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Meghan McCain Often Did What Political Media Wouldn't
Townhall.com ^ | July 9, 2021 | David Harsanyi

Posted on 07/09/2021 8:42:15 AM PDT by Kaslin

Meghan McCain is leaving "The View."

One assumes that regular readers of editorial pages and political magazines aren't exactly the prime audience for a daytime-television show. And one also assumes that a not insignificant number of Republicans aren't fans of McCain because of her sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Yet I think it's fair to say that McCain was probably one of the most consequential conservatives in media over the past four years. For one thing, "The View" captures a larger audience than any cable-news show in the country. It is watched by millions of Americans who are otherwise subjected to a nearly uninterrupted barrage of leftist political perspectives. During her four years on the show, McCain confronted numerous high-profile Democrats with questions that they would otherwise never have been asked. Quite often, I suspect, she brought up issues that a majority of the audience weren't even aware existed.

When James Comey was being treated like an American hero by an unctuous media, McCain confronted him over his phony apolitical posturing: "You sound like a political commentator to me." When the disgraced Andrew McCabe turned up on "The View" and fueled conspiracies theories about Russia directing Trump to fire Comey -- my God, what insanity we endured -- she told him: "I don't believe you're a reliable narrator. And I'm not convinced this isn't just some kind of PR campaign to stop yourself from getting indicted."

It was McCain who confronted former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, by then a CNN contributor, about his contention, under oath, that the United States did not engage in the data collection of millions of Americans. "In 2013, when you were asked about it, you said no," McCain said. "So that is a lie."

When CNN Brian Stelter was on the show preening about journalistic ethics, she said:

"There's a 2016 audio of your president, Jeff Zucker, offering debate advice to President Trump that was released. Jake Tapper was recently caught trying to allegedly influence a congressional election, and I have serious problems with the way Chris Cuomo had a reoccurring prime-time sort of comic routine with his brother instead of asking about policies that were literally sending my friend Janice Dean's older relatives to die in nursing homes ... Do you believe that this is acceptable?"

As the media were reporting on Republican "pouncing," McCain confronted Kamala Harris about her support for defunding the police, twice -- before the then-presidential candidate offered some evasive gibberish about how she "reimagined" public safety. She called out Pete Buttigieg's radical support for abortion into the ninth month. "What if a woman wanted to invoke infanticide after a baby was born; you'd be comfortable with that?" McCain asked Buttigieg, who did not offer a straightforward answer. She also asked Amy Klobuchar about Ralph Northam's comments on infanticide: "Are you for what he said or late-term abortion or the moments that he was talking about where he would keep a woman 'comfortable' as she was giving birth in case she wanted to abort her third-term child?" The presidential candidate refused to answer. This is not, needless to say, the type of conversation one normally hears on major networks.

McCain asked Elizabeth Warren, who had only recently been feted by the likes of Rachel Maddow and Seth Meyers, to explain why she changed her description of Qassem Soleimani from "murderer" to "military official." "I don't understand the flip-flop," McCain said. "I don't understand why it was so hard to call him a terrorist, and I would just like you to explain the change." Three times McCain asked. And three times Warren deflected. When McCain challenged Raphael Warnock -- who enjoyed a free ride in 2020 -- to explain why he wouldn't take a position on the left's court-packing scheme, he refused to answer. And when McCain pressed him, "View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg stepped in to end the interview.

McCain was probably also the only person on a major network who brought up, on numerous occasions, the normalization of antisemitism among progressives in the Democratic Party.

These are just some of the exchanges that come to mind. There were surely others. Now, I don't regularly watch "The View." All I know is that very few conservatives ever get access to powerful Democrats. McCain did. And she wasn't scared to pose tough questions. Which is a lot more than we can say for most of the political media.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: meghanmccain; nomanwilllayher; theview
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I don't get it why she stayed so long with that idiotic show.

I have never watched one millisecond of that show. As a Matter of fact I don't even watch Abc and haven't watched that network in ages. I also don't CBS, NBC, CNN, PMSNBC.

1 posted on 07/09/2021 8:42:15 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Trump hating has turned into an industry that has made many fortunes. It’s recently fallen on hard times. Wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bailout from the government coming. They’ll call it infrastructure funding.


2 posted on 07/09/2021 8:47:42 AM PDT by Spok (There are many more things that frighten us than can cause us harm.)
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To: Kaslin

I read she helped push Abby Huntsman out. She is probably going to be moving to Fox News now.


3 posted on 07/09/2021 8:48:19 AM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: Kaslin
Yet I think it's fair to say that McCain was probably one of the most consequential conservatives in media over the past four years.

No, I'll call that a stretch.

Trump's agenda was more conservative than ANY McCain, past, present and future (I think Mommy or Meghan will run in Arizona), has ever been.

In fact, McCains aren't conservative--they're RINOs and Leftist foils, always ready to reach across the aisle and accept the ever-Leftward tilt.

4 posted on 07/09/2021 8:50:18 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! ("You, the American people, are my only special interest." --President Donald J. Trump)
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To: Kaslin

My understanding is that it is 4 liberals against 1 so-called conservative. I think we all know “The View” that is getting presented.


5 posted on 07/09/2021 8:51:21 AM PDT by Tai_Chung
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To: Kaslin

Farted in public?


6 posted on 07/09/2021 8:51:31 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: aynrandfreak

McCain left Fox News to go the The View.


7 posted on 07/09/2021 8:51:47 AM PDT by BlueHorseShoe
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To: Kaslin

Harsanyi Is equating Republicans as conservatives. He is very mistaken.

McCain is very much a Republican. No doubt about it. A conservative? No freaking way


8 posted on 07/09/2021 8:51:54 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (I love my country. It’s my government that I hate.)
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To: Kaslin

One Bush League Republican praising another......


9 posted on 07/09/2021 8:52:24 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents)(Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Kaslin
It (The View) is watched by millions of Americans...

Which really explains a lot about the dumbing down of the a average American TV viewer.
10 posted on 07/09/2021 8:53:10 AM PDT by Signalman
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To: BlueHorseShoe

Doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t take her back (except a proper analysis that it would anger many viewers who have them on probation at the moment)


11 posted on 07/09/2021 9:00:04 AM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: Kaslin

Agree with the article. Megan got in some good shots against the libtards.

Unfortunately, she was a voice crying in the wilderness.


12 posted on 07/09/2021 9:02:31 AM PDT by miserare ( Respect for life--life of all kinds-- is the first principle of civilization.~~A. Schweitzer.)
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To: Alas Babylon!

Meghan’s dad ran hard on defunding Obamacare. Then, when the pubs had gotten 60 in the Senate, a majority in the House, and the Presidency, he went back on his promise for petty political reasons. It was disgusting.

He never paid the political price because the MSM, who vilified him when he ran for President, now considered him a great hero.

From the Keating event to the end, he was a vile creature.


13 posted on 07/09/2021 9:05:46 AM PDT by Fido969 ( Sc)
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To: Fido969
he went back on his promise for petty political reasons. It was disgusting.

Unforgivable, tarnished any chance of a positive legacy.

14 posted on 07/09/2021 9:07:59 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
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To: 1Old Pro
Unforgivable, tarnished any chance of a positive legacy.

The guy's "legacy" is that he was a "principled hero" in the MSM echo chamber.

15 posted on 07/09/2021 9:10:28 AM PDT by Fido969 ( Sc)
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To: Kaslin

When Meghan decided that she would leave the show and she was SURE about it...she started acting and talking like a conservative.

MHO


16 posted on 07/09/2021 9:13:23 AM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: Kaslin

“...her sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump. “

No, Mr. Harsanayi, in this swamp princess’ case, dumb hatred is the correct term.

Now, go research the media to see if there are ANY uses of the word “former” president when referring to Obama, Clinton, even Bush. Did the media even once use the term ‘former’ when referring to Biden during the 2020 steal?

Then check your own hatred


17 posted on 07/09/2021 9:13:31 AM PDT by stanne
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To: Responsibility2nd
McCain is very much a Republican. No doubt about it. A conservative? No freaking way

To a liberal, we all look alike. It's like their solution to the Land O Lakes label - get rid of the Indian and keep the land.

18 posted on 07/09/2021 10:42:16 AM PDT by Bernard (“When once the guardian angel has taken flight, everything is lost”. – William H. Seward, 1/12/1861)
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To: Kaslin

Has the McCain funeral ended yet?


19 posted on 07/09/2021 10:50:21 AM PDT by bray (Hating Whites is racist)
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To: Kaslin

Yeah, like eat 2 large pan pizzas in a single sitting.

CC


20 posted on 07/09/2021 10:56:08 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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