Posted on 10/15/2008 7:58:29 PM PDT by Chet 99
After the debate was over, the "conservative" pundits immediately trashed McCain. This was followed by Frank Luntz, who declared that is focus group idiots loved Obama (of course Luntz also said Palin was the knockout debate winner and McCain would surge in the polls after her debate).
This is supposed to be the conservative network? I switched over to PBS, and Clarence Page was giving more credit to McCain's performance than the Fox pundits. Same on CNN.
Exactly, good analogy. I’ve yet to see or hear anyone really discuss all the good that McCain accomplished last night.
Exactly.
I don’t care what the Fox pundits think of who “won” the election. But it did matter to me that they had no clue that the very things they rapped McCain for were grounds for cheering from his base. That was like them telling a large swath of viewers: “you are utterly invisible to us.”
BTW, CNN and TIME mag called the debate for McCain-—you KNOW what it takes to get that result. The CNN-o-meters were flatlining for Obamba all night.
Plus, if these so-called “experts” are going to opine on the ridiculous Luntz unfocused groups, they ought to at least have one of their minions monitoring both FR and DU live threads as a way to see how a more real-world reaction-meter is trending.
Dear Special Report:
When many, many viewers tune in to your debate coverage and think, “Did they even see the same debate I did?,” something is wrong with your so-called “expert” analysis. I am linking to a thread that would be worthwhile reading for the talking heads and producers alike. Many good suggestions.
Please be clear: this is not about “disagreeing” with the conclusions of your pundits. It is about their utterly ignoring the fact that a debate operates in multiple dimensions; it is not all about its impact on the mushy middle or about who “won” (by whatever subjective standard).
The host, panel and guests’ performance was dismal and embarrassing from top to bottom. Why? Because they demonstrated not one clue as to what was animating the candidates’ base and how the debate operated within that sphere. That, to be kind, is not a very “expert” analysis.
Again, it would be different if your “experts” had acknowledged, say, that certain issues were important to the base, that the debate might have had certain impacts on supporters, even if the “experts” then went on to disagree with that or explain it away. But nothing of the sort was even acknowledged, much less credited with any effect in the real world.
So your “experts” managed to miss the only newsworthy aspect of the debate-—that it completely fired up many McCain supporters and completely bummed out many Obama supporters (whether your “experts” agree such reactions are founded)-—while focusing *exclusively* on the dumb and ultimately nebulous issue of whether the debate “changed” any one voter’s mind. That may be a point to address briefly, but please: get a clue that the still-unfocused voter is only one side of the coin, the other being *turnout of the base.*
In sum, I and many others were extremely disappointed with the fact that each and every participant on “Special Report’s” debate coverage seemed to phone it in this time. Blech on you.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2106700/posts
I agree, the FOX pundits must not have watched the sme debate I did.
McCain was a clear winner, obvious to anyone with a brain.
I just turned Fox News’ analysis off. I didn’t need them to tell me what I didn’t see or hear.
Hope the McCain campaign makes a Joe the Plumber ad! I think Joe is our October Surprise!
We need to fire off letters to Fox about the horrible coverage from Brit Hume, Juan Williams, and the hideous performance from Bill Kristol last ight following the debate. I have already sent them a letter blasting them!
In Cavuto's case, the crappola is coming from the guests and Neil just doesn't take it. I understand that he might be a little grumpy. Everyone trying to blame everyone else and Neil just wants to get some facts out there for us to digest.
I’ll give you that there’s some of that, but Cavuto has been downright rude and not let people talk. As if he’s thinking the way to build his new network is to emulate BOR.
One BOR is enough, thank you!
They simply phoned it is and it stunk up the house bad.
.......but Cavuto has been downright rude and not let people talk.......
Which is a good thing. The Rats come on his show with an agenda......deliver the talking point and disregard Cavuto. If there is another there they shout them down and prevent the presentation.
Neil is tired of their obnoxious crap and deservedly kicks them swiftly in the ass.
More power to him. He is the best there is on any network period.
I am a Fox News Junkie - but after last night, I haven’t watched them at all today...and do not intend to until after the election (barring some national emergency or something along those lines). They absolutely disgusted me last night, and I will absolutely not watch them.
May be right on some counts, but he seems to swiftly tear down anyone who wants to say ANYTHING positive about McCain, the McCain campaign or Republicans in general.
He doesn’t even let them make a coherent sentence sometimes.
I find him unwatchable right now. I hope that changes as I’m a big fan of his.
We'd be down by about 50 points :-)
I’m with you. I am not watching FOX until after the election. By then, my adiction will be broken and I may never turn FOX on again. I emailed Hume’s show and told them I was disgusted with their debate analysis and planned to keep the TV off at my house. Somebody has gotten to them this past week. Hannity seems to be less tenacious too. Obama is one scary Muslim and very unamerican.
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