Instead of turning to one of the GOP candidates or a campaign spokesman, Thursday's CBS This Morning thought it fit to bring on Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs to discuss the last scheduled Republican presidential debate. Charlie Rose and Bob Schieffer didn't play hardball with Gibbs, like they did with Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, but went easy on the former presidential press secretary.
On Sunday, Schieffer interrogated Santorum [1] over his attacks on the chief executive, particularly over the former senator's "theology" attack on Obama's environmental policies. The anchor did his best impression of a former MSNBC personality: "I've got to ask you, what in the world were you talking about sir?" Two days later, Rose pursued Gingrich [2] for supposedly "saying that the President is not patriotic." By contrast, on Thursday, the CBS morning show host directed a vague question about the controversial abortifacient mandate to Gibbs:
ROSE: ...When you listen to the debate here, it seems clear that all of the Republicans want to center on this question about the President, one having to do with the role of government, the intrusion of government, whether it is about the church, or whether it's about some other aspect of health care. Is that the emerging question of the general election?
Rose followed this with an overly simplified question on foreign policy: "Is the President worried about gas prices, and also, what might happen with respect to Iran?" He then handed the baton to Schieffer, who tossed his own softball question:
SCHIEFFER: Do you, Robert, think that these- let me put it to you this way. They're saying we've had plenty of these debates. A lot of people saying this is the last one, at least, the last one scheduled. Do you want to see some more of them? Do you think this is helping the President or hurting the President when the Republicans come out here so often as they have?
Gibbs referenced to the cult British TV series "Downton Abbey" he joked about the number of Republican debates, seemingly to the delight of the CBS personalities:
GIBBS: Well, look, I think if you're an independent or an undecided voter, and you tuned into last night's debate, I don't doubt at all that you have been turned off by the type of nasty, negative carpet bombing distortions on each other and on the president's record. I don't sense that they're talking about the issues that people care most about. That's what the President is spending his time talking about. I don't think there's any doubt that we got more out of Downton Abbey than we have out of these 20 debates. (Rose, Hill, and Schieffer laugh)
Schieffer made an almost identical reference at the beginning of the segment:
SCHIEFFER: Well, you know, I don't think this was a debate that changed very much, quite frankly. It was obviously Santorum versus Romney. But, you know, I suppose the people that liked Rick Santorum going in thought he did well, and those that liked Mitt Romney going in, thought he did well. But I don't think there was any great moment. But I tell you, you know, I'm kind of like Gail Collins in the New York Times this morning. (Erica Hill laughs) She said she felt like she felt when the last episode of Downton Abbey was over. (Rose laughs) I mean, what are we going to do now? You know, there have been 20 of these things. I think they've been great. I think we've learned a lot about each of the candidates. I think, last night, it was a two-person show. But I'm not sure I would pick anyone as a winner last night.
The transcript of the Bob Schieffer/Robert Gibbs segment on Thursday's CBS This Morning, which aired eight minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour:
CHARLIE ROSE: Chief Washington correspondent and host of 'Face The Nation,' Bob Schieffer, is with us here in New York. Bob, good morning
BOB SCHIEFFER: Good morning, Charlie.
ROSE: So Rick Santorum did not do, evidently, what he had to do.
[CBS News Graphic: "Sparring With Santorum: Romney Goes On Offensive In AZ Debate"]
SCHIEFFER: Well, you know, I don't think this was a debate that changed very much, quite frankly. It was obviously Santorum versus Romney. But, you know, I suppose the people that liked Rick Santorum going in thought he did well, and those that liked Mitt Romney going in, thought he did well. But I don't think there was any great moment. But I tell you, you know, I'm kind of like Gail Collins in the New York Times this morning. (Erica Hill laughs) She said she felt like she felt when the last episode of Downton Abbey was over. (Rose laughs) I mean, what are we going to do now? You know, there have been 20 of these things. I think they've been great. I think we've learned a lot about each of the candidates. I think, last night, it was a two-person show. But I'm not sure I would pick anyone as a winner last night.
ROSE: So where do you think the race is now for the Republican nomination?
[CBS News Graphic: "AP/GFK Poll: Republican Presidential Race: Santorum, 33%; Romney, 32%; Gingrich, 15%; Paul, 15%; Margin Of Error: +/- 4.1%"]
SCHIEFFER Right there- I think it's going to be between Santorum and Romney going in. I don't think Romney has gotten it wrapped up yet, and may not for a while. I think this thing is going to go on. You know, it was interesting last night that Gingrich was almost like the senior spokesman or the senior statesman who just, from time to time, sort of, offered an observation. But he was never really in it, it seemed to me. It was a back and forth between Romney and Santorum. I thought the best moment of the night was when they asked Ron Paul- why he- you know, why he called Santorum a fake in that ad. (Rose laughs) And he said, 'Well, because he's a fake.'
[CBS News Graphic: "Race For The White House: GOP Candidates Set Sights On Each Other, Obama"]
ROSE: Yeah-
SCHIEFFER: He has a way of putting a point-
ROSE: And then, when he said, compare yourself to other congress-people, and he said, that's a silly game.
SCHIEFFER: Yeah (laughs)
ERICA HILL: Never turns out very well.
We want to bring in now Robert Gibbs, senior adviser to President Obama's re-election campaign. He's joining us this morning from the key state of Florida, where the President will attend fundraisers later today. Nice to have you with us this morning-
ROBERT GIBBS, OBAMA CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Good morning.
ROSE: As Bob pointed out, there doesn't seem to be winner here. Does this change at all the focus, then, for the Obama campaign, or does it still remain fairly squarely on Mitt Romney, with a little bit of Santorum?
GIBBS: Well, I think this is certainly going to be an interesting race in the next few days and the next few weeks. I'd pick up on what you guys have said this morning, and that is, if you're watching this debate at home, there's not a lot of positive visions that are being offered for how you want to take this country forward. There was a lot of negative distortions and exaggerations. I mean, if Mitt Romney can call himself- or describe himself as resolute in this debate, I think that gives you a sense of just how surreal things were.
ROSE: 'Resolute' was the one word he used to describe himself, when asked to do that by the moderator. When you listen to the debate here, it seems clear that all of the Republicans want to center on this question about the President, one having to do with the role of government, the intrusion of government, whether it is about the church, or whether it's about some other aspect of health care. Is that the emerging question of the general election?
GIBBS: No, look, I think the emerging question of this campaign is going to be strengthening this economy and putting people back to work. That's what the President is talking about. The President made a decision- I think- struck the right tone to protect both women's health and to preserve religious freedom. But I think when you look at what the Republicans have talked about in these debate, they're offering very little in the way of positive visions. Mitt Romney spends his time rolling out a tax plan that's a windfall for wealthy Americans, and will cost trillions and trillions of dollars, and doesn't even attempt to pay for it. So I think, you know, Republicans are doubling down on the disastrous policies that got us into this mess, as the President continues to talk about how to put people back to work and strengthening this economy for the middle class.
ROSE: Is the President worried about gas prices, and also, what might happen with respect to Iran?
GIBBS: Well, absolutely, Charlie. I think the President is going to be in Miami a little bit later today to talk about energy policy and gas prices. And I think we're going to have to have an adult conversation with the country. First and foremost, I think it's important for viewers to understand the number of operational oil rigs has quadrupled since the President took office in this country. But we have to understand this. There's- we control 2% of the world's oil reserves, and we use 25% of its oil on any given day. So we're not going to be able to drill ourselves out of this problem. We're going to have to drill, we're going to have to invest in alternative and clean energy sources, like solar and wind and biodiesel. We're going to have to look for more natural gas. We're going to have to do a whole host of things- an all-of-the-above energy policy.
ROSE: I want to take advantage of the fact that I have the moderator of 'Face The Nation' here, not only to answer questions, but to ask questions, when you hear Robert Gibbs making the case for the President-
SCHIEFFER: Do you, Robert, think that these- let me put it to you this way. They're saying we've had plenty of these debates. A lot of people saying this is the last one, at least, the last one scheduled. Do you want to see some more of them? Do you think this is helping the President or hurting the President when the Republicans come out here so often as they have?
GIBBS: Well, look, I think if you're an independent or an undecided voter, and you turned in- tuned into last night's debate, I don't doubt at all that you have been turned off by the type of nasty, negative carpet bombing distortions on each other and on the president's record. I don't sense that they're talking about the issues that people care most about. That's what the President is spending his time talking about. I don't think there's any doubt that we got more out of Downton Abbey than we have out of these 20 debates. (Rose, Hill, and Schieffer laugh)