Fox Flubs at Suspending Disbelief

[babylonsister]

Fox Flubs at Suspending Disbelief
posted by Leslie Savan on 03/20/2010 @ 4:39pm


Think of Fox News as a vast rightwing theater production: Lately, the painted backdrops keep falling down, and the actors have to talk really loud to maintain the audience's suspension of disbelief.

Take Ingrid Martin, introduced as an "unemployed health care worker" on Thursday's Fox & Friends. Martin had been brought on the show because she "put the president to the test" by resolutely telling Obama she opposed health care reform after his speech in Strongsville, Ohio, last week--and the Fox folks clearly thought they had a female Joe the Plumber in the offing. Hoping that her almost two-minute chat with the president would turn up an incriminating quote or two, Steve Doocy asked her to dish: Well, Martin said, she'd been shaking her head "No" all through the speech, and when Obama came off stage to shake hands, he asked if she was OK. When she told him she was unemployed, he asked if she had COBRA. Then she informed this rotten fellow that she had lost her job because of the possibility that his Obamacare might become law. At this point, we are starting to see Joe the Tinkerbell flap its wings.

But then Martin lets it drop that she's not exactly a "health care worker," she's an insurance agent. And proud of it, adding that she's "very active in the National Association of Underwriters." And loyal Fox viewers need to suddenly avert their chastened eyes.

That was a bit like Glenn Beck's epic fail with Rep. Eric Massa (formerly D-NY), whose naked confrontation with Rahm Emanuel in the congressional gym showers would bring down the nazi-socialist presidency--at least, so Glenn promised the night before. But by the time Beck had wasted his entire hour trying to get Massa to reveal the true evil of Obamacrats, all we got was Massa's heartfelt assertion that Washington needs...campaign finance reform.

more...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/543329/fox_flubs_at_suspending_disbelief

[pnwmom]

1. She's an example of why the Dems were probably unwilling to push universal Medicare

for now. Millions of insurance industry people would be out of work, because the more efficient Medicare system wouldn't need them. Dragging this process out for years will also give the economy more time to produce other jobs to make up for the ones lost in the health insurance industry.

[nebenaube]

2. Screw 'em

some poorly paid slob in India is writing the software code that I would have been composing to put food on my child's plate. Not to mention the fact that social security is being bankrupted by outsourcing.

[pnwmom]

5. I'm sorry about what's happened to you. But I can see why the Dems don't

want to do something that would quickly raise the already high rate of unemployment.

[nickinSTL]

3. in the short term, I'm not sure how many would lose their jobs

how many conservatives/libertarians/etc. would pay to continue having extra insurance because they don't trust the evil government-run system?

As many as could afford to, I'm guessing.

Over time, as it became clear that the system works, more and more would drop the extra coverage, though.

The wealthy never would. They'd continue to pay the insurance companies to ensure getting the best possible care.

That's just my take on it.

However, the real answer is that the new government-run system would need a lot more employees, and some of the job losses in the insurance industry would be absorbed. I don't pretend to know how that would all come out in the end, as far as jobs lost vs. jobs created.

[tsuki]

4. So someone loses their job in India. In all my years in business, I have

paid more in insurance costs than I have in taxes for the commons. I have no love of the insurance industry.

[pnwmom]

6. I've never talked to someone in India for my health insurance plan.

I have no idea how common that is.

[Swamp Rat]

7. HAHA!

:D

[Quantess]

8. that one always makes me chuckle.