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Today marked the end of the “Obama watch” clock on Fox News Sunday as Barack Obama sat down for an interview with Chris Wallace earlier this morning.
Here is the entire 35 minute video of the interview:
The entire transcript can be found here.
A report from First Read:
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Obama acknowledged he may have some work to do to attract blue-collar voters.
“They are less familiar with me than they are with her,” he told Chris Wallace. “So we probably have to work a little bit harder. I’ve got to be more present. I’ve got to be knocking on more doors. I’ve got to be hitting more events. We’ve got to work harder, because although it’s flipped a little bit, we’ve always been the underdog in this race.”
Obama expressed confidence that his race would not keep him from being elected in the general election, despite exit polls in Pennsylvania that showed votes divided along racial lines. He also argued he was putting unexpected states in play.
“If you look at the general-election polls, we are doing better against John McCain than Sen. Clinton is,” he said. “And we are putting states in play like Colorado and Virginia that have not been in play for a very long time. Here in Indiana, we just– you just saw polling by the Indianapolis Star showing me beating John McCain.”
He called his association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright a “legitimate political issue” but argued, as he has in the past, that the use of 30-second sound bites had simplified and caricatured his former pastor and said he felt that had been “done in a fairly deliberate way,” calling it “unfortunate.”
I will watch it later and have some analysis. Sound off below, how did he do and was Wallace fair?
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Chris Wallace: “Bob Herbert, columnist for the New York Times, happens to be a black man..”
wow. Well, Chris, you happen to be a white man.
Wallace either didn’t get it, or didn’t care. He kept trying to signal that Pennsylvania’s results indicated a national shift, showing statistics on Whites vs. Blacks. Obama rightly pointed out that Clinton was favored to win, that she was more well known, and that she ran a very good campaign in that state.
That Obama won places like Wisconsin, Colorada, and Idaho, indicates he does draw in the “White” vote. Again, he was always slated to lose Pennsylvania. There was no “national shift” away from Obama post-Pennsylvania. Obama is still leading Clinton by over 5 points in the national poll.
Wallace was either trying to skew the perspective, or was oblivious to the larger picture here.
Continually, Obama tried to shift focus from “race” to policy, and Wallace would not even wait to show he was taking in the answer. He would fire back with another question about race. Conservative Gal’s arguments about Obama not getting asked the questions about policy is crucial here. He wasn’t, even when he tried to angle the discussion in that direction.
Shoddy journalism. No better than ABC (or perhaps worse). FOX had a unique chance to prove to liberal viewers who were probably watching for the first time because of Obama that they were a cut above the rest, and they failed (or rather, Wallace did).
Obama would be “very interested” in pursuing some sort of public financing arrangement? That’s sort of a major announcement to make in the lightning round of his interview on fox news. It’s almost like with the Obama-watch’s signature “24″ timer he felt a need to leave them with a plot-twist.
fox news is real news its not just liberal bs like olbermann on msnbc whom i cannot stand. The man will never say one bad thing against Obama and somehow finds a way to put McCain on his worst people of the day, everyday. At least Wallace does not show a bias towards anyone and acts much moderate in his approach when interview people. Unlike an olbermann who will harass any republican he faces. And yes IndiMinded maybe he should pursue some public finacing arrangment lol.
The content, tone, mutual civility and general depth of questions germane to a presidential race were impressive. I thought Barack Obama did a magnificent job making specific, meaningful responses. It was a pleasant surprise to me that Fox News would even deign to telecast such an interview and I am grateful (after having been pretty dubious) that the opportunity was worth the effort. Thanks. We CAN do it!
rose
OMG… If you want to compare Olberman to Fox Network shows, than you must compare his show to O’Reilly and Hannity, not Fox Sunday News. FSN is trying to be Meet the Press not nightly punditry although it is clearly biased and full of spin. Now, let’s go to the next level and compare Olberman to Sean Hannity. Hannity’s program elevates bias to an unprecedented level and has no comparison to any broadcast channel. Nightly he jackhammers at Rev. Wright, San Fran comments, Bill Ayers. Does he discuss the finer points of policy between the candidates? Does he discuss current legislation debated daily in congress? He is not advancing our world, but underscoring our differences. Mr. Obama_Sucks… stop being an idiot, listening to Fox pundits and be prey to their purpose of fanning flames of division, hatred and smugness. (Brit, the last word is for you!)
I think it was a good interview. Wallace addressed some specific questions/speculations that Americans had on their minds and Obama was able to address them directly. It was direct, simple and to the point. That’s a good thing.
Senator Obama has shown that he can win “white” states. Idaho, Colorado, Alaska, Iowa, Vermont, Washington, Oregon (and it goes on). Why has PA become the only state that voted? This is how Clinton wants it - she keeps setting the “bar” and resetting it each time (brillant but misguided).
Barack Obama has a real chance to bring together people of many different backgrounds (religious and ethnic). Before you hammer away at Rev. Wright and the “bitter” comment read the “Audacity of Hope” or “Dreams From My Father”. Learn about the man and his own history. Then make your judgement based upon what is important to you.
John McCain and Barack Obama will run respectful campaigns and deal with issues. Clearly those around them will do what they want (look at the NC Republicans ignoring McCain). These two men are both class acts (not always but in general) and it will be a good debate. People need to decide based upon what is important to them, war, healthcare, wages, etc.
It was a nice surprise to see such a cordial interview on Fox News. Although the carefully researched questions at the start were a bit much (comments like ‘who happens to be a black man’ etc.) Although Walace focussed on all the typical ‘distractions’ you would expect, I thought it was probably quite good for Fox News viewers to see Obama make plausible, reasoned responses to those questions. I think by putting so much focus on those types of issues, they allowed Obama to speak to his detractors in a a way they don’t usually get from Hannity or O’Reilly.
It was pretty clear however that Obama doesn’t want public finance. That’s not really much of a criticism really, I mean it’d be a bit silly politically since he’s been so good at raising money while McCain has been far less successful. Maybe all it really does is highlights maybe his humanity, maybe the reality that at the end of it, he’s still always going to be a politician.
It was a good interview, though it seemed a bit scripted. Probably a trade off on both sides.
Oh, but one question over this snippet from the interview:
“Question: Do you think that Reverend Wright is just the victim here?
OBAMA: No. I think that people were legitimately offended by some of the comments that he had made in the past.
The fact that he is my former pastor I think makes it a legitimate political issue. So I understand that.”
So if Obama himself thinks Wright is a legitimate political issue, why does he attack everyone for bringing it up - namely Clinton or McCain??
I don’t want my president to be lunch bucket president. I want my president to be more accomplished, more educated and maybe even so educated that sometimes you might have to look up a word or two to understand his thoughts. He is supposed to be our president the most admired leader in America. What has happened to us that we look at the labels of race, or conservative or liberal to choose our leaders. Even sex is not something I care about right now. I want the most articulate and most inspiring person out there. That is Obama!
Babs,
I am not completely for either of them, but I am 8yrs ex military and I must say; Even if i think my enemy is using a valid weapon that doesn’t mean I wont fire back.
Good point, Melvin. =) But he fires back that they are being unfair to use it. He’s calling it fair himself.
Babs
Obama attacked McCain for bringing up Wright?
I didn’t know he attacked either of them.
It’s a legitimate issue but the problem I have with it is beating a dead horse. Either dig deeper and find MORE dirt on Wright or try to slowly stray away from it. I know there are staffs of people watching more and more of those 3 time a week for 30 years of sermons which are all recorded, in an attempt to find something else. I mean how many times can you ask the exact same questions about the exact same things?
Now i believe THAT is a valid complaint.
Requesting the same answer for the same question over and over again is really getting old to some people. I’m waiting for them to find something new on Wright but i guess until then Obama should just keep a tape recorder on him and each time the question is asked just play the tape of the set of answers he’s given already.
He just gave a speech in washington i hope someone puts the clips up and not snipits
He gave 2 speeches this weekend, and they were both aired on the networks live in their entirity. The one to the NAACP this morning has all the media talking again. I listened to the one Sunday where he was mimicing the speech of the Kennedys and other Bostonians and making fun of them. I think the man has lost his mind. At one point he was chanting “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” over and over (the emphasis on Hussein was his, not mine). So the horse isn’t so dead, and the horse is damaging Obama today - again.
His camp comes out with slams every time either of his opponents make mention of his connection to Wright, Indi, come on. You listen to the news more than that, don’t you? =)
I think you’re imagining me babs
*LOL* Well, you got me IndiMinded, you must have been on my mind this morning. Sorry Dahlin’. =) That one’s for you, Dreadsen.
I have not seen the interview but was happy that Senator Obama went into the lions den to address and hopefully satisfy peoples, the electorate and FOX News’ concerns. I do believe he is the best choice for President of the United States. His plan to enlist the citizens of this country to ensure policies are carried out that benefit the entire nation takes us back to the plan of the founding Fathers and the constitution, a government for the people, by the people. His experience as an organizer pays off in enlisting people to help themselves and bring about change. Other politicians ATTEMPT to bring about change by fighting within party lines. This never brings about beneficial change. If it did, the United States would be better off now. Politics as usual needs to be broken. Special interest, lobbyist, cartels and large organizations need to be stopped in their influence of Federal, State and Local government. If the policy, bill or law does not benefit America and its citizens, all of them, then it should be re-written to do so or dropped. We don’t have that now, not to the degree it should be. I hope this type of interview helps ease peoples concern about the “new” guy. His newness is the uniqueness he brings to solve the riddles of Washington politics.