The View

[VelvetRed]

Thanks, dagwood!

In a nutshell - McCain was nattering on about the constitution and how he was committed to following it "in the spirit our forefathers intended" (in regards to Roe vs. Wade, because Elisabeth had asked him if he or Palin would work to overturn it). Whoopi said something to the effect that she hoped he wasn't talking about following the constitution to the letter, because there were things in it originally that had to be changed, and if McCain was so invested in following the constitution did that mean that she had to worry about being enslaved? Barbara patted her leg and said something like "you aren't being sent back to the plantation" and then, because Sherri looked horror-stricken (but was silent) made the "us white people will take care of you" remark.

OMG. Condescending (at which Barbara "excels") is one thing; rude (at which Barbara "excels") is another thing; but racist is quite another thing. And did she say "us white people" or "we white people"?

It's amazing that Barbara can even speak at all (let alone over the other co-hosts and GUESTS), what with that size XXXXXXXXXX silver spoon in her mouth.

I typed that last sentence several times on earlier posts, but backspaced. And then I had technical problems with posting.

Someone earlier mentioned that Barbara's <racist> comments were jokes, but I really doubt that she meant them as jokes. And if she did, she is incredibly out of touch with common courtesy and professional demeanor on television. Even if she thought that the rest of the panel would find her comments (and gestures) funny, does she not think/care about the viewing public? <rhetorical question>

Backing quickly away from this show!

[FireWoman]

Thanks, dagwood!


OMG. Condescending (at which Barbara "excels") is one thing; rude (at which Barbara "excels") is another thing; but racist is quite another thing. And did she say "us white people" or "we white people"?

It's amazing that Barbara can even speak at all (let alone over the other co-hosts and GUESTS), what with that size XXXXXXXXXX silver spoon in her mouth.

I typed that last sentence several times on earlier posts, but backspaced. And then I had techical problems with posting.

Someone earlier mentioned that Barbara's <racist> comments were jokes, but I really doubt that she meant them as jokes. And if she did, she is incredibly out of touch with common courtesy and professional demeanor on television. Even if she thought that the rest of the panel would find her comments (and gestures) funny, does she not think/care about the viewing public? <rhetorical question>

Backing quickly away from this show!

Woopie: "Should I be worried about being a slave, about being returned to slavery because certain things happened in the Constitution that you had to change?"

BW: "Us white folk will take care of you!"

I took it as Woopie being funny in a situation that was rather heavy and Babs TRYING to be as well, and doing poorly.

[VelvetRed]

Woopie: "Should I be worried about being a slave, about being returned to slavery because certain things happened in the Constitution that you had to change?"

BW: "Us white folk will take care of you!"

I took it as Woopie being funny in a situation that was rather heavy and Babs TRYING to be as well, and doing poorly.

Thanks!

Barbara needs to go to grammar school then. It should have been "We white folk...". Or maybe it was intentional to make some other poor point.

Did I mention that I'm not a Barbara fan?

Does anyone here think that the co-hosts are really friends off-camera? I don't...

[2boysmom]

I am not a regular View watcher, but I detest when hosts are rude to their guests. IMHO, Whoppi asked a question that I did not believe needed to be asked. It did not come across as comic relief to me. Neither did her constant eye rolling and defensive posturing. If one or more of the hosts cannot sit through a civil interview, then I think those hosts should be excused from sitting through it at all. Their absence would still make a statement without being personally, overtly rude about their feelings. I was very disappointed in these GROWN women's behavior on this show today.

[VelvetRed]

Well, 2boysmom, I am very close to wanting all of them replaced. I would bring back Meredith...gosh, she comes across as an intelligent, compassionate and real woman.

I would have to wrack my brain for 4 more good candidates, though. Hmmmm...

Meanwhile, I want to call this show "Insufferable B's on Steroids".

[PWS]

Just a question to Velvet... did Babs actually have a silver spoon upbringing? I thought not... Not to imply I'm a huge fan today...though I do remember her when she really was a hard hitting journalist (Yes, I'm that old!) and not a talk show host.

[PWS]

Thank you so much!

I'm not an expert on the U.S. Constitution, but a friend of mine has said that some of it has been misinterpreted in more modern times. I'm pretty sure he meant that some people have tried to justify their actions by citing the Constitution erroneously.

I did a quick research and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery (1865). So perhaps Whoopie's comment was not out of line? IOW, maybe she was trying to get McCain to elaborate on whether he meant "the Constitution + amendments" or "the Constitution - amendments"?

I don't know, I would have to view it, but I don't want to view it.

The modern American would have a number of quibbles with the original Constitution of our forefathers...it was based in a slave owning world (in which, when you were taking a census to determine how many voters were in a state to decide the number of Representatives, slaves each counted as 3/5 of a person [I'm sure someone out there knows how that # was arrived at, but I don't]) in which not only did women not vote, basically only property owning white men voted. And the whole NRA beloved right to bear arms thing wasn't in the original version, it's an Amendment as well. So in fact it's fair to ask McCain exactly which version he supports, and where he thinks the forefathers went wrong, since he keeps referring to his interpretation of their wishes and beliefs. And if McCain doesn't know that many African- Americans and many women aren't that crazy about the original Constitution as a perfect document then Whoopi did him a favor.

[VelvetRed]

Just a question to Velvet... did Babs actually have a silver spoon upbringing? I thought not... Not to imply I'm a huge fan today...though I do remember her when she really was a hard hitting journalist (Yes, I'm that old!) and not a talk show host.

I really don't know...she just comes across that way. She's so uppity that it seems that she believes her own press <pun intended>.

Yes, I remember that she USED TO BE a respected/respectable journalist. But it was a very long time ago.

I find it annoying when her co-hosts make mention of how she's done so many interviews (I bet those comments are scripted), and she pretends unsuccessfully to be humble about it. I really believe that Barbara thinks she is royalty.

ETA: Yep, silver spoon.
Barbara Walters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MamaC]

I was only half paying attention to today's show.....and, again, tonight I was in the car and listening to CBS evening News on the radio and came across this:

The Truth And Lies In The Ad Wars, CBS Evening News Fact Checks Obama's And McCain's Recent Ads - CBS News

(CBS) On the campaign trail, the facts took a beating this week - especially in some claims both campaigns are making in their advertising. We thought it was time for CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews to do a Reality Check.


---------------------------------------------------------

John McCain, appearing on ABC's "The View," was defending Sarah Palin as an anti-earmark crusader, but in the process made two glaring mistakes.

"Well, first of all, earmark spending, which she vetoed a half a billion dollars worth in state of Alaska," McCain said Friday.

The facts are Sarah Palin did veto half a billion dollars, but in state spending - not earmarks. A fact that led to this follow up.

"She also took some earmarks," Barbara Walters said.

"A lot," Joy Behar added.

"No, not as governor she didn't," McCain responded.

Wrong again.

The facts are Sarah Palin as governor has requested $453 million in earmarks.

In general, the facts took a beating in the first campaign week after the conventions. In this week's advertising, McCain went relentlessly negative - in some case resorting to falsehood.

In one ad, McCain implied that Barack Obama called Sarah Palin a pig.

That was false. Obama was talking about McCain's platform.

The latest McCain ad says the Obama camp insulted Sarah Palin's looks - a clear distortion.

The fact is, last week Sen Biden described Palin as good looking - compared to him.

And these ads about pigs and insults are from a candidate who promised to avoid going negative.

"It's very important we focus on issues and challenges we face today," McCain had previously said.

Obama - who also promised a positive campaign - was also loose with the facts in an attack ad, in which Obama claimed McCain repeatedly cut funding for schools.

The facts are: McCain voted three times to increase education spending, and that "taking away" claim is a distortion.

"What he wants to do is to freeze discretionary spending in the government," said Viveca Novak of Factcheck.org. "But it's not a cut from previous years."

According to the nonpartisan Factcheck.org it was a very bad week for the issues.

"The ads we are seeing this week in particular have been, in tone, as low as we ever seen," Novak said.

McCain has been the aggressor in this slide to negativity and it's putting pressure on Obama to respond. Either way, this is not the elevated discussion both candidates promised to deliver.


© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[Bunny555]

I didn't see the show today but heard parts of it while I was working. I missed the "eyerolls and facial expressions" but did hear the response from the audience when McCain addressed Roe v Wade. I agree that BW was beyond rude and a little bit off her rocker today. Was this a pre-taped show?
If it was, then I can only imagine what was edited out.