Dems Dump FOX over Obama Comments
There has been a big debate about a debate. Faux News was going to host a debate of Democratic candidates in Nevada. First John Edwards announced that he would not participate. Presumably his gaydar was going off.
Then on Thursday night Roger Ailes made some comments about Democrats (I actually thought the joke was more on Bush than Obama) that got many people riled up on the left. Well, yesterday the rest of the Dems pulled the plug on the debate. I am happy that the debate has been pulled, but I am annoyed by the circumstances of the breakup. Yet again, a joke causes a furor. As someone who makes bad jokes regularly, this doesn’t bode well for my future Presidential run…
First question from the Fox debate moderator:
“OK… which one of you faggots loves al Qaeda more? ”
(stolen from a dKos comment)
Good for the Dems, altho this took too long to wriggle out of. Luckily with FOX, all you have to do is wait a few minutes and they’ll objectively deliver on their mission as the house organ of the RNC.
I thought that the Ailes joke re: Obama was a Bush joke too, but he got there by continuing the FOX narrative of Obama=Muslim=Scary.
It is about time that Dems stop treating FOX as a legitimate news organization and show them up for what they really are.
So, you all would recommend that the Republicans should boycott any debate hosted by someone like Charlie Gibson, Bob Schieffer, Diane Sawyer, or (god forbid) Katie Couric??
I mean the problem you have with Fox is that they editorialize too much in delivering the news and present it in a slanted fashion, right? I can understand that, and surely you wouldn’t want to be hypocritical and condone news anchors who do the same thing but you happen to agree with. Right?
bc,
Please Fox does not editorialize. It is the media arm of thr GOP with a leadership that was recruited from directly from the Republican Party.
Don’t make silly references to Charlie Gibson. It just makes you sound like a right wing crack-pot.
anon,
I don’t like, nor watch Fox news. That said, your argument is overly conclusory. I know Republicans are the devil in this blog, but in a world where people are, unfortunately, branded as either Republicans or Democrats it is meaningless to say Fox is bad because they hired Republicans. Of course companies hire people they agree with. I also know how easy and popular it is to just say Fox evil without formulating your own opinion as to why.
Maybe you could explain why it is silly to refer to Charlie Gibson, perhaps without the childish name calling? I am an independent who is quite tired and bored with the country being stuck in the mud with two extremist parties and people who are not willing to admit bias when it furthers there own political goals. I realize it is easier to just say all Republicans are heartless, racist devils or all Democrats want to give all your money to welfare mothers or let terrorists move into the whitehouse, but the difficult truth is somewhere in the middle.
If you can’t see how people like Gibson AND the Fox news hosts shape the news with the questions they ask, the inflections in their voices, and their frequent editorializing, then I realize I am wasting my time. Looking at the Iraq war, it is just as intellectually and factually inaccurate for Fox to say things are going swimmingly as it is for Gibson, et al, to perpetuate the Democratic talking points that we went in “without a plan.” The truth is somewhere in the middle (the administration, like ALL ADMINISTRATIONS ADVOCATING WAR, oversold the ease with which we would win the war, but to say that we didn’t have a plan or that Bush “lied” is taking the easy way out) and I want my news anchors to give me the facts and let me decide what is going on.
Really, Charlie Gibson is not a leftie. He has been behind a number of hit jobs on both sides of the aisle. There are certainly people that will espouse liberal views on other networks, but there is no network like Fox. The conglomeration of right wing fanatics over there is astounding.
If there is a left wing equivalent of Faux News it is DKos. If DKos were to host a Republican debate, I would expect the Republic party to boycott as well.
It is your opinion that Gibson is not an objective journalist, and that is fine. It is still a free country to some extent. However, the truth is not “somewhere in the middle.”
Fox News is not objective, but an important part of a right wing message operation. That is not my opinion. That is an established fact. So you are either being silly or just stupid to try and equate Fox News and any legitimate news outlet.
I realize it is easier to just say all Republicans are heartless, racist devils
Just because it is easy to say that Republicans are heartless racist devils does not mean that Republicans are not heartless racists devils. In fact, maybe it is so easy to say Republicans are heartless racists devils because they ARE heartless racist devils. Food for thought.
Meh, I knew I wouldn’t get very far here with my perspective, but I don’t mind trying to inject a little bit of evenhandedness.
Even assuming arguendo that Fox News is really just a wing of the Republican party, what is the worst that could REALISTICALLY happen if they hosted a debate? (yes i did laugh at the first comment in this thread, but that is not realistic) I think the Democrats are doing a disservice to the people of this country by shying away from and demonizing Fox News. If you remember the 2004 presidential debates, even Gibson, whom has been overly invoked in this discussion and is not really the centerpiece of my argument, asked tough questions to both Kerry and Bush. He seemed conflicted asking Kerry some questions as if he thought the questions were ridiculous, but he asked them anyway. On the other hand, there was a definite condescending tone to his questions to Bush. Don’t get me wrong, he asked perfectly appropriate questions of both candidates. My point is that the politicians should not be running away from the tough questions.
And, yes, i stand by my statement the truth is somewhere in the middle. The country is being torn apart by idiots on both sides of the spectrum. I am disgusted by the Republicans’ giving lip service to the religious right, just as i am disgusted by the Democrats using and abusing the “black vote.” It is equally egregious for the R’s to gain votes by saying “the homos want to marry their dogs” as it is for the D’s to say “Bush don’t care about black people.”
The R’s like Cheney and Rumsfeld were definitely too hawkish for this country and their policies have failed. But anybody who thinks wars are a thing of the past or are unnecessary has his or her head in the sand.
I could go on forever about how retarded it is to turn every single issue into two polar extremes.
I am firm believer in the concept of the silent majority in America, people with enough commonsense to disregard the crap that is spoonfed to them by the extremists. Everything from immigration to healthcare reform is being bogged down by fear mongering from BOTH sides, instead of looking for a compromise.
Good luck with thinking all Republicans are heartless, racist devils. I suppose the Democrats are the ones who are really in-tune with what the people of this country want or is it that Democrats are smarter and know what is good for all the hillbillies in the middle of the country. We should all aspire to be as happy as the people in the liberal paradises like New York City and California.
Keep thinking the world runs in black and white and I guarantee we will get nowhere fast.
Interesting thought there at the end. It is my opinion that the people that think in black and white are on the right. Remember how the word nuance was given short shrift by the administration? How about the axis of evil? I do not advocate absolutes here. However absolutes are exactly the currency of Faux news and this administration. Remember the way that patriotism was questioned whenever anyone said that Iraq was not as big a threat as he was made out to be?
I believe firmly in the “gray” as do most liberals I know. Sure I might make partisan statements, but usually it is done with humor, not as a hammer. Your opinions are welcome here, but be prepared for some of us to disagree with you. Sadly trying to fight your fight in the middle usually means you have to defend two fronts.
bc,
“Poor me. I’m so sensible and everyone else is so partisan.”
Too bad you did not speak up when your party was turning this country into two armed camps. As for me. I know what side I’m on so I have no self pity or hesitation when it comes to playing the part of partisan.
anon… stay classy. Your reading comprehension is only surpassed by your ability to play the internet tough guy.
I do TRY to be sensible and would never claim to be perfect or to have perfectly consistent opinions, but I am open for honest, mature debate in hopes of bettering myself and my country. Poor me, indeed.
liberalgeek:
thanks for keeping this site running. keep it light, humorous, and honest. i’ll keep reading and, infrequently, posting as long as it doesn’t turn into another daily kos for liberals to just pat each other on the back thinking their poop doesn’t stink.
i agree with everything you said in your last post re: this administration. i could point out many of the ways the democrats use the same tactics, but i’ll save some of my views for another day. it’s too nice outside to keep posting today.
Yeah. There’s no left-wing media. None at all.
Bob Schieffer
nice try, Bob Schieffer is a known Bush family friend and them’s the bestest kind when you have to stand up to softballs ‘stedda zingers from the press.
Just because it is easy to say that Republicans are heartless racist devils does not mean that Republicans are not heartless racists devils. In fact, maybe it is so easy to say Republicans are heartless racists devils because they ARE heartless racist devils. Food for thought.
As a Republican, I’d like to punch you in the mouth for implying this. Presuming you’re an able-bodied Caucasian – I don’t want to dig myself in deeper.