Did you get the McCain campaign memo?

Not to worry. Naturally, Fox News did and ran it as their big political news story at the half hour break during Fox & Friends. Why not? Fox News has become the unofficial reelection public relations firm for the McCain campaign.

John Orton briefly covers the back and forth between Obama and Fox News in his Huffington Post blog post “Obama Contintues Fox News Pushback.” As an aside, Orton’s post includes video of the stereotypical “fair and balanced” interview between a conservative anchor, in this case Megyn Kelly, and Obama spokesman Bill Burton. Naturally, out come some cherry-picked statistics over media coverage of McCain and Obama.

Overlooked is the details. When McCain went negative, according to Zogby, his poll numbers nosedived dramatically. Negative campaigning naturally garners negative press. Not to mention the uniqueness of America’s first presidential candidate will get positive coverage. But, as Fox News got tangled up in when they pulled the same shtick of Palin’s negative press, it popped out Biden’s was worse. Anybody want to bring up media coverage of Hillary Clinton during her campaign?

Even funnier, Megyn uses the fact that Fox News’ own audience thinks they’re balanced to prove they’re balanced. ;)

Gleefully promoting McCain gaining in the polls against Obama. Digging deep in the news bag to spotlight conservative French president Sarkozy slamming Obama over Iran. Then spinning hard the LA Times decision not “to release a videotape that it says shows Barack Obama praising a Chicago professor who was an alleged mouthpiece for the Palestine Liberation Organization while it was a designated terrorist group in the 1970s and ’80s” even though they know it’s a condition of their source they not release it.

As I sign off of Fox & Friends they’ve just wrapped up running surgically cut clips of Obama gaffing over his tax policies. Next up is more news on Joe the Plumber.

“Fair and balanced?” You bet.

2 Comments

  1. Comment by ginger on October 31, 2008 1:19 am

    Since when did it become a fault to listen to a mix of news channels, including FOX. I think FOX is the only channel that asks questions, and some of those questions I would like to here answers to. With only 5 days until election day, I’m sorry there isn’t time to research some of these questionable people in Obama past. I am an independent, if either candidate wants my vote I DO NEED to know all about them so I need to make my own decision. So much that is said about a station like FOX is equally derogatory, with the addition of foul language, at least that kind of “unintellegent” colorful vocabulary is not needed on FOX to try to make there point. When hearing the complaints about conservatives via crude language I have to believe that the followers of FOX have it over the followers of the more liberal media. What other station will co-anchor a liberal and conservative on the same program……..maybe I should find clarity by watching ….The View…..ha ha. Actually I find it a little scarey that so many are willing to not give 10 minutes to investigate each candidate equally and simply overlook a presidential candidates RECENT past and not even wonder about one of the questions FOX raises. When in school and studying how dictators like Hitler were able to gain so much power, they people followed blindly, looking for anyone or anything to make life better. That is what they thought Hitler would do for them. The Germans were willing to overlook much if it meant the possibility of something better for themselves. And Hitler was wise in keeping much of what he was doing under cover. Hitler was not an open book. Did we not prosecute followers of Hitler for war crimes? I realize Obama is absolutely no Hitler, but he does have a past I can not overlook without researching, and some of his policies are too reminiscent of some of the Socialistic countries and rulers of the world. I wish we had better candidates, plural, to chose from. Sad that this is the best our country has to offer. What has become of the democracy that has made America great? How did we become so greedy that the people that we have put into office, our Senators, our Congressmen, who are there to represent the people, protect the people, are only protecting, representling, and out for themselves. Better to find out the ones who are responcible for the need for a bailout, fanny may, freddie, CEO’s who have destroyed the banks and companies they were in charge of, are walking away with big bucks, and severnce packages! Why isn’t anyone asking for justice. I’m looking for the candidate who has the back bone to investigate and seek justice from the Senate, Congress, CEO’s, etc. I hope I will find who that is soon!

  2. Comment by sknabt on November 2, 2008 11:01 am

    You criticize swearing yet bring out the Hitler analogies, usually the first sign of a failed argument.

    There’s no problem getting information from a mix of sources. In fact, I’d encourage it. However, the point of Eyes On Fox is to expose Fox News as a hopeless appendage of conservative talk radio.

    You say “FOX is the only channel that asks questions.” I think what you mean is Fox News is the only channel that asks certain questions. Questions which you can source back to right-wing talk radio sources like Rush Limbaugh.

    Take ACORN. Does Fox News really care about voter disenfranchisement? Not really. It’s just an excuse to smear Obama.

    How can I say that? As a professional computer programmer I read a lot of industry press. There have been many stories on voting machines dropping votes, getting hacked, etc. Worse, there’s a case in West Virginia where early voters saw their votes flip from Democrats to Republicans. Does Fox News cover any of this? Of course not.

    Ditto their dizzying spin about Rashid Khalidi. They report on, for example, Fox & Friends Obama’s ties to him but forget to mention McCain’s ties to him – he works on a board that sent Rashid Khalidi’s group over $400,000.

    Certainly do your research but realize watching Fox News is akin to getting information from a McCain or Palin stump speech.

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