Fox News Channel: They're Crazy Like a.....(Vaulted)

[aradia22]

Dana, how did Pence "tell it like it is" while Kaine was too "practiced"? They both clearly practiced and had lines. Because that's how you show up for a debate.

[aradia22]

'Kaine interrupted 39 times. Pence interrupted 19 times. Will that affect women voters?' -Megyn Kelly

Um, I think they'll care more about abortion and reproductive rights.

Also, why the hell does Fox News keep calling Huckabee?

[stormy]

Pence's anti-abortion and faith talk was creepy.

[David T. Cole]

This topic was moved back here from Current Events & Politics (sorry, housekeeping after we started that). Network discussion stays in Network Talk. If the discussion turns to the purely political / news then please break it off to the Current Events & Politics, thanks!

[aradia22]

Varney railing at the media for supporting Hillary Clinton and then continuing with the rest of his election coverage is rich. Also, I feel like it's really difficult to separate Fox News and Fox Business lately.

[aradia22]

Fox News tactic: 

• Find conspiracy theory or spin non-issue into a scandal/thing that is destroying America
• Report on it incessantly
• Accuse the rest of the networks of liberal bias for not reporting on the thing they made up

[junemeatcleaver]

HuffPost posted a long profile of Shepard Smith.  He obliquely came out and says FNC is going to move away from opinion shows and focus more on news.

Yet Hannity is quoted in a NY Times article as saying that his show is what "pays the bills." 

[aradia22]

I guess it depends what you mean by "opinion." I skimmed the article and didn't really get any clarity on that. He could be referring to those panel shows that I can't imagine do well anyway. O'Reilly himself changes his answer on whether his show is news or opinion.

[aradia22]

I followed the second presidential debate through twitter. I skipped out on the third debate entirely and spent the night out watching mini musicals. No regrets! I came home to Fox News spin. Yes, there was the typical pro-Trump spin "this was his best performance of the 3 debates" seemed to be popular. My favorite part was the tongue-bathing they gave Chris Wallace. Super moderator! Or just like a dude, asking questions. I know he's from your channel but calm yourselves.

[GHScorpiosRule]

And I thought he was a dick. Letting Orangutan blather on, and letting him go back to the previous topic because HE had to have the last word, and fact checked Hillary. But let the Orangutan tell him "I'm not finished" while pointing his stubby finger at him. And Wallace LET him.

All I could think was thank goodness Mike Wallace wasn't alive to see this. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by GHScorpiosRule

[aradia22]

'There is no single major initiative of the Obama administration that has been successful.' -Lou Dobbs

Also, more weakening America stuff. It's a claim that is very conveniently difficult to dispute but easy to deploy to stir up emotions.

[stormy]

Saturday morning rowing at the gym with big screen TV above my head that is always on FOX.

Today they have on a professor from SUNY.  He has studied his polls (which have been right the last 5 times (?)) and says trump currently has a 67% chance of winning.

I would refer Mr. Professor to fivethirtyeight.com which according to their poll of polls currently has Hillary winning at 85.8% and trump at 14.2%.   Granted, Hillary is down from 87.6% just three days ago.  Also, Mr. Professor should read Nate Silver's most current article "Election Update:  There are four ways this election can end and three involve Clinton winning".

[Padma]

I wish all networks would play the Gingrich-Kelly interview in full, at least the complete exchange from when she asks him, "IF Donald Trump is a sexual predator...."  and he has a major nasty bully meltdown, shouting over and at her. 

Kelly did well to keep cool and point out she wasn't taking a point of view on it one way or the other, but with so many accusing him, it was a valid question. Newt was so rude and obnoxious while she was calm and poised. I'm sure, like Trump, Giuliani and Christie (oh, and Ailes), he went away very pleased with himself for "putting her in her place".

I did have a flash, for a moment, of wondering if Kelly may personally know that Trump does exactly that with women.  She's his type, after all--beautiful and blonde--and he is arrogant and disrespectful to everyone, so I think its possible she may have experienced it herself--or at least (like CNN's Erin Burnett) known others who have. Just a vibe. I wouldn't be surprised.

[aradia22]

It's trending on youtube.

LOL. "Two alternative universes." One is the real world.

"They're not non-partisan outlets." Pfft. I'm enjoying him trying to mansplain from this defensive position. The pointing finger came out.

"I think that your defensiveness on this may speak volumes, sir." That's incredible lawyer/Fox News shadiness but in this case, I'll allow it.

"I want to hear you use the words. I dare you." What? Like, what is wrong with you? Are you actually a child?

Of course the youtube comments are a garbage dump.

[Padma]

It really bugs me that the headline keeps being Gingrich saying "You are fascinated with sex!" That so misrepresents the whole subject which is actually NOTHING about "sex". Sigh.

I did see Trump praising Newt at the hotel opening/press manipulation this morning. Then, as Newt was leaving, a reporter asked "How you address Republican women's concerns with what they saw you doing on the Kelly file?" Of course, he batted it away (the reporter was female). "I haven't seen any of that. I've just been getting mail praising me for standing up to the dishonest media."

Of course you have.

[khyber]

My misogynistic racist gun nut in laws in Arizona are going beserk over this. Now they're not going to watch fox they're going to watch Fox Business because this Kelly is a traitorous woman

Edited October 26, 2016 by khyber

[lovinbob]

19 hours ago, Padma said:

It really bugs me that the headline keeps being Gingrich saying "You are fascinated with sex!" That so misrepresents the whole subject which is actually NOTHING about "sex". Sigh.

What Gingrich meant: "You're so fascinated with calling out womanizers like me, and sexual predators like Trump, and hypocrites like the two of us and so many others, on our bullshit and privilege and oppressive behavior which we will never acknowledge!"

[aradia22]

Ahahaha. Neil Cavuto cannot shut up about Adele. Let it go, Neil. Republicans cannot be shocked and upset every time actors, singers, other entertainers/performers endorse a Democratic candidate. Newsflash, the people you like, Neil, usually don't agree with your terrible positions. Give me a break with this not getting involved in politics crap. If someone wants to use their platform to promote something they believe in, they can. Even if it's someone like Ted Nugent. Though, on that point, Adele isn't promoting violence and racism so it's not exactly the same thing.

[film noire]

On 10/26/2016 at 11:56 AM, Padma said:

I did have a flash, for a moment, of wondering if Kelly may personally know that Trump does exactly that with women. 

She also worked for Ailes (another sexual predator) so if nothing else, she can spot one a mile away.  

Props due: I thought Kelly was fantastic in that interview.  That piece of human garbage, Gingrich  -- all huffy puffy with indignation, looking like a lunatic as he sputter-ranted -- this from a man who has no right to say a word about sexual misconduct, given he was having an affair while impeaching Clinton (surely a high point of Repub hypocrisy). Kelly gave Gingrich the comeuppance he's deserved for decades (in my books, since Newtie made his first wife sign divorce papers in her hospital room -- right after CANCER surgery -- mouth-breathing pimphead that he is).  It was a real pleasure watching a so-called, right wing intellectual giant fall like a house of woman cards. 

Edited October 27, 2016 by film noire

[aradia22]

I have a laptop now so I don't have to experience much Fox News anymore. I can go into another room and mostly block it out. But I decided to listen to the This American Life episode 599: Seriously? today and it got me thinking about something that's been on my mind for a while. I don't think it's particular to this election but something that has been stewing for a while and since I remember watching Fox News at least since Bush faced Kerry in the election, I think I'm reasonably qualified to have tracked it. I won't place all the blame at Fox News' door but I'll place a lot of it there as the most mainstream and therefore likely wide-reaching Republican/conservative/right-wing etc. news sources. They have poisoned people. It came up in the NPR episode when Ira talked to his uncle and I've noticed it when you talk to certain people who get their news from right-wing sources. Everyone is different and has different thresholds but there is a point where you have to stop arguing because facts don't matter. They don't hear them. I don't think cable news has been very good for us. The way pundits and commentators blather on and on but don't hear other and keep interrupting one another. I think it's contributed to shutting down legitimate conversations. Of course there are many other factors but yeah, Fox News has not been helping and it's definitely been getting worse during Obama's two terms.

[aradia22]

I had to watch a little O'Reilly tonight while I was eating dinner. It touched on one of the more worrisome Fox News trends that has developed lately. Now, it's not an entirely new thing. I think it goes back at least to Clinton's impeachment hearings and all the nonsense threats to impeach and delegitimize President Obama. But I feel like things have really picked up lately with lower level targets. I feel like it really picked up with James Comey. This pattern of casting aspersions on people's character and conduct, ascribing false nefarious motives, spreading misinformation... it's really dangerous. I get riling up the audience with outrage but weaving all of these conspiracies has real world consequences and this kind of witch hunt, while not terribly effective yet, could start to have people actually losing their jobs for these fictions. Look, I think the average person should be empowered to hold government officials accountable but this is not the way to go about it. 

[aradia22]

Mentioned on the Election Anxiety Support thread but they're likely going to be insufferable after the results tonight. Is anyone going to be watching them gloat tomorrow? If I wake up to hear Varney in the next room I might throw something through the TV. And I love the TV.

[aradia22]

Ugh, it's so annoying that most of the negative words are gendered female. Because if they weren't, I'd say that O'Reilly is being a gossipy little (insert word here) right now. Oh, no one knows what went on between Trump and Obama. So Martha MacCallum and I are just going to be shady about it. What even is this show?

[aradia22]

O'Reilly talking to Bob Woodward "I'm trying to do this as a journalist... even though I'm a commentator." "Facts are facts." 'How was it unfair for the Washington Post to report on Hillary Clinton's emails? I think you should have reported on it more.' "If you ever need advice, call me."

And before that... 'reporters are being mean to Trump. You have to keep your opinion out of it.' 

That's how we got here. Woodward made a few good points. One of them was, sure there are "facts" but the way you frame them, what you choose to focus on, that's always going to be there. That's not just a basic reporting of the news. 

[glowlights]

14 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Ugh, it's so annoying that most of the negative words are gendered female. Because if they weren't, I'd say that O'Reilly is being a gossipy little (insert word here) right now.

Jerk, asshole, bastard, clown, churl, cretin, dirtbag, scumbag, louse, blockhead, goon, jackass...  :)

[aradia22]

Caught a little bit of Bret Baier (and the panel of randos) tonight. They're spinning Trump's election victory. Not a lot (not any for as long as I watched) of admission that yup, some of his supporters are racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. Putting that aside, some fair points about the Clinton campaign/Democrats not addressing the concerns of/not trying to appeal to white working class voters and also not tapping into the progressive side of the party that Bernie Sanders appealed to. So Baier is more watchable than some other Fox pundits but still dealing in lies of omission. 

[aradia22]

Willie Robertson (Duck Dynasty) on O'Reilly tonight. Some nonsense about how Trump is a "regular guy." Yes, because regular people are millionaires with enough gold in their homes to make Louis XV blush. Anyway, what I find the most interesting is who is going to feel safe coming out of hiding after this election.

[aradia22]

Special Report with Bret Baier (tonight hosted by... one of the blond ladies). Rehashing DNC vs. Bernie Sanders supporters. (Seriously? I just can't with cable news sometimes. It's so tedious.) Also talked to Tucker Carlson who is a getting a new show. I was in and out of it while getting dinner. All I know is he said "muy caliente" and my brain short-circuited. 

Edited because I remembered some of what they were talking about. Trump is apparently great because he's not beholden to lobbyists. (But he definitely got money from big Republican donors and small donations from supporters. And he's been getting support from a lot of people on his campaign team we should be concerned about. Just because lobbyists are apparently not involved, it doesn't mean that there aren't people waiting in line to get theirs now that he's won the election. The people being awarded with positions on his staff already have me nervous.)

Edited November 14, 2016 by aradia22

[aradia22]

Your World With Neil Cavuto... Sarah Westwood being sensible... followed by Herman Cain. Fox News places people with knowledge and facts on the same level as people with feelings and convoluted reasoning.

[aradia22]

Lou Dobbs continuing to talk in vague terms about making America great again and Trump being a leader. I can't tell if there's no plan to discuss, they're afraid to dig any deeper into the specifics, or he just doesn't know anything and enjoys throwing out buzzwords to bamboozle people.

[onthebrink03]

9 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

Lou Dobbs continuing to talk in vague terms about making America great again and Trump being a leader. I can't tell if there's no plan to discuss, they're afraid to dig any deeper into the specifics, or he just doesn't know anything and enjoys throwing out buzzwords to bamboozle people.

Can I take all three doors, Monty?

[aradia22]

Kellyanne Conway spinning away on O'Reilly hosted by... some dude. Look, I can't remember all these people's names. Now, I don't mind a fast talker. I am a fast talker. I listen to podcasts and watch videos from people who are also fast talkers. But there's just such a steady stream of BS coming out of her mouth that I cannot deal with trying to mentally process it. Also on a more shallow note, it's always jarring when you take a step back from Fox News and then you suddenly see a program and everyone is orange. They are so fake tanned it is actually disconcerting.

[crowsworks]

I would really like the news networks to report – oh you know – the facts. Apparently Donald Trump thinks reporting the facts is a bias.

Like the fact that most American manufacturing jobs were lost to robots not foreign countries. Like the fact that immigrants commit no more crimes than Americans. Like the fact that many manufacturing in telecom jobs are being done in for-profit prisons. Where mostly minor drug offenders earn $.25 a day to make everything from lingerie to credit card calls.

They have become the new plantations – with the added bonus of taking away the right to vote of millions of black men mostly due to minor marijuana charges in southern states.

[aradia22]

Special Report with Bret Baier... (this is all me paraphrasing)

Story 1: Guys, there are totes a lot of walls. There are 70 border walls. Trump probably won't build a wall but instead adopt an old suggestion of extending a doubled up 14 ft fence.

Story 2: Obama going to Peru. Who knows what will happen? He can't really offer reassurance to these other foreign leaders about what Trump's going to do in the future. Something about the presidents of China and Japan and how the Japanese president already met with Trump. Also something about how Putin and Obama might see each other at the big summit. They'll have so much to talk about. Isn't it crazy? 

OK, back to me. Not sure how this is a news program. I don't think most of that qualified as news. There was like one fact and then just a bunch of rambling and speculation. Also, one thing that did stand out to me is when Bret Baier thanked the reporter who checked in because he was traveling with President Obama. As much as Fox News as railed against him over the years, he still has one of their journalists traveling with him. 

[Medicine Crow]

Have they mentioned anything about Melania's web site being "wiped" of her "college education"?

[aradia22]

Jessica Tarlov doing the thankless task of speaking so much sense this morning on Cavuto Coast to Coast. Why are we still talking about Hamilton when we could be talking about Trump U and the businesses he just started in Saudi Arabia and all the other shadiness? I don't know if it's getting through but I have to give the "liberal" commentators they bring on some credit for coming back day after day and at least letting the Fox audience hear another point of view even if they choose to tune it out. Also, that blond woman with the "shut up and sing" nonsense. I have nothing against blondes in general but Fox News brings on a particular kind of blond woman who just seems really well rehearsed in talking points and the party line and I don't know if she really believes what she's saying. To me, it's the political cable news equivalent of the Real Housewives. Are you really that angry or did you just come on to do this partially scripted fight?

[aradia22]

Jamila Bey and Niger Innis on O'Reilly (who is on vacation) tonight debating the African American perspective on Trump. I'm not going to weigh in because I didn't catch enough of it. He was mostly like... 15% voted for him and others didn't vote for anyone because they resent the assumption that Democrats will get the black vote without addressing issues they care about (sorry, I missed what those specific issues were) and she was mostly like 92% did not vote for him and he needs to go to them and address their concerns. And then I got what I needed from the kitchen and went back to my room. 

[aradia22]

Fox News talking about how nice Trump is for deciding not to pursue the "Lock Her Up" nonsense. Gag.

[aradia22]

Trish Regan (one of the few redheads on Fox... in this case Fox Business) is upset at President Obama (and to a lesser extent Trudeau) for sending condolences about Fidel Castro's death. Blah blah... liberal intelligentsia... blah blah... he's not on "our team."

A world leader died and he responded with a sentence or two. Since we have renewed relations with Cuba I don't think a short statement is out of the question. But I forgot of course that Obama is a Muslim, commie, terrorist-sympathizer, Christian-hating, liberal elitist... (sorry, I don't have the energy to list it all now).

[aradia22]

Newt Gingrich: "comparing what Clinton (having a private email server) with what Petraeus (knowingly sharing classified information with his biographer who he was having an extramarital affair with) did is like comparing a rowboat with the Titanic"

Guess who the rowboat and the Titanic are in this analogy? I try to be reasonable but... I hate him. I hate Newt Gingrich. I hate his stupid face. I hate the awful garbage, nonsense words that come out of his stupid mouth. And I hate that Fox News is never going to stop giving people like him a platform. Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, Herman Cain, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, etc. etc. These people are never going to go away as long as they're still alive and Fox News exists. Even though many of them don't have anything substantive to contribute and a lot of them had no business going into politics in the first place. GARGH.

OK, I'm done.

[aradia22]

Stuart Varney thinks there has been a "shift in mood" in this country and it's been a positive one. 

Ugh, stop trying to gaslight me, you evil little British gnome.

[aradia22]

Charlie Gasparino thinks it's President Obama's fault that the rich got richer during his administration without much change for a middle/working class. Pffft. OK, crazy. 

Why does Varney get three hours every morning???

[aradia22]

Neil Cavuto doing his best to diminish the recount efforts. So far the tactic doesn't seem to be making Stein out to be sinister and evil but just misguided. Look at the silly liberals. They have no power. What are they trying to accomplish? Why are they doing this? Hacking, what hacking? A fair vote? What's that? 

[aradia22]

So... I woke up in a gross way today. I overslept and I had to listen to Stuart Varney blathering on in the other room until I could get up and close the door. I feel like analyzing how Fox News has responded to the election results would be interesting if I could stomach listening to them for more than 20 minute stretches. They definitely can't go for the same straight outrage but that formula has worked and they do need to keep people at least stirred up and resentful of liberals (and especially their "lies" and the "liberal media bias"... for fear people might learn things that are true and contradictory to the FN spin). Anyway, they're still going after Hillary Clinton for some reason (I didn't stick around for that, but give it a rest guys.) The chiron was something like "Clinton parties with rich." Then they brought on Bryan Dean Wright to talk. I didn't stay to listen to him but I did read his article which I will now excerpt.

Quote

During a shouting matching Thursday night between top aides of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the President-elect’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway summed up a key reason for why my Democratic Party lost – and will likely continue to lose. “There’s a difference for voters between what offends you and what affects you.”

This is a problem. Because part of privilege means that those things that might offend you but don't affect you, there's a good chance they do affect other people... those other Americans who are offended but also very scared about their rights being taken away. 

Quote

Media reaction captures how tone deaf we have become. My party is advancing stories of outrage over the generous tax incentives that Carrier received – some $7.0 million at present.

We’re hearing disbelief that companies can now blackmail Trump into getting their own sweetheart tax deals. Even trade critics like Bernie Sanders are complaining that Trump didn’t save enough jobs from being shipped overseas.

While there’s merit to these concerns, Ms. Conway knows that however offended some people may be, there are far more who are affected by the outcome.

From now until Christmas, we will see narratives of hard working Americans emotionally recalling how much they feared joblessness and bankruptcy once Carrier shut off the lights. They will tell us of the Christmas that almost was, complete with heartbroken children with no presents under the tree.

But now? There will be presents aplenty. And they will have President-elect Trump to thank for it.

Facts aside, how does this look to average Americans in North Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin? For better or worse, the headline is clear: Trump is a president who picks up the phone and saves jobs. Democrats are whiners. It doesn’t matter whether that’s fair.

OK, there's more than "merit to these concerns." We should continue to be critical (not antagonistic but thinking critically) of all developments. We shouldn't just give in to someone else's narrative because their optics are good. 

Quote

But guess what? Most voters didn’t – and still don’t – care. In the Rust Belt and rural communities, they have bigger problems to tackle. Idle factories, saw mills, and coal mines. Families falling apart from opioid addiction. Incomes that have less buying power than 40 years ago. Kids living at home because they are swamped with student debt.

They’re running out of hope.

Enter Donald Trump and his willingness to shame an American corporation into submission. First with Ford in Kentucky. Now Carrier in Indiana.

Love him or hate him, voters see a man who delivers.

People should care about all of those things. I refuse to accept that it's not important that people care about those things. I feel like this article is trying to slowly trick me. I get that people see him delivering with this Carrier deal. But that's not entirely the truth and it doesn't mean he has real solutions to fix the other myriad problems and we should be very concerned about that. It also doesn't mean that Democrats don't care about issues like drug abuse, student debt, creating jobs... Like it or not, we cannot rely on coal mines and factory jobs forever and the sooner people start to get training in the jobs that will get them work, the better.

Quote

First, we must swallow our pride and acknowledge that Trump is America’s president. It doesn’t matter if we don’t like the man. The American people have chosen.

We gain nothing by supporting Jill Stein and Hillary Clinton as they engage in fruitless recounts. No more excuses. We lost and it’s time to move on. The 2018 elections will wait for no one.

I agree that the recount efforts will likely not be successful but he did not win the popular vote and it's important to not forget all the crazy shenanigans that went on this election. If you don't take any lessons away from this election, how do you expect 2018 to go?

Quote

Make no mistake, there are areas where we simply cannot compromise. We believe in a woman’s right to control her body. We believe that gay and lesbian Americans deserve equality. But even here we can at least be civil as we disagree. Voters and the courts will decide who is right.

Civility only goes so far. I don't agree that we have to just be polite and take it as people spread hate and try to strip others of their dignity and human rights. Those are not equally valid positions and if the voters are wrong or Trump appoints conservative Supreme Court justices who tip the majority balance the wrong way we do not have to just sit back and take it. 

[aradia22]

Trish again... "how do we stop corruption in government?" No, of course it's not the thing you want it to be. She's talking about investigating the Clinton Foundation. 

[aradia22]

Varney this morning. I take it back. They're totally gloating. 

[aradia22]

David Asman on Fox Business Re: Carrier

All presidents and president elects exaggerate their claims... like Obama did promising you wouldn't lose your coverage with Obamacare and creating thousands of jobs... so why are people surprised when Trump exaggerates his claims by a few hundred? 

Well, first of all, I'm not buying the "everybody lies" things, and certainly not to the degree that Trumplethinskin willfully misleads people. But also, if you're dealing with smaller quantities, exaggerations are going to be magnified. If I tell you I gave you a million apples and I gave you 999,900, that's different from if I told you I gave you a thousand apples and I gave you 900. See, I can make stupid analogies, too. 

[aradia22]

I just got a wave of Fox News nonsense on Lou Dobbs as I walked through the room. I don't like to wish violence on anyone but I'm going from "throw cold spaghetti" at them to slap them in the face with fishes when everyone is supporting these ridiculous cabinet picks. Also, remember when they tried to balance things out with Republicans and Democrats? I feel like more often than not, it's a group of Republicans who basically agree with each other just talking and talking to fill time. What is the point of these shows? 

[aradia22]

My mom taped a morning show... it's one with David Asman but on Fox News not Fox Business. Anyway, it was a panel show and once again it made me think of a larger problem with Fox. Fox News perpetuates the idea that everyone is qualified to weigh in on every subject by not switching out panelists. Analyst... pundit... these are barely jobs and these people are certainly not qualified to speak on everything from healthcare to the economy to celebrity news and mental health and gun control and whatever else comes up on a day to day basis. That's not even a criticism of these people in particular. The group of people that could talk intelligently about all of those issues is teeny tiny. 

OK, now to complain about one of them. I didn't catch his name because I came in after it already started and they don't bother with the chirons. But he basically said (barely paraphrasing) 'I don't know why the Republicans are even bothering to suggest other plans... just repeal Obamacare... that'll fix all the problems.' 

GAAHHH!!! Cold spaghetti!

[aradia22]

Fox News is being ridiculous. Trump is not "breaking bread" with anyone who opposed/didn't wholeheartedly support him during the campaign. He's rubbing their noses in his victory and making them grovel. That dig at Paul Ryan was childish.