Obama, Stephanopoulos Interview On ABC's This Week

Barack Obama gave an interview to George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. The interview is set to air tomorrow morning, but here are some excerpts released by ABC.

On The Decision To Intervene On Behalf Of Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac

Intervention was necessary. I'm inclined to support some form of intervention to prevent a long-term, much bigger crisis...We are not bailing out shareholders and investors and management. They were making a lot of money because of the lack of regulation. All those profits were private. We don't want to make all those losses suddenly public and they get away without taking a haircut...We are going to have to take a look at how we regulate the financial markets and mortgages markets going forward.

On McCain's Choice Of Sarah Palin As His Running Mate

He chose somebody who may be even more aligned with George Bush - or Dick Cheney, or the politics we've seen over the last eight years - than john McCain himself is...She wouldn't be governor of Alaska is she wasn't a skilled politician, and I think her performance at the convention showed what a skilled politician she is.

Comments

[ella52]

What it really comes down to is the United States, as it stands now, is a two-party system. In a two-party system, when the party in power is making mistake after mistake, ignoring what the people want (out of Iraq; change in the direction of the country), disrespecting the Constitution, the one option we have as voters, is to change those in power.
I don't understand why the Republicans think that making the same choice over and over will bring such different results.
Democrats in large numbers went for Reagan, not because they change their basic beliefs but because they felt they needed a change in the power structure. My father was a lifelong democrat who went to Reagan and at the time we fought and argued and I just didn't understand why.
I think I do now but in reverse. I believe if the Republicans would set aside this narrow view and stop expecting that if they continue to make the same choices over and over they will get different results, we might all move forward. I hope Independents can see this and act accordingly.

[Moka11]

Christian fundamentalists are fired up for Palin and a Supreme Court of conservative judges and no Roe V Wade, etc. Neo-cons want McCain and more wars (Iran), permanent Bush tax cuts, oil drilling, etc. This party is determined to crush Obama, wipe out government and continue privatization, etc.
The more we focus on the inexperience of Palin the more we take the focus off of the danger of McCain.
By keeping Palin under wraps the media focuses on her more and we are falling into the trap the McCain camp has set. It's clever, obvious, and working. The media, Democrats and Christians are salivating even more to see or hear her for different reasons. It keeps us all from McCain. This is maestro Karl Rove manipulation.
McCain is a disaster for this country. Stop focusing on his VP pick.

[NYCMami]

There is a truth there and I think that Obama and Biden have continued to focus on McCain. But I also think that the fact that Palin is in an undiclosed location (which is a term that's all about Cheney and I hope they use) will be very, very disagreeable to people. The base will find it hilarious and a big f u and they love it. Then again, Pa lin could slap on some black face and an affect that would rival Robin Williams in The Birdcage and they'd eat it up. It's the undecideds that will be offended by this stonewalling and it will eventually bit them in the a$$.

[Missmn]

Yes, this election just took a very sinister turn. It really is the fork in the road, and I can only hope that enough people realize it.

For those who are on the fence still, either because you are a fiscal conservative, or you were wounded by the primary, or you just don't know if you can trust the black guy, or and especially, those who are holding onto your (irrational) fear that Fundamentalist Islam is actually a danger to our country. For those of you in the last category, I ask, why is Fundamentalist Christianity any better or less dangerous?

[jenny42]

So, John McCain picked a woman to be his nominee and what for? The same reason he left his injured wife for Cindy... Money!
It is funny that Sarah is not ready for the media, but she can go out and fundraise for him. HE IS LITERALLY PIMPING HER OUT!!!!

[Gould123]

My mom says that mccain won't vote for equal right for women or equal pay and it tells you were he thinks women should be in todays world! That if you feel and vote against them, there is only one reason to make a woman your V.P. For the pretty face, and gender, the money she can bring him for his own campagne! So yes, Mccain is pimping out Sarah Palin, and makeing all women look like fools, and setting them back fore the march for rights to vote, except he's doing it by withholding equal pay, and equal womens right to choose!

[willbigdeal]

You should not listen to your mom untill she comes out from under the bed. Equal rights and pay to women was settled long ago. You do know Palin is a Govenor dont you? Does that not show that women can be what they chose now. If you want to blame equality for low self esteme, I guess one can, but that does not make it true. Its the same thing with racisism, it servives because people want to use it as a crutch for failure or an excuse for not working hard for your dream. The world as we know it is fair, if not a little tipped to the women and minorities, its the people that aren't. By that I mean that there has been laws put into place to assure everyone is treated equal, and now we go out of our way to make sure they feel that way so there is no question. The only downside to that is, if we try to hard to be equal, do we not tend to tip the scale over just a little to be sure, yes.This is a bitter sweet drama that will curse us till the end of time. Ask your dad if he thinks he gets treated equal. I bet you don't. Why? Because it doesn't matter if men are treated equal now because they are not crying equality yet.

[thecanadian]

McBush is also letting her stay up in Alaska hiding out from the MSM and they really expect that the American citizens are stupid. Why is hiding out. To avoid the MSM from "answering some questions". They are making a mockery of the MSM & of a very important Election. What is the media doing - nothing - still covering her. She would soon come out of her cave if the MSM QUIT covering her at all until she faced them! - McCain is actually issuing press releases on her behalf - from there. What a childish game. Example. is Campbell Brown the only member of the MSM on CNN with any B - - -s? Campbell asked a question McCain didn't like so he had a temper tantrum and cancelled his interview. Then - CNN gave him hours and hours and hours of coverage after that. .CNN allowed themselves to be bullied. Shame on them. We support Campbell Browns' stand.

[neo1]

They've been doing that for years.

[nerakami]

Lck of Regulation = Phil Gramm = John McSame

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

Who's the real wartime president?

A guy who is able to sit down and hold his own with an interviewer he knows will be hostile, or the guy who picks a second-in-command who can't even face a friendly crowd for a few questions on DAY ONE?

[KBAR]

A guy who is able to sit down and hold his own with an interviewer he knows will be hostile,

Let me get this straight. A Democrat interviewing a Democrat is 'hostile'?­..........­.......LOL

What a hoot!

[julescator]

Bill O'Reilly is not a DEMOCRAT silly!

[IowaKid]

Excuse me Stephanopolulos is the same guy that attacked Barack Obama in the ABC Democratic Debate. Obviously you didn't watch that one.

[OhioJan]

A Democrat? Since when did Bill-O the Clown turn to the "other side"? Oh, right. You CONVENIENTLY missed the Bill O'Reilly Show Thursday night, didn't you? KBR, you need to do more investigating & researching: You could actually LEARN something!!!

[MorningJoeMikaIsMarried]

That little Midget is no longer a Democrat.

What world are you living in.

[kleerview]

Bill O'Reilly

[FebM]

Anti-science, anti-choice book burning creationist in the 21st century.

Question in UK leading paper.
"What has being a hockey mom got to do with being the leader of a super power"

[KBAR]

John McCain will concede all the Labor voters in the UK. He'll even concede all the radical left anarchist voters in Germany and France.

[thecanadian]

Nice way to rebuild a Respectable Reputation around the world. The UK paper article must have created wonderful laughter in Britian.

[KiwisCanFly]

"it's not about issues it's about image" said a McCain spokesperson.

WRONG

6 years of a Republican President and Congress IMAGE.

Abu Ghraib, Katrina, Guantanamo, Walter Reed, Black Water, Halliburton, Water Boarding, Body Armor, Executive Power,WMD's,
Rove, Bush, Cheney, Abramoff, Libby, Gonzales, Rumsfield, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz
Axis of Evil, Stay the Course, Last Throes, Heck of a Job Brownie.

Obama and Biden.

Change.

Issues.

[dsmith815]

See a beautiful example of grass roots community organizing for change and for Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4esYwM5VeI

[thecanadian]

Thank you for posting this wonderful new Ad for Obama. Thank you all those Wonderful volunteers. Spread the link around to every story on any post anywhere. It was so beautiful - Uplifting compared to the Rants and attacks of the Repuglican offering! Uplifting!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4esYwM5VeI.

[brwnizofmine]

Senator Obama's answers are always so much more detailed than Senator McCain's. I wish the media would make Senator McCain be more specific in his policy answers.

Listening to C-Span's first segment this morning and GOD help us if all of the people that have been registered do not come out and vote, we are in big trouble!

I was so utterly surprised at some of the phone calls. It is so very hard for me to believe that in 2008 that some people are still so backwards.

If I had a choice of voting for the smart person to run the country against a person that is not so smart and know nothing of what they are speaking most of the time, I'm going to take the smart person any day regardless of the person's ethnicity.

That is not true for a lot of people. We have to get all of those young people out to vote because older men are going to be a big problem!

[bryan0218]

I watched that same first hour on C-Span. You are right, if those callers are an example of the people who will be going to the polls it is very scary. Some say this is a culture war, they are wrong, it is a war of the informed vs the ignorant. If Obama looses it will not be simply because of race, it will be because this country has a greater populace of uneducated ignorant voters than informed intelligent voters. My favorite quoute from Obama is this line: "...It's like these people take pride in being ignorant."

[Alexandro]

"informed vs the ignorant." .... maybe more like smart and not smart enough....­.

[HHarvey]

If Obama loses I agree, it will not be about race, it will be about putting religion before your country.

[ToonMoene]

OK, I'll go out on a limb:

Barack...u­da.

Great song by Heart, BTW - I wish I could find a way to pay them for it (apparently the RNC didn't).

Watch the Vanity Fair version here:

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/politics/2008/09/who-says-white-people-cant-dance.html

[abigail1]

i read somewhere that Heart is going to get paid for the song, and since for some reason they can't stop the RNC from using it, they are going to give their royalties to Obama.

[beboy]

That's too bad. That song, and anything else by Heart, should never be played by anyone.

[dsmith815]

For a beautiful example of community organizing for change and for Obama, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4esYwM5VeI

[IowaKid]

Seems like John McCain's son had turned in his resignation 2 weeks before the closing of a Nevada Bank this weekend.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/05/news/economy/bank_closure.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008090607

[ATime4Change]

Everyone should send this to their grandparents, aunts and uncles!

Yesterday
AARP Forum: Obama on retirement, social security and health care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft3U1KeALlI

He was Great!

[IowaKid]

I seen both of them and as you said Obama was great!!!!!!

[bryan0218]

I watched both Obama's & McCain's presentation yesterday on C-Span. Obama got loud applause thoughout the presentation and a rousing standing ovation at the end. McCain set there and delivered his stump speech, spoke in generalalities and mentioned how proud he was of his new press secretary, sorry I mean running mate. He got polite applause for the most part and at the end he did not get a rousing standing ovation as Obama did.

Old people are smart!

[willbigdeal]

Will not affect 99percent of Americans? I guess not with all the non profit "Foundations" hese corporate rats have come up with....El­iminate taxes to seniors making over 50k??? Which walmart, mcdonalds or Hardee's pays over 50k because that is where the seniors work, unless of course you were employed by the local, state, or fed government­........He will allow re-importation of drug companies??? Again he calls us to stupid to make the drugs here in the states. And why is that? So he can line his pockets with the cash they give him for pushing the bill....Ob­ama we have enough DRUGS coming over here from other countries without your help, you should know that, youre from Chicago...­..There is a good question, why is Ill still jacked up if this man had a say in its government. Walk those streets and then lets see if you vote for him.

[londonrainbow]

The press needs to interview Palin. How can someone be a heatbeat away from the presidency is SIDEKICK is elected and dies, yet she is being shielded from the public and press? Huh?

[TrueThis]

The Sarah Palin No Comment Watch on The Jeb Report
8 days, 18 hours,
41 minutes, and 50 seconds.
Still no interview.
Still not ready.

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/09/new-gop-spin-palins-not-ready.html

[1Smartchik]

Where is the no Sarah count down clock like they had for Obama to come on Fox and go to Iraq?

[EvenSteven88]

My guess is that she'll go on Fox News first in about 2 weeks to answer pre-submitted questions. Wanna start taking bets?

[McChimp]

Obama and Biden need to make the line "They must think you're stupid" a running theme in their campaign, since the repubs ALWAYS go for the easily decieved.

Obama can play offense on the Repubs, attacking John McCain AND his Caribou Barbie, and Biden can back him up and perry any repub attacks back on them. That is why Obama-Biden is a much more viable ticket than McCain-Palin; Obama and Biden do what McCain-Palin can't do, and that is work as a team.

Every day that passes, it looks like McCain isn't even the head of his ticket and is being replaced by Palin, which makes McCain look weak and is costing him voters. The same people that were leaning McCain in the summer either switched to Obama, third party, or decided not to vote at all.

That being said, Obama and Biden can't take ANYTHING for granted. They need to spend time in ALL 50 states, even states they know they won't win, at least they can close the gap in those states and help some of the Dems there in local elections, and expedite their resources in the swing purple states like Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, North Dakota. If Obama can win Ohio, Virginia, or Florida, then McCain has NO path to the White House.

[GabrielXL]

I think I'd change the line to, "They must think you haven't been paying attention". Why? For all the obvious reasons. Twist, spin, lie, spit.

[ReadyNow]

Insulting voters is always a winning strategy,,,,just ask Presidents Kerry, Gore and Dukaksis..­..he needs to go to McDonalds and get a big Mac......l­ike Clinton

[qinkilla]

Wasn't insulting voters. In fact, he was voicing a highly probable fact based on a ton of informatio­n...