Author and Hoover Institution research fellow Peter Schweizer took on a gaggle of liberals on MSNBC Friday and demonstrated that no matter how outnumbered a conservative is, he’ll likely win the debate.
Of greater consequence, regardless of substitute host Matt Miller’s numerous attempts to keep liberal contributors Krystal Ball and Touré on the topic of reining in excesses on Wall Street, they just wanted to attack their conservative opponent (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary).
After Miller and Schweizer had a friendly and informative discussion about Friday’s news concerning JPMorgan Chase’s multibillion dollar trading loss as well as Schweizer's Sunday Daily Beast piece "Why Can't Obama Bring Wall Street to Justice," Ball immediately went on the attack the second it was her turn.
“You wrote a book called ‘Makers and Takers: Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier, Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give More Generously, Value Honesty More, Are Less Materialistic and Envious, Whine Less, and Even Hug Their Children More Than Liberals.’ You’re an editor for an Andrew Breitbart website. You’re a foreign policy adviser to Sarah Palin. Frankly, aren’t you part of the problem with Washington too, and why should we take what you’re saying seriously when you have such a partisan ideological history?”
Those thinking I must have made that up because nobody could possibly be that rude are encouraged to watch the video. Ball really asked that rather than questioning her fellow panelist on the topic he was brought on to discuss.
Clearly oblivious to the credentials and intellect of the person she was so condescendingly addressing, Ball quickly got politely torn to shreds for her unwarranted attack.
“I don’t think I have a partisan, ideological history in regard to the ideas that I embrace. The book title that you mentioned for example I would encourage you, Krystal, to reread the last chapter,” said Schweizer.
“That book was written sort of in a response to a lot of the articles that had come out that said, you know, liberals are genetically smarter than conservatives, and I was trying to show the absurdity of that kind of an argument, that I believe you should evaluate people on their ideas.”
Rather than get back on subject, Ball continued with the character assassination saying, “That’s hardly the only book that you’ve written in this vein. It was written in response partly to ‘Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy.’”
“Have you read that book, Krystal,” asked Schweizer.
“I have looked at it as a matter of fact,” she answered. “In the ‘Makers and Takers’ book, I mean, basically you’re arguing that conservatives are somehow superior than liberals, an us versus them mentality that I think is very damaging to the country.”
Miller stepped in to give Schweizer a chance to respond while also asking his guests to “unite across the spectrum against banking problems” which of course was the topic until Ball decided to make the segment about the lone conservative on camera.
“I think you should actually read the book, Krystal,” continued Schweizer. “In the ‘Do As I Say, Not As I Do’ book, I talk about the fact that hypocrisy goes across political lines. In that particular book, I was focusing on one aspect of it because I felt it was ignored by the media. But I held everybody in account."
"And on the ‘Makers and Takers’ as I said, read the chapter. You’re looking at the title and coming to these conclusions. I outline all the books and the articles that had been put out in the media about how liberals were a lot smarter than conservatives, and I was simply trying to say that approach of sort of personalizing attacks is a ridiculous way to look at politics. We ought to look at the ideas and the merits rather than trying to demonize.”
Quite a concept to advance to a woman that had just undeservedly attacked him on a so-called “news network” that does nothing but “demonize” its opponents.
That said, with Ball having been properly put in her place by Schweizer, Miller passed the baton to Touré by first politely asking him to “steer this back to a banking reform question based on the injustices we’re seeing.”
Readers are once again reminded that Schweizer was brought on to discuss the need for additional banking reforms. Yet Miller’s liberal guests refused to do so instead making the discussion about him personally.
Without skipping a beat, Schweizer again politely replied, “It was a very good and positive experience, and we espoused a foreign policy if you read it and read the positions in the speeches that she gave that I think was very Reaganesque.”
“We abandoned some of the, what you might call neo-conservative assumptions that have been dominant in the Republican Party, and we also had serious problems, as you can imagine, with the internationalist views in the Barack Obama administration," Schweizer continued.
"But it was a very good experience for me. I’m not working with her anymore, but I think that we helped shape the debate because frankly I do think that we are too committed overseas internationally, and I do think that we have to look for American principles and protect American values."
Can anybody argue with that?
Sadly, this segment demonstrated what's desperately wrong with MSNBC and the liberal media in general.
Conservatives are held in tremendously low regard by this so-called "news network," and those that are invited on are often treated with nothing but disrespect and disdain.
By contrast, even though he was the one being attacked from all sides, Schweizer stuck to the facts and addressed his assailants politely with a far greater amount of respect accorded to him.
I'd say Ball and Touré should be ashamed of their behavior Friday, but I doubt it would do any good.
This appears to be their role at this joke of a so-called "news network."
I guess it's what they're paid for.
As for Schweizer's performance, it's what those of us that have been watching him over the years have come to expect.
Bravo, Peter! Bravo!
(H/T Ann Coulter)
