Neither the White House nor the “old media” could allow President Obama to appear on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Given the closeness of the “old media” with the Obama administration I wouldn’t doubt that the strategy to avoid Wallace and Fox was a coordinated one. In fact, the old media could not have feigned integrity if Obama had been interviewed by Chris Wallace of Fox.
Unfortunately for Fox, they fell into the trap set by Obama and his old media sycophants. For a week now, Fox commentators and hosts have been obsessed with the fact that Obama didn’t appear on Fox News Sunday. They have incessantly pointed out how the White House was “punishing” Fox, with Wallace’s quote getting the most play: the Obama White House is the … “biggest bunch of cry babies that I have dealt with in my thirty years in Washington.” On O’Reilly last night, Dana Perino, the former Bush press secretary, now a Fox News contributor, attempts to explain the differences in press relations between the Bush White House and Obama’s. All of this is just noise and the Obama White House and the other media know that Fox missed the point.
Obama won and the old media won. Obama could not appear on CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS and also appear on Fox. It was not an option. If he had appeared on Fox, it would have destroyed any narrative the Obama organization was attempting to create. If Obama had appeared on Fox, the Obama people knew the narrative would be the difference in the depth of the questions asked by Chris Wallace on Fox as compared to those asked by the other Sunday morning hosts.
Interestingly though, if Hannity were asking the questions instead of Walllace, Obama would have been able to control the narrative to make Fox look bad. The story would have been Hannity’s edge and negativity. It would have been a contest, not an interview. Instead, with the moderate moderator Wallace, a totally different outcome would have resulted, one that neither Obama nor the old media could have withstood.
Wallace has an establishment pedigree and strong DC reputation. He has a style he learned from his father and he is not pegged with any specific animosity or dislike of the Obama administration. He is considered fair and civil, and conducts himself in a gentlemanly and respectful manner. Consequently, if Obama had interviewed on Fox News Sunday hosted by Chris Wallace, Obama would have been asked factually-oriented follow-up questions, something the other networks refused to do. The reality of Wallace’s interview would have poked major holes in the Obama sermon and, therefore, his raison d’être.
The media blitz on Sunday night and Monday would not have been George Stephanapoulas’ dictionary question and Obama’s disingenuous comment about his lack of knowledge of ACORN. Instead, the narrative would have been Obama’s failure to parry Wallace’s fair but probing follow-up questions. Furthermore, the press bias would have been so obvious in side-by-side comparisons of the four other media outlets with Fox and Wallace. Moreover, the old media passivity and, to some extent, worship, when compared to a straight interview on Fox, would have awoken another chunk of the American electorate to the old media phoniness. Among many, this side-by-side comparison would have accentuated the old media bias. To many still unaware of the bias, the debate would have been over. Media bias would be forever established in those still undecided about the media debate. There would be a realization, an uh-huh moment, one that continue the undermining of the credibility of the old-line, pro-Obama media for the rest of his term.
Think about it, Fox might have brought up the CBO’s Elmendorf when Obama stated that his plan would not raise health care costs. When Obama claimed that Republicans refuse to cooperate on important legislation, we might have heard about how cap and trade was killed by Senators Lincoln, Nelson, Dorgan and Conrad. Obama might have been asked about the pumps being shut off by environmentalists in the California fields, killing the crops, the soil and the jobs and, worst yet, he might be informed, along with the viewers, of the magnitude of the problem and a question as to why he has not gotten involved to save the jobs, crops, and businesses. We heard about none of this.
So, Obama won, and the old media won. The American people lost. But, Fox has yet to figure out exactly what went on.
Paul Porter is the host of ThePaul Porter Show on WFOY AM 1240 (3 – 5 pm) in St. Augustine, Florida, a show that hopes to Bring Back America One Day at a Time by educating the audience about the spiritual principles that underlie the US Constitution.