If you tuned into Fox News for a big helping of word salad, you left hungry.
Vice President Kamala Harris sat coolly, calmly, and turned away all of the sometimes hostile questions from anchor Bret Baier, who interrupted her at least a dozen times, which is uncharacteristic of him.
I got the feeling he was a thoroughbred under the whip of a very biased jockey. Meaning someone told him, “No Mister Nice Guy.”
Even their body language was telling. Baier was tense and coiled, leaning forward in his chair. Kamala leaned back, relaxed, legs crossed through the ordeal.
This is not to say she answered all the questions. She did not.
But she never flinched, she never showed fear, she never showed anger, even when I thought it was appropriate.
No, she wasn’t on drugs, either.
Her answers were quick and focused.
The biggest dodges came toward the end of the roughly 25 minutes, when Baier asked her when she noticed Joe Biden was diminished. She answered that she noticed his judgment and experience.
Weren’t you concerned? asked Baier.
Americans are concerned about Donald Trump, she said.
Baier’s questioning approached hounding, as it did with the first question, about illegal immigration.
He asked about the millions of illegals who were released during the Biden-Harris administration.
“That is a topic of discussion.”
No shit, Sherlock.
Baier could not get her to put a number on how many foreigners benefited from catch and release, and she turned the question into the bipartisan bill that Trump had quashed by his GOP lackeys.
In 2019, Baier said Kamala favored giving driver’s licenses to illegals, giving them free health care, and free tuition. Do you still feel the same?
She said she would follow the law.
The question was a trap.
Baier sprung it by saying her running mate, Tim Walz, ordered all of the above as the progressive governor of Minnesota.
“We will follow federal law,” which was a clever sidestep.
She gave the same answer when asked if she approved of gender altering surgery for inmates.
Her campaign theme is turning the page.
From what? goaded Baier. You guys have been running the show for 3 ½ years.
From the rhetoric of the last 10 years, she coolly replied, vexing Baier.
It was kind of a chess match, with Kamala protecting her king every time Baier approached with a knight or rook.
Did it change any minds? Probably not.
But it must have come as a surprise to some “I only watch Fox” viewers, and MAGA heads, who have been fed a steady diet of “Kamala is a dope.”
Wednesday night, she wasn’t.
She was a complete zero again. She didn’t answer any questions. This interview will have no baring on the election. She wasted our time.
Agreed Steve. No real answers or policy ideas. We’re turning the page on….still waiting for an answer. I did learn in the 20 minutes that she thinks her opponent is very orange, very deranged and mean, regardless of how most polls believe the country is not moving in the right direction under the present leadership.
Thanks Stu. That’s why I don’t need to watch these shows myself.
Damn, I missed it; I thought it was on tonight. The question though comes down to temperament between the two candidates. Do we want someone who is cool under fire and thinks through ramifications before speaking? Do we want a hot head who throws words around, claiming he doesn’t really mean them literally like they’re dime a dozen? MAGA says to not listen to his words–what’s that tell you? And I was disappointed to read Brett Baier came on so strong. Maybe he’s not really his own man either, marching to the drum beat of someone else?
Brett Baier acted the way a true newsman should act. He pressed her to answer the questions he asked. There’s nothing wrong with that. Watch it for yourself and don’t go by Stu’s opinion.
Soooo, when they do it to Kamala it’s OK with you, but when the nonsense that comes from Trump’s mouth they shouldn’t? I’d expect nothing less from you. The Constitution even mentions the importance of a free press (and I said I was disappointed with Baier, no more than that). Trump has called that same free press an enemy. Look that one up.
I don’t have to look it up. Trump faces a hostile press every day. And if you think they are being fair and treating Harris the same way there’s something wrong with you. I asked you to watch the interview yourself and not go by Stu’s opinion. The press has been unfair and lied to the American people over the years. The Russian hoax, Hunter Biden laptop and many more. Look it up. Some of the press are the enemy of the people. The should report the facts and not lie.
Like Fox News about stolen elections?
All in all, Kamala did really well. Brett Baier was instructed to tear her apart. Fox fed Baier loaded questions, complete with FoxNews video clips. Brett Baier interrupted her constantly, but she did manage to hold up. Ambush interviews are the FoxNews way. Even though she did great, they will show edited sound bites, out of context and try to make her look bad. She shouldn’t have done this interview, but she may get away with it.
Yes. I agree. Merely walking into the Fox lair signaled that she was not afraid of Fox games, won’t tolerate their bullshit, and is ready to stand up to the white men who wanted to bring down the “uppity black woman.” Thankfully she is smarter and more articulate than all of them. Baier looked like a pitiful broken puppy after that ass whooping.
Wanda,
get a life will you. Assinine statement about white men and uppity black women, really???
I am tired of asshole people making everything about race and gender, stay on topic will you.
We all know you are an “expert on women’s reproductive rights” and possibly have biased opinions on the few men you have met in your life.
The real problem with Kamala is getting a candidate forced down our throat, I would feel the same way about Walz if she dropped out tomorrow and passed the baton to her running mate.
We know Trump, we do not know Kamala, many of us want to hear from her but have not heard anything of substance other than the same tired bullshit from Obama, Clinton and Biden, promises made to the middle class that were not kept. Now we have someone that 4 years ago had some very liberal positions, that did not go over well. She needs to reassure us that #he has truly changed some of those radical positions.
I am a very conflicted undecided voter who was encouraged and impressed that she was going to do the Fox interview. I am disappointed by the tone of the interview from Baier. That said, she did not help herself with her responses and dodges.
Harris looked foolish as usual. Baier did a great job asking questions we all wanted answers to but she refused to answer. It was a complete waste of time to the American people. We learned nothing from this interview except she’s full of shit. She refused to take any responsibility for all the horrible things that happened because of her open border policies. She refused to apologize to the families of people who were murdered by illegal immigrants. This woman is no good and should and should never have been nominated.
Agreed, 100%, with one very minor tweak: We already knew she’s full of shit.
Cue the MAGAts. I want to note how they never comment on the piteous performances of their cult leader. Examples: the Bloomberg interview (cringe worthy), bobbing and weaving and throwing his tiny fists around to music in what was supposed to be a town hall, talking about sending the military after people who disagree with him, confusing November with January and so it goes. All of that is OK. Yet Kamala stands up to hostility from Murdoch’s thug and they clutch their pearls.
The Bloomberg thing was a complete and utter disaster, and the “town hall” in Philly showed a dangerously incapacitated old man. But these idiots will come on this site and talk about how bad Harris was in her interview. I’d love to see Stu review those two Trump events. But it wouldn’t matter to these cement heads.
I vote for Kamala, cause I want my Mamala.
Thanks for the comic relief
Stu, normally I agree with you on most things (except bicycles) but your take on this interview and your previous article contemplating your election choice have been pretty far off-base.
It pains me to say this but it seems perhaps your dislike of Trump has got you painted into a corner here where you feel forced to back an alternative choice that does not sit well with you. Her performance on Fox was largely awful. She said a lot of nothing, as is par for the course.
You well know that the better choice for the country is to hold your nose and vote Trump (as do many other Americans) and yet you just can’t bring yourself to do it. That option is totally unpalatable to you, and I can understand how it feels to be in that positon. It’s a tough spot to be in, no doubt. Trump is a seriously flawed man, for sure, but he’s the better chance at actually getting things fixed around here, and his alliance with RFK is the first step towards some sense of unity for the country.
You are a respected leader in possibly the most pivotal area of the country for this election, and it saddens me to see the position you’ve taken lately.
You can’t be serious. Her goal in going on Fox was not to enlighten its low information voters on the intricacies of foreign or domestic policies. They are not interested in complexities, only simplicity that requires not too much of a cognitive effort. It was to show that she has cojones and is not a coward like the moron who refuses to debate, who won’t go on 60 Minutes because (gasp) they fact check, who wants to call out the military to punish those who dare criticize him and who bobs and weaves to a playlist instead of answering questions at town halls. I could go on. Trump is NOT a seriously flawed man. He is demented and dangerous and he has been disavowed by real patriotic conservatives, e.g. Cheney and his own former VP. And RFK? The guy with the brain worm who has been disavowed by his entire family. Now I know you are unserious.
Harris voters are low information not Trumps. Everyone knows where Trump stands. I can only go by her past statements. And she is a far left lunatic. The only demented moron is you and how could anyone in their right mind call Trump a coward. You really are dumb Wanda.
Fuck you Daniel. I lack the words to articulate what I think of you. Stu might kick me off his blog for some of my thoughts if I actually wrote them down. But, since you bring it up, if your cult leader is so un-cowardly let’s see him debate her again or answer questions on 60 Minutes OR in HIS OWN Town Hall. I yet to have a MAGAt defend him on those cowardly positions and bad dancing to playlists.
First of all the people at 60 minutes are dishonest. And Trump doesn’t have to debate her because she makes a fool of herself every time she opens her mouth. Only simpletons like you would vote for someone who’s a proven failure.
Name calling and blue language are fine. No threats of harm, or racism, and the other isms.
The interview was a true Rorschach test, everyone seeing it through their own filter.
I oppose Trump on merit, as I said, and two columns ago I explained why Kamala has not sold me.
Unlike most here, I am dedicated to neither party, and to no candidate.
I generally like Baier, but he conducted more of a debate than an interview, kind of like how Trump was sandbagged by the Natl Assn of Black Journalists. I give him credit for showing up.
Knowing how she rambles using platitudes and time-wasting repetitive phrases, I thought Brett Baier did extremely well considering the time constraints forced upon him. Madame Vice President was a half hour late to the party, and he had many more questions that he had to quash because of it. She still answered nothing and just shifted blame to Trump.
Excellent piece Stu, you nailed it. I had much to say, however the others on this thread that share my Pro-Harris views have already articulated my thoughts. This was not really an “interview” in my opinion. The interviewer set out to put her on defense. Every question was confrontative, and gleaned from the right-wing playbook. EVERY ONE. He was appalling. She knew what was coming and went head on into the lions den. She was fearless. Her goal, I believe, was to speak to and gain support from the few Fox viewers that are undecided. Kudos to Kamala.
While reading Stu’s piece, for a moment it seemed I was reading a Will Bunch piece in the Inquirer. Ouch!
Ow, you know how to hurt a guy. Try reading a previous Kamala piece on her core values and see if THAT sounds like Bunch,
I heard an interesting analysis by a conservative talk show host: it seems that those people who watched the interview thought she did well; those who listened on the radio thought she bombed — the very same opinions when Nixon and Kennedy debated. Plus ca change, plus ce la meme chose.
It’s all well and good to question Ms. Harris and her answers in this forum. However, I find it necessary to point out the following things,:
-Trump’s performance on the Bloomberg interview was laughable
-Trump’s “town hall” performance in Philly was very, very sad
-Trump threatened to sic the military on his political rivals
-Trump has no idea how a tariff works
-Trump has no real stated policy, which leads me to believe it will be Project 2025
-In every interview, Trump is simply unable to stay on point and answer a single question
-Trump still insists, with NO evidence, that he did not lose the 2020 election
-Trump still refuses, with NO evidence, to say that he will agree with the results of the upcoming election (but only if he loses)
-Trump was indicted by a Grand Jury of his peers for election interference, and then convicted by a jury of his peers based upon a preponderance of the evidence in the case against him. He is legitimately CONVICTED FELON and there is no rational argument against that
-Trump has also been indicted in the state of Georgia, again by a legitimate grand jury that examined real evidence
-Trump has been indicated for stealing classified government documents, and the evidence we’ve seen against him is compelling and extensive, whether you idiots like it or not
-Harris has an 83-page document on her website thoroughly describing her policies and how she plans to enact them. Go read it or shut the fuck about it.
-Trump has admitted ON VIDEO that he killed the bipartisan immigration bill to help his chances in the 2024 election. This is a simple fact. He sold US out for politics rather than solving a problem that has long vexed BOTH parties. The bill wasn’t perfect, but BOTH parties agreed it was a step in the right direction.
-Trump was convicted of sexual assault and accused of same by over 40 women.
-Trump has over the years defrauded HUNDREDS of small contractors in New York and New Jersey as they helped him build his properties. He is vilified in both places.
-Virtually EVERY member of his previous cabinets refuses to support him and calls him “a danger to Democracy.”
I could go on and on and on, but honestly, EACH ONE of the points above should be enough for any sane person to not vote for this guy.
Ok, you MAGATs can now have fun posting all your excuses for all of the above below. Not that I’m gonna read them.
Freeze dear. Their answers will be ad hominem attacks on you and me and Stu. Or they will say something stupid like “60 minutes is dishonest. “ but they will not address the old demented jerk’s behavior.
Personally, I was offended as Wanda over his bobbing and weaving at Town Hall meeting. Enough said.
60 minutes edited the Harris interview. But you being a low information person you wouldn’t know that.