In the fall of 2013, I gave a TED talk on what I learned as a progressive, on-air talking head at Fox News, where I worked for two years before leaving and joining my current home, CNN. After all, one of the most frequent questions I was asked during my time at Fox was how I did it, how I was a fox in the henhouse – or a hen in the Fox house, if you will.The questions came mostly from fellow liberals who had not watched much Fox News but had seen the most outlandish clips of Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity that had made it to "The Daily Show" or YouTube. They perhaps imagined that walking down the hallway outside makeup, Mr. O'Reilly might yell then, too, instead of just saying hello. That's a funny notion, but it couldn't be further from the truth.My time at Fox News was marked by meeting and working with some of the kindest, smartest, and most talented people I've had the pleasure of meeting in life. As I said in my TED talk, Sean Hannity is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet – and even now that I've parted ways with Fox, he remains a good friend and mentor.For a radical progressive who once harbored negative stereotypes about folks on the right, it was a turning point for me to meet people such as Mr. Hannity, Karl Rove, Monica Crowley, Sarah Palin, and so many others, and see that – though we certainly disagree profoundly on political issues – they're personable and kind and human. Just like me.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
You Think Martin Bashir or Keith Olbermann Are Nice People?
I guess it's possible, but I don't see any stories like these about them. Then again, they don't allow conservatives on MSNBC:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I watched the clip, and I thought she did a great job...and the true test, for me, was her Sean Hannity segment. I think she got it dead on. I think the man is a complete idiot, and is embarrassing to me even, maybe especially, when I agree with him. But I can tell he has a good heart, and I would leave my kids with him long before I would Bill O'Reilly. Or Chris Matthews. Frustrating though... it's tax day. And I despise tax day because we're a nation of liars about it. First thing I heard, because I left the radio on ... Hannity purporting the myth that most people pay no income tax. Biggest lie the conservatives cling to. The three most prolific areas of federal spending are funded by FICA taxes, which everyone who works at all pay, and hit the poor worse than the rich ... by far, since they cut off around 100k. It is SO frustrating to me that people get to say these things about poor and taxation and get away with it. That, off my chest? If you didn't watch the video, do. She makes a very compelling case.
As to Keith Olberman? I absolutely LOVE him as a sports guy. Funny, knowledgeable, intelligent ... but 'nice'? No. Everything I've seen from him that doesn't involve sports, I haven't liked; I have heard he does not treat his employees well. So, probably not nice. I don't know if you were aware of this, but he has an eye condition that makes him ... not blind ... but close enough that he can't drive, and very difficult to read a teleprompter. That isn't an excuse, nor an indicator of political values ... but, it might hint towards his acerbity.
Har! Yeah, Sally Kohn does make an excellent case for the essentially bigoted nature of the left by admitting the shocked epiphany she experienced when she found herself in the presence of real, live conservatives rather then the cartoon figures she previously needed to maintain the pretense of her own moral elevation. Fortunately Kohn is possessed of the sort of flexibility that allows her to continue to claim the moral high ground even after finding out that some of the right's most evil bogeymen weren't quite as evil as she needed them to be.
By the way, I saw what you did there conflating the income tax with a tax on income, i.e. FICA. The two are distinct and Hannity, and other conservatives, go to some pains to ensure that it's the former they're referencing when talking about the percentage of people who pay no income tax.
allen ... they don't. If they did, I would have no complaint. I always hear specifically 'income tax' ant then no follow up but the FICA tax IS an income tax -- and it's hidden. Most people don't know there's a difference. Seriously. I've taught econ enough times to know this. Technically true? Sure. Ethically fair argument?
Post a Comment