Fred Thompson Versus the Fox News Channel
24 August 2007It has been rumoured on the blogosphere for a few days that the Fox News Committee to elect Rudy Giuliani has taken a position in opposing Fred Thompson’s impending candidacy. First, you heard it from the likes of Dick Morris, which is no big surprise, as most are familiar with his history. We started to hear it from the New York press, and “journalists” like Jennifer Rubin, who is quickly losing any credibility she once had and gambled it all on becoming a Giuliani apologist, and nothing more. Next, we heard it in snide remarks from Bill O’Reilly. Hannity has been friendly to Thompson, but has not taken Morris to task when Morris has appeared on Hannity & Colmes and self promoted his negative columns about Thompson. Neil Cavuto will give Thompson an undoubtedly fair shake, and I suspect that John Gibson will too. The major surprise has been the apparent lack of respect that Brit Hume and his “all-star panel” have given Thompson, his candidacy, and apparently just about anything he says or does. Earlier, the Thompson blogs have been taken Carl Cameron to task for his utterly indefensible comments on Thompson riding in a golf cart. Now, Joan (aka shelbysbest) transcribed this roundtable discussion from tonight’s edition of Special Report with Brit Hume:
Brit Hume: Let’s look at the lastest poll on the republican side of the political, presidential equation here. You see here our Fox Dynamic Poll out today — Rudy Giuliana remains in the lead with roughly the same kind of lead he has had for some time.
Fred Thompson now since June has sort of surged into second place and remains there. We’ve been getting a further sample of Senator Thompson and his uh, and his uh, and his wares. How’s this going?
Jeff Birnbaum: Well, I think that Thompson ran into a bit of a problem in his speech the other day before the Veterans of Foreign Wars up in Kansas City. He didn’t seem to know his own applause lines. Even though he’s a practiced actor, he didn’t seem to have rehearsed very much for his speech. He isn’t much of a player in a lot of the serious, substantive debates that are going on. I recently wrote a story about each of the candidate’s v iews, for example, of the big credit crunch that’s been shaking the markets around the world and Thompson wouldn’t even play either because he didn’t have a proposal or because he didn’t want to speak out because he’s not an official candidate. Uh, none the less,
Brit Hume: In other words, he had no articulated position?
Jeff Birnbaum: Nothing to say and has been shooting at people like Rudy Giuliana over his anti, uh his gun control position which Thompson complained was too much anti-gun. I think that’s in general a problem of the whole republican race, where they’ve been attacking each other in a way that may pull whoever ultimately wins down, when it gets to the general election.
Charles Krauthammer: You know this could be a first. The Thompson campaign is going negative before it even begins. (Laughing from panel.) I don’t kn ow if it’s ever happened, but it’s historic. Look, he’s a good guy; he’s a nice guy but he was in the senate for a while, and I don’t think he’s left many traces. He’s an actor who is popular, accomplished in other ways, and uh, has had a boomlet. I think the boomlet was…. is ….
Brit Hume: Peaked?
Charlres Krauthammer: may have been spent. Umh, but what’s really interesting here is — I think the Giuliana effect. This is a guy who defies gravity. Everybody expected six months ago, that yes, he was high in the numbers, because people associated him with 9/11, but when republicans discover how socially liberal he is, his numbers will plummet, and they haven’t. People, I think are aware of his positions on abortion, etc., and I think the answer is, that republicans are growing up, and they understand that a president is not going to revolutionize… He’s not going to have a revolution on social affairs. Uh, Reagan did not on abortion. It’s not going to happen and what’s important is the war on terror. Democrats are not reliable. Giuliana’s a guy who in a democratic year, which is going to be ‘08 can win. After all, he’s a guy who won re-election twice in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Fred Barnes: Yeah, and now you’ve touched on the important issue I think. Here’s what helps him uh with social conservatives and so on, who obviously don’t agree with him on abortion, others don’t agree with him on guns, because he’s a gun controller, and that is… he gets credit for cleaning up New York tangibly. Now, people visit New York; they know Times Square is different — they know crime is way down. They know New York is very different; it’s not just 9/11. It’s, it’s uh, it’s image, which I think is a largely accurate one of the mayor who changed Sodom and Gomorrah and turned it into a city that it’s safe to visit. Uh, that’s important.
If and when Fred Thompson wins the nomination, I hope that all of those that have supported Thompson from the beginning will join with me in simply changing the channel when it comes to election coverage. We were optimistic that Fred Thompson would get a fair shake from Fox News, but it looks more and more like we were wrong.
Robert Novak is now a contributor at FNC, along with Bill Kristol. Why are they not primarily featured? At least, they have given Thompson fair coverage.
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on August 24th, 2007 at 6:46 am
I don’t think what spills out on the Brit Hume Special Report carries any weight.
Fox has to go over the edge on purpose in order to get any attention. The remark about Fred’s loafers is just to prove to the editor the reporter was there. When media gives such attention to loafers and golf carts, it is a sad time. I would say the reporter got a dozed free pair of shoes from the maker. (Notice I’m not using ether’s name.)
Fox is mild compared to NYT’s job on Jeri or the LA Times. I would not give any attention to them as that is what they want. Blogger’s doing their advertising. Everyone who does not care for Fred will watch Fox. Everyone who does care will also watch so they can get mad.
Ahhhh, such silly games are played all in the name of personal salaries.
Don Jones
MyManFred.com
on August 24th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Are you saying the commentators at Fox News are not allowed to state their own opinions? That is what they are paid to do, give their take on things.
Nobody said a mean or nasty thing about Fred, just that they think there is no there there.
on August 25th, 2007 at 3:12 am
But they’re just being fair and balanced, like they always are ….
on August 25th, 2007 at 5:02 am
Maybe its not Fox, maybe its the candidate thats the problem.
Seriously F. Thompson has to be the laziest (non) presidential candidate in the history of the nation. If there is nothing but an empty shirt to report…well then that’s all there is to report.
Stop blaming Fox.
I just can’t wait until he gets into the race (that is if he ever does) and his artificial numbers come crashing down!
At least Romney is willing to work hard for the nomination. Not to mention Romney has actually accomplished many worth while things in his life. Could someone please remind me, what again are F. Thompson’s great accomplishments?
But in the interest of fairness to Thompson supporters, could someone tell me HOW is Fred Superior?
Scott H.
Mitt Report
on August 26th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Fred Thompson is superior because he is a man of ideas and principles. Those of us who believe that the constitutional principles on which we were founded are important and are not irrevocably lost are looking for a candidate who will work toward that purpose. It is clear that none of the Democratic Party candidates meet this requirement.
Accomplishments for a man like Thompson will be measured in terms of what he can keep from being taken over by Washington as well as what things he can push back to state levels. His stated positions thus far show me that he has an exceptional understanding of what functions are appropriate for Washington and what are not.
I agree that Romney is a hard worker and accomplished but seems not to have a problem with big national government. I believe we have a number of candidates who can be effective running those things that should be at the Federal level but most of them do not recognize where the limits should be on domestic matters.
If we cannot turn this around this country’s greatness is lost.