Ingraham's Criticism of Liberal Elite Upsets ABC's The View Crew (Transcript)

MRC ^ | Monday November 10, 2003 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

MRC analyst Jessica Anderson took down Ingraham's session on the November 4 The View.

Star Jones: "Now, first of all, the title of the book is 'Shut Up and Sing.' Now, it's an explanation of how the 'elites' -- which I can't stand that word -- from Hollywood, Washington and the United Nations are subverting America. What exactly do you mean, Laura?"

Ingraham: "We're supposed to have government of the people, by the people and for the people, and there are elites in this country who are Republicans and Democrats -- Hollywood just comprises one small section of that. The point is, on issues from illegal immigration to gun rights–"

Jones: "You got a governor into the governor's mansion."

Ingraham: "Let me finish. Illegal immigration to gun rights to patriotism to support for the military. A lot of people in the Heartland feel like the elites and groups from Hollywood and politics and the UN and universities aren't really listening to their concerns, and most of them don't much really care about them."

Joy Behar: "Wait a second. Does the Heartland encompass Staten Island?"

Ingraham: "No, no."

Behar: "Just checking."

Ingraham: "The point is, the country really is comprised of people who generally think we have good intentions. Our country tries to do the best. We're fallible, we make mistakes, but there's an increasing group in this country, I think, that's sort of tired of the voters. The voters are pesky."

Jones: "You've been interviewing people in the Heartland?"

Ingraham: "Oh, I actually have a show every night where I talk to, you know, hundreds of thousands of people across the country."

Jones: "Alright, but I'm curious."

Ingraham: "And they are saying time and time again that when, for instance, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders says we deserved to get 'blanking' bombed, I hope the Muslims win, and when someone like Madonna says–"

Behar: "Wait a second. Just call her an idiot."

Rachel Campos: "Star, I live there and she's absolutely right."

Ingraham: "They don't feel like, and let's go to the Democratic Party–"

Behar: "Laura, why can't you just say that she's an idiot? Why do you have to make these generalizations about liberals?"

Ingraham: "Because it's not just coming from me. People like Zell Miller, who's about to retire as a proud Democrat in the U.S. Senate, says – and very convincingly – that the Democratic Party is not connecting with the people who are its logical constituents, from the South and from the Heartland."

Walters: "Excuse me, neither is the Republican Party, at this point, necessarily connecting."

Ingraham: "I'm not sure that's right. George Bush is still pretty popular, Barbara."

Behar: "He's not the whole Republican Party."

Walters: "Yes, he is, but there are questions also about how they're handling things, but you talk about Hollywood. You criticize Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins -- as a matter of fact, who live in New York, they don't live in Hollywood."

Ingraham: "Right."

Walters: "And Sean Penn, giving their views on the war in Iraq. We have presidential candidates who are giving their views on the war in Iraq and you don't criticize Republican movie stars for giving their views, so why can't–"

Behar: "She agrees with them."

Walters: "Because you agree. Free speech! That's part of the American dream."

[Audience cheers and applauds]

Ingraham: "We're all citizens. Everyone has the right to speak out, of course, but the point of the matter, as it would be ridiculous for me to lecture Bruce Springsteen on the chord progression in 'The Rising' or lecture Susan Sarandon about her terrific acting -- I'm a huge fan of hers -- it's similarly silly for them to talk about international policy, foreign policy."

Behar: "Why?"

Meredith Vieira: "As an American citizen, they have a right to do that."

Ingraham: "No, of course they have a right to speak out, but the point is it goes to a question of credibility. When Sean Penn is given an hour on Larry King Live to talk about his fact-finding mission in Iraq, that might be interesting TV, but the people are sitting out there going 'huh?'"

Walters: "But Larry King also talks to Hollywood people who he gives time to talk about that they're against gun control. Not everybody–"

Ingraham: "But the point is most Americans, I think, would rather watch a continuous loop of Yentl than hear Barbra Streisand talk about politics. I think that's true."

[Audience applauds]

Campos, applauding: "I do, too."

Behar: "Why are you against Barbra Streisand? She's a very, very patriotic American."

Ingraham, pointing at the audience: "A lot of Yentl fans out here."

Behar: "Wait a second. Barbra Streisand is a very patriotic American."

Ingraham: "I'm sure she is."

Behar: "All she does is speak from her heart about American values. Why do you have to go after Barbra Streisand?"

Ingraham: "It's not about Barbra Streisand. During impeachment and all the Clinton scandals–"

Jones: "That nasty comment was about Barbra Streisand, okay? It was about Barbra."

Ingraham: "Did you hear Mel Gibson or Kelsey Grammer or Kevin Costner go on cable television and slam Bill Clinton time and time again during 1998, 1999?"

Campos: "No."

Behar: "But every comedian did! Oh, please! I have boxes of jokes about Clinton -- please!"

Ingraham: "No, but they weren't going on giving their political views."

Behar: "Oh, please!"

Walters: "Laura, is it just that anybody who has a liberal point of view?"

Ingraham: "No."

Walters: "Wait a second, let me finish. Whether it is someone in the United Nations or any actor or anyone who has a strong, liberal point of view is, therefore, to you elite and unpatriotic?"

Ingraham: "No."

Campos: "Can I come to her defense?"

Walters: "She does okay."

Campos: "Well, I live in the Heartland that she's talking about and I think she's actually right. I have said this the last time I came on here. People in the middle of the country do not think, act or vote like people on the coasts, especially New York and specifically L.A. and San Francisco. And this is what she's talking about, this flyover zone."

Behar: "Then how did Bill Clinton win twice?"

Campos: "Because he appeals only to people in Manhattan. People in Arkansas don't vote for him."

Behar: "Oh, well, Manhattan is not the country -- excuse me!"

Jones: "Excuse me?"

Ingraham: "Bill Clinton was actually very smart. Bill Clinton also did Sister Souljah. Bill Clinton campaigned as a real moderate, he carried the Bible in and out of church -- people liked that about him."

Jones: "Wait, we got a lot of people in Manhattan, but they can't elect a President, okay? So what are you talking about? That don't make sense!"

Ingraham: "Barbara, let me answer your question about the liberals because that's wrong."

Walters: "I'm from the Heartland, too, and I agree with you that, you know, that you may hear -- but there are people in the Heartland who don't get upset if someone doesn't speak their point of view."

Ingraham: "Sure, but Barbara–"

Behar: "Whose children, wait a minute, there are people in the Heartland whose boys are going to this war who disagree with it."

Ingraham: "In the book, in 'Shut Up and Sing' I point out that George Bush has elitist tendencies, a lot of them, and one of them is on illegal immigration. Seventy percent of the country wants our borders enforced. Why aren't the politicians doing anything about it? Why aren't more Enron people put in jail? Those are two elite tendencies of the Republican Party."

[Audience applauds.]

Behar: "Now you're talking sense!"

Campos: "Because the Heartland is about common sense. Because the Heartland cares about common sense."

Behar: "And people in New York don't?"

Ingraham: "This is an elite echo chamber, this is an elite echo chamber. People in this audience make this country great – not celebrity elites, not UN elites, not European elites and not business elites. They don't make the country great. The people who work every day do."...

[Paul Atreides]

I once came across that show, when a home improvement expert was showing them how to paint. The chattering cows would not stop bleating, while he was trying to explain how to do something. Finally, he practically told them to shut up and let him talk.

[martin_fierro]

(looking around) Huhwha? Whossat?

[fight_truth_decay]

The term "Sister Souljah moment" subsequently entered political jargon as shorthand for any instance wherein a politician (in that case Clinton)publicly repudiates an extremist in order to appear "centrist" before the voting public. Sister Souljah moment

Sister Souljah interview http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/3/3-512.html

[Balding_Eagle]

You sound jealous.

[YankeeReb]

Babs is so patriotic she threatened to move to France after Bush won in 2000. Pity she didn't carry out the threat.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

It should be the 12th of never. She EARNED that degree. Anti-elitism is just as if not more dangerous than the elitism that she is at least observing and commenting on. Are you more jealous of her brains, her looks, or her hard work? Don't be so quick to label someone just because they worked their ass off to get into a good school, and have worked more since.

[Lancey Howard]

Thanks for the transcript - - that's good freeping.
It sounded like Laura pandered a little too much, but she did okay. One thing I like about Ann Coulter, she calls a traitor a traitor, and a scumbag Democrat a scumbag Democrat and makes no apologies to anybody no matter how outnumbered she is.

[Consort]

Wake me when that happens...

OK. Go back to sleep now.

[ntnychik]

Joy's a self-proclaimed Italian. I guess an Italian Jew is theoretically possible.

[ntnychik]

Rachel Campos rocks! Last week during The View's discussion of the CBS hatchet job on the Reagans, she called Ronald Reagan "beloved." Starr gave her a dirty look and Rachel held her ground. Actually, Barbara Walters defended the Reagans and argued with Campos against the knee-jerk liberals. The show might gain a viewer or two with Campos added (but why would she want the job?)

[weegee]

Do you know if Rachel ever sat in on Politically (in)Correct? The way the View's deck is stacked is awfully similar to Bill Maher's guests' politics' breakdown (up to one token conservative).

[beaversmom]

I listen to Laura's program. She's okay but not my favorite. Her voice is annoying for one thing. She had someone write to her and tell her that she had a terrible voice and should get voice lessons. She dismissed the woman as a liberal. I'm not a liberal and I think the same thing. I haven't read her books but I found myself reading the View transcript in her voice. I would probably read her books with her voice running through my head and it would drive me nuts.

[stands2reason]

Most drag queens wear less makeup. Hell, even Liza Minelli wears less makeup!

[stands2reason]

Apparently if you "care" enough about America to want to "change" it, you're patriotic.

[weegee]

Her super patriotism came in defending X42 from all attacks against his character, presidency, legacy... Even if she were to admit that William Jefferson Blythe Clinton is a lowlife who abused the power of his office (and beyond), she would be a "patriot" in the eyes of The Shrew for still supporting her president during his crisis.

She doesn't need to support George W. Bush now; in railing against President Bush she shows that she is not dupe of the American system and can be critical of a president of the United States.

This is the tortured logic that the left would use to defend Brabra as very patriotic.

[faithincowboys]

A nice 10 on one and a half ratio. The liberals are such bullies. I notice that all they have on that show are liberals-- they constantly censor the opinions of people on the Right. And when they allow them to speak, they gang up on them. They are truly outrageous. Their is not an ounce of decency in these people.

[Fledermaus]

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, that watches the view should do us all a favor and kill themselves.

Why people like Ingrahm even bother is beyond me. You can't reach these idiots. They are beyond the reach of any common sense or reality.

[dougherty]

No, Campos won't get the job and neither will Elisabeth (the girl from Survivor). The job will go to the third finalist, the actress from some soap opera. Why? They'll stick with one of their own.
I don't watch the View, I frequent a Survivor message board where this has been discussed because of Elisabeth.

[Endeavor]

Trust me. I'm not jealous of ANYTHING about Laura Ingraham. She's a clueless bubblehead. I'll listen to her when she starts to live what she says. Until then, I'm not a fan.

She, like Ann Coulter, is trying to make her mark based upon her looks, not on the principles of conservatism. Nothing more. When will you folks get a clue???

Give me Noonan, O'Beirne, Schlafly, and Barbara Ledeen. These are women who live what they preach. The other two are simply loudmouths whose values are shallow and whose voices are often more embarrassing than enthralling.