There’s a lot of criticism that could be leveled at the second Republican presidential primary debate on Fox Business Network, particularly Univision moderator Ilia Calderón’s anti-American questions, the crosstalk, and the Survivor-esque question from moderator Dana Perino. But it would be untrue to suggest that there was zero policy discussion happening on the stage. So, naturally, that was the argument a majority of The View cast shared during their reaction on Thursday.
Amid their whining about Republican candidates holding Republican positions on everything from gun rights to immigration to transgenderism, racist ABC co-host Sunny Hostin bloviated about how the debate “looked like a cage fight.”
Hostin falsely suggested that there was no policy discussion about any topic at all. “I didn't hear a lot of policy. You know? You want to talk about the border and immigration, well, you want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, so what is your plan for health care?” she scoffed.
For what it’s worth, faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin grew a couple vertebrae and pushed back by noting that just because they didn’t like the policy didn’t mean policy wasn’t discussed (of course, Hostin got back up from co-host Joy Behar):
FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, they address all those issues.
HOSTIN: Well, I didn’t hear – I didn’t hear – I didn’t hear policy.
FARAH GRIFFIN: You might not have liked the answer.
JOY BEHAR: What did they say about that? They have a health care plan?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, they did. They answered the question but I don't necessarily agree with the answer but they did talk about health care.
HOSTIN: They talked about it, but no answers, no real policies and so that's problematic.
Despite former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley being the only woman on the debate stage, it didn’t afford her any sympathies from the more radically liberal co-hosts. Hostin treated her like the hate object she always does, calling Haley a “hypocrite” and unqualified to be president.
Show moderator Whoopi Goldberg also vented her “problem with Nikki Haley” and it was the supposed lack of policy specifics. Interestingly, left-leaning co-host Sara Haines backed up Farah Griffin in pointing out that Haley did, in fact, spell out policy specifics. Farah Griffin even pressed on if they even watched the debate at all:
GOLDBERG: And you may think she's the cat's meow, I do not. So, that when I listen to her, I want to hear somebody say and here's what we're going to do. Here's what we're going to do.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Did you guys all watch it? I thought she did that.
HAINES: I thought she did that.
HOSTIN: I don't think she did that.
Goldberg also wanted us to believe she was a close watcher of the United Nations and Haley’s career as the governor of South Carolina. “I wanted to know what she had done really. What policies at the U.N. [did she get passed],” she demanded to know as if the U.N. General Assembly were a typical legislative body.
And when Farah Griffin countered her by noting Haley was a “successful two-term governor,” Goldberg snapped back that Haley was just an “okay governor” and “wasn’t a great governor.”
The idea that Goldberg closely followed South Carolina politics between 2011 and 2017 was laughable.
With the outro music playing over their shrieking, Goldberg proclaimed: “I don't want to hear anybody else talking about culture wars. The whole panel talked about culture wars.” “It’s all they got. They don't have policies,” Behar huffed.
“She talked about the economy, she talked about school choice, she talked about immigration,” Farah Griffin managed to say before the commercial break.
The transcript is below. Click "ex[and" to read:
ABC’s The View
September 28, 2023
11:08:20 a.m. Eastern(…)
SUNNY HOSTIN: It looked like a cage fight. This person is fighting that person and that person is fighting that person and I didn't hear a lot of policy. You know? You want to talk about the border and immigration, well, you want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, so what is your plan for health care?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, they address all those issues.
HOSTIN: Well, I didn’t hear – I didn’t hear – I didn’t hear policy.
FARAH GRIFFIN: You might not have liked the answer.
JOY BEHAR: What did they say about that? They have a health care plan?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, they did. They answered the question but I don't necessarily agree with the answer but they did talk about health care.
HOSTIN: They talked about it, but no answers, no real policies and so that's problematic. And as far as Nikki Haley, you know, I have always said this, I'm going to continue to say it, I think she's a hypocrite. I think she is looking for her moment somehow. I don't think that she's qualified.
(…)
11:10:58 a.m. Eastern
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Here's my problem with Nikki Haley. Here’s my problem. When people say, well, what have you done? I wanted to know what she had done really. What policies at the U.N., because that's her --
FARAH GRIFFIN: She’s a successful two-term governor.
GOLDBERG: She was okay.
[Crosstalk]
Wait a minute. She was an okay governor. She wasn't a great governor. And you may think she's the cat's meow, I do not. So, that when I listen to her, I want to hear somebody say and here's what we're going to do. Here's what we're going to do.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Did you guys all watch it? I thought she did that.
SARA HAINES: I thought she did that.
HOSTIN: I don't think she did that.
GOLDBERG: I don’t feel that she –
HAINES: And also doing that in the contrast to Trump, you guys. Sunny, when you say she's a hypocrite, I'll still take her over a Donald Trump.
HOSTIN: I don't want any of them.
FARAH GRIFFIN: It was a Republican debate. It was a Republican debate, so she was --
GOLDBERG: Listen, I listen to Republicans – Listen, I've been sitting listening to you and I've been quiet for everybody so I'm just saying --
FARAH GRIFFIN: No, you do listen to everyone.
GOLDBERG: I try and I didn't hear the thing I needed to hear as an American. What are you going to do about this and this? I don't want to know about the wars, the --
[Outro music begins]
HOSTIN: Social Security, health care, Medicare, Medicaid.
HAINES: Immigration.
GOLDBERG: Wars that –
FARAH GRIFFIN: Culture wars.
GOLDBERG: Culture wars. I don't want to hear anybody else talking about culture wars.
FARAH GRIFFIN: She didn't bring it up.
GOLDBERG: The whole panel talked about culture wars.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Okay.
BEHAR: It’s all they got. They don't have policies.
GOLDBERG: Well, that's the problem for me. That's the problem.
FARAH GRIFFIN: It was one issue. She talked about the economy, she talked about school choice, she talked about immigration.
[Crosstalk]
GOLDBERG: She was not -- we'll be right back.
