MSNBC's Dan Abrams and the folks in the liberal blogosphere are going to be very disappointed tomorrow when they witness what Chris Wallace says was "a very friendly exchange" between the "Fox News Sunday" host and Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama.
In fact, despite what Talking Points Memo reported Friday concerning Obama doing the program to "take on Fox," as well as Jonathan Kim's ("Fox Attacks") recommendation on MSNBC's "Verdict" that the junior senator from Illinois should "[go] on and just [attack] them," it appears Chris and Barack had an exceedingly civil and informative discussion about the campaign and the issues facing the nation.
Imagine that.
As he was driving home from his meeting with Obama, Wallace called in to give a preview of the interview to FNC's "Weekend Live" (h/t Johnny Dollar):
It was a wide-ranging interview. We talked about Gen. Petraeus, who the president just named the head of Central Command. He made a very sharp attack on John McCain's economic policy. We talked some politics, the problems he's had reaching out to white, working-class voters, Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers. And we also talked about Hillary Clinton's challenge for another debate before North Carolina and Indiana in a little more than two weeks. [...]
It was a very friendly exchange. I think we asked him the questions that Fox viewers want to hear, and I think they'll be interested in his answers. But, he very much, clearly wants to reach out to the kind of moderate to conservative Democrats and Republicans who watch Fox, and I think he's, as I say, very much wants to get away from any sense that he's a creature or a captive of the left. That was very clear throughout his, more than a half-hour that we sat down and talked to him. And I think, I get the impression he'll come back on Fox because there's millions of people who watch Fox.
In the end, this is exactly why folks like Abrams, Kim, and people in the liberal blogosphere don't want their candidates on Fox.
After all, since Wallace is indeed one of the best interviewers on television today, the extreme left just can't abide the possibility their candidates will come across better on Fox than on networks whose political leanings are more like their own.
And, they certainly don't want their candidates doing anything that might be construed as moving to the center. Just ask Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller.
That said, it's going to be fascinating to see how the Netroots and their idols on MSNBC respond to what looks like is another in a seemingless endless litany of fair and balanced interviews on "Fox News Sunday."
Stay tuned.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I'm sorry Noel but the Wallace interview doesn't sound good
April 26, 2008 - 17:49 ET by Dee Bunkto me. I haven't seen it and I wish I could but from what you are describing and what Wallace said, it sounds like it was an Obama love fest. I don't call that fair and balanced. Wallace's quote right here is disturbing. He says
"But, he very much, clearly wants to reach out to the kind of moderate
to conservative Democrats and Republicans who watch Fox, and I think
he's, as I say, very much wants to get away from any sense that he's a
creature or a captive of the left."
I'm sorry, but talking about his so called reaching out like this makes me want to puke. He has done zero reaching out, other than trying to fool people on his record and what he believes and votes for. If he wants to reach out, then he needs spend 4 more years in the senate and show some type of moderation in his votes. He needs to talk about placing some kind of limits on abortion and agree not to pull out of Iraq on a whim.
I sure hope Wallace's interview is better than what it sounds like from this.
Wallace
April 26, 2008 - 18:01 ET by jefflebowskiWallace, like every other white person on television, is scared and doesn't want to be pounced on by the left and labeled a "racist."
My guess is that very few hard questions were asked or answered. He sure didn't have that problem when Romney and his wife appeared. I wonder if Wallace asked if Osama and his wife had pre-marital sex? What a tool!
Dee
April 26, 2008 - 18:02 ET by Noel SheppardDee,
I understand your concern, but highly doubt this was an Obama lovefest. We'll see in less than 24 hours now, but I don't imagine Wallace was throwing him softballs. ns
Hi Dee... I tend to agree
April 26, 2008 - 18:08 ET by bigtimerHi Dee...
I tend to agree with you here, like I said to Noel on his other thread about this right off, I heard Wallace say it wasn't confrontational at all like Obama's people are attemting to hype out there...I will watch it just out of curiosity more than anything, because I pick and choose what I think is going to be more interesting to me on the Sunday political shows, since two of them come on at the same time here anyway, but Wallace isn't one of my favorite interviewers anyway, so I am prejudiced that way.
He did great with Clinton, but that was because of Clinton blowing up, like he always does most of the time....the msm has chosen to ignore that most times, they couldn't when he did that on Fox though.
I feel it will mostly be a namby pamby interview, although I must say I am glad the other network msnbc is all in a dither about it.
I would never beg a candidate to come on a number one show/network, let them beg to come on it.
As an aside...BOR has done the same thing too.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Jeff, Noel and BT - I hope Noel is right
April 26, 2008 - 18:35 ET by Dee BunkI'm going to try my hardest to catch it, but I can never really figure out when it's on by me. I don't know why that show doesn't have a standard time like most of the other regular programs.
In general, I'm probably somewhere inbetween how Noel and BT feel about Wallace, but I haven't seen very many of his shows. I think Jeff has it right about the fear of being called a racist. Wallace already stuck up for Obama on the Rev Wright stuff. Wallace is definitely better than Stepho or Russert but I still think he's left leaning. He is the most fair person I can think of out there.
BT makes an excellent point about how BOR and Wallace beg these people to come on. It shouldn't be done. The very fact that they have to beg these people makes it certain that they will be treated with kid gloves. BOR went totally down the tubes during the 2004 election because he wanted to be perceived as Mr. Fair and he couldn't get Kerry on without kissing his butt for months first.
Oh Dee, I hope Noel is
April 26, 2008 - 18:55 ET by bigtimerOh Dee, I hope Noel is right too and I am going to watch it. I am anticipating this with great curiosity in fact...I think I let Noel about this as soon as I heard about Obama coming on Fox on Fri.
I just think all these dems that refused to go on the Fox debates should be begging them to come on now that is down to the wire...and we have the general and other debates to go yet.
As an aside what Wallace did on Fox and Friends in my view-finder of life was disappointing...in my eyes he was pandering to Obama.
Btw...our menu tells the time Fox News Sunday is going to come on here, it does in the morning on the local Fox station and in the afternoon again on the FNC channel...you may want to check that out...
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Dee, I get the same show
April 26, 2008 - 19:10 ET by motherbeltDee, I get the same show twice here on the eastern seaboard...in the AM on the regular Fox channel and 6P on the FNC. So try both channels if you have them both. It may be different which one shows when where you live.
This thing with who will go on where stinks, and it pollutes every interview that's done, Fox as well as the others. Let's face it...the name of the game is "access." So even if there's no agreement ahead of time...O'Reilly, Wallace and everyone else knows that if they screw up, they will never get another shot. It's subtle and it's never said out loud, but they know how the game is played, and they don't want to be left out in the cold.
Thanks BT and MB
April 27, 2008 - 08:11 ET by Dee BunkI think that may be my problem. I was looking on FNC instead of my local Fox. I hope that's it. The only time I've been able to catch it in the past is by accident in the afternoon on FNC.
Assessment of Wallace/Obama interview
April 27, 2008 - 11:10 ET by Dee BunkI think Wallace asked some excellent questions that haven't been asked of Obama before but the follow-up was not good. He let Obama get away with the "health of the mother" excuse and saying that Republicans only opposed that to be divisive. He also let him get away with saying that he's all for letting states place restrictions when he has not only opposed partial birth but parental notification and supported public funding and both of those issues have nothing to do with the health of the mother.
He also didn't follow up on Obama's tax cut nonsense and he let him get away with propaganda like saying Al Queda is stronger now and that all these other places like Pakistan, Afghanistan etc... need to be focused on when obviously if we leave Iraq, it will be their biggest base.
Wrong term
April 26, 2008 - 18:12 ET by Wonder95Uh, I think the more accurate term to be used is "Nutroots and their idols", not "Netroots".
COuld it be?
April 26, 2008 - 18:24 ET by pbthinkerCould it be that, the network liberals love to hate, could become the last bastion of good journalism? ABC did a respectable job, during the debate and took it on the chin from much of the MSM.
I can understand it if Wallace doesn't ram the interview down his throat, as long as he asks the questions he claims, people like me, want to hear. You can do that without being confrontational. As we know, from the way the MSM treats Bush, sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it.
Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.
But, he very much, clearly
April 26, 2008 - 19:03 ET by motherbeltBut, he very much, clearly wants to reach out to the kind of moderate to conservative Democrats and Republicans who watch Fox
Well, that's another group John McCain is going to have to fight for...more sucking up to liberals coming....
Once again mb...you are so
April 26, 2008 - 19:10 ET by bigtimerOnce again mb...you are so right!
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Yeah, bt...I'm just so darn
April 26, 2008 - 19:18 ET by motherbeltYeah, bt...I'm just so darn cynical! But it's true....McCain will be furious! He's worked that crowd for years, and now along comes Mr. Piper with his magic flute...trying to steal his thunder, just like he did to Her Royal Clintoness.
mb... All I can do, if I
April 26, 2008 - 19:23 ET by bigtimermb...
All I can do, if I don't lose my cool in between times with McCain calling for apologies or taking down ads against our own party...is sit back and enjoy the show...
I am stuck politically speaking when it comes to voting for a Pres. but I will vote nevertheless...I always do, just can't for McCain, in the meantime I am going to enjoy all the pandering, hypocrisy, outright lying and foot in mouth disease by all of them before the election in Nov.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
I want to see if Wallace
April 26, 2008 - 20:34 ET by ThisnThatI want to see if Wallace lets any conflicting statements go unchallanged. If Obama is allowed to say anything he wants -- and if he says things that are contradictory to recent actions or statements -- and if Wallace lets it go, then I'm going to be very disappointed.
But, if Wallace catches Obama on those conflicts; asks good follow-up questions -- yet does this in a professional way, then I will applaud. I don't want to see Wallace do what everyone else in the MSM does -- inject his own opinions. Simply get the facts out; challange the inconsistancies; and let us decide.
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
What I want from Obama
April 26, 2008 - 20:37 ET by Mica the MagnificentI want to see Obama get so frustrated at the follow-up questions that he jumps out of his chair, clenches his fist and screams "black power, up against the wall motherf***er!!"
Then I will sleep well that night.
Wallace Interviews Obama
April 26, 2008 - 21:26 ET by BondPlainBondI believe we can look forward to another Moyers-esque puff piece on Obama from Wallace.
Wallace's disrespectful and biased behavior, when appearing on Fox & Friends late last month, saying the show had too often spoken about Obama's "typical white person" comment, attempting to silence them and the discussion of Obama's casually and naturally spoken racist remark, illustrates Wallace's being "in the tank" for Obama, too.
I lost all respect for Chris Wallace that morning.
Hi Bond... I agree with
April 26, 2008 - 21:37 ET by bigtimerHi Bond...
I agree with you here...as I posted somewhere above.
That did it for me when it came to Wallace being fair and balanced...I was glad to see the response by F&F about all of that, which I posted on another thread about all this when it was going on.
For me anyway, what he did said it all for me about him personally and politically, let alone who needs friends like this moment....
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
My take on Wallace
April 27, 2008 - 07:18 ET by badger.I agree with BPB, just another easy interview for Obama. Wallace probably made a back door deal with the Obama (same with Hillary) Camp, and was made aware of the questions that will be asked at the interview well in advance. Most likely the only way milquetoast Wallace could get an exclusive with milksop Obama.
Obama seems to ramble on and stammer a little, searching for the right answer on the hard questions. I bet he doesn't miss a beat in this interview, we'll see. Obama's not going to be blindsided with Johnny on the spot questions, having to come up with quick-n-snappy answers on his own. Obama might get a tough followup question, but nothing to difficult from Wallace. Wallace will be glad that he was first to get an exclusive interview, and will be in awe in the presence of Obama. Wallace will have a nice happy smile on his face the whole time.
I also lost what little respect I had for Wallace, the day he criticized Fox and Friends. If Wallace wanted to confront his coworkers and pander for Obama, he should have done so off camera, in person, email, pm, etc.. anyway, except the way he did. Live on camera in front of millions of people. Not very nice to other fellow Fox employees and unprofessional in my opinion.
Something smells to me, especially when people over at MSNBC praise the comments and work of a Fox journalist. I think Chris Wallace fits better over at MSNBC and Tucker Carlson should move to Fox. What do I know? I'm surprised with something new each day.
Wallace at it again.
April 27, 2008 - 09:38 ET by dronetekHe accuses white people of being racist again, saying that most whites voted for Clinton. Yet he fails to mention that most blacks voted for Obama. Wallace did something similar when he agreed that "white people are typicaly racist".
Hes turning in to a hack like Chris Mathews.
As I commented elsewhere,
April 27, 2008 - 09:51 ET by motherbeltAs I commented elsewhere, the name of the game is "ACCESS."
Wallace, like every other journalist, knows that if he wants that privilege in the future, he'd better play nice now.
They will all argue that if they don't have "access" they can't report; but that's just baloney. They claim the need access to report negative things, but they only get access if they report positive things.
So how is that supposed to work???
It appears for a first
April 27, 2008 - 14:55 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasIt appears for a first Barack interview at this level, Wallace
surpassed the best efforts of the MsM in professionalism, candor and
appeal.
Next Please! If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal.