Walters: 'The View' Not A Political Show

Creator of “The View,” Barbara Walters, told Fox News’ Howard Kurtz the show was never meant to be political:

Walters: “The View is not Meet the Press. A lot of people do get their news from The View. But it’s supposed to be entertaining and upbeat. I didn’t think the shutdown was entertaining or upbeat.”

Kurtz: “But in the past, you’ve had a political impact. During campaigns, you’ve had presidential candidates on.”

Walters: “But it’s not a political show. It was never meant to be. The fact that you can have a daytime show and do newsworthy subjects–that is what was new. The fact that you can have primarily women discussing, arguing, disagreeing, live, that’s what was new about this show.”

This is Walters having it both ways. In a way, it’s a variation on what Jim Treacher calls Jon Stewart’s “Clown Nose On/Clown Nose Off” trick. 

I don’t think he necessarily needs to choose between pundit and comedian. He can do both. Just maybe not in the same breath. It was maddening when he lectured those guys and they wanted to talk to him about it, and he kept going, “Wait, I’m just a comedian!” Clown nose off, clown nose on, clown nose off, clown nose on… It’s just as much of a defense mechanism as his tie-straightening and that schmendrick voice he goes into (Art Fern?), and it’s every bit as annoying.

Here’s Walters saying, “We’re just an entertainment show with women arguing about topics.” Then she opens the door to President Obama and the first lady to use her show and her audience to their political ends. And she hires Rosie O’Donnell to spew hateful truther arguments suggesting that the Bush Administration was behind the 9/11 attacks. And she tolerates other co-hosts like Whoopi Goldberg grandstanding and walking off the set when they don’t like something their guest, Bill O’Reilly, says.

“Clown nose on,” we are just an entertainment show for women. “Clown nose off,” now let’s have a horribly one-sided “discussion” about the blessings of Obamacare and the evil tea partiers who want children to die. 

Watch the segment here: