The Cheapening of American Politics: Why did Obama reward O’Reilly with an Interview?

[unhappycamper]

http://www.juancole.com/2014/02/cheapening-politics-interview.html

The Cheapening of American Politics: Why did Obama reward O’Reilly with an Interview?
By Juan Cole | Feb. 3, 2014

President Obama subjected himself to an interview by Bill O’Reilly of Fox “News” on Sunday before the Superbowl. Obviously, intellectually it was Obama Seahawks rolling over O’Reilly Broncos. And maybe it felt good to tell Fox News off for its serial propaganda against the administration. But I just regret that he lent either of these any credibility by a presidential appearance.

Fox News is a far right wing media conspiracy hatched by corrupt billionaire and press lord Rupert Murdoch (many of whose employees in the UK have been guilty of hacking into people’s phone messages for purposes of political blackmail) and by GOP poobah Roger Ailes to shift public opinion to the far right in the United States. How Barrett Brown faces 105 years in prison for a hyperlink but criminal Murdoch and his corrupt employees mostly go free is beyond me. Murdoch tried to blackmail former British PM John Major into supporting his policies, threatening him with bad press otherwise. Fox’s major anchors are caught over and over again in outright falsehoods. Peddling a falsehood after it is exposed as such is called “lying.”

Before Ronald Reagan gutted the Fairness Doctrine, Fox would not have been allowed to operate in this shameful way, pretending to be a news channel but actually serving as the Republican Party campaign headquarters.

It is the closest thing we have in the real world to the fictional media of Orwell’s “1984.”

[MannyGoldstein]

1. "Because this time, I'm *sure* they'll finally start to see me"

"Because this time, I'm *sure* they'll finally start to see me as a man they can do business with. I just *know* it."


NB: that's a fake quote.

[lapfog_1]

3. obama and cons

[Scuba]

2. How else will Fox gain credibility and be considered a "news" network?

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Two Rationales:

1) FOX gets the smug satisfaction that it has the credibility of a valid "news" network where the President of the United States, criticized by the same network, comes on to that network to seek redemption or to get more criticism.

2) Obama tries to directly address the viewers of said "news" network and get his message out. Said message is effectively blocked and disqualified by O'Reilly.

[Todays_Illusion]

5. I am only a few months late, but I think it was good for President to do the O'Reilly interview.

It worked ok, and like it or not Fox audience did watch, and oops,

President O, not as scary, um kind of likeable um , @#$@J@%#$@ Quick turn it off!


Ok, imaginary, but still I am glad he did that interview. I don't watch television, had stopped before there was a Fox, so it was interesting to watch O'Reilly, up to then I have only read about him, yuk!

[Eleanors38]

6. ummm, friendly territory?