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Fox News Can’t Decide What It Thinks of Donald Trump, and Their Latest Awful Debate Proves It
slate ^ | 3-3-2016 | Isaac Chotiner

Posted on 03/03/2016 8:18:54 PM PST by Citizen Zed

In its campaign coverage on Thursday—one of the biggest days of the 2016 election—Fox consistently went out of its way to ensure that Trump had a smooth ride. Mitt Romney’s speech blasting Trump, which dominated news coverage all day, was covered skeptically on the network. Bill O’Reilly tried to get all of his guests to pledge support for Trump. Even Fox’s so-called establishment contributors, such as former Bush Press Secretary Dana Perino, spoke harshly about Romney’s speech.

When the actual debate began, it seemed as if the Fox strategy would continue as it had all week. Bret Baier, one of the moderators, went after Rubio on the second question, asking him, inanely, “How many jobs have you created?” Frank Luntz, whose ridiculous focus groups throughout the campaign have consistently boosted Rubio, tweeted out that this time, the group did not like Rubio’s attack on Trump.

But the pro-Trump strategy either fell apart or was never solid in the first place. The network’s moderators spent the middle hour of the debate slicing and dicing Trump: exposing the phoniness of his promises to cut the budget, confronting him with his past statements, playing sustained video clips of him flip-flopping. They offered his rivals an endless number of opportunities to attack him, which they did relentlessly. It became clear that the main purpose of the debate was to launch sustained and brutal attacks on the frontrunner. Kelly’s attack on his business practices went on and on—and Trump sputtered and sputtered. 

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


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To: Citizen Zed

Worst debate yet. Where is the RONALD REAGAN good natured humor?


21 posted on 03/03/2016 8:41:43 PM PST by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.)
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To: sagar
"Because Rump the Con Man is one of them."

More deep thinking from the anti-trump name calling contingent.

This one in particular makes me think of Rubio's early teen wit.

22 posted on 03/03/2016 8:55:17 PM PST by tinyowl (A equals A)
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To: stars & stripes forever

that’s why when you run out of subjects after 11 debates there is nothing left but to slash and burn. I blame the stupid RNC


23 posted on 03/03/2016 8:57:36 PM PST by Lib-Lickers 2
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To: scooby321

I noticed BOR ambushed Trump right afterwards because he knew damn well Trump woudln’t stick around and wait til after he’d done the sit-downs with the others. BOR was peeved at Trumps answer but there is no percentage for Trump to engage with O’Reilly on his “fairness” because A) BOR won’t change and B) BOR will never advocate for him anyway.


24 posted on 03/03/2016 8:59:01 PM PST by bigbob ("Victorious warriors win first and then go to war" Sun Tzu.)
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To: Cobra64

the only videos that were brought out were on Trump.. that’s a fair debate?


25 posted on 03/03/2016 9:04:25 PM PST by Lib-Lickers 2
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To: Lib-Lickers 2

That’s my point. Megyn sand-bagged Trump because she hates his guts.


26 posted on 03/03/2016 9:08:56 PM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: Lib-Lickers 2
when you run out of subjects after 11 debates there is nothing left but to slash and burn. I blame the stupid RNC

27 posted on 03/03/2016 9:10:40 PM PST by Company Man (Proudly Fox free since well, you know)
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To: Citizen Zed

If you saw Bernard Goldberg and Dana PeRino on BOR’s post-”debate” you know exactly where Fox News stands on Donald Trump.


28 posted on 03/03/2016 9:19:39 PM PST by TTFlyer
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To: Lib-Lickers 2

The others aren’t as photogenic as Trump. At least that’s what Trump says.


29 posted on 03/03/2016 9:25:26 PM PST by Auntie Dem (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Terrorist lovers gotta go!)
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To: stars & stripes forever

Where is the RONALD REAGAN good natured humor
###

Interesting thought.. I wonder how Reagan would have dealt with kind of onslaught.. he saw nothing like this...


30 posted on 03/03/2016 9:25:27 PM PST by acw011 (Great Goooogly Mooogly!)
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To: All

This can be easily answered by answering one question. How many videos and graphics did Fox present tonight contadicting any of the other candidates?


31 posted on 03/03/2016 9:30:25 PM PST by mmichaels1970 (Hillary lied over four coffins.)
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To: Citizen Zed
I can't watch FOX News anymore

.

32 posted on 03/03/2016 9:42:31 PM PST by Elle Bee
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: Elle Bee

Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.


34 posted on 03/04/2016 12:49:18 AM PST by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
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To: Citizen Zed

Agenda-driven, Faux News highly-paid “We Report, You Decide” propagandists can’t decide?

Unfair, unbalanced, unhinged.

(I haven’t watched in 4 years)


35 posted on 03/04/2016 1:08:36 AM PST by PGalt
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To: TTFlyer

I’ve discovered Newsmax during the prime time. The show opposite Megyn Kelly is very good. Been watching more Fox Business too and agree on Varney and Dobbs.


36 posted on 03/04/2016 2:23:06 AM PST by MagnoliaB (You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you might find, you get what you need.)
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To: Citizen Zed

This is satire, right?


37 posted on 03/04/2016 5:17:04 AM PST by jch10 (Hillary in the Big House, not the White House .)
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