Should Sen. Obama Skip FOX News Debate?
Daily Kos (along with several other liberal institutions) has been all over the candidates to confirm whether or not they will participate in the Nevada Democratic Party’s debate in August, which is being hosted by FOX News. The argument — not that it needs to be made at this point — is that attending the debate provides undeserved credibility to FOX as an impartial news organization, something it has consistently demonstrated itself not to be.
The bombshell that dropped this week was John Edwards’s decision not to attend.
It’s a huge development. With a major candidate refusing to participate, the debate immediately loses legitimacy — and being as it’s hosted by FOX, that sounds about right. FOX, of course, sniped back in typical snarky fashion, saying that “It’s unfortunate that Senator Edwards has decided to abandon an opportunity to reach the largest mainstream cable news audience in America.” Kos responds:
Yeah, Edwards is probably weeping at the missed opportunity to have Hannity, Hume, Bennett, Coulter, Gibson, and the rest of that crowd to point out to viewers, post-debate, how much of a traitor and “faggot” he really is.
Ouch.
But also: right on.
It’s no secret to any reader of this site, or really to anyone who lives above ground, that FOX News is not interested in fair and balanced reporting. There is literally enough documentation of their bias — not their perceived bias, but their actual, demonstrable Republican bias — to constitute a veritable misinformation museum. We may be talking about the next Smithsonian here.
So what exactly qualifies them to host a Democratic debate? So far, it has been their ratings dominance, coupled with the fact that they could still claim with a straight face to be a legitimate news organization. As for the former, I certainly understand the argument that the candidates should be seeking out the largest possible audience. I also subscribe to the notion that candidates should reach out across the ideological spectrum and seek to communicate with people who may disagree with them.
But the jig is up on the latter — and that makes achieving the former in any satisfactory sense much less likely. Trying to get an accurate portrayal of a Democrat on FOX News is like trying to get a realistic sense of body image from a circus mirror. Any Democrat who walks into a ring where FOX News is the referee and expects a fair fight just hasn’t been paying attention.
So far, as Kos reports, neither Sen. Obama nor Sen. Clinton has confirmed they will or will not attend, saying that their decision will be announced later this week. We all know Sen. Obama has ample reason to turn down the offer. What do you think he should do?
UPDATE: The point is now moot — the NV Dems have canceled the debate.
March 8th, 2007 at 9:06 pm EST
I suggest that Senator Obama boycott all things FOX NEWS. We all know they are not a real news station, but instead just the mouthpiece of Bush and Cheny who cannot be impeached quickly enough. Thanks - Mary Keefe
March 20th, 2007 at 2:52 pm EST
I believe Barack should do it. The reason is simple: Barack is an unusual candidate, and his candidacy does not follow the usual laws of campaign physics. He is absolutely capable of rendering an impressive performance in the most hostile of political environments. He would win the respect and probably many votes of reasonable conservatives, and affirm his doctrine of new politics.
April 10th, 2007 at 12:44 pm EST
As a conservative Republican with an interest in voting for Obama, I am very disappointed that he would take such a stance and back out of a debate because of its sponsor. I thought Obama was all about bringing Liberals and Conservatives together, and by refusing to participate because Liberals feel Fox News is too conservative, then Obama is not allowing his voice to be heard by all parties, and thus becomes like every other politician who only tries to please his own.
That said… Fox News may be conservative, but you could say the same thing about CNN or NBC and their tendencies to be on the more “liberal” side of politics. Regardless - Obama should want to be heard by everyone. Refusing to participate in a debate because of a sponsor only puts a negative shadow on his campaign, and his promise to bring forth a new era in politics.
April 4th, 2008 at 1:32 am EST
nude 70 year old men
nude 70 year old men