MyDD :: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip

Fox News this morning on Obama's trip

by elrod, Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 11:34:21 AM EST

I admit that I watch Fox News now and then. It's like watching a trainwreck - I can't look away. But the semi-serious weekend news shows can sometimes be revealing in ways that neither O'Reilly's buffoonery or CNN's placidity can not.

So how did they cover Obama's Afghanistan visit this morning? Surprisingly positive. They played a full tape of Obama eating breakfast with the troops in Afghanistan and showed lots of pictures of him meeting Afghan officials. They said nothing disparaging about his trip; in fact, it seemed like the kind of fluff piece they do for Bush all the time.

They also went into detail on the Maliki withdrawal comments. Chris Wallace claims that Maliki told him personally that a timetable would be "dangerous," but I have no idea when that interview occurred. They nevertheless recognized that Maliki's comments to Der Spiegel were very significant and, at the very least, suggest that he wants US troops out soon.

I expected Fox News to simply mock the whole trip - or even ignore it. Instead, so far at least, they've actually given more positive coverage of it than MSNBC or CNN.

This is not to say that Fox News is a good news channel. It's just to say that the optics of Obama's trip have been so strong that even Fox News can't put it down.

They also say that Obama will be landing in Baghdad at any moment now; I haven't heard that anywhere else.

Tags: Obama, Fox News (all tags)

Permalink :: 44 Comments :: Post a Comment

Interesting observations...rec'd! (2.00 / 2)

Despite my own progressive/liberal tendencies, I always try to follow "both sides" in the media. Kudos for pointing this out.

The fact that Obama's getting positive coverage, at the moment, on Faux News is newsworthy, in and of itself!

by bobswern on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 11:54:45 AM EST

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

I should add that they repeated Obama's observation that Afghanistan is "precarious" and "urgent" several times.

They helped Obama move to the right on Afghanistan by showing Adm. Mullen waver on how precarious Afghanistan is.

by elrod on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 11:58:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (2.00 / 5)

Obama hasn't moved anywhere on Afghanstan (and I would argue anywhere else). He's always said that is the war we should have focused on.

Gobama!

by USArmyParatrooper on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:03:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

it's probably too late though, we can't help much there, the society is armed and violent. Oh we may help ourselves, by having bases near Pakistan, I mean help our military defense system, but the only way to help in Afghanistan is the old fashioned way, seed money, schools, help in establishing small businesses, there isn't much there a person can make a living on, it's not very hopeful, they really need education more than anything. Perhaps that country deserved more invasion, because of 9/11, although the attackers weren't Afghani, but like Iraq, there has been no successful occupation, and there isn't much there, it's only a strategic location. Hillary said the same thing, they both thought more military in Afghanistan is the answer, but on this one they're both wrong. More schools is the answer, and subsidies for any products they can sell on the world market. This needs to be a nation of engineers, you can always sell brains.

by anna shane on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 08:25:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

Afghanistan is complex but not to the extent of Iraq. Had we utilized our resources on that country instead of Iraq we'd be looking at a much better picture.

I totally agree about seed money, schools, etc. Those projects are already under way. The problem is two fold; the Taliban and al-Quada sabatage all of our civil affairs work, and as I previously stated a lot of our resources have been diverted.

Part of the answer IS more military. Because without it all other efforts are doomed to fail. The Taliban will continue to burn down the schools and force poor farmers to grow Opium to fund their terror network.

Gobama!

by USArmyParatrooper on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 08:50:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

the former soviets are laughing their socks off. Afghanistan is even more impossible than Iraq. but, we can keep our bases there, and we will, and if we do projects with locals, and only hire locals and train them for supervisory roles, and if we do a big education push, have virtual teachers for small classrooms, and teach things that will give kids a chance at a future, we can make small improvements.

I wonder if Afghanistan can have a sustainable economy, for regular people, local gardens (do they have enough water and fertilizer to feed themselves), and local manufacture of vehicles, and the sorts of things that make life enjoyable, the arts, crafts, it would be nice to provide that sort of thing.

what can they export except poppy resin and fighters?

by anna shane on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 04:08:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

I doubt they're laughing because there's nothing to laugh about. On the contrary Iraq is much more difficult than Afghanistan. I've been there, and I will again soon.

and if we do projects with locals, and only hire locals and train them for supervisory roles, and if we do a big education push, have virtual teachers for small classrooms, and teach things that will give kids a chance at a future, we can make small improvements.

We already are doing those things. And what do you suppose we do about al-Qaeda and Taliban militants burning down the schools, killing their teachers and destroying all other civil affairs efforts? Divert our resources to Afghanstan and actually listen to our Generals (Bush didn't), and success in Afghanistan is very achievable.

Gobama!

by USArmyParatrooper on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 06:51:32 PM EST
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Re: Interesting observations...rec'd! (none / 0)

the soviets, but they do have Chechnya.

by anna shane on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 01:13:19 AM EST
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RE: Watching Fox News (2.00 / 5)

I used to be like you. I'd watch Fox along with other channels. It finally got to the point of being a financial liability if I continued to watch. I've came THIS close to throwing my TV through the wall and my wife got sick of me yelling at the television.

Watching the Fox talking heads with their insane spin and rhettoric is bad for the blood pressure. Especially when you can't say anything back.

Gobama!

by USArmyParatrooper on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:01:06 PM EST

ROFLMAO! (2.00 / 3)

Yeah, I can relate to that.

But, as my awesome Congressman John Hall from our 19th District here in New York said in 2006, "I decided to run for Congress because I got tired of yelling at my TV."

by bobswern on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:17:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

I have noticed like in the past 48hours that on their website they got pro Obama talking points up.

Does anyone think that Murdoch has influenced them at all?

Obama/Clinton 08

by W126 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:28:44 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Murdoch sets the tone, no doubt, but at a certain point they have to pretend to report the state of the world or even their most avid supporters would leave.

-chris

PS - seriously, please lose the plane from yer sig. It's a lovely plane, but it chops up the dialogue...

"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out to sea and do new things." Admiral Grace Hopper, computer pioneer

by chrisblask on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:38:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

I disagree. I think they know that most of their audience is wholly uniformed about and/or indifferent to reality. Fox News is the best example I've ever seen of an echo chamber; even better than Voldemort (the blog that shall not be named). Fox News is all about spinning things in such a way that its audience can naively believe it's how things are. "Oh, Iraq is going well? Fantastic, I knew it all along." "There isn't really a recession? Damn socialist media liars pretending there is." "Everyone defaulting on a mortgage was speculating/investing recklessly? Yep, sounds about right."

I have no respect for Fox, I have no respect for their viewers, and Rupert Murdoch is scum. He's one notch below Rumsfeld (and 3 below Cheney) on the list of people that singlehandedly make this world a worse place.

by ProgressiveDL on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:01:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

So if I can read between the lines, whatcher (none / 0)

saying is... :~)

FOX really is indefensible, I guess I just have the hopeful feeling that they are playing to the lower instincts of people who are (many, anyway) actually measurably better than that.

They're like Newsmax and Human Events. How can anyone take some "news outlet" seriously that also spams you with Secret Stock Tip!s, The Truth About Crystal Power They Don't Want You To Know! and/or has Fire and Brimstone Evangelical radio shows in between "news" items.

To the diarist's point, though, when even folks like these have a hard time finding anything bad to say about Obama, that in itself is more data than the actual substance of the sounds their mouths make.

-chris

"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out to sea and do new things." Admiral Grace Hopper, computer pioneer

by chrisblask on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 02:16:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: So if I can read between the lines, whatcher (2.00 / 1)

Ok, that's fair. I know many Fox viewers can't help themselves because they have learned to hate anything called "liberal," "Democratic," "progressive." And some actually think it is objective because they never look at any other media (besides Limbaugh and O'Reilly and Savage...ugh...I just threw up a bit). But many many Fox viewers are hateful, mean-spirited, hypocritical "Christians" who don't give a crap about anyone not like them.

by ProgressiveDL on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 03:49:40 PM EST
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Re: So if I can read between the lines, whatcher (none / 0)

I'm all for bringing these people (even the mean-spirited ones) over to the Democratic Party. Unlike Centrist Dems and the DLC wing, I think those people need to be coerced or tricked into becoming Democrats, because of how they have been indoctrinated by Repubs. I secretly hope that Obama's whole move to the center is not real and is just part of this attempt.

by ProgressiveDL on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 03:51:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: So if I can read between the lines, whatcher (none / 0)

This comment reminded me of a caller on Washington Journal (C-Span's morning "talk show") a couple of weeks ago, and this guy called in and said something along the lines of "I listen to Rush, Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Savage and Fox News every day, and I know these Liberals are all lying to you about the oil and the economy...blah blah blah", even Greta laughed a bit at that one.
Frankly, I can't even turn on Fox or any of the asshats mentioned above without screaming, so I avoid the situation altogether.

by skohayes on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 05:23:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: So if I can read between the lines, whatcher (2.00 / 1)

I only listen in the car (partly because NPR is the only other talk station around here in Central PA and they do music during the day, ugh), so it essentially only adds incrementally to my already considerable road rage. I never thought there would be a place where people happily followed the speed limit exactly. I suppose that says more about me than them!

by ProgressiveDL on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 09:53:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germ any/0,1518,566920,00.html

Still, even as the issue of his speech's location has now been settled, a number of politicians in Berlin are still dissatisfied with the site. The Siegessäule -- or Victory Column -- was erected in memory of Prussia's victories over Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870/71). The column originally stood in front of the Reichstag, Germany's parliament building, but was moved by Adolf Hitler to its current location in 1939 to make way for his planned transformation of Berlin into the Nazi capital "Germania."

"The Siegessäule in Berlin was moved to where it is now by Adolf Hitler. He saw it as a symbol of German superiority and of the victorious wars against Denmark, Austria and France," the deputy leader of the Free Democrats, Rainer Brüderle, told Bild am Sonntag. He raised the question as to "whether Barack Obama was advised correctly in his choice of the Siegessäule as the site to hold a speech on his vision for a more cooperative world."

Andreas Schockenhoff of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats said, "the Siegessäule in Berlin is dedicated to a victory over neighbors who are today our European friends and allies. It is a problematic symbol."

by strongerthandirt on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:53:28 PM EST

I'm no Obama fan, but they are getting (none / 0)

annoying. Isn't the Brandenberg Gate a public space? How does that work over there?

by catfish2 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:55:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh wait (1.00 / 1)

yeah maybe that was a bad choice. They are pretty sensitive about Hitler and WWII.

by catfish2 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:02:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

Indeed, it is an odd choice. Perhaps Obama was aware of its meaning and intends to use it to speak against nationalism? Maybe how it is a symbol of Germany's conquest of neighbors it now works together with in the EU?

Or maybe they'll just move it.

If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.

by vcalzone on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:17:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

Meh. The crowds and the speech itself will override the imperfection of the site. I mean, really, is anyone going to think that his choice is some kind of advocacy for German expansionism? It's going to look great on the evening news.

by mikeinsf on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:31:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

You mean you aren't expecting a dozen concerned diaries about the "connection" to Hitler?
I sure am...

by skohayes on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 05:27:10 PM EST
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Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

Those 'concern' remarks will be so idiotic and intellectually dishonest that we should have no concern at all. I mean, really, are they really going to try and suggest that his speech in Berlin is the first step to Dachau?

by mikeinsf on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 02:13:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (2.00 / 2)

You are aware that Berlin's massive gay pride parade is annually held at the Siegessaule.

The origins of much of Berlin's architecture lay in Prussian militarism. To imply that Obama's speech at the Siegessaule is somehow an embrace of Nazism is obscene.

by elrod on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:54:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (2.00 / 1)

If Obama gave a speech in front of the Coliseum some would no doubt claim it to be an endorsement of gladitorialism.

by Beren on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 02:14:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

If this monument were so strongly associated with Nazism they would not keep it standing... besides,
wasn't it Angela Merkl who exerted prussia... er pressure for the speech not to take place at the Brandenburg Gate? (just to please G. W. Bush...)

Just wait for the speech! It will be momentous!
This column will be re-baptized the Obama Column!

by french imp on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 03:52:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

It's really amazing that there are people who spend their days thinking up specious reasons to attack everything Obama does.

by Beren on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 04:44:52 PM EST
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Re: New Der Spiegel story (none / 0)

And the Love Parade, too.

by mikeinsf on Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 02:14:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New Der Spiegel story (2.00 / 1)

It's no different than delivering a speech in front of the Arch de Triumph or Trafalgar Square. All of those countries have monuments to their conquests over their neighbors which are now just tourist sites.

by Beren on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 02:09:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Not only that!!! (2.00 / 1)

But Stalin had big ears, too!!!!!! OMG!

And Hilter once had a chair like yours, btw. How can you be a real Progressive sitting in that chair!

Thanks for the concern. We'll see you when you get a new chair. Until then I'm not sure I should be caught talking to you...

-chris

"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Sail out to sea and do new things." Admiral Grace Hopper, computer pioneer

by chrisblask on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 02:30:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Must be that they got the White House's accidental email forward saying that Maliki supports Obama's withdrawal plan. Fox was probably like "Ok, Bushie says it so it must be true. No need to double check anything. I mean, we haven't before, so why start now?"

by ProgressiveDL on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:57:35 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (2.00 / 2)

Don't be fooled by Eddie Haskell. They've spent years going in one direction, then the world shifted and they were left behind, totally associated with the wrong thing. Now they're probably legitimately thinking, "Perhaps we need to be more objective, more balanced. People want that." But it's just Eddie Haskell. Once you get fooled by it, they'll be right back to normal.

If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.

by vcalzone on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:02:22 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Good analogy, I never could stand that kiss**s punk.

by Susan from 29 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 06:13:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

the saturday morning shows (2.00 / 1)

On Faux are the craziest. David Asmon (not sure that's right) asked in the same Steve Colbert manner if Sen. Chuck Schumer should be held legally/financially liable for the failure of Indymac.

by highgrade on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 01:08:58 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (2.00 / 1)

"They also say that Obama will be landing in Baghdad at any moment now; I haven't heard that anywhere else."

Maybe that's because the other networks don't want to tip off those who would do him harm.

by Beren on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 02:04:17 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Are any MSM covering this?

Friday, July 18, 2008 17:12 EDT
Obama's schedule

Barack Obama's campaign has released some details of his overseas trip, including a list of foreign leaders with whom he plans to meet. What they hadn't wanted public, though, were certain details about the schedule of the trip; it's common to keep such things embargoed from public release for security reasons, especially when traveling to a war zone. But one person hasn't respected that embargo -- Obama's rival for the presidency, John McCain.

Obama is tentatively scheduled to meet with a wide range of leaders while he's out of the U.S. According to NBC's First Read blog, that list includes British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, as well as the country's opposition leader, David Cameron; Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and its foreign minister; French President Nicolas Sarkozy; Jordan's King Abdullah; Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a number of Israelis, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu, once the country's prime minister and now its opposition leader.>

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2 008/07/18/obama_schedule/index.html

"And I scream at the top of my lungs, what's going on?"

by Hollede on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 04:09:39 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Tom Brokaw, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will all be traveling with him and will broadcast the evening news for their respective networks from wherever they are on the trip.

During Obama's first few days, which included the Afghanistan and Kuwait visits, he was part of a Congressional delegation that did not include a large press presence, hence the limited photos, etc.

by Susan from 29 on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 06:12:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Well currently... (none / 0)

Fox News is showing a banner saying "Are Obama's Middle East Plans Presumptuous?" with the host asking whether they are because "he hadn't been there before".

Apparently we now judge someone's qualifications based on what photo-ops they had.

On the flip side, having seen The Dark Knight this morning, I was fantastically amused with the subtle commentary on the 24-hour news channels' proclivity to use questions they know are false as the titles for the stories.

by TCQuad on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 04:29:59 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (2.00 / 3)

Actually I like the ideology that holds that one has to 'have been there before' in order to make policy decisions.

Just think if all the folks planning to work against 'gay marriage' had to 'have been there' before making policy.

They'd all be silent.

Likewise, GWB could never have taken us to war.

Hell's bells, even the GOP didn't have to crucify Eisenhower's record in order to make Reagan their 'saint'. We can have two great ones, you know?

by emsprater on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 04:47:02 PM EST

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (2.00 / 2)

Excellent points. I hope I get to toss either one of those into a conversation with a conservative.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson

by MS01 Indie on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 05:15:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

Be very careful, because sometimes when you point out how they had no problem with something in Bush that they find fault with when it comes to Obama, they will say, "So Obama is like Bush? That's part of the problem!"

Completely ignoring the fact that they supported Bush every step of the way, of course.

If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.

by vcalzone on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 07:55:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fox News this morning on Obama's trip (none / 0)

I don't think there is a need to 'be careful' in such a discussion with a 'conservative' especially if they were a Bush supporter. There's no reaching them on any issue , ever.

On an aside, I saw my first "McCain" sticker this am, in a car window similar to thw "w" stickers, appropriately it was a black oval with white lettering, reminding me of something meant to be a posthumus memorial.

Hell's bells, even the GOP didn't have to crucify Eisenhower's record in order to make Reagan their 'saint'. We can have two great ones, you know?

by emsprater on Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 08:55:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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