Fox News tries to overcome 'pro- Republican' reputation

[Nambe]

By Mark Memmott, USA TODAY

Twins Barbara and Jenna Bush "came off, frankly, as ditzes" when they spoke to the Republican National Convention, one commentator said. Laura Bush's speech "did not help" the president's campaign, said another. The first lady and her daughters "had no place up there" on the convention stage, said a third. ..

The setting was Fox News Channel's skybox inside Madison Square Garden. The show was Special Report, moderated by Brit Hume. Mort Kondracke, executive editor of Roll Call dissed the twins. William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, gave Laura Bush's speech a low rating. Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, thought the women shouldn't have been addressing delegates because "we're not electing a family."

All three are known for their conservative or independent political views. Their comments couldn't have been more opposite what conventional wisdom would predict a Fox News panel would say. ..

Some critics say Fox and other cable networks overplayed the story of the veterans who accused Sen. John Kerry of lying about his war record — and gave too much attention to the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" group even after some of its claims had been contradicted.

But Hume, who has been with Fox since its beginning in 1996, said Fox took the story seriously because "you had Vietnam veterans, on the record, who were there and who were making serious allegations. How can you not do that story?" ..

Need A Hug Go To The Store!

[soothsayer]

1. Ah, they know Kerry is going to win! Trying to play nice maybe.

Running scared! Their boy is going down. Time to chuck him under the bus!

[Tight_rope]

40. Yup! After Kerry wins...The repukes won't watch tv...

[FlaIndie]

2. they were on the record, all right

praising Kerry 35 years ago, but now he's a coward? :shrug:

[annxburns]

3. How could you not do that story?

Oh, I don't know - by making a few phone calls and determining it was BULLSHIT!

[wurzel]

6. Fox? Check on an anti-Kerry story? That would be a first!

[democracyindanger]

4. They're just turning down every one's lights

so the dimmest bulb shines brightest.

[yardwork]

5. The vets weren't there!

Fox commentators are morans. If they think that pointing out the obvious fact that Bush's daughters are ditzes will make up for a months' worth of shilling for Rove's smear-bots, they are wrong.

[UdoKier]

7. Such comments are clearly disengenuous.

They pretend to attack the girls, then their brain-dead viewers write in to complain. After all, the girls are not politicians, and they were pot there to dispel the 100% factual image of the GOP as home of sexual tightasses, racists and Mayflower snobs. They were there to humanize the party

If Fox had ANY interest in appearing less partisan, it would criticize Bush for his lies, his murderous wars... It would point out that Gary Condit's career is destroyed, but Joe Scarborough has a TV show, even though the exact same thing happened to them both.

Instead of ridiculing the protesters, they would spend some time talking to them. They would not have covered the Swift Boat accusations when it was proven that almost none of them had served with, or even met Kerry, and that they have no credibility.

Fox News has made pretense of "fairness" since it began back in '96, but it has NEVER done so by covering the truth or hosting a balanced debate of the issues.

[ixion]

8. yeah, right. whatever

:eyes:

[despairing optimist]

9. Liberace tries to overcome "gay" reputation

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[nini]

28. LOL

:thumbsup:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Probably has nothing to do with misogyny.

[UpInArms]

11. cue the soundtrack for

the Twilight Zone.

Picture a scene so bizarre...

you have entered the FAUX News Skybox, everything seems as it should be. But yet, something is wrong. Something is missing. Something is out of step. Or, is it just... another step into the

Twilight Zone.

Do not attempt to get up adjust the television. For we control your television. We will tell you how and when to think.

[Kimber Scott]

12. No Place for Women on the Republican Stage?

Sorry, couldn't resist spinning that one.

[Wabbajack]

13. They weren't trying to be moderate or anything

The Bush girlz were just so terrible they couldn't get away with lying so they told the truth.

[ORprogressive]

22. Oddly enough..

As I was heading out the door this morning, I heard a CNN reporter praising them. When he said something along the lines of "This could be the next generation of the Bush family to enter politics...", I had to turn off the TV.

It made me nauseous.

[joefree1]

14. They're worried about becoming a national joke

Too late.


Download the free poster/bumper art here:
http://ediablo.com/eDiabloGallery.html

[alcuno]

15. And they all took the opportunity to revise their remarks tonight.

Must have received a ton of angry emails from their foul-mouthed viewers. Brit even wimped out and said it was the others and not him.

[slojim240]

16. I am stunned that they are telling the truth for once. Does telling the

truth mean you are trying shake a "pro-Republican" image?

[SquireJons]

17. Perhaps they were simply stating the obvious

It is possible that each of these women were in fact, a total bomb. I wouldn't know, since I had no interest in watching this obscenity, but the discription is in line with my opinion of each of them.

Seriously, who here doesn't think that the bush twins are ditzes? It's their whole personification. And Laura... well, she'll get you a cup of tea.

[quaoar]

18. If they really want to overcome their pro-GOP reputation

They can pitch Sean Hannity over the side. If they do that, I might start to believe it.

[oioioi]

19. follow the money

its about ratings, advertising dollars and the bottom line.

One local AM station has recently become "San Diego's progressive station", running AAR programming. They are advertising on the local PBS FM station, which is how I heard of them. No other AM radio station has ever run ads on the PBS station.

So I decided to listen in for a while and the really weird thing is that it's a Clear Channel station and they are using the exact same announcers for the traffic, news and even some of the talk show hosts that the local wingnut station uses. The first time I tuned in and heard exactly the same dude who was on the other station, I was just blown away. They were even running the same story I'd heard this guy doing a week ago on the RW station (legal action against military stop-loss), with the absolute same call-in guests, except the implicit slant of the host's rhetoric and questioning was liberal instead of conservative. Hearing it was surreal.

Suddenly the term "media whore" made a whole lot more sense to me. This cynical and craven attempt to garner market share from the liberals listening to KPBS made me wince, but I think may be an indicator that the cup of RW nonsense radio is starting to run dry. Hence the feeble attempt of some of the major media outlets to turn leftward in search of market share.

The problem is that most of the junior management of these organzations is too rooted in their formulae to awaken to a realization that the liberal mindset is much more critical than the target market for Rush Limbaugh, and that rhetoric needs to be replaced with reason if these brave new ventures are to succeed.

The Times, may indeed, be a changin'.

Let's hope anyway.

[JDPriestly]

30. Exactly!

Fox is realizing that everyone is tired of the same old, vicious, self-satisfied, holier than thou, repititious Republican blather.

[Thor_MN]

20. Once upon a time, you could find their misson statement on their site

which contained something along the lines of "overcoming a perceived liberal bias in the media." I've tried finding it in the last year, but had no luck....

[sonicx]

21. "KKK tries to overcome 'hate' reputation" nt

[Just Me]

23. Hmmm, think about it,...the headline is actually accurate.

Fox is pro-neofascism (Straussian et al supremists),...not really pro-Republican, in the traditional sense. The Fox network believes in embracing the priviliged by blood or luck,...and taking advantage of (e.g. screw) everyone else.

Hope they get the "compassion" they give,...on their day of struggle.

[kskiska]

24. Well, they were on pretty safe ground criticizing the Twins

Let's see them criticize the Smear Boat Squad or something substantive.

[BigBigBear]

25. "Dogshit tries to overcome 'bad smell' reputation"

...developing....

[RhodaGrits]

26. All i know is that at the UFPJ march on Sunday, the most common

cheer chanted by the crowd after NO MORE BUSH was FOX NEWS SUCKS. Maybe they heard?

But I would vote for blatant misogyny in Barnes' case and just stating the obvious in the others.

[Ms. Clio]

27. Fox News Sucks!!!!! Lather, rinse, repeat

Too little, too late, puke-ass-kissing whores.

[gulliver]

29. They want to keep the pro-Republican bias, though.

The reputation for pro-Republican bias is all they want to overcome.

[MissMarple]

32. Exactly, stand to the right, feint to the left, move farther right.

What transparent idiots they are.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. Gee...Why would they have a reputation like that?

Must be their lies....

[kodi]

33. driven merely by trying to increase ad fees

no more, no less.

faux has lower advert prices than cnn for clients, they know that the nasty rep they are getting is hurting their sales of air time, because advertisers want to reach a wider audience than just the normal faux viwer, you know, morons.

a slight, if temporary shift to the center is designed to capture a broader based audience for viewing commericals. when they can do that, they can raise their ad time prices.

[lebkuchen]

34. By shutting itself down?

Is there any other way?

[hatrack]

35. GOOOOOD LUUUUUU-CK!!!

Fucking dumbasses. Yeah, and if Bush wins, it'll be back to the same old swill, eh Bill?

[Kolesar]

36. This is all a ruse

Fox is a republican mouthpiece and always will be.

[calimary]

37. ONE show's scattered comments do not a redemption make.

Sorry. Besides, the bush twins just happen to be a ridiculously easy target.

[Occulus]

38. Once again, they care not for truth

and count on the left hand not knowing what the right is doing.

For example, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/2/102235/3350">this

also discussed at its own (currently empty) thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2299789">here

[Tight_rope]

39. LMBAO.....:LMBAO.....Fox News = Republican supporters only!

It's as simple as that

[phatkatt]

41. "See we're fair and balanced! Bad reviews of the women folk ..."

... (who should be at home, anyway) to balance out the fawning to come after *'s speach!"

[SiouxJ]

42. I think they know they are becoming the joke of all media

Even Repukes know they are biased. How can you call yourself "Fair and Balanced" when even your supporters see the bias. They are trying to stop the landslide before they become synonymous with the National Enquirer.

[0007]

43. The image could be changed in a New York second if....

Brit Hume was replaced with Jim Lehrer. Bill O'Reilly was replaced with Phil Donuhue and Sean Hannity was replaced by Bill Press. Mark Shields could replace Tony 'asshole' Snow.....and the Belt Way Boys with the Dixie Chicks.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

44. BWWWWAAAAHAAAHAHAAAAHAAA! N/T