Paul Begala Schools Meghan McCain (VIDEO)

Meghan McCain got taken to task by Paul Begala during her appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday, leading her to tell Begala at one point "you clearly know everything and I'm just the blond sitting here."

It all got started during a discussion of George Bush, who McCain acknowledged was a less than perfect president. But McCain also pointed a finger at the Obama administration in Bush's defense, saying she felt that the Obama administration "has to stop completely blaming everything on its predecessor." When Maher asked McCain if she really thought this is what Obama is doing, McCain said "I do to a degree." A clearly annoyed Begala immediately shook his head and said "not to enough of a degree, I'm sorry not nearly enough." He then began to explain how President Reagan blamed Jimmy Carter for years, to which McCain responded blithely "you know I wasn't born yet so I wouldn't know." Going in for the kill, Begala fired back "I wasn't born during the French Revolution but I know about it."

And it only got more embarrassing for McCain from there.

Comments

[mike2lane]

She may not be trained as a talking-points assassin, but her message really resonates well with me and many others. Begala, as usual, is witty and well equipped as a divisive figure. McCain is more likely to be more inclusive and open to discussion and - most importantly - a middle ground. The more I hear her, the more I like what I hear. Please, let's not forget that she was up against 4 hard-core liberals; that would be difficult even for the most progressive amongst us.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Her BIg message was to forget the passed Republican messes with the economy and
just about every s.c.r.eww.-up Republicans shouldn't be reminded of.

That was the highlight of her message. As far as inclusive.­.well.....­.she represents the party
who's main objective is to 'EXCLUDE' as much of humanity as it can.

Some message.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

...past...

[smarternu]

well said

[force fed up]

she is a twit.

[neocon666]

Hello? It was more like the Sarah Palin - Katie Courec interview: she was treated with kid gloves, but insisted on using said gloves to slap herself silly. She can't be a trumpet for the "new" republican party if she doesn't know anything about the president her party practically worships as a God. And then to use the lamest-of-lame excuses that she wasn't alive back then made her look like a complete airhead. No, you can't blame this one on the "liberals" like you do everything else; they don't control the words that come out of her mouth.

Her message is clearly "we can get along -as long as you forget the last 8 years and let us blame everything on President Obama".

[Shawnie1673]

Doesn't anyone read history anymore? I was seven years old in 1979, but I've read my history, I didn't know a lot about Reagan, or Carter for that fact, so what did Ido? I went to the public library and read book, I listened in political science class, getting a little bit of depth just isn't that hard. I would say to Meghan McCain, if you are going to play in the political arena, know what you are talking about, and know who you are talking to. Katty Kay who was also on the Maher panel, is an author and a journalist, and a blonde and I didn't hear Kay, say that people talk down to her because she was blonde. Meghan you cannot on the one hand want to play with big kids and then when you get in over your head, you say it's because you were not born, or their teasing you because you're blonde. Grow up, we all have to at some point.

[force fed up]

Republicans won't read books, facts tend to have a liberal bias.

[antifluff]

Libs: you gotta luv em! Spout our talking points and we will LIKE you, (hah, we tricked you), com'on ease up on conservative values and we will support you (hah, we tricked you...agai­n), com'on do it again... (sorry, that is her Dad believing after all that time).
Paul has showed once again that you can never, never trust a lib (they will not tall erate the trooth).

[Judyisacutie]

Megan and people like her have no depth to their arguments. You've got to come to the table with more than values. You also have to have solutions. Believe it or not, most people have similar values. We all want quality education, a clean environment, safe neighborhoods, world peace and an end to abortion. They fight is over how to get there. Reagan economics was one method. We tried it and it didn't work out long term. Republicans are out of ideas regarding new methods. The liberals have all the ideas these days. The people are looking for new solutions, not the same old rhetoric.

Everyone can placate conservatives who have nothing to offer, pat them on the back, tell them that they are smart and mean well, but in the end that doesn't solve any problems. We've got a messed up economy and two wars going. It would be too polite to pick the same mistaken policies just to coddle conservatives' egos.

[neocon666]

What you're doing is called an "ad hominem" attack -attacking the person instead of addressing the argument, which conservative have cornered the market on. Meagan Cain was clearly wrong about Ronald Reagan not blaming Jimmy Carter for everything under the sun. She clearly didn't know anything about the president her own party practically worships as a God, and then presents an excuse you'd expect from a 9-year old, but it's the fault of those "mean old liberals" that she doesn't read books.

"The republican party: we got nothing."

[Haitiana4Obama]

Go Paul Begala! While I tend to support Meghan because I've felt she's been something of a centrist/rational Conservative, I do feel she was way off base in that little exchange. Love the line Paul says about the French Revolution­...classic­!

[rflctammt]

My thoughts EXACTLY!

[jer9848]

I like her.And Iam a bleeding heart liberal.I will listen to her over Coulter any day.Iam glad there are not more like her or the Repubs might get people to listen to them.Unlik­e her grumpy old daddy. :P

[kwoodberryesq]

I think it is a sin when children grow up and are handed the previous generation's garbage...

[rflctammt]

Interesting point.
Wonder what she'd be like with different parents.
Probably not as interesting but perhaps a little more true to herself. I do think she has some pretty good stuff, but perhaps, like her father, some pretty strong "ghosts" in the recesses.

[freelyb]

She wouldn't be on your teevee with different parents, so it wouldn't matter much.

[freelyb]

Luckily, she's also going to be handed a handful of financial security from the previous generation's garbage.

[TheCowman]

awww, she's cute!

[JustMyThoughtJoe]

God bless Bill Maher for having pity on her because she could have been ripped apart! They handled her with kid gloves and she still managed to make herself look horrible. All on her own with no help of the "mean ol' liberal press out to get her". Thats always seems to be their excuse.

[JustMyThoughtJoe]

This is the same person who whined about not being considered a GOP leader!!! Why exactly should we consider you one Meghan? Because of who your daddy is? Please.

I get ticked off when people say "give her some credit at least she's trying" or "cut her some slack". That INSANE argument almost made a cocky, uninformed, airhead my Vice President! No more guys! Why should we applaud nonsensical people? If you don't know your history, if you don't have an argument, if you can't even name what publications you follow then GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!!

Please don't reply to me that she's "young and learning" because I am younger than her and learning as well but I don't throw hissy fits when my opinion is challenged.

And please Meghan, please Sarah, PLEASE stop complaining that you're being picked on because you're women or "conservative" or even blonde!! Maybe it's your lack of knowledge that's easy to pick on.

[thegameoflife]

Very eloquently put justmythoughtjoe

[pragmaticdallasite]

my sentiments

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Smart and 'beautiful'.

When are you going to announce your decision to run?

We need you!

[JustMyThoughtJoe]

Thanks! haha. Become my 'fan' and maybe I'll announce my decision very soon ;-) I'm thinking about running for VP. It doesn't really have many restrictions these days, lol.

[BurtonOerney]

Aren't you throwing a hissy fit with capital letters and stuff because somebody disagreed with your opinion?

[JustMyThoughtJoe]

I used capital letter to emphasize certain words since you obviously can't hear the tone of my voice. (Wow, I never thought I'd have to defend capped letters, lol.) My post has NOTHING (that's not me yelling just emphasizing the word nothing) My post has NOTHING to do with disagreeing with Meghan McCain. She actually has to say something to be disagreed with. My point is that she didn't say anything at all. Sort of like the comment you just left me ;-)

[smarternu]

go back to Sesame Street

[topdocjim]

I saw this show, and I have a very different take on it. When she came on the set, the producer had passed on to Bill that she was VERY nervous, and she said that she felt like a little kid at the big kids' table. Begala's comment was completely inappropriate. Yes, a-hole, we ALL know about the French Revolution, because it was important enough to be taught in school. The intricacies of individual presidencies are known to those who lived through them. Ask me about Jimma Cotter.

McCain is really, really trying. She's young, and she's getting manure from the Repuglicans on one side, because she won't toe the party line, and the Democrats on the other, just because she's a Republican. Look guys, she DISAGREES with the Bushies, and she's trying to get the Republicans back on track. She does NOT represent the bastards that got us in this condition; she's trying to straighten things out. Give her some slack. The cheap shots by Mssr. Begala only further hurt his already minimal credibility.

And, BTW, before you start that "right-wing-nut" stuff, I voted for Obama.

[JustMyThoughtJoe]

Other than your vote, every other things you said spells out "nut". Please read my many posts on this topic.

[thegameoflife]

Is that you Cindy?

[smarternu]

funyi

[pragmaticdallasite]

If you watched that show and came away with a different take than......­.......per­haps you and Megan should hang out.

Anybody with half a brain can tell she is an uneducated valley girl who should be kept far away from any position that governs or effects people's lives. I mean jeez, how low are we gonna set the bar for political credibility? The fact that people like her and Sarah Palin are allowed to debate/govern issues of such importance to so many people says something very sad about this country.

[thegameoflife]

Well said!

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

Who is 'Jimma Cotter?

[CorlisRubi]

Look people, Bill simply wanted to show his support of the Iranian protesters, and they don’t seem to come any greener than Meghan!
Okay, lame jokes aside, I did feel sort of bad for her. Hopefully she will find her footing sooner rather than never. I tend to prefer an open-minded republican to a closed-minded democrat any day of the week.

[steve-oo]

Meghan is disrespectful, woefully ill informed, not poised, has a mean streak just like her father and is an embarrassment to herself, her party, her family and to young people everywhere. She talks to hear herself talk and if she really wants to help her party, she and Palin should take history lessons together.

[bobbybo]

How did Meg Mc become a political expert? I have only seen this one appearance and my initial impression is not good. She came across as uninformed, specious and intimidated by Begala and Maher. Her appearance was reminiscent of the Bush twins doing their dumb and dumber routine at the Repub convention in '04. If the lead spokes-people for the Elephant party are now Limbaugh, Hannity, Palin, Newt, Shooter Cheney and now Meg Mc - they are in deep doo doo!

[pragmaticdallasite]

Well she has a column on the DailyBeast that's....­....meh. And she was on Rachel Maddow a while back and she was....ok, I guess. But she then proceeded to go on a morning show the next day and completely reverse what she said on Rachel the night before. I lost all respect for her. This appearance was just.....u­gh.

[Rain-man]

I guess Meghan thinks by putting her hair up like Palin makes her look smart?
It did not work this time, back to the kiddie table for "the blondie".

[Hughsie]

Without getting too preachy,Meghan embodies what is wrong with much of younger America. As a daughter of a man running for President,one would hope she was a lot more aware of history.As George Carlin so eloquently put it ,"As long as Americans have a cell phone that does our laundry,no one cares!"