Apparently, Barbara Walters's idea of balance is grilling Chris Christie about being too fat and unhealthy to be president. Yet, during the same 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012 program, she conducted a girl talk session with Hillary Clinton, laughing with the Secretary of State about her hair. Walters appeared on Wednesday's Good Morning America to promote the show. Talking to Christie, she derided, "I feel very uncomfortable asking this question when I'm sitting opposite you. But you are a little overweight." [MP3 audio here [1].]
After Christie retorted, "More than a little," Walters actually wondered, "Why [are you overweight]?" To this, the governor reminded, "If I could figure that out, I'd fix it." The journalist interrogated, "There are people who say you couldn't be president because you're so heavy. What do you say to them?"
In contrast, Walters gently asked Clinton: "So, I have to ask you this very personal question. Your hair?" After Clinton chuckled, the host enthused, "Nobody asks the men that." The two then shared another laugh.
Oddly, Walters tried to compare the Christie and Clinton interviews, as if they were both hard-hitting, remarking, "So, we asked Hillary about her hair. We asked him about, well, what they call the elephant in the room and that is his weight."
Now, it's possible in the full program, Walters grills Clinton. But considering her history, it's unlikely. Walters will also interview Barack Obama for the program. In December of 2011 [2], she interviewed the President and slobbered, "If you were a superhero and you could have one super power, what would it be?"
The full program airs at 9:30pm on Wednesday.
A transcript of the December 12 GMA segment, which aired at 8:22am EST, follows:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And I'm over here now with Barbara Walters. Her ten most fascinating people of 2012 airs tonight on ABC.
...
BARBARA WALTERS: But we also– Hillary Clinton, it's the first, the third time that we've had her on the most fascinating people. She probably is one of the most admired people in the country. We asked her, of course, if she wants to run for President. But you know what most people wanted to know?
STEPHANOPOULOS: What?
WALTERS: What does she do about her hair. Take a look.
[clip from Most Fascinating People of 2012]
WALTERS: So, I have to ask you this very personal question. Your hair?
[Clinton laughs.]
HILLARY CLINTON: I know that it's one of the great fascinations of our time.
WALTERS: Absolutely.
CLINTON: Much to my amazement.
WALTERS: People said to me, "Are you interviewing the Secretary of State?" I said, "Yes. What should I–" "Ask her about her hair."
CLINTON: Well, I do not travel with any hair dresser and I'm not very competent myself. I've been admitting that for years, which should be obvious to everyone. It just got to be really burdensome to try and find a hair dresser in some city, somewhere. So, I just said, "Enough. We're going to try and go with as simple as possible."
WALTERS: Nobody asks the men that.
CLINTON: Have you noticed? [Laughs]
[Clip ends]
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you got to the bottom of that. You also got her laugh out. That big, big laugh.
WALTERS: And we did ask her if she's going to run in 2016.
STEPHANOPOULOS: She doesn't know yet. Right?
WALTERS: Her husband wants her to, but she's not sure.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, another person people talk about for possibly running in 2016, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey.
WALTERS: So, we asked Hillary about her hair. We asked him about, well, what they call the elephant in the room and that is his weight.
[Clip]
WALTERS: Okay, governor. I feel very uncomfortable asking this question when I'm sitting opposite you. But you are a little overweight.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: More than a little.
WALTERS: Yeah?
CHRISTIE: Yeah.
WALTERS: Why?
CHRISTIE: If I could figure that out, I'd fix it.
WALTERS: There are people who say you couldn't be president because you're so heavy. What do you say to them?
CHRISTIE: That's ridiculous. I mean, that's ridiculous. I mean, I don't know what the basis for that is.
WALTERS: I think they're worried about your health.
CHRISTIE: Well, I've done this job pretty well and I think people watched me for the last number of weeks in Hurricane Sandy doing 18 hour days and getting right back up the next day and still being just as effective in the job. So, I don't think that would be a problem.
[clip ends]
STEPHANOPOULOS: But he dismisses that. But you asked the question that a lot of people do ask when they think about him running for president.
WALTERS: Well, he's running again for governor and he has tried to lose weight. And he campaigned all over the place, so his health seems pretty good. But we're going to be watching what happens to him in the next election.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And, boy, after that response– That's right and after that response to Hurricane Sandy, his population skyrocketed.
WALTERS: And deservedly so.
STEPHANOPOULOS: That's right.
...
STEPHANOPOULOS: You're just back from the White House. We saw those clips. You made so much news with the President and Mrs. Obama. You'll be back here Friday to talk about that. How did they seem to you?
WALTERS: They are very different when the two of them are together. I mean, we talked to him with the hard news, Syria and so forth. But together, they are very charming, very funny and, by the way, they have a special message for Robin.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Oh, fantastic. And you'll be back Friday with that.
-- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow him on Twitter.