Nancy Snyderman had Republican strategist Joe Watkins on her MSNBC program following President Obama's speech to school children Tuesday afternoon. Watkins' reaction was basically "the president is such a good speaker, children might believe him in the future when he says something, and we don't want to have to talk with them about it". In other words, by being reasonable, Obama has already indoctrinated them.
Video and transcript below the fold.
SNYDERMAN: President Barack Obama, addressing students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA, just a little while ago. And now that he has made his speech to school children, let's get some reaction. Still with me, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd. Also joining me, Taylor West, a Democratic strategist, and Joe Watkins, a Republican strategist, and Joe, let me start with you, because you had said about the president's speech, last Friday, a comment that we're going to play right now:
(FOOTAGE FROM THE DR. NANCY SHOW, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2009) "If we really consider the time that kids have in school with teachers to be precious time, why do we want to break into the middle of their school day with a message from a very, very gifted orator like the president?"
Joe, don't you want to break in with the President of the United States if you break in with anybody?
WATKINS: Well, I think what the point is is that this president is not just an ordinary president. He's one of the most gifted speakers that the world has ever seen. He's gifted, he's charismatic, and when he speaks, he speaks with tremendous authority and great conviction and with tremendous persuasion. And it's one thing for him to talk to adults who have the ability to, maybe, discern between right or wrong, or whether they agree or disagree. The challenge becomes for parents –
SNYDERMAN: (in the background) What?
WATKINS: – when he talks to their kids without them present. The fact that he's so persuasive, he's campaigning almost for the hearts and minds of the kids. Now, today's speech was fine. What he said was something that everybody can agree with. But what moms and dads are afraid of is that, what happens when kids who maybe can't distinguish like moms and dads can, when the Defense of Marriage Act is repealed, or that Act comes up to be repealed and the president says -
SNYDERMAN: (interjecting) But Joe - Joe - Joe. I mean, Joe. He didn't, he didn't slip - there's no 'gotcha' in this speech. You know that. There was nothing like that here.
WATKINS: No no no no no, but we know that there will be other times when the president will make very strong, compelling arguments for issues that moms and dads don't agree with. For instance, the repeal of marriage - the Defense of Marriage Act is something that Democrats are set to do, and what do kids come back home and say to their mom or dad, when the president, who they like and who they agree with, tells them that marriage is not necessarily between a man and a woman? Moms and dads that want to be -
SNYDERMAN: (interjecting) Taylor, I'm going to let you jump in any time you want.
WATKINS: (continuing) Moms and dads are just concerned that their parents are going to come home - their kids are going to come home and question them. They don't want to have to compete with the president for their hearts and minds.
SNYDERMAN: Taylor?
WEST: I feel - I feel for Joe here, because this is an incredibly tough position to defend. You know, I think we've seen this week the right wing really overreach here in an attempt to create a controversy where none exists, and I think they hurt themselves by doing it, you know.
WATKINS: (interjecting) I don't think so.
WEST: (continuing) People understand that there is something intrinsically valuable about instilling citizenship and respect for the presidency, not to mention respect for hard work and commitment, which is what this speech was about. These are great messages for students to hear.
WATKINS: (interjecting) No doubt. I'm going to - I'm going to agree with you. I agree.
WEST: (continuing) And I - I absolutely think this -
WATKINS: (interjecting) I agree with you, Taylor. I agree with you. You're absolutely right. But this is a slippery slope, Taylor. Is this the beginning of many conversations with our kids? These were just high school kids - he addressed high school kids - he talked to kids grade - kindergarten through twelfth grade. That's a big range of kids. That's everyone. Those are five year-olds, six year-olds, seven year-olds, as well as high school kids. Six year-olds aren't really good at determining -
WEST: (interjecting) Chuck, you know, Nancy, I think this is...
TODD: Joe, it sounds like you're worried the president is going to be too popular with kids? (Snyderman and West laugh) I mean, that's what I guess - is that - is that the concern? That if he were less charismatic, you'd be OK with him speaking to children?
WATKINS: No, not at all. The point is that so popular a man, who is so persuasive -- and he is, he's popular and persuasive -- parents don't want to have to compete with that.
SNYDERMAN: (interjecting) So, Joe, let me show you something -
WATKINS: (continuing) If parents don't agree with him - if you agree with the president, it's not a problem, but if you disagree with the president, it's a challenge.
SNYDERMAN: Joe, if we're going to talk about persuading kids, the president's speech today, I want to throw up a graphic that frankly shocked me when I saw it today. U.S. high school graduation rate - in the United States of America, 30 percent of our kids -
WATKINS: (interjecting) Oh, I know that.
SNYDERMAN: (continuing) - do not graduate from high school. That's a stunner. So if this -
WATKINS: (interjecting) I understand that. Guess what - I pastor in an inner city where less than 50 percent of my kids finish high school. I know it better than anybody else what those numbers are. But, at the same time, there are issues like school vouchers where the president may disagree with some parents over whether or not kids should have the right to take advantage of school vouchers. There are a lot of issues that parents don't want to have to compete with the president on for the hearts and minds of their kids.
WEST: Nancy, there's a larger pattern here, and I think you see it here. Instead of talking about how to improve education, we're creating a controversy about the president speaking to students. Instead of talking about how to get more families covered with health care, we're talking about lies about 'pulling the plug on grandma'. I mean, this is a indicator of just how little in the way of ideas the Republican Party has to offer right now, that instead of focusing on solving problems, they're creating problems.
WATKINS: I don't think so. I don't think so. Nobody will doubt - nobody will take away from the fact that this president has a compelling story. He's one of the most charismatic, gifted leaders that we've seen in years and years in the United States. He's somebody that is certainly a tremendous leader. But at the same time, if you happen to disagree with him -- and there are some parents who don't agree with him on a whole host of issues, whether it's health care or social issues -- you may have concerns about whether or not that persuasive, popular, wonderfully-spoken president has unfettered access to your kid. And you don't want to have that kid - you don't want to have to compete for that kid.
WEST: (interjecting) But, Joe, isn't there some value - isn't it valuable for parents to then be able to have a conversation with their children about the things that they may or may not agree with? Isn't that a learning experience in itself?
WATKINS: Well, let me tell you. In my household -
SNYDERMAN: (interjecting) And Taylor and Joe, I'm going to jump in here.
WATKINS: (interjecting) In my household - in my household -
SNYDERMAN: Wouldn't it be nice to take the conversation from today, and the comments of the president, whether you believe what this - everything this president says or not, and then frankly sit down around the family dinner table tonight and have a conversation.
WEST: That's what democracy is about. Absolutely.
SNYDERMAN: About your family, and politics... I mean, I hate the word 'teachable moment', but I think this is one of them.
WATKINS: And there are a lot of parents who have already done this. In my household, my parents did it for me.
SNYDERMAN: Well -
WATKINS: My father was a great role model for me, along with my mother, and I did it for my children, along with my wife, and we talked to our kids about school.
SNYDERMAN: (interjecting) And then, you know what, Joe? All the more reason. All the more reason to take this, you sit down tonight, and you have that conversation. Taylor West, Joe Watkins, thanks for being with me, and Chuck, I always appreciate your insight.
TODD: You got it.
SNYDERMAN: Chuck Todd, thanks so much.