Arianna On Bill Maher: 'What Is Left-Wing About Caring For The Middle Class?' (VIDEO)

Arianna appeared as the first guest on Friday's episode of "Real Time With Bill Maher," where she and the host talked HuffPost's merge with AOL, the 2012 elections, Obama at his best and worst, and Arianna's future plans.

Upon introducing Arianna, Maher picked up his cell phone and pretended to dial Moviefone, one of AOL's best-known media properties. Instead of the famed, robotic "Welcome to Moviefone" operator, the audience laughed as Maher was greeted by a familiar Greek accent offering her own take on current flicks like "The Social Network" and "No Strings Attached."

When asked if AOL's content would take a politicized slant upon its union with the Huffington Post, Arianna reminded Maher that the majority of stories on her site have nothing to do with politics. Those that do, she argued, move beyond party lines. "What is left-wing about caring for the middle class?" she asked.

WATCH:

Comments

[AyeChart]

05:53 PM on 02/16/2011

Arianna To Bill Maher: 'What Is Left-Wing About Caring For The Middle Class?'

Caring isn't the problem. The left wing always "cares" and always had good intentions.  It's that their basic principles about how to achieve those good results are WRONG and lead to many unintended consequences for us all.

[The-JuRK]

09:03 PM on 02/15/2011

"What so Left-wing about caring about the middle class...they're our biggest source of income!"

[ber6964]

04:34 PM on 02/15/2011

Uggggggg!

[wa-st-concerned]

04:21 PM on 02/15/2011

Arianna, in case you haven't noticed, the right wing has ABANDONED any semblence of advocating for the "middle class" and has rejected the idea that the poor are nothing but lazy drug users scamming the system.

[dmsdzinr]

04:12 PM on 02/15/2011

Arianna was SPOT ON! What you ARE if you care about the Middle Class is a TRUE AMERICAN!
And that leaves out quite a few of our own politicians!

[Smith Publish]

01:07 PM on 02/15/2011

Love it

[amd02148]

12:01 PM on 02/15/2011

On a different note, can anyone tell me if you lose fans when someone deletes their account? My fans have been going up and down since last week. I'll lose 4 maybe get one the next day. So on and so forth.

[StopMakingSense2]

05:06 PM on 02/16/2011

This isn't Facebook or Twitter. Why does it matter? If this validates your life... you don't have one..

[profounddogs]

09:37 AM on 02/15/2011

Arianna, kind of my role-model now.

[Tulka2]

11:31 PM on 02/14/2011

You won't find the real story in that fluff.  The real buzz is what David Carr said about it in today's New York Times: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/business/media/14carr.html?scp=1&sq=a%20nation%20of%20serfs&st=cse

[patches12]

07:31 PM on 02/14/2011

http://nation.foxnews.com/bill-maher/2011/02/12/maher-says-he-doesn-t-think-obama-christian

Of course only a Liberal like Maher could get away with a statement like that... calling the President a liar about something as personal as his Christian beliefs...

if a conservative had said it... there would be a boycott to have the person fired

Maher is not only an atheist.. he is a very angry atheist... he just can't believe a very bright man like Obama has Christian beliefs...it must not fit into his preconceived view of the world.

but again...no Progressive outrage on this one.... par for the course.

[PCMartin]

03:03 AM on 03/01/2011

Maher may be an outspoken, irreverent, faith-mocking atheist, but it's simply inaccurate to call him an angry atheist, let alone a *very* angry atheist. And please, tell us about the boycotts and firings of the conservative pundits who intimated or stated outright that Obama is a *Muslim*. Maher was clearly expressing a personal hunch, based on vague general impressions and no definitive evidence, that Obama is not a Christian. Fair enough. But to suggest -- whether on the basis of this clip or most of his other work -- that he's an angry atheist being given a special free pass for anti-Christian hostility is simply unwarranted.

[rainkitty]

12:59 PM on 02/14/2011

The impression that Progressives are "far left" arises largely because the elitist mass media simplistically, and falsely portrays American politics as being a one-dimensional split between "liberals" and "conservatives.
The misportrayal of Progressivism has been intentionally cultivated because US economic elites typically seek to exploit highly emotional "wedge" issues on which conservatives and liberals differ most, so as to elicit the political and economic support of cultural conservatives. For this reason, it has become customary for pseudo-conservative elitist politicians to pose as strong backers of American values. Yet when this type of individual is elected, liberals and conservatives both lose, and the most fundamental American values are undermined.
Progressivism stands at the opposite pole from economic elitism, and has enjoyed its greatest support when the injustice, exploitation, arrogance, and greed of economic elites become intolerable — to both liberals and conservatives alike."
http://www.progressiveliving.org/progressivism.htm

[patches12]

07:30 PM on 02/15/2011

I only wish what you say above is true in practice.... there would be common ground between true conservatives and progressives... but I don't see it.

the biggest and most difficult difference to overcome

conservatives = less government, more individual freedoms, more indvidual accoutability

progressives = bigger government, more govrenment control over individuals and less individual accountability.

If I am wrong, please correct me. You are the first Progressive I've posted with who hasn't called me names right out of the gate.

[suds mcduff]

10:22 PM on 02/16/2011

You're wrong...and to tbaggers, "liberal " *is* a "name"....

[rainkitty]

11:03 PM on 02/16/2011

Interesting. But we all share the same displeasure with the Ruling Class and will all suffer similar hardships if the economy gets worse (it will). I come across blogs that are discussing this often. Here are two just two:
http://my.firedoglake.com/justjim73/tag/uncommon-ground/ http://angelolopez.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/possible-areas-of-common-ground-with-republicans/

Communication breaks down all the time when we say things like "less individual accountability". That's a perception we blame each other for because we each have in our mind accurate examples of the other doing it. So it doesn't help determine anything about what the person means by using such empty slogans. Do I approve of "generaltional welfare families"? No. But do I believe that everyone is capable of "bootstrap solutions"? No. I have the perception that conservatives only want to punish. On the other hand perhaps you feel that I believe everyone should get equal goodies no matter what they contribute, which of course I don't believe but how would you know that if I simply say I support "social" programs? Our differences are in the generalizations, but our agreements are in the complexities which these threads have no time for. We can't help but chatter from our pre-conceived beliefs here (hence the insults) but it's not hopeless. We will identify with each other by recognizing our common enemy - the plutocracy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q&NR=1

[bluesunday]

05:22 PM on 02/16/2011

But what is not a false dichotomy is indeed the split between liberals and conservatives in how they both view the role of government in a democratic society. Liberals believe government is a force for the public good while conservatives see government as theft from the taxpayer.

[danjg]

12:21 PM on 02/14/2011

Cheers Arianna, I would say "what's left wing about having a heart or believing in the good in people"

[formerroadie]

11:46 AM on 02/14/2011

What Arianna should say is... It's correct! The Left cares about the middle class and the Right doesn't. We need to own this and attach it to the idea of liberalism. Liberals care about the middle class and the poor!

[patches12]

07:36 PM on 02/15/2011

Stop the lies... look at the Tea Pary folks.. THEY ARE THE MIDDLE CLASS!!

[suds mcduff]

10:23 PM on 02/16/2011

Who kowtow to the wealthy.....

[Endotoxin]

10:47 AM on 02/14/2011

A modest estimate of Middle class in NYC (including all five boroughs) would be a household income upwards of 100K plus annually...

Of which only (generous estimate) 20-30% of the population here makes....Which would delegate even many corporate employees in the city as "Working Class".

"Working poor" usually denotes lack of ability to advance in career, no property ownership or leases and someone either qualifying for some form of public assistance or having several family members qualify. Under 35K a year (for an individual, in the five boroughs).

"Poor" being on multiple types of public assistance, one of which has to be public housing or subsidized housing such as Section-8, and being one of several generations to subsist continually on public assistance.

Distinctions which are important: Educational opportunities, upbringing and network.

Keep in mind some entrepreneurs may be considered "working poor". However, they may at some point become Middle Class down the road through venture capital and continued success.

It is all dependent on one's network, professional and educational experience, family history and upbringing.

For example say you've had several generations of city employees as parents, grandparents and great grandparents making upwards of 65-75K annually, who own two fixed properties. For census and other statistical purposes you may be reported as Middle Class simply because you can afford to live in a certain more prominent zip code with higher property value.

[patches12]

10:38 PM on 02/16/2011

You made my point very well thank you...

We are talking about two different middle classes..

depending upon where you live... a combined income of 100k is upper middle or smack dab in the middle - middle class... Its not wealthy anywhere I know of today.

These people are the ones paying the taxes, struggling to make mortgage and car payments, insurance, trying to save some money for retirement and kids college... its not a lot of money!!!.

IF YOU ARE RICH YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY AND IF YOU ARE POOR YOU DON'T WORRY EITHER.... the government pays... or should I say the middle and upper middle class are taxed to pay so the poor don't go destitute.

[William Miles Floyd]

08:54 AM on 02/14/2011

Arianna is exactly right! My question is why is Wisconsin's governor sending the National Guard against union workers? If one union brother is injured this will kill his chances for re-election.

[Ascoli]

07:00 PM on 02/14/2011

Sending the national Gaurd against Union workers happens .................only in the USA and other fascist countries.
It's unbelievable.

[suds mcduff]

10:24 PM on 02/16/2011

They've (Repubs) set the Army against veterans in the past...