For many Americans, what Vice President Kamala Harris said on CNN Thursday night was less interesting than what she was asked by CNN anchor Dana Bash.
Even before the interview aired, many MAGA heads were all over social media squawking that because CNN taped it, the network “would be editing out all the dumb things she said.” Their words, not mine. And that Bash would be throwing softballs, or cream puffs.
Keep in mind, no pitcher throws nothing but hardballs. A successful pitcher throws hard, soft, curves, sliders. You don’t have to growl to be tough.
I would have preferred it live, and without “human shield” Tim Walz, as Team Trump humorously described him. Maybe I just don’t like threesomes. The interview was “live on tape,” which means without editing. And — surprise! Only 49 minutes in an hour time slot, with many minutes spent on introductory pieces and bridges between segments.
One test I apply to Bash: Did she make Kamala squirm?
Even though she remained soft spoken, and a bit chummy, Bash did make Kamala squirm, at least twice.
Such as when she drilled down on fracking, pun intended.
“Do you still want to ban fracking?“ Bash asked, straight up.
“I will not ban fracking,” Harris said.
You changed from 2020, Bash said.
“It will not change,” Kamala said.
Bash persisted, asking what made Harris change.
“My values have not changed,” Harris said.
Bash missed one here: How do your values not change, but your policies do?
She asked Harris if she regretted describing Joe Biden as “exceptionally strong,” even after the disastrous debate with Donald J. Trump?
“No, not at all,” said Harris, then launching into a longer statement in which she said, “We want to turn the page on the last decade of which I believe has been contrary to where the spirit of the country lies.”
Bash pounced, pointing out the last 3 ½ years have been her and Biden.
Harris barely flinched. “I’m talking about an era,” she said gamely.
Another hard ball was the question about the border, why it took Biden 3 ½ years of record illegal crossings to finally act?
Harris offered some double talk about historic investments in Central America. She then segued into the failed bipartisan bill that Trump wanted killed.
Bash followed up with another hardball, reminding Harris she said in 2019 illegal crossings should be decriminalized.
“There are laws that have to be followed and enforced,” Harris said, retreating from her previous position.
Softballs included questions like what you would do on Day One — support and strengthen the middle class, she said.
Bash also wanted to know — in a classic inside baseball question — would she appoint Republicans to her cabinet? I can’t think of a question less important to voters, but the answer was she would, but would not throw any names out there.
Kind of a slowball was asking how Harris would improve the economy? She would create an “opportunity economy,” attack price gouging, create affordable housing, offer a $25,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, and more.
Why haven’t you done it already, asked Bash, zipping one under Harris’ chin.
A slowball was a question on the Gaza war, because Harris has answered it before.
She said Israel has a right to self defense and said the U.S. would offer “unwavering support” for Israel, while at the same time seeking peace, and hoping for a two-state solution.
Walz had trouble with difficult questions about his service misstatements, a mistake about using IDF fertility, and continuing questions about a DUI arrest.
He did not come off as well as Bash and Harris, but I didn’t tune in to hear him.
Pretty much agree on your assessment. If you read the right-left assessments, the right, predictably, thinks it was softball, while the left is saying the questions were just a list of right-wing attacks in a total pander to the GOP. So, based on these sources, I’d say it was good, fair interview.
I agree with Tom A. who seems to wake up even earlier than me!
Tom A. I agree with your assessment. It was a good interview and a fair one.
You know what, Tom? I believe most Left/Right people ACTUALLY see it that way, through their filter. Which is why we must be careful with eyewitness testimony, which is often wrong.
Oh, I think you are absolutely right. It has long been known, and backed with extensive research, that eye-witness testimony is highly unreliable, for example, sending folks misidentified as the perpetrator to jail.
Sincerity is not a test for truth. I have no doubt, for example, that “flat-Earthers” are 100% sincere. (Look at the footage! The moon landing was “obviously” faked).
At least for me, it is useful, however, to see how the “usual suspects” at either end of the spectrum see things.
One of the things I liked about Harris was that she was viciously attacked by the left in 2019 as “Kamala the Cop” and “Copmala” for her work as a prosecutor. She defended the death penalty. She pushed legislation that would allow the arrest of parents of chronically truant students. She refused to back an initiative to reduce a bunch of felonies to misdemeanors.
She was trying to live that down on the left in the 2020 primaries, but she couldn’t. As one writer at Mother Jones put it at the time: “I think Harris tried to present herself as a reformer and even as a progressive. It stood in such stark contrast to her actual record and political comportment.” If it takes one to know one, Harris wasn’t able to sell herself as “progressive” which was fine by me.
It is a fact that Kamala was earlier attacked by the Left for “putting Black kids in jail,” and now is attacked by the Right for being soft on crime.
The question is what she believes TODAY and how she arrived at that opinion. And sincerity will be a key for those not in either cult.
The media has a sordid history of pandering to the left while holding the right accountable for even the tiniest infraction. They have been caught providing debate questions to Democrat interviewees and throwing softball questions, while using “gotcha” techniques on Republicans. Their “news” headlines favor the leftists (a recent example is the story about Trump’s and Harris’ proposal to get rid of taxes on tips.
If the media cared about their reputation they would have run this interview live. They need to be more transparent, not less. But perhaps they have become so biased that they don’t care what anyone thinks.
Did ONE WORD of this apply to last night’s interview, or my analysis? No.
Just the usual right-wing grievance machine.
Stu, if you do not mind me answering that question my answer is no. What SaraT said has nothing to do with what I happened to see last night.
With one or two very minor differences I agree with your analysis.
I do not mind. Maybe she will.
Ass kisser cry baby
Agreed 100%.
CNN ran a Chiron that said “live.”
You don’t think that confuses people? Jesse.
Great post, Sara! I am of a very similar opinion. But that closing sentence is the dagger of truth to the contemporary American Media. Without their unscrupulous, malicious cheerleading, we, America, wouldn’t be in this mess today. Think about it.
Great job Sara. Keep speaking the truth because we are fighting for the survival of our country against the evil dishonest socialist.
Chummy is the correct word to describe the interview. Bash was very combative when she interviewed Trump. Harris said her values haven’t changed. She will try to lie her way to the White House. She owes the American people more interview’s in the short time we have before voting.
Bash WAS combative with Trump, true. I don’t deny the obvious. Hiw about you? But she DID ask hard questions of Kamala, which I listed in my column.
No! She only answered questions for about 20 minutes and half the questions were soft balls.
Maybe I’m in a minority among your readers, but I’m not voting for Dana Bash for President, and how she conducted the interview is of far less interest to me than the answers Harris provided. I only heard about the first 25-30 minutes on Sirius as we were driving back from a Memorial Service about two hours away. Harris to me avoided directly answering a few questions that I would have liked her to, but overall I thought she performed well. As for being in a minority, trust me, as a left leaning centrist living in Texas, I’m used to it.
The whole interview is on You Tube, and my chosen focus was on Bash and the expected bashing she would get from MAGA heads if she threw softballs. Of course THEY see EVERYTHING as softball. I try to offer a nonpartisan, journalistic view.
A full report on the interview is available elsewhere.
You are very bias.Andd it is very evident.
You mean “biased,” and coming from you, that is ridiculous.
You wrote the other day how you had to write something to help her. And then you wrote how she should go to the center and lie about her positions.
I did not say I “had to write” anything to help her, but I did offer her advice. If you can clip and paste me telling her to lie, I will give you $100. NOT your idea of what I said, find the word “lie.” I will wait.
And do you want me to give advice to Trump? I’d be happy to do that.
You implied that she should change her views. Same as lying in my opinion You disagree with most of her positions why would you back her. Do what’s right for the country.
I give Stu credit for allowing someone as consistently clueless as you to post on here.
There’s other opinions besides your anti American rants. You don’t believe in freedom of speech.
😃
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙.”
Mark, your summation is perfect. Get ready to catch some flack over it though.
The Vice President, like all politicians (both sides of the aisle), resorted to a classic refrain when asked about obvious changes in espoused policy positions: “my core values have not changed” followed by a reiteration of her more recent policy position contradicting an earlier one (as if the contrary positions are consistent with her core values). Core values reflect a person’s defining beliefs; policy positions reflect political expediency. The question for the Vice President, and every politician, is, “when the rubber meets the road, will you make decisions based upon your core values or policy positions? The electorate wants to know how you will govern.” The next politician who provides an honest, insightful answer to that question will be the first to do so.
EXCELLENT question.
I actually think Trump is more “honest” about his beliefs, and that’s what turns me off. I do not like them.
LOL! Good job shutting that bullshit down, Stu!
What beliefs do you dislike?
I dislike extreme views, both sides.
What extreme views does trump have. I think he has traditional American views.
An taped and then edited interview? By CNN? Reminds me of the missing 18 minutes on the Nixon tapes.
Well, thank goodness they keep Trump’s stuff live so everyone can see what a complete moron he is.
A few weeks ago Harris put one paragraph together that made me think “maybe:” One paragraph! Since then nothing she has said or claimed as her leaf turning policies denying those of the last four years, have suggested that anyone should consider her as a serious leader for our country.
Smoke and mirrors, fan dancing, and more word salads.
Please remember that our vote is to protect and to strengthen the USA in a turbulent world; we are not voting for a high school class president where ones gender and ones parents might be, only slightly, relevant; our very serious and fundamental mission is to to vote for our next Commander in Chief.
Harris displays zero qualities to be our Commander in Chief.
Agreed. Good post.
Good Article, Stu.
Thanks
Did Dana Bash rise to the level of Helen Thomas, Sam Donaldson or Tim Russert? That was a political campaign ad.
From a fellow centrist.
After all that waffling, you think Harris did “well.”
Good luck with your reformer.
She is not “my” reformer and “well” is mild praise.
Name the last Democrat you voted for, for President. Just a test of where you are politically.
Mine was Hilary. In 2020, Libertarian.
Let us not forget the oath a president takes: “…to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, so help me God.” I do not see Kamala Harris living up to that oath.
Trump is a serial adulterer (a sin in the eyes of GOD). Trump wanted to ditch the US Constitution. He does NOT believe in “traditional American values” like hard work, honesty, and helping those who can’t help themselves. He doesn’t believe in ‘noblesse oblige’. He thinks like his old friend Leona Helmsley: “taxes are for little people”. Trump consorts with known anti-Semites and hate groups like Oathkeepers & Proud Boys. I find Americans (except Trump & trumpicans) to be the most generous people on Earth. Trump is CHEAP! Trump has NO respect for, and demeans, the US military. His underlings recently showed ZERO RESPECT at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump is not a believer in democratic values; He much prefers autocratic tyrants like Putin, Jong Un & Xi Jin Ping. Don’t forget he’s a lying draft dodger, too. He’s a phony patriot and bad American just like Daniel, the “lyin’ king”. Trump is just avaricious & greedy.
P.S. Trump is no Christian, either; neither is Daniel.