Posted on 08/10/2015 11:57:58 AM PDT by Hojczyk
The LA Times reported:
As they sorted and re-sorted questions, the unpredictability of real estate tycoon and reality-TV star Donald Trump was never far from their minds.
“I would say the level is about an eight on the concern meter because of the unknown,” Baier said.
Baier even had a “nuclear option” at the ready for Trump if he ignored all protocol.
The script — which Baier didn’t have to use — took a page from Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” TV show. It went like this: “Mr. Trump, in your business you have rules. You follow rules. We have rules on this stage. We don’t want to have to escort you to the elevator outside this boardroom.”
“We’re hoping we don’t have to use it,” Baier said later. “[But] we’re locked and loaded.”
For anyone embedded with the news team on debate day, it became clear that it wasn’t just the Republican hopefuls who would be on-stage this night — but also Fox News, widely seen as the network most friendly to conservatives. No one here wanted to appear as if they were pitching softballs.
“You can’t let them have that offramp” was Baier’s rule as they hone each line.
Indeed, when Kelly rehearsed a question for another candidate — delivered in the staccato style that adds to her reputation as a tenacious interrogator — a producer at the table said, “He’ll go berserk.” That’s a compliment for Kelly, who smiled.
For the individual anchors, the debate was also a chance to burnish their reputations. Kelly has emerged as the channel’s prime-time star. Wallace is a seasoned veteran of the Washington beat. Baier has perhaps the most to gain from the expanded national spotlight.
(Excerpt) Read more at thegatewaypundit.com ...
The use of their language on a “****Presidential***** Candidate says much about their intentions regarding a “No -debate” rather a show for ratings and that alone...
They allowed an LA Times reporter to be “embedded” with them while prepping for the debate. If that doesn’t show the Fox defenders who Fox believes their friends are, nothing will. They WANTED the world to know they were going after Trump.
And they lost viewers.
“Permission to treat the witness as hostile?”
They screwed up. Had they played it straight, they might have seen some fireworks from Trump as he tried to hold his own on a policy level with the likes of Ted Cruz. Instead, Fox made themselves the story and generated sympathy for Trump being singled out for personal attacks.
Something funny happened on the way to the lynching...
much less than last week ...
What is our nuclear option for the the three puppet “moderators?”
I guess its watching anything but an alphabet or fox news.
Lots of filtering of what is real is required for internet news.
Their performance made MSNBC look like giants in the field of journalism. Pathetic losers, all of them.
It doesn’t take ‘proof’ to know they went after Trump, but it’s nice to have.
I decided to trust my own ‘lyin’ eyes’. I SAW them go after Trump. That alone makes him the winner. Next, they threw obvious attack questions at Cruz, who knocked them out of the park.
The clear winner to me was Cruz with a close Trump simply because of the way he was treated.
And to think there are people on this site that totally would be cool with this level of shenanigans because it’s Trump.
If it was (insert candidate they like here), then they would be blowing a gasket over the horrid bias of the press.
LOL!
“Well you can do whatever you want to us, but we’re not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America.”
In marketing word of mouth is King. Fox, I will bad mouth your station. It’s a promise.
NBC dealt with Brian Williams it’s time for FOX to deal with these scoundrels.
I’m told by jimbo that if ratings go down 15% , they lose that much from their advertisers...and that really will hurt the Bimbo’s budget for sanitary napkins.
“You’re finished, mister!!!”- Dean (Wormer) Roger Ailes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.