say about this? Should we be proud of this, that it takes a billion dollars to run for president, that this is all about money?
We know money is not the only thing. I mean, you know, look at Meg Whitman out there in California last time out. In that governor's race, she raised a hundred and something million of her own money in the race and still lost to Jerry Brown. So money does not ensure victory, but how obscene, that we have reached this stage, that both of these candidates have to raise this much money in order to be competitive.
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Comments
Sad to see CBS sink to the
Submitted by rbosque on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:18pm.
Sad to see CBS sink to the level of gutter scum by employing leftists like Bob. If they want to see their rating go up, perhaps they should hire some real journalists. Carrying Obama's water only attracts his idiot base and no one else.
Hey, Bob...
Submitted by c5then on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:19pm.
What happens to that money if say...Obama raises his $1billion in donations but only winds up spending $500 million or so of it, and then loses? What are the rules? Does he have to give it back to the donors? Does it all go the the DNC? Or....does Obama get to keep it and use it for whatever he wants to?
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Bingo on the last option
Submitted by MichMike on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:37pm.
Bingo on the last option
What happens to the money
Submitted by Robersire on Sat, 06/09/2012 - 10:36pm.
If he is a Democrat he gets to keep it.
I am exploring this topic for a report I have to write.
Submitted by JERRYtom on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:24pm.
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Other than sound bites carried on Fox News, I have never...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:41pm.
watched this guy except for when he was moderating one of the Republican debates.
Based on the things I have heard him say, I will never watch his show. I don't want to waste my time. I get enough of the liberal view from the likes of Bob Beckel, Alan Colmes, Kirsten Powers, Juan Williams and people like them. (They all have the same talking points except for Powers who gets off the liberal treadmill once in awhile.)
I'm sick and tired of all
Submitted by Semus on Sat, 06/09/2012 - 2:08am.
An old supposedly respected (not by me) news man acting like a second grader on the playgroung defending his hero. Now if it was reversed and George bush was attacked, this same man would be asking him about it straight faced. I'm sick and tired of all these surrogate Obama's, thats what all these New presenter are now, any attack or insult against their leader they act as though they're the ones being insulted. They've lost all individuality and self respect, The person to laugh off being called a name is the person being called the name. This is scary,
A lot of $$$, eh? Obscene, you say?
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 2:43pm.
SCHIEFFER: (laughs) . . . I mean, that might be -- they might say it's necessary, and I suppose if one is out there raising money, the other one has to, too. But what are the rest of us to say about this? Should we be proud of this, that it takes a billion dollars to run for president, that this is all about money?
Who's proud of this? How about CBS and other media outlets that will readily accept millions of dollars to run political ads? Or sell advertising for shows featuring political hacks as guests?
SCHIEFFER: . . . . So money does not ensure victory, but how obscene, that we have reached this stage, that both of these candidates have to raise this much money in order to be competitive.
The fact is that they don't have to, but they and their Parties are not smart enough to comprehend and apply alternative tools to TV ads, bumper stickers, and signs.
Hahahahaha, indeed, Bob
Submitted by Texndoc on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 3:02pm.
Did you see Peggy Noonan's column Bob?
"If Obama quit running around the country running for President, he could actually BE President!
Is Obama leading as President on the frontlines in Wisconsin? No! Obama is running for President at Sarah Jessica Parker's home."
Now THAT is funny, Bob. And apologies to Peggy for taking the liberty and probably messing up her quote a little.
Bob should retire.
Submitted by R J Squirrel on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 3:24pm.
Conservatives run election campaigns against a 500 billion dollar propoganda machine. And win. If there was an even playing field the billions wouldn't be required, Bobby. Can we talk about that?
On another topic: why is the stock market up 500 points since the Wisconsin drubbing? It's up because the washed and unwashed masses see a glimmer of hope that we will be rid of the liberal stranglehold. In case you were wondering.
Bob where was your outrage in 2008
Submitted by ohio granny on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 3:53pm.
Where was your outrage in 2008 when Obama renigned on taking public financing for the election? He "evolved" and decided to opt out. But McCain was limited to about 1/3 of what Obama spent. I am sure you were not upset about that.
What really sticks in your craw Bob is Romney will be able to compete with the actual dollar amounts. This election will not be a cake walk for Obama. Romney can and will answer every slur the regime throws at him.
What is really obscene is the way the MSM is another arm of the democrat party and will do anything they can to help reelect Obama. Lying, distortion or plain not covering anything that may be detrimental to the Obama regime. All of this is what is obscene.
They "have to" raise it?
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 4:09pm.
"So money does not ensure victory, but how obscene, that we have reached this stage, that both of these candidates have to raise this much money in order to be competitive."
Since when do they "have to" raise that much money? Both of them could campaign on one tenth of that amount and still be successful.
You claim it's in order to "be competitive," but that doesn't speak well for Obama's "popularity," now, does it? So, I guess he "needs" to raise a billion dollars to overcome his own unpopularity. It's no wonder that you find it "obscene.".
By the way,m Bob, that "billion dollar" amount was just an estimate as to how much Obama could possibly raise due to his "popularity.." It doesn't look like he's going to get anywhere near that much. I'd be surprised if he manages to get more than 150 million.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Wrangling
Submitted by locomotivebreath1901 on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 6:40pm.
Bob Schieffer is wrangling hard for that new pair of "I (heart) Obama" knee pads.
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When Bob.. started trashing the tea party's
Submitted by Mark81150 on Fri, 06/08/2012 - 11:33pm.
He killed any chance I would ever listen to him again. He and Many other faces at CBS, ABC and NBC showered contempt on retiree's and veterans who just wanted answers to questions the media like these tools refused to ask. Their crime was attacking democrats..
and as we all know..
You don't do that in America with tools like Bobby acting as the palace guard...If you demand answers of republicans.. why then Bobby would do a whole show praising your patriotism..
This partisan hack makes me ill watching him.
Does anyone from NB monitor the boards?
Submitted by UpNorth on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 10:49am.
Between troll season and spambot season, someone should drop in once in a while.
It's like the early days of
Submitted by Free Stinker on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 10:53am.
It's like the early days of Newsbusters all over again. All we are missing is anonymous posting.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
SHHHHH! Free
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 10:56am.
....that's what it will be like here if we transition over to Disqus. Gack!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)