Cross posted at DailyKos
It's a known fact that anyone associated with Fox News will deny that they are biased in favor of George W. Bush and the Republican Party. It's a lie. We know they're lying, they know they're lying, they know that we know they're lying. In private, and in the presence of other true believers, they openly admit to "sticking it to the liberals." The "Fair and Balanced" mantra is merely a ploy to deliberately anger those on the left and take a subtle jab at the mainstream media, which they feel is too liberal. In 2004 88% of Fox News viewers voted for George W. Bush, 7% voted for John Kerry.
There is only one demographic that voted more heavily in Bush's favor. That would be Republicans. Not white evangelicals or gun owners. Hell, conservatives didn't vote for Bush the way Fox News viewers did. If Fox News is a legitimate a news source, then so is Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.
In 2003, 67% of people who got their news from Fox "found clear evidence in Iraq that Saddam Hussein was working closely with the al Qaeda terrorist organization." Only 40% of people who got their news from the print media believed that statement. That 40% is still ridiculous, but not nearly as high.
Pollster Mark Mellman brings up another good point. When has any Fox reporter ever been punished for giving a false report? The right-wing screamed when Dan Rather was fired by CBS as indisputable proof that he and the networks were conspiring against Bush. But he was embarrased, admitted he was wrong and was sent behind the woodshed as a result of the sloppy reporting. When someone at Fox says that Barack Obama went to school at a madrassa or that terrorists looooove John Kerry, there's no accountability, no apology, nothing. Gee, who else inside the beltway does that remind you of?
Yeah, I know, one of them radical fantasies I am prone to have during naiive moments.
One of my all time fave bumper sticker says, " Do you remember what you used to think before TV did your thinking for you?"
Wes Clark has been a foreign policy/military analyst on Fox for a year or more and there is no way in hell that you or anyone else can say that he is biased in favor of George Bush. He has spoken out against Bush, Cheney and their entire neocon administration at every opportunity, and he did it long before other Democrats were willing to risk their political hides in doing so. He is on Fox to provide a reasonable perspective to their viewers and to counter their talking heads like Insanity and O'Reilly. He does not let them get away with their right wing spew and has smacked down Hannity more than once. If it weren't so late and I weren't tired, I'd go look up the links to those clips and post them here. He presents the truth as he sees it based on his experience and the viewers get a far more balanced viewpoint when they listen to Wes Clark.
I wouldn't give you two cents for all the rest, but I could not let your generalized comment stand without making sure that you realized that Wes Clark is not a George Bush supporter.
Clark knows perfectly well he's in enemy territory. Someone has to be the voice of reason on that joke of a station, and Gen. Clark has the cojones to do just that.
You're right--he knows he's in enemy territory and has enjoyed going into the lion's den (his words) to take a sensible message. In fact, his appearances are the only time I tune in. It's a delight to watch him shut them down. Glad to hear you're patiently waiting for his decision--I, for one, think it will be rewarded. The field for this race is far from decided.