Home > Opinion > Peter Roff > Obama's Fox Assault Is a Distraction--And Conservatives Are Falling for It

Obama's Fox Assault Is a Distraction--And Conservatives Are Falling for It

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Letscheck of NJ, I respectfully disagree. As Mr. Roff suggests, Obama's political team absolutely DOES want us to pay attention to FOX News. It is an easy foil. Let's face it (and as a conservative I write this reluctantly), generally speaking the quality of FOX News journalism is poor, and the reasoning behind their commentary tends to be shoddy.
Greater visibility for this brand of knee-jerk conservatism puts us at risk for an even more marginalized Republican party.
Think of it this way: had this administration been in power 20 years ago, would it have had such an easy time playing the Wall Street Journal (you know--when it was good) to its advantage?

Todd of PA 9:14AM October 21, 2009

Anyone who thinks that the President is not noticing the tea parties and Fox news are less than well informed.
Obama does not want people to pay attention to Fox because it is keeping him from just running his agenda without any commentary or complaint.
Sorry Obama, we don't give up our country that easily.
If Obama was a real President, not running a pre-set script...he would be addressing the most pressing issue in this country...JOBS.
He is not. Obama has his script to socialize America and he is sticking to it.
America disagrees with Obama, so he had better get used to the fact that we are still a Republic. We love our free press. We just wish more of the free press would wake up to what it happening in this country and report on it.

Letscheck of NJ 1:26AM October 21, 2009

Are conservatives really so unaware of what has worked in the outside world? Most Republicans acknowledge that something needs to be done about healthcare - so why wouldn't you look at other countries for solutions?
I'm an Australian-American dual citizen and I can't see going back to the US as an option any more. Australia has universal healthcare. It works. I currently pay ~$80 per month for my private health insurance (completely separate from my employment), which covers just about any treatment or hospital stay I could possibly need, and I could get it despite a pre-exisiting condition.
Good luck guys. You really need it.

Mike 12:40AM October 21, 2009

The author fails to grasp the significance of the attack on Fox News. It is an authoritarian autocratic government setting the table to deny Fox the privilges and rights of a news organization down the road, and intimidate any other news organization that might want to leave the reservation.
While many will miss that the First Amendment is not there to protect assaults on private citizens by a rogue regime, many others will see that this is an assault on the first amendment far beyond anything even Nixon tried to do. And we drove him into retirement for far less a violation of the Constitution.

hinckleybuzzard of OH 10:15PM October 20, 2009

What's hilarious is that Fox doesn't get why this is not a free speech issue. Nobody has tried to legislate them away or anything. They are being attacked with sheer words. This is not the first amendment under attack; it's the first amendment at work. At last somebody is telling the Fox he has no clothes. About time. Too bad the so-called "liberal press" never had that kind of guts.

Nomo Stew of MO 9:43PM October 20, 2009

I am surprised that US News would publish such a poorly written article. It puts out some unrelated facts, fails to link them and then makes an illogical conclusion.
My ninth grade English teacher would have given me a D. My History teacher would have given me an F. The editor of the US News should give this guy the boot.

Ifticar of CA 9:35PM October 20, 2009

you have to fight or run - Obama can't run or hide so he sends his hyenas to attack. - However, since FOX does have the facts all Obama, and his slavering pack, can do is smear and use sly innuendo.
I think Glen Beck is still waiting for his White House Hot line to ring to get a factual rebuttal to his statements and conclusions - The silence is deafening.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 9:31PM October 20, 2009

What seems to be a distraction in your opinion is becoming a rallying point for others. It gives Obama the smell of Chavez's treatment of unfriendly media. It also gives the impression that Obama intention isn't to bring all sides together as his campaign promises claimed. Bush was called the divider of the nation, but the nation has become even more divided under Obama and the Democrats. His targeting of FOX News, which Bush never did of MSNBC, only cements Obama as being far more of a divider of the nation than Bush. Maybe Obama is just doing what Chavez does which is to distract people from his failures by finding an "enemy" to demonize. Obama has an impressive list of failures that do need distracting away from. His indecisiveness about Afghanistan smells of the "malaise" that cut Jimmy Carter's presidency to a single term. His promize to keep unemployment under 9% has failed catastrophically, an in the process has devalued the US dollar to the point where it may no longer be the base currency for things like oil. His "green" initiatives are actually hurting the economy more than helping it, and he keeps pressing for left-wing legislation which should wait until the economy improves because they will further weigh the economy down. However, in trying to distract people away from his failures by demonizing FOX News, all Obama may have done is gained the laughingstock status of Chavez without the benefits of a virtual dictatorship at home.

sangjmoon of TX 8:56PM October 20, 2009

In my personal opion if everyone just stoped worriy about what the media is doing and started worring about the real issues we would be in better shape. Yes it was wrong to sent some crazy person on the lawn to yell at fox. Heck the conservitives could send some crazy person to yell at all the liberal propaganda but, if they did it would take them the whole term to do it. No matter who the president is, Liberal or conservitive there will be some one on the lawn protesting. If politions learn to avoid the media and if the medis learns to stop swaying twords liberalism then things will get done!JUST INGORE THE MEDIA AND START WORKING ON THE F...N' ISSUES AND WE MIGHT JUST MAKE IT OUT OF OBAMA'S TERM ALIVE!

Hawk chick of KS 8:18PM October 20, 2009

Up until now, conservatives have seen Obama as an easy mark. They can pound away as long as they like, and he will just smile through bloodied teeth. Now, for the first time, he has hit back, caught them off guard, and they aren't happy. This attack is not unusual - it's only unusual for Obama, who was gaining a reputation as a bit of a wuss. Let's play this thing out to the final reel - how will FOX really gain from this 'war'? Increased ratings? I thought their ratings were high enough. Think about it. They don't. It's not like they weren't already dedicated to bashing him 24/7, and if they aren't careful, he will succeed in his mission of isolating them. Conventional wisdom has it this is a crazy move for the White House. At first I thought yes. Now I'd have to disagree. However risky, Obama's sent a message that open season on him is over. The fact that his enemies are defensive shows they are worried, not angry.

Jake of OK 7:32PM October 20, 2009