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S01.E05: 2012


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Airs July 28, 2019

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Fox News Channel is now the dominant news outlet and Roger is working the levers of his power, but he doesn't see the danger posed by Gretchen Carlson; after years of harassment by Roger, she's finally had enough.

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The scene in the make-up room between Ailes and Carlson was brilliant - until he got all handsy and abused her.  She thought she could, in service to her personal ambition, put one over on him.  He turned the tables entirely on her.  Then, he made his industry "blackball" move to stunt her ambition.   He was the master, no doubt.

The later confrontation after the no make-up show was also instructive as to GC's real worth.  As was pointed out, Megyn Kelly, she was not.  GC simply did not have the whole package Kelly presented.  Yet, she did get her shot.  There's no excusing the genuine harassment and abuse Ailes engaged in.  But, GC would never have ascended to the heights her outsized ego believed she could attain.  As it turns out, neither would Kelly.  They each needed FN much more than FN needed them, as Ailes knew.

The arc with Joe was ridiculously portrayed.  Ailes was introducing him to the big leagues and naive Joe wasn't ready.  He departed on his own time, of his own accord.  I'm unaware of any subsequent Manchurian Candidate incidents.  Here again, Ailes was being used by an employee who was seeking to be better and attain status.  Ailes went too far - but only as far as the employee allowed. 

The "stalling" of The Call in 2012 was a fascinating twist.  Not sure I buy it, but that was a hugely significant moment.  Rove was downgraded as a contributor for his stubborn refusal (which is why I doubt TPTB's version here) to accept the Decision Desk's insistence that president Obama won Ohio.  This resulted in perhaps Megyn Kelly's finest moment - the famous LIVE walk down the halls to the actual "Desk" where she/we were told the election was over.  Rove refused to yield.  Kelly has always insisted it was a spur of the moment call on her part.  I've never seen anything to refute this.  Rove has never returned to the status he once enjoyed at FN.  

The sacking of Brian Lewis was perhaps the best example of a person who was no saint getting a redemptive portrayal.  He did too much, for too long, to merit this.  It was only when HE was harmed that he got out.  He took the hush money, and since he was without honor, busted it tout de suite.  A man of honor resigns and refuses to sign that extended NDA.  Surely, he was under one as an employee.   Blood money taken for years.

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I didn’t see Lewis getting a redemptive arc, it just showed what happened. He never seemed like a man of honor just a guy who knew where his bread was buttered. He did that job as long as could and then took the NDA buyout.  

Also, NONE of those people on Fox have any sort of appeal to any other network. Fox is the only network that would hire any of these morons who are happy to spout lies all day long.

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(edited)
11 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

The "stalling" of The Call in 2012 was a fascinating twist.  Not sure I buy it, but that was a hugely significant moment.  Rove was downgraded as a contributor for his stubborn refusal (which is why I doubt TPTB's version here) to accept the Decision Desk's insistence that president Obama won Ohio.  This resulted in perhaps Megyn Kelly's finest moment - the famous LIVE walk down the halls to the actual "Desk" where she/we were told the election was over.  Rove refused to yield.  Kelly has always insisted it was a spur of the moment call on her part.  I've never seen anything to refute this.  Rove has never returned to the status he once enjoyed at FN.  

One of the rumors/conspiracy  theories was  that Rove knew the  fix was in for Ohio. hence the stalling. Rove had a freakout when it wasn't happening and Obama won

Maybe Rove  was downgraded because he assured Ailes that Romney was a shoo in and Roger was embarrassed by the delay in calling it for Obama.

Edited by sheetmoss
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6 hours ago, Paws said:

I didn’t see Lewis getting a redemptive arc, it just showed what happened. He never seemed like a man of honor just a guy who knew where his bread was buttered. He did that job as long as could and then took the NDA buyout.  

Also, NONE of those people on Fox have any sort of appeal to any other network. Fox is the only network that would hire any of these morons who are happy to spout lies all day long.

It’s interesting how Fox News tv personalities are tainted and untouchable once they leave Fox News.  It’s a number one cable news station but still only has a few million watchers. People like Gretchen, o Reilly, glen beck, Megan what’s her name  are all unlikable to people outside of Fox. 

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On 7/29/2019 at 2:03 AM, Lonesome Rhodes said:

The "stalling" of The Call in 2012 was a fascinating twist.  

Indeed it was. I'm inclined to believe it as there were probably a number of corroborating sources for the incident. Given Ailes' loathing of the president combined with his own belief in the countless conspiracy theories that polluted his mind (including his own network's push on the bullshit 2012 "unskewed polls" this episode alluded to) and the laughable idea that Beth mentioned of being a targeted by Al Qaeda, I think it's completely conceivable Ailes postponed the call due to a combination of drinking his own Kool Aid and unbridled rage at the obvious outcome. Ailes was a master propagandist but only a fan of the truth when he controlled what the "truth" was.

I have sympathy for Carlson as it relates to her being sexually harassed in the workplace. No woman should suffer through that. But, professionally? Hard no. Gretchen is an educated woman who was willing to play an virtual buffoon every day on Fox and Friends. She did what she had to do to get ahead including selling her dignity off every day. She could have left at any time to pursue endeavors of a higher order. She didn't. And she owns that. 

I also didn't buy Brian Lewis' shock that the 14th floor warehoused a black op and he was somehow outraged by that. If anything, he was probably just annoyed he didn't think of it himself. 

I do feel an *ounce* of sympathy for Joe Lindsley though. He was a solid conservative who fell under the sway of a larger-than-life figure who turned out to be a raging lunatic. I think he wanted to do good by his principles but being a full-time propagandist wasn't exactly what he had in mind. 

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