Cheney Interview, Just As I Expected
Well, I basically predicted how Vice President Dick Cheney would tell the public in my post yesterday. I said I expected Cheney to control the scene. As it turns out he gave his exclusive interview to Fox News with host Britt Hume which aired at 600pm. No surprise there as Fox News has been the Bush/Cheney cheerleading team on the boob tube.
Consider the fact that Fox News does have the highest ratings of cable news stations, yet also understand that the major over the air networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) still far and away have much higher ratings for the evening news. So, as I stated, he controlled the scene by selecting a less viewed news program and choosing Fox News the friend of the White House.
My morning Detroit Free Press included a side article to the Cheney interview story that was illuminating as to how Cheney deals with the press or speaks to an audience, it's almost alway to sympathetic ears. Here is list of his most recent public appearances.
Feb. 9, The Conservative Political Action Conference
Feb. 7, Jim Lehrer, PBS NewsHour
Feb. 3, Laura Ingraham, radio consevative
Feb. 1, Rush Limbaugh, radio conservative
Jan. 20, Hugh Hewitt, radio conservative
Jan. 19, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, conservative think tank
Jan. 4, The Heritage Foundation, conservative think tank
Nov. 16, the 2005 Ronald Reagan Gala of the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, republicans
Only the Feb. 7th appearance would be considered a non-conservative interview or speech. Jim Lehrer is highly regarded as unbiased or non-partisan. So, even that interview wouldn't even slightly step into left wing territory. Most of his other speechs are given to military troops.
And of course we will never know whether his interview yesterday with Britt Hume was controlled as to questions. Cheney may have asked for a list of questions to be pre-approved or he may have refused to answer some questions with that portion of the interview edited later. The interview was taped, not live, which gives me reason to suspect question manipulation. Pre-approved questions in taped interviews are more common than most TV viewers understand.
Consider as well the two-way street many Washington reporters drive when dealing with politicians. If they hector a politician too severly then the politician is far less likely to agree to later appearances. Many reporters massage a relationship to keep information flowing or appearances forthcoming, former NY Times reporter Judy Miller a strong case in point. Fox News has been cozy with the White House since Bush took office, everyone knows that. They've had several exclusive interviews with Bush and Cheney as with other White House figures from the last five years.
And let's not forget that Cheney has had four days to prepare for every possible question with answers that he has had his aides review and critique. He had the time to prepare for this interview as he did for the VP debate in 2004. Make no mistake his responses were well thought out. American politicians are the best actors in the world.
It would take plenty of inside knowledge for me to believe that Cheney wasn't using Fox News to get an image he desired for the American public. And Fox ate it up as I'm sure they got a little boost in the ratings for their evening newscast to boost their advertising dollars. Once the deal was struck with Fox, I flipped over and monitored Fox for a time and saw their promos running for the big Cheney interview event.
TV media and politics is pure manipulation by all sides which leaves the viewers nothing but glassy eyed stooges
Consider the fact that Fox News does have the highest ratings of cable news stations, yet also understand that the major over the air networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) still far and away have much higher ratings for the evening news. So, as I stated, he controlled the scene by selecting a less viewed news program and choosing Fox News the friend of the White House.
My morning Detroit Free Press included a side article to the Cheney interview story that was illuminating as to how Cheney deals with the press or speaks to an audience, it's almost alway to sympathetic ears. Here is list of his most recent public appearances.
Feb. 9, The Conservative Political Action Conference
Feb. 7, Jim Lehrer, PBS NewsHour
Feb. 3, Laura Ingraham, radio consevative
Feb. 1, Rush Limbaugh, radio conservative
Jan. 20, Hugh Hewitt, radio conservative
Jan. 19, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, conservative think tank
Jan. 4, The Heritage Foundation, conservative think tank
Nov. 16, the 2005 Ronald Reagan Gala of the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, republicans
Only the Feb. 7th appearance would be considered a non-conservative interview or speech. Jim Lehrer is highly regarded as unbiased or non-partisan. So, even that interview wouldn't even slightly step into left wing territory. Most of his other speechs are given to military troops.
And of course we will never know whether his interview yesterday with Britt Hume was controlled as to questions. Cheney may have asked for a list of questions to be pre-approved or he may have refused to answer some questions with that portion of the interview edited later. The interview was taped, not live, which gives me reason to suspect question manipulation. Pre-approved questions in taped interviews are more common than most TV viewers understand.
Consider as well the two-way street many Washington reporters drive when dealing with politicians. If they hector a politician too severly then the politician is far less likely to agree to later appearances. Many reporters massage a relationship to keep information flowing or appearances forthcoming, former NY Times reporter Judy Miller a strong case in point. Fox News has been cozy with the White House since Bush took office, everyone knows that. They've had several exclusive interviews with Bush and Cheney as with other White House figures from the last five years.
And let's not forget that Cheney has had four days to prepare for every possible question with answers that he has had his aides review and critique. He had the time to prepare for this interview as he did for the VP debate in 2004. Make no mistake his responses were well thought out. American politicians are the best actors in the world.
It would take plenty of inside knowledge for me to believe that Cheney wasn't using Fox News to get an image he desired for the American public. And Fox ate it up as I'm sure they got a little boost in the ratings for their evening newscast to boost their advertising dollars. Once the deal was struck with Fox, I flipped over and monitored Fox for a time and saw their promos running for the big Cheney interview event.
TV media and politics is pure manipulation by all sides which leaves the viewers nothing but glassy eyed stooges
posted by jon at 9:40 AM
1 Comments:
A clone? That's scary. You mean to tell me there are more Cheney copies? And I'd always figured he was a robot afterall his heart is nearly mechanical with all the updates.
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