Democrats Should Not Be Lulled Into False Sense Of Security With Chris Wallace As Debate Moderator

Crybaby-in-Chief Trump has already begun whining about Chris Wallace and the presidential debate moderators chosen. But Democrats must be prepared for right-wing tropes to show up in Wallace's debate questions. UPDATED.

As The New York Times reported, the other moderators will be C-Span’s Steve Scully, on October 15, and NBC News’ Kristen Welker, on October 22. USA Today’s Susan Page will moderate the vice presidential debate on October 7.

It didn’t take long for the dishonest victimhood from the Crybaby Campaign to show up. Biden, on the other hand, has agreed to whomever was chosen. More from The Times:

Mr. Trump’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, issued a statement on Wednesday claiming, without evidence, that “some” of the chosen moderators “can be identified as clear opponents of President Trump” and charging that Mr. Biden “will actually have a teammate onstage.”

Mr. Murtaugh did not say which of the moderators he was accusing of bias, and the Trump campaign did not clarify when asked for additional comment. He also wrote that the choices “are not the moderators we would have recommended if the campaign had been allowed to have any input.” In fact, the debate commission never allows campaigns to formally advise on the choices of moderators.

The Biden campaign also issued a statement, saying that the Democratic candidate “looks forward to participating in the debates set by the commission, regardless of who the independently chosen moderators are.”

The selection of Mr. Wallace may set off Mr. Trump, who has criticized the Fox News anchor’s coverage in the past, although the president also sat for an interview with him at the White House in July. Last week, at a rally in New Hampshire, Mr. Trump taunted Mr. Wallace for “a lack of talent” and compared the anchor unfavorably with his father, the “60 Minutes” legend Mike Wallace, who died in 2012.

In my view, Wallace is a better choice than Bret Baier or Martha MacCallum, despite the fact that, back when the network wanted to host a Democratic presidential primary debate, Fox said they “embody the ultimate journalistic integrity and professionalism.” The fact is, they don’t.

Probably of all the Fox news-side talent, Wallace is the most independent. I actually don't think he's a bad choice at all. But don’t expect that Wallace will not show his roots. In other words, do expect questions on Fox News talking points such as Hunter Biden, China, Blacks Behaving Badly, and more.

For example, in the Fox News Sunday video below, Wallace disingenuously suggested that Joe Biden would shut the country down again if elected, thereby bolstering a false Trump attack. In reality, as Wallace’s own clip made clear, Biden was responding to a hypothetical posed, by an interviewer, with regard to Biden’s actual position of “following the science” on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Wallace’s interview with Biden’s Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus.

DAVID MUIR, ABC NEWS: So if the scientists say, shut it down?

BIDEN: I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Joe Biden's plan is not a solution to the virus, but rather it's a surrender to the virus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: No, no leading scientist that I've seen is talking about shutting down the country again. So why would the vice president even raise that possibility?

[…]

WALLACE: Wait, wait -- no, I'm asking -- the question I'm asking -- the question I'm asking is a very specific one. It isn't about Trump's response, it's why is Joe Biden talking about shutting down the country again?

[…]

WALLACE: I'm asking, why would he talk about -- why would the -- why could the vice president talk about shutting down the economy again?

It’s too bad Bedingfield did not call out Wallace’s tactic. I suspect she wasn’t familiar with right-wing/Trump/Fox talking points.

Let’s hope the Biden camp understands what they’ll be facing on September 29.

You can watch that interview below, from the August 30, 2020 Fox News Sunday.

9/3/20 Update: CNN's Oliver Darcy made an interesting point: " Rewarding Fox News with the first debate feels like a slap in the face to all the news organizations with high ethical and journalistic standards that have stood up for truthful and honest reporting — despite the venomous attacks — in the Trump era."

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Showing 11 reactions

commented 2020-09-04 23:51:44 -0400 · Flag

Bemused, you are right about the other super spreader events. Trump is kept a safe distance from the unmasked, untested masses but a lot of people close to him are/were not.

commented 2020-09-04 11:50:15 -0400 · Flag

Thanks John McKee. I’d not thought about the possibility that demise from covid-19 would be more likely to foment shock not frenzy among the faithful. I’d not gotten beyond the expectation that Dence would be enthroned as the great one’s natural successor in the eyes of the faithful.

commented 2020-09-04 05:11:11 -0400 · Flag

Johnson, Berlusconi… why not Trump?? At this point, gentle Bemused, I’d say the sudden, clearly natural, demise of Agent Orange would be the best thing for the future of the States. His victims may not have reached Hitlerian numbers, but who’s to say what obscene lengths he would go to over the next four years if given the chance. And losing in an election will/would send his crazy base into murderous rampages north, south, east and west.

Today’s revelations should cut him off at the knees electorally, but the hard core will remain loyal to the bitter (and it will be bitter) end.

commented 2020-09-04 04:24:27 -0400 · Flag

Ellen: Not only the RNC but all Republican events as Trump prefers them, are likely to be super spreader events. Luckily (to my mind), we’re still about 8 weeks from the election and a lot people, many of them elderly, all of them eager to experience the thrill of yelling and shouting to their heart’s content, will start having symptoms well before Nov. 3. Let’s make sure everybody realises where they caught the virus.

Update: Berlusconi was hospitalised this morning. Although I do my best not to wish ill on anybody … well, almost … it does seem to be karma at work. Like Trump, he had made it a thing to appear without the unmanly mask.

commented 2020-09-04 00:49:20 -0400 · Flag

Wow, Bemused. I had not heard that about Berlusconi.

I can’t help but think that the Republican convention will turn into a super spreader event.

commented 2020-09-03 14:34:25 -0400 · Flag

I trust nothing from FOX. Nothing. Granted that Wallace may occasionally approach truth and facts, but his continued employment at FOX speaks volumes as to his character and trustworthiness. I still feel his father is spinning in his grave.

commented 2020-09-03 07:51:19 -0400 · Flag

On topic: As the ship sinks, Wallace might – just might – be tempted to behave like an impartial moderator. Dixit Bemused, aka Polyanna.

commented 2020-09-03 07:50:03 -0400 · Flag

off topic. This morning’s news is that Berlusconi and 2 of his adult children have tested positive for Covid-19. It appears that they caught it from a showman called Briatore who hosted Italy’s version of the Apprentice about ten years ago. I’ve not seen even one episode of that show but am told that Briatore did his best to ape Trump’s despicable bullying. I’m just a tad ashamed of my first reaction to that news. Like Trump, Berlusconi lied constantly about everything and he was willing to do absolutely anything to get elected. To Italy’s ever-lasting shame, that happened four times. Not one of our best accomplishments.

commented 2020-09-02 23:10:19 -0400 · Flag

@rw Fan. I agree. No way the Orange Clown shows up for the Oct 22 debate moderated by a NBC employee. We will hear the cries of fake news, bias and the voters don’t want or need more debates.

commented 2020-09-02 21:54:46 -0400 · Flag

Wallace was fine in 2016 and I’d expect him to be fine again. Here’s the issue. Trump will bitch and whine about lack of air time, nasty questions, and bias. This sets him up to skip the second and third debates, claiming media bias. He’ll really do this if he performs and looks bad in the process. It’s coming. Not sure if Trump has any history with the C-Span guy, but good chance he won’t show with Welker in charge in Debate 3.

commented 2020-09-02 19:34:18 -0400 · Flag

Wallace only stands up on the rare occasions where he adjudges that it’s in his personal interest to do so. His ‘brand’ is that he’s the one impartial voice on Fox, the fearless interrogator determined to expose the real and unvarnished truth. Together with an ‘above the fray’ manner of superiority, obviously.

I haven’t watch much of the Devil’s Channel lately, but he has no compunction about joining the Fiends on their breakfast abomination and lending his faux gravitas to whatever their bizarro slime-of-the-day happens to be.

Democrats Should Not Be Lulled Into False Sense Of Security With Chris Wallace As Presidential Moderator

Showing 11 reactions