White House Delivers A Jab And A Knockout Punch To Republicans Regarding Their Debate

The White House delivered a one-two punch to Republican presidential hopefuls regarding their Wednesday debate during Tuesday’s press briefing. While conservative websites such as Young Conservatives and Glenn Beck’s The Blaze were quick to point out the jab, none of them seemed to know enough to duck for the knockout blow – the cross.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that he “would not anticipate” that President Barack Obama would be watching the Republican debate on Wednesday, in response to a question from White House correspondent Nancy Benac of the Associated Press who asked: “How interested is the president in the nitty-gritty of the GOP race and is he planning to watch the debate tomorrow night?”

Earnest replied:

I think, even hearing some of the president’s comments at the town-hall yesterday, it’s apparent that he is following the race. He is at least a keenly interested observer to that process, but I would not anticipate that the president will watch the debate tomorrow night. The first one was held in August and to the disbelief of some, the president did not watch that debate. I do not anticipate that he will watch tomorrow’s either, but I am confident that he will read the news coverage and be aware of the arguments that are made in that setting.

The knockout punch came later in the press briefing when Earnest was responding to a follow-up question by April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks.

Ryan asked Earnest why Obama would not be tuning in to the debates and Earnest responded: “I guess because he feels like he’s got better things to do, with all due respect to CNN,” the obvious implication – and knockout blow – being that the insult was directed to the Republicans, the debate itself.

RYAN: Josh, I don’t want to assume – that’s why I’m asking you: why is the president not going to watch the debate?

EARNEST: [first the JAB:] I guess because he feels like he’s got better things to do [LAUGHTER] [then the CROSS:] with all due respect to CNN, Jim.

The discussion about the debates concluded with the following exchange:

RYAN: I ask that because you use the work ‘keen’ – is watching this presidential dynamic, the wannabees who want to be in his office right now. Hmm, keen. And I find it interesting that he won’t watch since he’s ‘keenly aware’ on the GOP side and, I guess, on the Democratic side. Would you elaborate a little bit more?

EARNEST: The president understands, probably better than any other American, that elections have consequences and that the kinds of discussions about the future of the country that will take place over the next 15 months or so are critically important as Americans decide the next person who should sit in the Oval Office just down the hall and there are big consequences for that, particularly as it relates to the vision this president has for the future of the country. The president is very invested in seeing the kinds of values and priorities that he’s championed be supported by the next president and obviously there will be a pretty robust debate about how to do that. There are some – there are a variety of points of view that will be offered up both in the Democratic and Republican primaries and we’ll also have a pretty vigorous national debate in the context of the general election. All that is evidence of a very healthy democracy in this country and president is pleased we can have a robust political debate and – again the president understands the stakes of those debates better than most because he’s been through this process twice now. So he certainly understands why this is important. That’s why he’s paying attention.

April Ryan of american Urban Radio Networks, http://www.aurn.com/WHR/

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White House Delivers A Jab And A Knockout Punch To Republicans Regarding Their Debate – VIDEO