Posted on 11/25/2007 5:20:01 PM PST by Josh Painter
Former Tennessee Senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been accused of lacking fire to run for the presidency.
Seeking to alter that image, Thompson fired away at Chris Wallace of Fox News this morning, accusing the network of being biased against his campaign:
Thompson said, "This has been a constant mantra of Fox, to tell you the truth." He noted that other conservatives have praised his bid for the GOP nomination and took issue with a Fox promo that focused on polling in New Hampshire, where Thompson is registering in the single digits.Thompson has a point. While his campaign has been universally criticized for gaffes and missteps early on, it is equally clear Thompson has righted the ship in recent weeks and is starting to generate some momentum.He said he is running second in national polls and has been leading or tied for the lead in South Carolina for "a long, long time." Thompson, in a firm, but measured tone, scolded Wallace: "...for you to highlight nothing but the negatives in terms of the polls and then put on your own guys who have been predicting for four months, really, that I couldn't do it, kind of skew things a little bit. There's a lot of other opinion out there."
His policy papers on social security and immigration have been widely praised on the right as being well rounded, thoughtful, and meaty. His tone on the stump has changed as well as he as begun to criticize both Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney for what he calls their "fake" conservatism.
The media, including Fox, have focused largely on the inside the beltway criticism of the campaign and the candidate himself while ignoring the fact that despite the bad start he is still polling in second place nationally among Republicans.
At the very least, this criticism of Fox shows Thompson to have some fire in the belly - something the media has criticized him for lacking. It also shows an independent streak that not too many candidates have demonstrated.
Lou Dobbs is a true blue Democrat, but that said he understands ILLEGAL IMMIGRATRATION. I learn more watching Dobbs for an hour than I can learn watching Fox News all day. Fox News is a salvage yard for the other cable news cast offs. O’Reilly is a Bobby Kennedy worshipping reincarnation of Joe Pyne. Sean Hannity is a typical east coast liberal Rockefeller Republican who has made a name for himself playing a conservative on radio and television. Greta Von Sustern is lawyer who made her name feeding off OJ frenzy and who now lives off dead blondes where ever she can find them. That is Fox News prime time.
Journalists trying to “trick” a candidate? Who would ever have heard of such a thing? :-)
You were being funny, right? I get upset when a journalist DOESN’T work hard at trying to trip up a candidate.
If Romney was whining about treatment by the news media, we’d hear no end of laughter from the people here.
Nobody here is actually running for President. at least that I know of.
Supporters of candidates whine about things all the time. It’s annoying, but to be expected. We don’t expect the candidates themselves to whine.
New York limousine liberals...
I think I appreciate your argument, and that “whining” was a simplistic characterization that might be too strongly negative.
Fred’s right. Fox is a stooge for Rudy. And ever since the Saudis bought 10% of NewsCorp, I don’t trust them anymore.
“I don’t think it comes across as strong leadership when you whine about how a network treats you.”
I don’t either. Except that Fred did not whine at all. He just nicely pointed out that the FOX opinion that he came in too late, his campaign won’t earn enough money, he doesn’t have a chance, has been going on for months. All Fred stated is the truth. I noticed that Chris did not say, “Oh Senator, that isn’t true,people at Fox haven’t been saying those things”. One thing for sure, Fred does not whine, he just states the facts! Any yes, DEMS don’t like FOX because they can’t answer questions honestly, so they rarely go on FOX. Another thing for sure, Fred will answer any question put to him! GO FRED!
LOL! Romney and his ilk whined and whined about the dog story....and REALLY whined when Fred got the NRTL endorsement.
Fred didn’t whine about tough criticism from the media, he has dealt with it with great aplomb. He did, however, stand up to the media’s obvious campaign against him, as he should. If he didn’t then types like you would be calling him passive and afraid. No matter what Fred does the anti-Fred’s will find a way to spin it into a negative.
“You are right. Fox is pro Rudy and was pro amnesty”
Yep makes me sick!
BUMP
“Fred’s right. Fox is a stooge for Rudy. And ever since the Saudis bought 10% of NewsCorp, I don’t trust them anymore”
Neither do I!
Thanks, that was an interesting article. I could see the bias toward Rudy before I even became aware of his ties with FOX - it was that obvious! I used to pretty much keep my TV tuned to FOX all the time - now I can watch it about 5 minutes before I gag and have to change it.
In fact, television as a whole has become pretty much unwatchable.
I watch fox less and less. The morning show is inane. They have become the Rudy network Like CNN is the Clinton network.
They were for amnesty and now shoving Rudy down our throats
Second in the polls a little exposure would put Fred in front, but they are too busy shilling for Rudy.
I have had it with self anointed king makers of the MS Media they are bound and determined turn this great country into a land of peasants and serf’s.
Looking back I believe they sold us a bill of goods with Bush’s compassionate conservatism other than the war on terror and a Tax break he has been liberal all the way. Immigration, his Medicaid plan has done
the conservative/Republican movement more harm, we would be in better shape if Gore had won.
90% of my news comes from the Internet these days, Fox can follow the NYSLIMES into obscurity for all I care
I don’t know about Fox as a hole. But Carl Cameron definitely has it out for Fred.
“I don’t know about Fox as a hole. But Carl Cameron definitely has it out for Fred.”
Cameron, Barnes, Kondracke, et al.
“I watch fox less and less. The morning show is inane. They have become the Rudy network Like CNN is the Clinton network.
They were for amnesty and now shoving Rudy down our throats”
B T T T
go Fred go...send money...$10, $20...whatever...
Fred could use this to his advantage.
The far left networks hate FOX and will help out Fred just to piss on FOX.
Politics requires strange avenues sometimes and Thompson can okey ok with Russert and the rest till the cows come home.....some of them have a big OVERALL audience...be selective
I have, and will again.
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