As all sentiment beings know by now, the Democrats have pulled out of a scheduled presidential debate in Reno, Nevada co-hosted by Fox News. Given Fox News’ conservative reputation, the Nevada Democratic Party did not think it appropriate to allow the network to play host to its candidates.
John Edwards (D-North Carolina), who is, pace Ann Coulter, a strapping heterosexual, gave ammunition for the Democratic pullout. Fox News, he clamored, had no interest in covering the upcoming presidential race fairly, since it is stacked to the gills with conservatives. Hence, he surmised, the Democrats should not associate with a network hoping for Democratic failure.
Well, gee. We, the crack young staff of “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly,” certainly agree that Fox News tilts to the Right. Frankly, dear reader, we don’t buy the “fair and balanced” shtick.
But we find the Democrats’ disinclination to debate on a right-wing news network a tad amusing. After all, if the Republicans aimed to avoid networks that pine for their electoral failure, they would pretty much be left with…Fox News. And only Fox News.
We mean, come on: Does anyone other than Eric Alterman and an array of far-Left kooks really deny that the mainstream media tilt Democrat? If so, we think they ought to check their heads.
In fact, we think we can use examples of Fox News’ conservative bias to prove the mainstream media’s liberal bias. On Fox News shows such as Brit Hume’s, for example, one often–though not always–notes a distinct rightward cast to their panel of experts. Typically, Fox offers a few conservative commentators, one liberal commentator, and has them interviewed by a conservative anchorman.
But just check out the Sunday political programs on the so-called Big Three: On Chris Matthews’ feculent half-hour show, one routinely sees a cavalcade of left-wing guests and…David Brooks. Or on CNN, one often sees a lone conservative taking on a team of liberal pundits.
And, of course, ABC even saw fit to allow George Stephanopoulos–a former Clinton staffer–to host his own program. No word yet on the network offering a similar deal to, say, Jack Kemp.
So, if you ask us, the whole Fox News boycott is more than a mite pathetic. Just imagine the uproar if Republicans offered similar treatment to the sundry media outlets that routinely work against them.
(Note: The crack young staff normally “weblog” over at “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly,” where, in a display of pure childishness, they are currently boycotting The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Nation, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, NPR, the Associated Press, Reuters, The American Prospect, The Guardian, The Independent, New Left Review, The New Republic, Dissent, and In These Times.)
