Discussing the issue on "Fox News Sunday," the liberal FNC contributor said, "As far as the Missouri vote, you get 70 percent inside an echo chamber of older white people, no not in St. Louis not in Kansas City, saying, 'Oh yeah, we don't like a requirement that everybody has to have healthcare even though the hospitals in Missouri say it's gonna drive up our costs.'"
Host Chris Wallace seemed somewhat stunned by this and asked, "What happened to respect for democracy?"
When Williams elaborated saying that he believes this will eventually be decided by the courts, Liz Cheney rightly scolded her colleague, "I think it is stunning you and the White House are unwilling to heed the votes of the people in Missouri" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
LIZ CHENEY: You've also got Robert Gibbs this week when asked about what does it mean that 71 percent of the people in Missouri said they don't want any mandate for health insurance, he said, quote, "It means nothing." Now when you've got a White House that is that unwilling to listen to what the people out there are saying, I think that you know, it causes some real concern about whether or not they are actually going to be responsive to the voters. But, I think, frankly it gives the voters much bigger impetus come November to elect some folks who will listen to him.Isn't it wonderful how much race is now brought into virtually every discussion about politics?
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Juan?
JUAN WILLIAMS: I like George W. Bush, but the decider? I think, he's the one that coined that phrase. He said he was the decider when he was president, so I guess President Obama can be the decider now that he is president. Isn't that the deal?
CHENEY: I don't think Bush ever said he got to decide who had the keys to the scar.
WILLIAMS: Look, I think this is, and as far as the Missouri vote, you get 70 percent inside an echo chamber of older white people, no not in St. Louis not in Kansas City, saying, "Oh yeah, we don't like a requirement that everybody has to have healthcare even though the hospitals in Missouri say it's gonna drive up our costs, everyone is just going to run to the emergency rooms when they have their accidents."
WALLACE: What happened to respect for democracy?
WILLIAMS: I have tremendous respect for democracy, but as Ted Olson...
WALLACE: The proposition was on the ballot...
WILLIAMS: Yes.
WALLACE: ...and 71 percent voted in favor of it.
WILLIAMS: That's who's energized. The unions didn't participate and they didn't get out there...
WALLACE: Well, that's their problem, isn't it?
WILLIAMS: Right, so because everybody knows, as Ted Olson told you in an earlier segment on the gay rights issue, the courts, the courts have said that federal law trumps state law in this area, or they will decide if it's to be the case.
WALLACE: That has to do with immigration, we are talking about healthcare.
WILLIAMS: That is exactly right, Chris, on the issue, does, can a state say that we will not require our citizens to buy health insurance? That issue is right now being taken up by several attorney generals around the country in seperate states, and, they will eventually end up in the courts. I hate to inform you of this, you should know this as our anchor.
(Laughter)
CHENEY: It is a real constitutional issue whether or not the federal government has the right to force people to buy insurance, and I think it is stunning you and the White House are unwilling to heed the votes of the people in Missouri.
I thought Barack Obama was going to change all that.
On the other hand, if Williams and his ilk think the older white vote is irrelevant, they're going to be tremendously surprised in November.
After all, it is indeed older white people that typically vote in off-year elections when the White House isn't at stake.
As such, either Juan doesn't know this - which seems impossible given his years covering politics - or he was being a tad disingenuous this fine Sunday morning.
Regardless of which, he should be rather embarrassed about his performance.