Roger Ailes joins the Spin Cycle

[marmar]

from Washington Monthly:



FALSE EQUIVALENCY WATCH.... With Saturday's shootings sparking some discussion on rhetorical excesses and the toxicity of our discourse, Fox News is feeling a little defensive.

Roger Ailes, president of the Republican network, offered the usual defense -- insisting that Jared Lee Loughner "was not attached" to Tea Partiers -- and said the criticism of Fox News is "just a bullshit way to use the death of a little girl to get Fox News in an argument."

But also Ailes went a little further, making two related points. The first is that he claims to have told his network's on-air talent to "shut up, tone it down, make your argument intellectually," and urged Fox News' team to stay away from "bombast." The second is that Ailes is convinced that "the Democrat (sic) Party" is just as bad: "This goes on ... both sides are wrong." Ailes added that he hopes "the other side" tells its team to tone down the rhetoric, too.

On the first point, I rather doubt that Ailes actually told guys like Beck and Hannity to avoid "bombast," just as I rather doubt they'd listen if he did. If Ailes actually expected Fox News personalities to "tone it down" and make "intellectual" arguments, he might as well shut the network down today. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_01/027471.php

[katty]

1. make their argument 'intellectually'?! on Faux news? Not possible!

[Ilsa]

2. This should be easy for Democrats because ...

Democrats are rarely, if ever, guilty of it.

[emulatorloo]

3. C'mon now! Democrats suggested voters keep repubs away from the car keys.

I can't think of anything more violent! How horrible!