NPR host thinks GOP 'agenda' is to help Obama win Dem nom

[catagory5]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Juan_Williams_calls_out_Fox_analysts_0210.html


NPR host thinks GOP 'agenda' is to help Obama win Dem nom
David Edwards and Ron Brynaert
Published: Sunday February 10, 2008

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Many political insiders and pundits seem to be more interested in whom the Republicans want to win the Democratic presidential nomination than anyone else.

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh recently said he wants to raise money for Senator Hillary Clinton in order to "unite the party," while Ann Coulter dislikes Republican frontrunner John McCain so much that she - seriously or not - said she may vote for Clinton. However, the New York Post, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corps. empire, endorsed Obama in the New York primary.

On Fox News Sunday, NPR's Juan Williams told The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol that he thought Republican analysts want Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee because they actually believe he will be easier to defeat than Clinton.

"I think Bill Kristol is being very supportive of Mr. Obama, but you have an agenda," Williams charged. "You guys think it's easy to beat Barack Obama going forward."

Brit Hume, the Washington managing editor for Fox News, objected, saying, "Barack Obama is not the favored nominee among the Democrats for the Republicans. They want to run against Hillary Clinton."

"The polls are very easy and clear on this," Kristol added. "John McCain is the strongest Republican nominee. Barack Obama is the strongest Democratic nominee. Obama consistently runs 3, 4, 5 points ahead . You find me one intelligent uncommitted Republican or Democratic who thinks Hillary Clinton is a better candidate than Barack Obama."

Fox's Chris Wallace joked, "I thought he was going to say find one intelligent Republican. A question to be answered later."

Blogger David Seaton also fears that many Democrats are being 'Punk'd' into believing that the right fears Obama more than Clinton.

"Peggy Noonan, who wrote some of Reagan's best speeches, is the right wing's Maureen Dowd: Irish, beautiful, witty, subtle and dangerous," Seaton notes. "In today's Wall Street Journal, she joins such arch-conservative pundits as George Will and David Brooks in praising Barack Obama and favoring him for the Democratic nomination."

According to the expatriate blogger, "I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to smell a rat here."

"It is this simple: in recent decades the Clintons are the only Democrats that win elections against Republicans... They don't want to ever face them again, no more complicated than that," Seaton blogs.

The following video is from Fox News Sunday, broadcast February 10, 2008:

[jlake]

1. Yes. It is pretty obvious to anyone paying attention.

[Yurovsky]

19. Yes, yes, you would have to be STUPID to not see that ...

please.

Look at Hillary's negative polling #s. Then take a glance at Obama's. Uh, gee, hers are about double his. Believe it or not, people DON'T vote for people they DON'T like.

Enough with the reverse-reverse-reverse psychology. Obama is a more likeable person, and even the people who worked for the Clintons would probably grant you that. She was FEARED in the Clinton White House. That stuff comes across as nasty, mean, and vindictive to the general public, 3 things I don't think anybody is accusing Obama of right now.

FWIW, if I'm wrong (the GOP actually wants Obama, not HRC, as their opponent), then they are going to get their asses handed to them in November, complete with supermajorities in both the House and Senate (good bye filibusters).

[jlake]

23. They want Obama because they know he doesn't have a chance in hell of winning the GE

Let alone bring in super majorities.... not gonna happen.

[Yurovsky]

24. Uh, have you seen the excitement at the Obama rallies?

His supporters are JAZZED. They will come out in droves. Hillary's events? Not so much. Pretty much old people and union members who were told to represent.

The racists that won't vote for Obama bases solely on race are mostly GOP voters, and they were going to vote GOP anyway, but with McCain getting the nod over there, a lot of them are going to be staying home (following orders from Rush Limpdick).

Likeability, excitement, optimism ... these things create landslides. I just feel it coming. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I just have a feeling.

[jlake]

30. Yes, but those people are a VERY SMALL portion of the electorate --

The GOP smear machine will be firing on all 8 cylinders - and Obama is not ready for it.

[Yurovsky]

32. Something tells me he won't be alone ...

if he gets the nomination, he'll get the best talent the party has to offer (the same would hold true if HRC is nominated).

The GOP just has sooooo many things going against it right now, I find it hard to think they'd be able to knock off Obama, and the only reason they'd have a chance against HRC is that she gets their base so riled up. Of course, I could be seriously underestimating how riled they might be to be able keep a black man out of the WHITE House ... hmmmmm...

Either way, I expect truckloads of shit from the GOP, that's their M.O.

[gateley]

2. That used to be the belief about Clinton - what changed? nt

[Qutzupalotl]

7. The psychology has been reversed.

I guess Rove has some free time now.

"Don't throw me in that briar patch!"

[NightWatcher]

3. can we stop quoting Fox News and other RW commentary and calling it news?

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Could be a trial balloon.

Anyway, we should take anything the GOP says with a huge grain of salt, if at all.

[Occam Bandage]

5. Handy guide to DU:

- The media favors the other guy.
- The Republicans fear my guy.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. And we're not going to win the next primary! Really, I mean it! nt

[BeatleBoot]

11. Fear not.

It is said that lemmings don't feel a thing once past the cliff's edge.

Just hoping they don't take the party with them...

[Occam Bandage]

13. I should hope not. What would they feel?

[BeatleBoot]

16. Another Republican in the White House.

It's a terrible feeling - a Republican in the White House.

Unless that's okay with someone.

[southern_dem]

6. not really

The article (at least partially) disproves the headline. The GOPers can't decide who they want to face. Some want Obama, some want Clinton. If this was an organized effort they would all be on the same page.

[goldcanyonaz]

9. Register as a Dem today to keep Clinton away.

:woohoo:

[Guava Jelly]

10. Finally a GOP agenda i can agree with

:D
It is a stupid theory..

[cali]

12. LMAO! You mean Fox News commentator

Juan Willimas. And he's not an NPR host, he's an occasional commentator.

[Bicoastal]

14. Juan Williams Juan Williams Juan Williams.

ie, Bill O'Reilly's favorite apologist.

'nuff said.

[elixir]

15. I concur, sir. Check and double check.

[beezlebum]

17. bill kristol also said

"Obama is becoming the antiwar candidate, and Hillary Clinton is becoming the responsible Democrat who could become commander in chief in a post-9/11 world."

we are being punk'd by the rw alright, but i think they are more afraid of who their candidates are than ours. i'm sick of the "clinton/obama can't beat mccrazy!!1!" crap. it's bs. either one of our guys can beat any one of theirs. too easy.

rw propaganda. grain of salt ya'll. grain of salt. big one.

[robbedvoter]

18. When the MSM gives a candidate the "Bush" treatment - it's quite obvious

they are picking their designated loser - they always did - only this time people resist a bit more
Why are the people who brought us Bush pushing Obama?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=4263047

[maximusveritas]

20. Juan is an idiot

He's proved that time and time again.
How does he square his theory with Bush's attacks on Obama today.
Perhaps the Republicans once underestimated Obama, but they now see him as a legitimate threat.

[girl gone mad]

21. They don't know what they want..

their carefully constructed fantasy world is crashing down around them.

Nothing they say has any meaning or credibility. They are desperate for attention, and the only way they seem to be able to get it these days is by talking about either of our powerhouse candidates. Any Democrat who takes their bait is a damn fool.

[skids]

22. They would not win either contest. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

25. Obama has out-performed Clinton against McCain in the last 6:6 polls.

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Yes indeed. They cannot wait to run against Obama. We deserve to lose this election.

This reminds me of the other side of the aisle. All those people in 2000 who voted for Mr. "Heartland America", the down to earth guy who turned out to be a psychopath.

Then in 2004 they decided he'd be a fun person to have a beer with, so they reelected the psychopath. Now we have this side of the aisle who votes for a guy because he wants "change" and gives them "hope." He's the new fad. He's the new kid on the block. Who CARES if he's qualified to be president. I'll have hope! I may eat mac and cheese for a week because I have no decent job, but by G-d, I'll have hope!

Never mind about how you're going to put food on the table, get a job, have health care for EVERY American, pay your bills....you'll have HOPE.

It's surreal. The Democratic version of BUSH who has no business being the President and the repukes will chew him up and spit him out in the GE.

[Colobo]

27. Juan Williams is a Clinton hack.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

29. are you kidding me....and I suppose you think Bill Krystal doesn't have an agenda?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. I was so glad that Juan called out Krystal this morning about how PNAC is duping the Dems.

into thinking that the repukes are afraid of OBama. PNAC wants Obama because they know they can beat him in Nov.

That's why the Corporate media is playing Obama up and making Clinton the devil.


when will we wake up.

[greyghost]

31. Damn straight they are! But their moves are far from lost...

on TPTB in the the Dem. party.