Republican-driven mainstream media Obama narrative debunked on 60 minutes
Obama advisor Valerie Jarret assertively stopped Norah O’Donnell from promoting the false narrative of blaming Obama for GOP’s refusal to work with him on a recent 60 Minute segment. Obama surrogates should have taken lessons from this woman.
The segment started with Norah O’Donnell pointing out the reality that the appointment of Judge Merrick Garland may be the last Obama/GOP fight.
“Valerie, this is probably one of the last big fights of the president’s term in office. And he can’t even get Senate Republicans to give him a hearing,” O’Donnell said condescendingly. “Most Republicans won’t even meet with Judge Garland. Does that say something about President Obama’s inability to reach across the aisle? To have friends on the other side?”
Valerie Jarrett was ready for the question.
“Absolutely not. I don’t think this is about friendship. This is about politics,” Jarrett said. “I think the Republicans have made the political determination that in this election year, in this very toxic election year, I would add, that it’s in their political advantage not to do so.”
O’Donnell then tried to clamp down on the false narrative about an insular President, who has not reached out to Republicans.
“But in two terms, seven years, why hasn’t the president been able to find a Republican that he can call up and say, ‘Help me out on this’? Does he have any Republican friends?” O’Donnell asked.
Jarrett pointed out the fact that Senator McConnell solely for political reasons is not giving Judge Merrick Garland a hearing. In an effort to continue the false narrative, O’Donnell continued with her politically infantile question.
“Isn’t that part of the president’s job? Is to convince people on the opposite side to do something like this?” O’Donell asked. “To get a judge up on the Supreme Court?
Jarret responded that in the real world of politics its political pressure from the American people that ultimately forces the hands of intransigent politicians.
Again O’Donnell would not let up with the narrative that proved she was not listening to answers and decided to be willfully ignorant of politics.
“So since the president doesn’t have a personal relationship with Republicans, instead, you’re gonna go to the American people and put political pressure on them? O’Donnell said. “It’s a campaign? It’s a political campaign.”
It is then that Valerie Jarrett attempted to school the willfully naive reporter. It is as if her producers set her up as a puppet that only moved on when she gets an answer she wants. That was not going to happen with Jarrett. She conceded nothing.
“I have to interrupt you to say this is not about personal relationships. It has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not they’re chummy,” Jarrett said exasperatedly. “This has to do with whether or not they’ve made the political calculus, the raw political calculus that it is in their self-interest not to give a hearing to Judge Garland. When they decide when they decide it is in their self-interest, they’ll do it. And it is our job, yes, to launch a campaign to encourage them to do their jobs. Just as the president did his. Nothing to do with personality. Nothing to do with schmoozing. Nothing to do with whether or not they’re buddies. This is raw politics, from their perspective. And has nothing to do with what is been in the best interest of the American people.”
O’Donnell then continued with her willful ignorance. She asked if politics wasn’t about smooching and friendship. She asked if it was that maybe Republicans did not feel welcomed at the White House.
Jarret would have none of it.
“No, politics is about figuring out what you think. This kind of politics is about trying, is about figuring out what you think you have to do to get reelected,” Jarret said. “And what we’ve seen, Norah, time, and time again is the Republicans decide they can’t even come to the White House and go through a receiving line. They can’t even show up at a state dinner because they’re afraid of– about what the consequences will be if they do. — they should be here all the time. And if they would accept the invitations, they would be here all the time. I want to completely — I want to completely debunk this notion that if the president were just simply more friendly and more outgoing and schmooze that this would change. This is simply about the Republicans making the political calculus that to be friendly to the White House is not in their interest. That’s the decision that they made when he was first elected. And they’ve stayed steadfastly true to that for the last seven years, to the detriment of the American people.”
Enough said.
(r/t 60 Minutes)