Washington Free Beacon reporter Lachlan Markay appeared on the Fox Business Network on Monday to discuss the GOP presidential field and a problematic claim by Hillary Clinton about her emails.
LOU DOBBS: Joining us Free Beacon reporter Lachlan Markay and Fox News contributor Jedediah Bila. Tell me, let me start with you, The fact that she gets three pinocchio's. Is there really any surprise here?
JEDEDIAH BILA: No. I mean she's a national disgrace. It's been nothing but deceit from the start, lack of transparency, and this is why people were searching for anyone else. That's why Bernie Sanders is bringing crowds in and that's why people were rooting for Joe Biden. This is what Hillary is about. She's made it clear that she's a liar and she doesn't care that she's a liar because she's going to get away with it anyway. If you look at the polling, people don’t think she is honest or truthful—this stuff matters to them so good luck with this record on transparency.
LACHLAN MARKAY: The polling data is there, obviously she is not considered trustworthy person.
DOBBS: I would say that's a bit of an understatement.
MARKAY: She does have a very, I mean it's a pretty obvious strategy to deal with the scandal but it seems to be effective. She's basically waiting for the American voters’ eyes to glaze over so they won’t follow these things and they hope they don't notice these kinds of bait-and-switches.
DOBBS: How would you characterize the strategy of hers to be not only the front-runner but really up against only one serious candidate and that's senator Bernie Sanders. What is the strategy that lets her dominate like this?
MARKAY: What lets her dominate is that there is really no viable challenger on the other side.
DOBBS: But what I'm saying—with this email scandal like Jedediah said, every news organization that fact checks calls her a liar, and yet she is apparently unstoppable in the end.
BILA: She thinks people don't care because she feels Hillary Clinton feels that people already know that she is corrupt and she is a liar, that's the bottom line. So if you're going to support, you're going to support her despite that. She feels that people will sit back and say this is just the Clintons and be okay with it because she feels that character is not an integral role. Look at her husband. This is someone whose family has shown that character is not important to people. I think things are different because I think she got away with lack of transparency in this day and age when people look at the Obama administration’s lack of transparency, they say I'm ready for something different and they will hold them to different standard and also she's not likeable. She doesn't get away with this thing that President Obama got away with.
DOBBS: Let's turn to some charismatic folks who are going to be right here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin tomorrow night. The debate. Give us a sense, Lachlan, if you will, what do you expect? Our digital politics editor said he has the highest expectations for Ted Cruz.
MARKAY: I was going to say the same thing. I think everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to Trump and Carson with 40 to 50 percent in every poll but no one really seems to believe that they can keep going. That’s going so the question: if everyone in the punditocracy is right then we will have to see if Ted Cruz is going to be around and will have the momentum to pick up the pieces? Maybe that will determine it, and I’m still going to predict it’s coming down to Rubio and Ted Cruz in the end.
BILA: I really agree 100 percent and I think it will be an interesting contrast because Rubio and Cruz both had good nights last night, but they are very different candidates. They have a different delivery style. They both have fascinating stories and I think Rubio is going to pull a lot of the establishment vote. Will Ted Cruz pull the conservative wing that may or not be disappointed in the Trumps and the Carsons and the outsiders? I'm excited to see.DOBBS: Tomorrow night is going to be great.
BILA: Much better than the Democrat debate, I’ll tell you that much.DOBBS: Jesediah Bila and Lachlan Markay, thank you very much. The panel joining us later in the broadcast as well.
DOBBS: We're back in Milwaukee with Eboni Williams, Lachlan Markay and Jedediah Bila, as we prepare for tomorrow night's fourth Republican presidential debate here on the Fox Business Network, it is going to be quite an evening. As we have talked about all of these issues. Look at all that is transpiring. There are so few issues that could not be brought under the umbrella of the economy. Eboni?
EBONI WILLIAMS: I think this is an opportunity for Donald Trump living up to—he is pulling up 60 percent most trusted to handle the economy, he is the rich guy on the stand. But can that translate to America being great again? Maybe he will focus on one or two things in his background and it will be a slam dunk, or maybe he will be exposed.
DOBBS: He was exposed on Saturday Night Live. He raised SNL's ratings to highest level in 3 years.
MARKAY: As an entertainer he's unrivaled. But I'm going to watch Ben Carson tomorrow, it will be a test—
DOBBS: Lachlan just dismissed the entertainer, ignored billions of dollars, and the wealth he created.
MARKAY: Being an entertainer can be a great asset in American politics these days!
BILA: Ronald Reagan was a great entertainer, I remind you.
DOBBS: There is precedent for it.
BILA: Now with media the way it is, your policy is important, but it is equally important how you articulate that policy, I think that making people laugh, having a since of humor, and being likeable are important.
MARKAY: That is one of the reason I think Carson is at such a crucial point here, you have seen a little bit of a short temper with him lately, you can't really blame him for a lot of it, it will be a test whether he can maintain this persona as by far the most likeable man in the race.
DOBBS: I think the man has been remarkable. He has been validated by the media. It turns out he was the telling the truth. You can argue around the edges, but the Yale thing was so marginal. I feel— feel a little bit guilty saying this guy, this a doctor, he has done so much good, and sort of surveyed by national liberal media as just another hack politico coming down the line.
WILLIAMS: I think it works for him, I think he benefits from it but, to the point, we're talking economic policy tomorrow night. That's a place where Doctor Carson is vulnerable on that issue.
DOBBS: Perhaps he pulls back his horns a little bit and says he is going to study those issues. You are every enthusiastic about Ted Cruz's chances tomorrow. You are talking about Donald Trump here. You know, a natural here would be Jeb Bush but I don't hear you mentioning his name.
BILA: That is the problem, he has vanished. He is not come across as terribly likeable, he's not charismatic, he is not resonating on voters, and he is picking on other candidates in a way that makes him look really small. When you look at that stage, he looks like a small man onstage, he looks like he is afraid, and intimidated, he does not look like he could handle the job of president, when we have conversations about candidates we're not inspired to talk about him. Well guess what, then people won't be inspired to vote for him.
WILLIAMS: We forget about him, not only is he not likeable he worse than that, he is forgettable.
MARKAY: I do think that this debate topic plays to his strength, a very good economic record in Florida. And so I think he can point to that—
WILLIAMS: Nobody cares. That is unfortunate, he has I think a good governor record to run on. This is his fourth opportunity to go out there, and talk about those accomplishments, but so far it is not resonating.
DOBBS: The first debate tomorrow, it begins at 7:00 eastern here on Fox Business Network. Features Mike Huckabee, Governor Christie, Bobby Jindal, Senator Santorum. That is a group of folks who will have an opportunity, they are four horses if you will, I think that you may see some break out here.
BILA: I think Christie will stand out. He always manages to stand out, I think he will, and I think people will be left feeling he was on the other stage, Christie has been great. Directing his commentary to the audience, I think a lot of his interviews have been fantastic, he is slipping because the trait that people love about Christie, exists in Trump as well.
MARKAY: He had a great couple of weeks. He had a video go viral where he is talking about the heroin epidemic in New Hampshire.
WILLIAMS: I agree with that, the other thing he has been handling what happened to him in polls well. He is not whining or crying, I think that really makes us more beholden.
DOBBS: Tune in tomorrow night, we'll see who whines, and who is best. Thank you all.