Arianna On Larry King: Talks Obama's Chances, "Spreading The Wealth" Attacks, Khalidi Smears

Arianna appeared on Larry King Thursday night, where she discussed the presidential race with Ben Stein, Paul Begala and Michael Medved. Watch videos of her appearance below.

Watch Arianna discuss Obama's chances at victory with Ben Stein.

Watch Arianna debate Michael Medved over McCain's attacks about Obama "spreading the wealth."

Watch Arianna and Paul Begala challenge MIchael Medved on the Obama/Khalidi smear.

Comments

[tsand19151]

Arianna is very pretty....­......

[klondiker]

Umm..since when is Ben Stein a "New York Times columnist"????

[I-Am-John-McCain]

Ben Stein has been raised to the level of pundit by Larry Kudlow, ideologue and GOP suck-up for CNBC. Maybe, he wrote an article about economics that was published in the NY Times. Otherwise, he appears to me to be a celebrity whose droopy speech pattern gives him the same sort of appeal of as a cartoon character.

Btw, isn't Michael Medved a movie critic?

[publicmenace]

Stein was using the typical pug tactics of interrupt and then talk over the opposition, answer valid charges with some fallacious and unrelated point and just generally inject incivility into the discussion. And they wonder why they're down 21-7 with 3 minutes left in the 4th.

[MChile124]

Arianna are you a bus driver? Cause you just took Medved to school!!

[brynn6]

Arianna, when you got through with him he needed a Med-evac. It's obvious that neither Stein nor Medved were used to not being able to get away with their usual bs. You're the best!

[superandystar]

i am in love with arianna huffington.

they need to do her on SNL like right now. who would play her?

amazing.

[biglover]

She is DA BOMB!!!!

[StillAmused]

Stein was astounding­... given his opportunity to make a case for a McCain presidency, all he could muster was tiresome fawning over McCain's imprisonment in Hanoi -- over 40 years ago! Is anyone else worn out with 'gratitude fatigue'? I didn't know the presidency was a consolation prize for getting shot down over North Vietnam.

If real war heroism were an automatic qualifier for the White House, we'd all be talking about the good old days of the Audie Murphy administration.

Michael Medved appeared catatonic when Arianna raised that little detail about McCain's chairmanship of a Republican group than funneled hundreds of thousands to Khalidi's organizati­on... AFTER Medved thought HE'D scored a biggie, repeating the flimsy McTalkingPoint about Obama saying a few kind words about Khalidi at a testimonial luncheon.

Nicely done, Arianna!

[booboo111]

I VERY MUCH WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEN STEIN TAKEN TO TASK ABOUT HIS ADMITTED ALL TIME HERO MILTON FRIEDMAN, THE ECONOMIST WHO CHAMPIONED PROFITS ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE! I HOPE HE (MILTON FRIEDMAN) IS TURNING IN HIS GRAVE, AND I WISH BEN STEIN COULD OPEN THE CASKET TO WITNESS IT! YOU NEVER HEARD STEIN EVER MENTION AMERICA'S ONLY TRUE ECONOMIC HERO; JOHN KENNETH GALBRAITH! NOW THERE WAS ABRILLIANT ECONOMIST. IF FRIEDMAN WERE ALIVE TODAY, HE'D BE HIDING OUT WITH THE REST OF THE WALL ST. CROOKS. THAT'S ALL HIS ECONMIC EXPERTISE WAS AGOOD FOR ANYWAY, WALL ST. IF ANYONE COULD FORWARD THIS MESSAGE, TO BEN STEIN, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[searchtruth]

Hitler did not inspire people, he incited people. we all know what happened after that. being inspired and being incited result in very different emotion and consequences. a good speaker could incite people, but only a decent, good speaker can inspire. Barack Obama inspires people. his speeches make you feel that you can hope again and you can do better and help others do better.

[Wilson201]

Palin is very good at inciting people as well.

[UnderdogSRD]

Medved... another Rep, that won't answer the question.

McCain gave the guy $450,000, Obama MAY HAVE given him a farewell toast... yes they're an equivalent comparison­... Repignorant. TM.

[keauxjak]

Can someone tell me why Cindy McCain always appears in the backdrop at John McCain rallys? This is either a tactic or Cindy wanting to be in the limelight.

[boogygran]

And daughter Megan can usually be seen standing back there too. I haven't figured out whether their presence behind him is meant to inject a more invigorated look overall or what. Actually they seem rather robotic - smile on cue, nod on cue, tut-tut on cue, etc. Cindy looks to me like she'd rather be just about anywhere else. Bet she'll be as glad as anyone when this election is over.

[Chip W]

Ben Stein's comparison of certain attributes of Obama to those of George Wallace is perhaps valid. But to use the person of George Wallace for the comparison - well, that's a little loaded, isn't it?

[brynn6]

It was obvious that his George Wallace comparison was a sneaky way to bring Lewis' comments back into the conversation again. He also went with Nixon and Hitler. All negatives to plant into the mind. Arianna caught him right away and didn't let him get away with it. She was absolutely right to call him on it.

[Antifascist-08]

Yes it is. A simple minded, single subject demagogue like Wallace would be much more akin to Plain. Neither of them had much to say, but they will say whatever they can to further their causes. Appealing to a rabid crowd is the lowest of roads, whether it be a political campaign or a lynch mob.

To compare either of them or McCain to Obama's thoughtful­,uplifting­, positive and nuanced style is just lunacy.

[Banji81]

Saw the show las night. "Arrogant know nothing". I loved it. Though I have long respect ed her, I have never been one to fawn over Arianna, but last night, she really proved herself to be an astute 'opiner' (is that even a word? I just really hate the word pundit, or as Ms. Palin would say, 'pundint').

I also couldn't stand Begala during the primaries, but now I am all ears when the guy speaks; I friggin' quote him. Regularly. I think I might even be in like with him. Good job guys! :-)

[majii]

Ms. Huffington, Thanks so much for insisting on the truth. I am a high school teacher whose students today asked questions such as whether Senator Obama is a U.S. citizen or not. I explained to them that he could not have been elected to the Senate if he had not met the requirements outlined in the Constitution. They also asked whether he was a Muslim or not to which I replied that he was a Christian. Many of them found it hard to believe that he is not a Muslim and continued to insist that he was. I informed them that many people don't read or research anything on the people they vote to put in public office but just take what they hear or see on the radio or TV as the gospel truth. This episode in my classroom today clearly shows that these kids are being misled by their parents, friends, and relations to not become future consumers of researching issues for themselves or to be critical thinkers. And, oh, by the way, these are the attitudes and beliefs of some of the students in my GA classroom. Evidently, some of their parents do not research the candidates positions or think critically about what the candidates say in their speeches. These children are the future of our nation, and I fight on a day to day basis to enlighten them, but some of their minds are being poisoned by people who choose not to think for themselves.

[Wilson201]

Did you point out to your students that being a Muslim is not a crime? My son's classmates have these same concerns and his teachers do not take the opportunity to remind them of our freedom of religion in this country. I wish that all educators would not allow the demonizing of certain religions. I can only imagine how the Muslim students must feel.

[NoDogInTheFight]

This insistence on Obama's not being born in America was also shared with me by my son, a graduate of a pretty prestigious university, After I showed him the facsimile copy of Obama's birth certificate on the internet, he said it was a fake. He has turned into a religious fanatic recently, and thinks the Catholic Church and Vatican II is a sham. He listens to a priest (bishop) from Cincinnati who preached last Sunday that his parishoners should not vote because McCain and Palin are liars and Obama is an abomination and the embodiment of Satan.

[Ourrias]

I loved how you didn't let Ben Stein get away with ANYTHING on Larry King last night, Arianna!

You rock!

[kmcbuzzer]

Didn't anyone notice that right before the Wallace comment, Ben compared Obama's campain to Nixon's. Two 'compliments' comparing him to disgraced politicians (in a good way of course). One would have been subtle. Hopefully when this election is over people will lighten up a little.

[Zofomofo]

Come on now, I hate Ben Stein, but if I compare the the public speaking talents of Hitler to someone else, that is NOT saying they are a Nazi. It may be crass, but it is not incorrect. Rubbing their nose in it drags you down. Do you think Obama would have railed on him? no...

[searchtruth]

"inspire" is very different from "incite". Hitler definitely could incite people. we all know what happened after that.
if you are inspired, you feel good and you feel you can do something to improve yourselves and to help people. "inspiration" does not result in anger and hatred but "incitement" could. good speakers maybe able to incite people, but only decent, good speakers can inspire people.

[argon20]

Ben Stein chose these two backhanded comparisons very carefully. While seeming to "praise" Obama's campaign, he's suggesting his presidency will surely end in disgrace (as Nixon's did) and then he tries to toss back the John Lewis statement. He's so pitifully obvious.

BTW: I'm not a regular viewer of Larry King's show--when did M. Medved become a political analyst? I thought he was a movie reviewer.

[guatemalatimes]

You actually did a good job on that show, Arianna.

[boing007]

I think that Barack Obama is sounding more and more like Martin Luther King.

[aHamilton]

Dr. King...whe­n he sought to remove the barriers confronting black America, he did not seek to then describe us as victims. There are two ways that you can prevent someone from competing. One is to deny them the opportunity to compete by law, which laws of segregation and discrimination did. The second way to deny them the opportunity to compete is to tell them they do not have to compete, that they can just sit back and government will do it for them.

Obama is in fact telling poor, minorities or other, the latter....­you can sit back and let government provide. This keeps people down and does not empower the individual to pursue their dreams.