Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines, but I do not believe that the official GOP Propaganda Office …er, FOXNews feels at all confident about Republican presumptive nominee John McCain’s chances this November. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them be as upfront not only about his personal weaknesses, but also that the general sense is the country overall is not in good shape. I have to believe that there will be calls to Roger Ailes’ office coming from the White House over this surprisingly bleak assessment of the state of the country and upcoming election.
Download | Play 
Download | Play (h/t Heather)
Chris Wallace starts the discussion by saying that the economy is in bad shape and McCain offers nothing to ameliorate voters’ fears. Brit Hume attempts to temper that like the good little GOP flunkie that he is by suggesting that the high gas prices could benefit McCain, but Juan Williams openly scoffs at him. Even hyper-partisan Bill Kristol suggests that McCain is going to have a tough time attracting voters unless he frames himself outside of economic issues.
Transcripts below the fold
CW: Let’s talk about the economy, because the news on Friday was certainly striking, Brit. I mean, you had this $10 spike in the price of a barrel of crude oil, you had the unemployment rate, there were some statistical issues, but it was up by a half a point, the highest in 2 decades. Stock market, 400 points down. If - and I repeat, if — not necessarily that set of perfect trifecta, bad economic news continues, does a McCain stand a chance?
BH: He stands a chance, because he is not the incumbent. But the candidate of the incumbent party is always affected badly by bad conditions in the country. And the economy is not likely to be perceived as particularly good. On the other hand, whatever happened to the recession? I thought we were in a recession; you don’t hear that. It hasn’t happened. It’s kind of a miracle it hasn’t, given all the forces that were weighed against the economy, which continues to kind of poke along at a very slow pace. But remarkable, nonetheless. I would say that if this bad economic news continues, it obviously helps Obama. McCain will need to outline a program that makes it appear he will do something major about it. You would think that gasoline prices could help McCain; it’s helping members of the Republican Party in the Congress where the Democrats are not for doing anything to increase our supply. Except for nuclear power, McCain really isn’t either.
CW: I was going to say, he’s on the Democratic page on this.
BH: I don’t think that’s an issue that works too well for him, although it may work for people down ballot.
JW: You say gas should help McCain?
BH: Gas…I’m saying that the issue of gasoline prices could help McCain because the public polls have changed on this, Juan. People are for exploring for more oil, they’re for more nuclear power, they’re for exploring for oil off the coast. The Democrats are all against this and Obama is too.
JW: Are you kidding me? With two oil men in the White House right now and oil prices going up right now under Republican policies, that’s going to help McCain?
BH: John McCain is not one of those people who is in the White House, Juan.
ML: You know, it’s hard to see how a bad economy helps McCain in any way, shape or form. But, uh, he also hasn’t come up with even just the raw material he needs to make to get into the debate. He needs to have a real plan, a better plan than he does, I think it also matters who he picks as the Vice President. If they’re seen as competent in those areas where McCain has said very honestly that are not his main strengths. I mean, he’s a national security/foreign policy um, guy.
CW: And that raises a really interesting question, Bill, because the fact is McCain has had this time-I mean, he has had four months since he locked up the nomination - and for all the talk about the sickly green backdrop at the speech and the fact that he didn’t read a teleprompter very well, I think the thing that surprised me the most is that he didn’t have a bold initiative on the economy or on energy to sit there and say, you know, beyond just making fun of the “change” line, to say, ‘I represent change and I got some specific, new ideas.’
BK: Well, there’s more he can do, but he’s locked himself in to certain positions which limit his flexibility. For example, he can’t become a huge advocate for drilling, which I agree with Brit, would actually be popular. On taxes, he’s already proposed corporate tax cuts and therefore, his ability to do something bolder with big tax reform is somewhat limited. I think, probably McCain is McCain. You know, if this is a Commander in Chief election, I think he has a good shot of winning. If it’s an Orator in Chief election, he’s going to lose. Or to put it slightly differently, the verdict on is the country in good shape, he’s going to lose. If he can make it a choice election going forward, at a time of war, I think he has a pretty good chance to win. People could decide they got a Democratic Congress, they’re not going to have conservative policies for the next two to four years, much as I would like them, no matter who’s President, isn’t it safer to have McCain as Commander in Chief?
JW: I tell you, you listen to this conversation and you think how can Barack Obama lose? And yet, when you look at the electoral map, the electoral map is pretty much what the electoral map’s always been and it looks like it favors the Republicans and at least forgives the sins of the past eight years.
Filed Under: Election 08, Fox News Sunday/Chris Wallace, John McCain
No Trackbacks To “Fox News Sunday: Damning John McCain With Faint Praise“
Ahhhhhh, no worries…..McCain in 08
I’ve been waiting all day for this.
And I failed.
Mccain is toast.
Fox might be slowly repositioning itself for the inevitable - an Obama presidency. They don’t want to become completely irrelevant.
As for the White House - they could care less as long as nobody says anything bad about the preznit.
They seemed stunned to realize that they have been delusional all these years.
My wife was at the “D” conference (allthingsdigital.com) in San Diego the week before last. Murdoch was one of the speakers, and he said he expects Obama to be the next president and endorses him, so, maybe the word is out…
Aaaaaaaaah, back to the god ole reich-wing rhetoric of “bad news is good news!”
High gas prices and low gas prices = reich-wing success
Less deaths in Iraq and more deaths in Iraq = reich-wing success
Low approval ratings and high approval ratings = reich-wing success
don’t fall for it….don’t want to get soft on their account plus their some of us to watch fox to see what the enemy is saying so they will throw us a bone…of there is the fact that even these numbskulls can see the economy is taking a crap…..
I’m wondering how the people on this blog feel about not being in a recession. Sure seems like a recession at my house and at my neighbor’s house and in my town and in my state. Britney Hume makes me bitter.
outtheoffice @ 1:
Is 2008 the year of retirement for this senile shell-of-a-man? Let us hope and pray.
Faux News will still be drinking the koolaid until the end of time. I hope they disappear just like the repubs will. Sooner rather than later.
Classic example of the broken clock being correct twice a day, but with less frequency.
That picture of Limey Ex-Humed is priceless
Gas at four bucks? Its already $4.65 at many stations here in old Lieberland (Connecticut).
How that could be a help to McSame is beyond reason.
Hume:
This guy is really funny… if he wasn’t such an asshole lying piece of feces (thanks POP).
Captain Bitter Elitist Husein Kangaroo @ 10:
If the inflation rate were stated correctly, it would be 17%. Ain’t that a tad like being in a recession? Not that we are in a recession, mind you ’cause that would make us all feel kinda bad and this is the USA! Number One, man!
I just can’t get over this. Maybe McCain should try to raise the gas prices up to $7.00. Then he would get elected for sure?
The gop with help from corporate media are framing the debate for Iraq not the economy.
The WaPo started today with this crap:
“Iraq, Not Economy, Frames the Presidential Debate”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....id=topnews
I read on americablog about mctraitor making anti-american propaganda videos while in captivity. I know the response willl be if he is called on it; “Well, the man was tortured!” Hmmmm…So torturing really isn’t a viable way to extract truth from a prisoner.
If someone could just bring these line of questioning up, mctraitor could be cornered into being a traitor, or supporting torture, which by his own experience, assuming he’s not a traitor, elicits false statements from the torturee.
‘…frames himself outside of economic issues…?’
Like what? Iraq? As if that’s a winning strategy these days, either.
Could reality be descending on the GOP? Nah. Remember they are the party of religious values. They should pray for God to give us more oil!
nonny mouse @ 21:
He certainly can’t frame himself inside economic issues. He has NO grasp of economics. What’s he going to say? “Go shopping.”
fox snooze aren’t what they appear to be at first glance, a pack of dedicated, fawning, right wing lickspittles to the gop. they are in fact worse. they are a pack of whores going where ever the money will take them. they see the writing on the wall and are in the process of cozying up to their new “johns”. the democrats.
Britney:
Is he really talking able John McSame? is Hume for real?
I just caught this, Brit Hume actually contradicts himself moments after saying this:
Followed up by this:
JW: Are you kidding me? With two oil men in the White House right now and oil prices going up right now under Republican policies, that’s going to help McCain?
Wow. Did Brit Hume forget that Brit Hume stated moments earlier that the candidate of the incumbent party is affected by bad incumbent policy?
You know when they clean the scum off the sides of the gene pool? These guys are at the very bottom of the barrel where they put that scum. Calling them stupid would be an insult to stupid people.
re 22:
“They should pray for God to give us more oil!”
God helps them that help themselves. Sooo, let’s get a big pot and boil Rove, Ailes, Kagen, Hagee and every other overweight republican and render the oil out of their fat. That should last us for twenty years, easy.
Ever notice how these Republican dopes over at youtube put up videos and then when you go to comment, ie. blow their theories and philosophies out of the water, it comes up “comment pending approval” and you never see your comment for some reason???
Makes you wonder.
What chicken shits with their one way commenting and their choir preaching approved comments.
And then Mara chimes in:
Maybe, just maybe they should not have McShame deliver all this information in a speech in front of a green background. McDickhead will have then all asleep before he gets to the end.
getalife @ 19:
Yeah, well Bush’s War is what “framed” the economy for a big fall.
Juan is right. (about the electoral map….and college) If in the next few years there isn’t some sort of reform where a vote is a vote ….. The Democratic party just learned a lesson about that so if/WHEN we get Obama we should look at reforming that whole delegate/electoral college thing.
…not in a recession?!
Brit.
You ignorant slut.
Four of a kind…..all losers!
Brit, you look like the cheese fell off your cracker. Retirement is looking better and better.
McCains double standard on drug issues.
Wanna see the the real Mrs John McCain the forgotten abandoned first wife, the one they DONT allow infront of any cameras…
Republican family values fooey.
P.D. @ 22:
I am sure Jeff Gannon took his own massage oil on his midnight trips to the WH.
outtheoffice @ 1:
1808 maybe
Captain Bitter Elitist Husein Kangaroo @ 10:
Even the idiots on CNN have been loudly claiming we’re in a recession. What has Brit been smokin’ lately? I just filled my gas tank and I could use some of that shit about now.
ferrofluid, Eew! But really, I was wondering. How could they pray for more oil, when most of them think the Earth is only 6,000 years old?
WATCH: Sen Graham: McCain’s Policies Would “Absolutely” Be An Extension Of Bush’s
how high is Juan Williams at the end?
Gretchen @ 38:
Republican crack!!
Captain Bitter Elitist Husein Kangaroo @ 42:
Figures it would be something nasty like that. Ah hell, why did I even ask? Couldn’t afford it anyway.
Hume and Kristol are some funny bastards. FauxNews is Unintentional Comedy Central.
Ross Perot on John McCain via the Daily Mail
rather damning, and telling of the crime family lovin GOP who worship money and put it above all else including truth and honor.
Two Americans walking along a road see an apple pie cooling on a window sill,
the Dem says ‘what a lovely pie somebody made, the cook’s kids are going to enjoy that later for supper’
the Republican steals it and sells it off cheaply to somebody else.
stymie @ 20:
34 broadcasts supposedly. ‘Songbird’ his nickname at the Hanoi Hilton or ‘Crown Prince’ by his Vietnamese masters.
Some of this might be traced back to Rove from 2000, but mud sticks even after 8 years…
and people have long memories.
Gretchen @ 43:
Talking of affording it anyway, bloke I work with is 6′3″ 300lb and bought himself a $120 suspension bicycle at Wallyworld,
first jump off the kerb the suspension collapsed… theres some dumb people out there.
You just know what political party he votes for when Faux wakes him up.