Democrats Dump Fox

[senatorlamb]

HP (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melinda-henneberger/democrats-dump-fox_b_43060.html):

The Huffington Post can confirm that the Nevada Democratic Party has decided to back out of a Fox News-sponsored presidential debate in August following Fox President Roger Ailes's recent remarks comparing Democratic Senator Barack Obama to al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

Adam Green, a spokesman for MoveOn.org, said the Nevada Democratic Party had informed them of the decision: "Earlier today, a representative of the Nevada party called us and said that Fox was being dropped and that they were in the process of notifying their allies and Fox."

Neither Fox News nor a spokeswoman for the Nevada Democratic Party returned calls seeking comment.

David Rhodes, vice president of Fox News, said that he had received no such notification: "We have not received official word from the Nevada State Democratic Party disclosing a change in debate plans," he said in a statement posted on the Drudge Report.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards had already announced that he would not participate in the Fox debate. His party has faced pressure from the more than 265,000 people who signed a petition calling Fox "a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel" and urging Nevada officials to cancel.

Danny Coyle, a MoveOn.org member who serves on the Executive Board of the Carson City Democratic Central Committee, yesterday offered a resolution calling on the state party to drop Fox, and it passed overwhelmingly among the grassroots Democrats in attendance.

"I am glad and relieved that the Nevada Democratic leadership has come to its senses," Coyle said. "Any kind of relationship with Fox is bad for the party."

At first, Senator Reid defended the decision to work with Fox, reasoning that it might help Democratic candidates reach out to right-leaning Fox viewers. But party activists argued from the start that any connection with Fox was a mistake.

Robert Greenwald, director of the movie Outfoxed, called the final decision a "victory for truth and journalism." Some 280,000 people have viewed Greenwald's new YouTube film "Fox Attacks: Obama" - located with the petition at www.FoxAttacks.com (http://www.FoxAttacks.com). "By standing up to Fox's right-wing smears," Greenwald said, "the patriotic grassroots, Netroots, Senator Reid, Senator Edwards, and the Nevada Democrats have all worked together to protect one of the most important elements of a free society - the press."

And Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org Civic Action, said he hoped the decision would "set a precedent within the party that Fox should be treated as a right-wing mis-information network, not legitimized as a neutral source of news."

[captainhampton]

as much as many of you may hate fox, it probably would be good strategy for a democrat to participate in this.

[atticus1492]

as much as many of you may hate fox, it probably would be good strategy for a democrat to participate in this.

Maybe, maybe not, but I think that it shows more tact to just say, "No," to their kind of slander.

[captainhampton]

Maybe, maybe not, but I think that it shows more tact to just say, "No," to their kind of slander.
maybe it shows more tact, but what will get them more votes is what counts. like i said, people may hate fox, but their ratings are huge and they do have influence. could be a positive for a democrat to appear.

[atticus1492]

maybe it shows more tact, but what will get them more votes is what counts. like i said, people may hate fox, but their ratings are huge and they do have influence. could be a positive for a democrat to appear.

Once again, yes and no. A liberal really would not be smart to make any kind of a stance on that channel. I obviously do not know exactly the demographics, but if I were a gambling man, I would bet that the moderates by and large do not watch Fox News. I would bet that it is mostly the conservative crowd. Every frown would be over-analyzed, and it would really not do any liberal any good.

Side note---Do you think that Fox News is a reputable news source?

[captainhampton]

Once again, yes and no. A liberal really would not be smart to make any kind of a stance on that channel. I obviously do not know exactly the demographics, but if I were a gambling man, I would bet that the moderates by and large do not watch Fox News. I would bet that it is mostly the conservative crowd. Every frown would be over-analyzed, and it would really not do any liberal any good.

Side note---Do you think that Fox News is a reputable news source?

more reputable than CNN and MSNBC for sure. I watch fox the most of all of them. honestly, not as bad as people make it out to be. especially O'Reilly, he gets a bad rap, he's not as evil as people make him out to be. yes i know you probably think i'm nuts for saying this.

you are right, most that watch tend to lean conservative, but i still think in the millions of watchers they get daily, there are a fair share of moderates that watch.

[x togepi x]

maybe it shows more tact, but what will get them more votes is what counts. like i said, people may hate fox, but their ratings are huge and they do have influence. could be a positive for a democrat to appear.

have you seen how fox covers democrats?

chances are, you'd see this debate and then they'd throw on a bunch of conservative commentators to rip them all the shreds. mind you, fox already refused to allow air america to cohost the event, which kind of makes me think that would happen.

[captainhampton]

have you seen how fox covers democrats?

chances are, you'd see this debate and then they'd throw on a bunch of conservative commentators to rip them all the shreds. mind you, fox already refused to allow air america to cohost the event, which kind of makes me think that would happen.

do you think if Obama appeared on the debate it would lose him votes?

[x togepi x]

do you think if Obama appeared on the debate it would lose him votes?

if a conservative commentator ripped him to shreds during and after this speeches without him being able to defend himself, yes.

[senatorlamb]

more reputable than CNN and MSNBC for sure. I watch fox the most of all of them. honestly, not as bad as people make it out to be. especially O'Reilly, he gets a bad rap, he's not as evil as people make him out to be. yes i know you probably think i'm nuts for saying this.

you are right, most that watch tend to lean conservative, but i still think in the millions of watchers they get daily, there are a fair share of moderates that watch.

I would say the worst thing about Fox beyond their little mistaken captions and headlines, and beyond the words of their hardline conservative commentators, is the way they frame the issues. False culture wars, false threats, false fears, false debates, all brought you by T.V. hosts that feel their Irish-Catholic, suburban background qualifies them for being the "average man" who stands up for "American values." Some people just eat that stuff up. Its all about victimization and fighting back against forces they don't even understand. In fact, its really just a fight against change.

[captainhampton]

I would say the worst thing about Fox beyond their little mistaken captions and headlines, and beyond the words of their hardline conservative commentators, is the way they frame the issues. False culture wars, false threats, false fears, false debates, all brought you by T.V. hosts that feel their Irish- Catholic, suburban background qualifies them for being the "average man" who stands up for "American values." Some people just eat that stuff up.

haha ok you hate fox, no big deal. i still think if I were Obama, i would go on this debate, it would get him votes.

[x togepi x]

haha ok you hate fox, no big deal. i still think if I were Obama, i would go on this debate, it would get him votes.

explain how.

two people have explained how fox would go out of its way to make him look like a moron, and you still say this.

[atticus1492]

more reputable than CNN and MSNBC for sure. I watch fox the most of all of them. honestly, not as bad as people make it out to be. especially O'Reilly, he gets a bad rap, he's not as evil as people make him out to be. yes i know you probably think i'm nuts for saying this.

you are right, most that watch tend to lean conservative, but i still think in the millions of watchers they get daily, there are a fair share of moderates that watch.

I do not think that you are nuts. I think that you are conservative. It is alright for people to be different.

And on that note, when I watch Fox News, and yes, I do actually watch it more often than any other news station, what I generally see are conservative political talk shows. Granted, they usually bring a liberal correspondent in, but he/she is usually completely inept in arguing. And for the record, I really do not enjoy any of the cable news channels. I tend to get my news from newspapers. But it seems to me that CNN has its conservative shows and its liberal shows.

[captainhampton]

explain how.

two people have explained how fox would go out of its way to make him look like a moron, and you still say this.

i actually watch fox on a daily basis, so i think i'm more qualified than you to comment on how they'd handle a debate. despite what you may think, not every commentator on the network is some right wing conservative. they have democratic commentators to you know.

if Obama does not participate, how many of the moderate votes of the people who watch the debate is he going to get? not many if he doesn't show. if he does, he'll get his message out to a HUGE audience. not every person watching is going to listen to what Sean Hannity says about him after it is over. he will get more voters.

[captainhampton]

I do not think that you are nuts. I think that you are conservative. It is alright for people to be different.

And on that note, when I watch Fox News, and yes, I do actually watch it more often than any other news station, what I generally see are conservative political talk shows. Granted, they usually bring a liberal correspondent in, but he/she is usually completely inept in arguing. And for the record, I really do not enjoy any of the cable news channels. I tend to get my news from newspapers. But it seems to me that CNN has its conservative shows and its liberal shows.

haha i know what you mean on this point. there is this one girl who appears on O'Reilly and H+C sometimes from Young Democrats who is just terrible. it makes me want to say to the Young Democrat group, is this the best person you can send.

[atticus1492]

haha i know what you mean on this point. there is this one girl who appears on O'Reilly and H+C sometimes from Young Democrats who is just terrible. it makes me want to say to the Young Democrat group, is this the best person you can send.

I think I know exactly whom you are talking about, and that is what I am saying. They definitely give the illusion that they are looking at all sides of the question, but it is sometime brutally obvious that F.N. is not when they pit these pundits against these stupid kids.

[x togepi x]

i actually watch fox on a daily basis, so i think i'm more qualified than you to comment on how they'd handle a debate. despite what you may think, not every commentator on the network is some right wing conservative. they have democratic commentators to you know.

you're not more qualified than me to talk about fox's biased since you're all about that channel. you're biased.

names of these commentators?

the only one i can think of is colmes and he votes republican.

if Obama does not participate, how many of the moderate votes of the people who watch the debate is he going to get? not many if he doesn't show. if he does, he'll get his message out to a HUGE audience. not every person watching is going to listen to what Sean Hannity says about him after it is over. he will get more voters.

these "moderates" will go watch the real debates on one of the network news stations.

[senatorlamb]

haha ok you hate fox, no big deal. i still think if I were Obama, i would go on this debate, it would get him votes.

he never said he wouldn't. Edwards and Richardson did and then after pressure from certain groups and organizations, the Nevada State Democratic Party cancelled it.

EDIT: quoted wrong message, sorry.

[atticus1492]

you're not more qualified than me to talk about fox's biased since you're all about that channel. you're biased.

names of these commentators?

the only one i can think of is colmes and he votes republican.



these "moderates" will go watch the real debates on one of the network news stations.

Yes. This is what I think. The only votes Obama would lose would be those of the stubborn conservative crowd, and he wouldn't have gotten those anyway.

[captainhampton]

you're not more qualified than me to talk about fox's biased since you're all about that channel. you're biased.

names of these commentators?

the only one i can think of is colmes and he votes republican.



these "moderates" will go watch the real debates on one of the network news stations.
whatever, that's your opinion.

and Colmes really voted republican? that's funny, give me proof.

[x togepi x]

whatever, that's your opinion.

and Colmes really voted republican? that's funny, give me proof.

""I voted for Giuliani"

Conceding points to conservatives and Republicans seems to be a Colmes specialty.

Following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Colmes (9/28/01) assured former Republican congressmember Susan Molinari that he'd voted for New York City's Republican mayor: "Hold on. Susan--Susan, look, I voted for Rudy Giuliani. I'm a liberal Democrat. I voted for this Republican, Rudy Giuliani." Reminding Fox viewers that he voted for Giuliani is a sort of Colmes on-air mantra; according to the show's transcripts, he's done it at least eight times since 1998.

Colmes sometimes joins his conservative co-host and guests in criticizing the left. When conservative author Tammy Bruce appeared on the show touting her book, The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left's Assault on Our Culture and Values (4/21/03), Hannity predictably agreed with the author about the blame for declining values: "But, literally, the left is responsible for this." Then Bruce clarified her point: "Well, as I show in the book…it's the left having gone so far to the left." Rather than putting up some kind of resistance to this left-bashing--as one might expect a left-of-center host to do--Colmes instead concurred: "I think in some respects you're right. And you and I have talked about this before."

While Hannity, a devout movement conservative, can be relied upon to dwell on the slightest conservative grievance, Colmes seems to see his role as one of policing liberal excess. When left-leaning New York City councilmember Charles Barron dubbed George W. Bush a "selected" president on the show (3/28/03), Colmes scolded the wayward leftist: "Look, my problem with my fellow liberals is they keep arguing the election of 2000. Let's move forward. If you want to win in the future, stop talking about the past."

Once appearing as a guest on Fox's O'Reilly Factor (4/11/03), Colmes received a figurative pat on the head from the show's host, Bill O'Reilly, for not criticizing the White House during the Iraq war. O'Reilly praised Colmes for his silence: "I put forth that once the shelling starts--and you did this--you kept quiet, OK." Colmes dutifully responded: "Well, look, I've kept quiet. My choice has been--I have not criticized the administration or this war effort while there are men and women in harm's way, and I will not, and that is my --that's a choice I make.""-http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158

oh he's such a liberal.

[captainhampton]

""I voted for Giuliani"

Conceding points to conservatives and Republicans seems to be a Colmes specialty.

Following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Colmes (9/28/01) assured former Republican congressmember Susan Molinari that he'd voted for New York City's Republican mayor: "Hold on. Susan--Susan, look, I voted for Rudy Giuliani. I'm a liberal Democrat. I voted for this Republican, Rudy Giuliani." Reminding Fox viewers that he voted for Giuliani is a sort of Colmes on-air mantra; according to the show's transcripts, he's done it at least eight times since 1998.

Colmes sometimes joins his conservative co-host and guests in criticizing the left. When conservative author Tammy Bruce appeared on the show touting her book, The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left's Assault on Our Culture and Values (4/21/03), Hannity predictably agreed with the author about the blame for declining values: "But, literally, the left is responsible for this." Then Bruce clarified her point: "Well, as I show in the book…it's the left having gone so far to the left." Rather than putting up some kind of resistance to this left-bashing--as one might expect a left-of-center host to do--Colmes instead concurred: "I think in some respects you're right. And you and I have talked about this before."

While Hannity, a devout movement conservative, can be relied upon to dwell on the slightest conservative grievance, Colmes seems to see his role as one of policing liberal excess. When left-leaning New York City councilmember Charles Barron dubbed George W. Bush a "selected" president on the show (3/28/03), Colmes scolded the wayward leftist: "Look, my problem with my fellow liberals is they keep arguing the election of 2000. Let's move forward. If you want to win in the future, stop talking about the past."

Once appearing as a guest on Fox's O'Reilly Factor (4/11/03), Colmes received a figurative pat on the head from the show's host, Bill O'Reilly, for not criticizing the White House during the Iraq war. O'Reilly praised Colmes for his silence: "I put forth that once the shelling starts--and you did this--you kept quiet, OK." Colmes dutifully responded: "Well, look, I've kept quiet. My choice has been--I have not criticized the administration or this war effort while there are men and women in harm's way, and I will not, and that is my --that's a choice I make.""-http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158

oh he's such a liberal.

so what, he voted for Giuliani for Mayor. you said "COLMES VOTES REPUBLICAN" don't be a liar. so what if he voted republican for mayor of New York. i give him more respect for not just voting straight for one party. and honestly when voting for mayor, it's not as much about liberal/conservative issues as a presidential race, and more of who can help this city the most. judging by the way Giuliani cleaned up New York, I'd say he made the right choice.

[x togepi x]

so what, he voted for Giuliani for Mayor. you said "COLMES VOTES REPUBLICAN" don't be a liar. so what if he voted republican for mayor of New York. i give him more respect for not just voting straight for one party. and honestly when voting for mayor, it's not as much about liberal/conservative issues as a presidential race, and more of who can help this city the most. judging by the way Giuliani cleaned up New York, I'd say he made the right choice.

did you read the article i posted?

he voted for him, he throws liberals under the bus. Earlier in the article, which i didn't quote, he talks about how he self identifies as a moderate, not a liberal. I'm not lying when I say that he's not a liberal.

[captainhampton]

did you read the article i posted?

he voted for him, he throws liberals under the bus. Earlier in the article, which i didn't quote, he talks about how he self identifies as a moderate, not a liberal. I'm not lying when I say that he's not a liberal.
o'reilly identifies himself as moderate too. doesn't mean he is. check out Colmes' book, real moderate and conservative.

[x togepi x]

o'reilly identifies himself as moderate too. doesn't mean he is. check out Colmes' book, real moderate and conservative.

did you read the article i posted?

it talks about how colmes repeatedly throws liberals under the bus, as well as the fact that he wouldn't critiicze the president's war plan.

wow, he's a real liberal!

[s.t.e.v.e.n.]

""I voted for Giuliani"

Conceding points to conservatives and Republicans seems to be a Colmes specialty.

Following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Colmes (9/28/01) assured former Republican congressmember Susan Molinari that he'd voted for New York City's Republican mayor: "Hold on. Susan--Susan, look, I voted for Rudy Giuliani. I'm a liberal Democrat. I voted for this Republican, Rudy Giuliani." Reminding Fox viewers that he voted for Giuliani is a sort of Colmes on-air mantra; according to the show's transcripts, he's done it at least eight times since 1998.

Colmes sometimes joins his conservative co-host and guests in criticizing the left. When conservative author Tammy Bruce appeared on the show touting her book, The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left's Assault on Our Culture and Values (4/21/03), Hannity predictably agreed with the author about the blame for declining values: "But, literally, the left is responsible for this." Then Bruce clarified her point: "Well, as I show in the book…it's the left having gone so far to the left." Rather than putting up some kind of resistance to this left-bashing--as one might expect a left-of-center host to do--Colmes instead concurred: "I think in some respects you're right. And you and I have talked about this before."

While Hannity, a devout movement conservative, can be relied upon to dwell on the slightest conservative grievance, Colmes seems to see his role as one of policing liberal excess. When left-leaning New York City councilmember Charles Barron dubbed George W. Bush a "selected" president on the show (3/28/03), Colmes scolded the wayward leftist: "Look, my problem with my fellow liberals is they keep arguing the election of 2000. Let's move forward. If you want to win in the future, stop talking about the past."

Once appearing as a guest on Fox's O'Reilly Factor (4/11/03), Colmes received a figurative pat on the head from the show's host, Bill O'Reilly, for not criticizing the White House during the Iraq war. O'Reilly praised Colmes for his silence: "I put forth that once the shelling starts--and you did this--you kept quiet, OK." Colmes dutifully responded: "Well, look, I've kept quiet. My choice has been--I have not criticized the administration or this war effort while there are men and women in harm's way, and I will not, and that is my --that's a choice I make.""-http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158

oh he's such a liberal.


it seems to me that he can be a liberal and still say both of these things

[x togepi x]

it seems to me that he can be a liberal and still say both of these things

the first bolded statement? maybe.

the second? at the point that he refuses to speak, he's only enabling the conservatives (well neo-cons) at that point, he's not really a liberal in any meaningful sense of the word.

[AnF1500]

I wonder if it will ever be possible for a news station to be objective and nuetral.

[Trainsaw]

I wonder if it will ever be possible for a news station to be objective and nuetral.

Not as long as someone has an opinion

[Love As Arson]

Consider the disparity in the coverage of Walter Reed by Fox News as opposed to other television stations.

[MotionIsntMeaning]

I wonder if it will ever be possible for a news station to be objective and nuetral.

PBS.