Obama Calls Out Fox News For Punishing Republicans When They Work With Democrats

President Obama just sat down for a wide-ranging interview with The New Republic. In the course of the discussion he articulated what is a long-standing problem for Republican politicians that prevents them from engaging in reasonable legislative compromises. The President said…

Fox News

“One of the biggest factors is going to be how the media shapes debates. If a Republican member of Congress is not punished on Fox News or by Rush Limbaugh for working with a Democrat on a bill of common interest, then you’ll see more of them doing it.”

That is an astute observation. Many Republicans live in fear of being criticized in the conservative media. They regard people like Roger Ailes and Rush Limbaugh as Godfathers whose rings must be kissed. And divergence from the doctrine prescribed by the most extreme elements of the far-right can land them in primary trouble with Tea Partiers. The President also recognized that dilemma:

“The House Republican majority is made up mostly of members who are in sharply gerrymandered districts that are very safely Republican and may not feel compelled to pay attention to broad-based public opinion, because what they’re really concerned about is the opinions of their specific Republican constituencies.”

The result of having to cater to perpetually outraged absolutists on the right is that GOP attention whores will do or say anything that gets them more airtime. And the media is all too happy to accommodate them. Obama addressed that journalistic failing as well.

“Nobody gets on TV saying, ‘I agree with my colleague from the other party.’ People get on TV for calling each other names and saying the most outlandish things.”

That’s a theory that has been proven many times over by folks like Glenn Beck, Allen West, Donald Trump, and a menagerie of other bombastic loudmouths.

The interview is well worth reading in its entirety, however, the observations about the press and anxiety-driven Republicans are a refreshing blast of realistic insight. It is important for these truths to be articulated by the President. Now it remains to be seen if Obama will apply that insight to his actions when dealing with those in the media and the Republican Party who engage in kneejerk opposition to anything proposed by the White House or Democrats in congress. Because, as the President noted in the interview…

“Until Republicans feel that there’s a real price to pay for them just saying no and being obstructionist, you’ll probably see at least a number of them arguing that we should keep on doing it.”

Exactly! Make them pay the price. And the price is the respect and support of the American people who are sick and tired of the games played by Washington’s opportunists.

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15 thoughts on “Obama Calls Out Fox News For Punishing Republicans When They Work With Democrats

  1. Wow! President fly trap is confounded that House members are representing their constituencies. Is the imbecile just figuring out this is how a representative Republic works? In terms of incompetence, this rivals the stupidest man on the planet’s laser like focus on jobs. One has to wonder how he attracts liberal voters like flies. Must be an olfactory thing.

    • “Fly trap?” Thanks for proving the President’s point when he spoke of people “calling each other names and saying the most outlandish things.” You are demonstrating perfectly the immaturity of the right.

      And Obama’s remarks about constituencies was in reference to the gerrymandered districts that are NOT representative of voters. Pay attention.

      • Mark, you really are something – you are actually criticizing someone for calling others names – practically every article you write includes insults and name calling of people who watch Fox News or are just conservative. Maybe people are just responding to what they hear from the likes of you.

        • Amen, brother. And don’t forget: Obama has never leveled that particular line of criticism against Joy Behar (“She’s going to hell, that bitch!”), Chris Matthews or Bill Maher. But then again, the Dems whored themselves out to the tune of $1 million with Maher’s contribution, so nobody should be surprised.

          • Which of those people you listed above are elected Democrats? Because the criticism Obama is leveling is on elected republicans toeing the line in accordance to the media message.

            If you wanted to make a comparison you’d at least make it using the alternative of what was being discussed.

        • The difference here is, who is justified in “name calling” as you call it or ad hominem? Care to articulate on this?

          Before you do though, remember that name calling or ad hominem is NOT name calling when it accurately describes whatever it is that it is used to describe.

          There is nothing unusual about calling a spade a spade after all.

          Mark (and not just him) has shown why the things he calls Fox et al are accurate. Now if you would kindly help Max with articulating his “president fly trap meme” maybe I can forget about pointing out (again!) what a damned hypocrite you are (ironically for attempting to call Mark a hypocrite, this seems to be a repeating pattern with you).

          • Do you actually read his articles???? You’re a mess and prove that libs like to apply the rules to everyone but themselves.

          • “…when it accurately describes whateer it is…”

            With that statement, you have exposed your hate and intolerance to everybody. No woman deserves to be called a bitch, or a “c### or a tw##.

            What Mark spews onto his site is never, ever accurate. They are lies and hate and sewage. Period.

  2. Gee, I don’t recall President Bush getting his underwear in a bunch over all the hate spewed against him on MSNBC or Air America. He just ignored it. President Obama could learn from Bush’s example.

    • The rules don’t apply to the democrat party and liberal types – how could you possibly criticize someone who just wants to help everyone – of course they do that through bigger and bigger government and less freedom for you and me – but that’s ok since they’re just trying to help. Oh and don’t forget, this is our first black president, you can’t bitch about him for that very reason because you would be racist if you did.

    • That’s because Dubya didn’t have any “hate spewed against him on MSNBC or Air America” that even remotely compares to the DAILY hatefest that spews from the pinheads at FoxNoise.

      THAT is why you “don’t recall” any. It’s pretty difficult to remember something that never happened.

      • You are 100% wrong. Randi Rhodes spewed that President Bush should be taken out on a fishing boat and shot, just like Fredo in “The Godfather, Part II”. Mike Malloy burped out similar hate-filled crap. And at MSNBC – Keith Olbermann. That’s all I need to say.

        You didn’t even get the “recall” right. I said I didn’t recall President Bush getting upset over the crap flung at him. He just ignored it and did his job.

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