Posted on 11/17/2009 1:13:21 PM PST by Schnucki
I predicted last month that the White House would lose its war with Fox News. That now looks to be the case with the announcement by Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett that Fox is one of five networks selected to interview Barack Obama in Beijing this evening, with each allotted ten minutes with the President.
The decision to include Fox in tonight’s interview roster, alongside the likes of NBC, ABC and CBS, is a humiliating about-turn for the White House after it spent weeks rubbishing Fox’s credibility. As Anita Dunn, the Mao-quoting White House communications director put it in an interview in October with The New York Times:
“We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent. As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave.”
Dunn has already announced her departure from the White House, and is expected to step down at the end of November. She will be succeeded by her deputy Dan Pfeiffer.
The decision to grant a major interview to Fox on a high-profile foreign trip is a smart move by the White House. The Obama administration’s campaign against Fox was widely viewed, not only on the right but by many on the left as well, as a mean-spirited and vindictive vendetta against a hugely popular cable news station that dared to portray the policies of the Obama team in a negative light.
The White House’s stunning climb-down is also a reflection of the fact that the president’s popularity is rapidly eroding in a nation that is growing increasingly conservative, rather than liberal. As I wrote previously:
“Fox News is succeeding in America precisely because it is not afraid to challenge the
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
The only one fighting a “war” was Obama.
Fox was doing the job the rest of the MSM refuses to do.
This is Obama’s way of saving face. Dunn is gone now, so he can act like it was all her fault and he had nothing to do with it.
Like o-bow-man the Whitehouse is all smoke, mirrors and lies.
If the media would just stick to “just the facts” they wouldn’t have to worry about Fox News.
Of course, if they did that they’d be further Right than Fox is. Fox would be out of business because “just the facts” would be an indictment of every liberal policy out there.
That is why The Narcissist is going on FNC.
I’ll believe its a win when I see Fox ask the Narcissist tough questions. If not, its a sell out.
Those numbers say it all. Remember kiddies, it’s all about ratings because ratings equal money. Rupert Murdock and Associates are not dumb. They could see the dollar signs on the wall. If ratings are dropping because of ho-hum news, then go after the ratings by providing something better. He did and they’re all the richer for it.
And so are we.
Gosh, look at Beck’s numbers. Move him to Smith’s time slot, Fox!
No Fox for me tonight.
Ditto that.
Please help, someone, this thread needs a stoking hot photo of Megan Kelly or Jenna Lee with the words “NOT GUILTY” ASAP!!!!
‘come on... make my day.
I think Obama is starting the learn that the people are a living breathing thing and will react if he steps out of bounds. I think he expected the kind of capitulation he got from banks etc who cared what the press would say about them. We don’t...
Zackly right. And if the ABCNBCCBSCNNs of the world ever DO figure it out, it’ll be time to short-sell your Fox stock. Fox has enjoyed a lot of success because it’s competition is either to dumb or too ideological to copy their business model that is working.
Dunn is not gone only in a different office and her husband is now the White House counsel.
I agree. This WH is too calculated and nothing is done without a reason or payback for something. It’s the same with their reversal on the Honduran elections. They announced the other evening that they (state department spokesperson) were all for ‘free’ elections in Honduras and “that we’ve provided them with technical assistance”. Keep an eye on that election which falls on 11/29.
Just think what would happen if GB hand the BOR slot.
I refer to it as bull sh*t
What with her foul mouth about the beauty and join of Chairman Mao, why I get on the China part of the trip they kept her in her hotel room or on Airforce One for the whole ordeal! What a PR disaster!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.