rssObama Will Pull an O’Reilly on McCain’s Big Night
Wednesday, September 03, 2008 at 12:02 pm
- 10 Comments
Fox News is promoting Obama's Thursday appearance.
As Sen. John McCain accepts the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday night, his opponent will enter the “No Spin Zone.”
Yes, Sen. Barack Obama is headed for Fox News, in a bid for Republican votes, by appearing for the first time ever on Bill O’Reilly’s prime-time show. While McCain aims his acceptance speech at voters beyond his base, Obama will be talking to the bright red Republicans who watch O’Reilly’s highly rated show. In the last presidential election, a whopping 88 percent of Fox viewers voted Republican, while only 7 percent voted Democratic.
Obama’s appearance also caps an unusually long and rocky exchange with O’Reilly.
A senior aide to Obama said the controversial anchor “shoved” him during a February altercation in New Hampshire, when O’Reilly tried to confront the Illinois senator to demand he appear on the Fox program. “I’ve worked two [presidential] campaigns, and I’ve never had a member of the press lay hands on a staff member before,” said the aide, Marvin Nicholson, who travels with Obama. Then, at a secret June meeting with Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox, and Roger Ailes, who runs it, Obama aired his concerns about the network’s biased coverage and agreed to appear on O’Reilly’s show, according to new reports from Vanity Fair and The Washington Post.
Beyond O’Reilly’s show, Fox News has been under siege this election season by several liberal groups supporting Obama. The channel was shut out of Democratic primary debates, after Democratic activists and bloggers scuttled its attempt to host debates with the Congressional Black Caucus. More recently, Fox was rocked by allegations of anti-Obama bias and racial prejudice in campaigns by Color of Change, a netroots group focused on black issues and civil rights — that was the battle featuring the rapper Nas on the Colbert Report — and a viral video campaign by Brave New Films.
Obama’s exclusive appearance, however, shows that he’s willing to tap the Fox News for potential conservative voters — even as his supporters try to marginalize its political role.
10 Comments
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
Good! Let Obama take away some of McCain's prime time coverage. Of course if people are more interested in watching Obama versus McCain that's not Obama's fault.
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
You know — this is probably good prep for the debates, if nothing else. Smart play by Obama.
Even if O'Reilly focuses in on the juicy fluff-n-stuff (Wright, Ayers, Rezko, etc.), as is his wont, Obama (a) gets to put an answer down on record and (b) attempt to neutralize these issues. The risk, obviously, is that a split-second gets twisted out of all proportion — but that is bound to happen sooner or later. So getting it out of the way now, in front of a questioner who could be easily dismissed as a blowhard, would be useful.
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 3:32 pm
Quid pro quo – Ailes agreed to tone down the “Obama/Osama” rhetoric in exchange for an Obama appearance. Obama comes out ahead on this one because he is stealing viewers who would otherwise be watching the RNC.
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Funny. McCain's now scared to go on Softball-Tosser Larry King and Obama will step onto the set of one of the right's biggest blowhards.
Comment posted September 3, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
Murdoch must think there's a good chance that it's Obama who will appoint the next chairman of the FCC.
Comment posted September 4, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
I love O'Reilly, but his timing for this interview is 100% crazy..When did he start eating out of the hands of Rupert Murdoch, and Roger Ailes,? I am in support of the interview, as we watch the everynight, but this one will be view by us perhaps??? on U-tube, of course, without commericals…Sorry O'Reilly, love you, your show, but cannot support this zone of time.
Comment posted November 2, 2008 @ 6:19 am
In my opinion we are missing the point here. She is illegal and she is living off of our tax dollars in a project. He mentions her in his book and once again he is not aware of her legal status. So let’s put things in perspective he goes to a church for over 20 years and he is not aware of his pastor’s radical views, he is friends with folks that are radical believers about America and when it comes out he denies his knowledge of their views. How come this man who is running for the highest office of this country gets away without taking any responsibility for any of his past association. What is wrong with average Americans, Seems like they have lost their sense of rational thinking.
I am for change but I want a man of integrity that can stand up to his mistakes and accept rather than pulling the “I was not aware card” when exposed. (In that case what is different/Change from the man we have in office today George W. also does not admit to his mistakes)
Shame on Americans if we get blindsided in this craziness wave of “Change”. Change is needed but with change comes accountability and I don’t see that coming in Obama’s Change.
I hope America thinks objectively rather than emotionally when they Vote for this election because their Vote will impact the next 4 to 8 years of policy making of this Great Nation.
Comment posted November 2, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
In my opinion we are missing the point here. She is illegal and she is living off of our tax dollars in a project. He mentions her in his book and once again he is not aware of her legal status. So let’s put things in perspective he goes to a church for over 20 years and he is not aware of his pastor’s radical views, he is friends with folks that are radical believers about America and when it comes out he denies his knowledge of their views. How come this man who is running for the highest office of this country gets away without taking any responsibility for any of his past association. What is wrong with average Americans, Seems like they have lost their sense of rational thinking.
I am for change but I want a man of integrity that can stand up to his mistakes and accept rather than pulling the “I was not aware card” when exposed. (In that case what is different/Change from the man we have in office today George W. also does not admit to his mistakes)
Shame on Americans if we get blindsided in this craziness wave of “Change”. Change is needed but with change comes accountability and I don’t see that coming in Obama’s Change.
I hope America thinks objectively rather than emotionally when they Vote for this election because their Vote will impact the next 4 to 8 years of policy making of this Great Nation.
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