Democrats And Fox News Play Nice

With Hillary Clinton on the "O'Reilly Factor" and Barack Obama on "Fox News Sunday" (not to mention Terry McAuliffe's ringing commercial endorsement), the Democrats and Fox News appear to be playing nice. The New York Times' Brian Stelter reports on the developing relationship between the Democrats and Fox News:

All of a sudden, the once-frosty relationship between Fox News and the Democratic candidates seems to have grown warmer. Mrs. Clinton and Barack Obama, who steadfastly refused to attend Fox-sponsored debates last year, are now giving plenty of interviews as they court Fox's viewers, who are largely white, conservative and undecided.

"It's probably true that we appeal to white working-class voters," said Brit Hume, the network's Washington managing editor and the host of "Special Report." "The candidates are going where the voters are."

Conversely, Fox seems to have softened its stance toward the Democrats, mindful of the intense viewer interest in the prolonged primary season. Although Fox News remains firmly in first place among news channels, CNN has crept up in the ratings on primary nights. So Fox wants to appeal to people who might otherwise flip the channel in search of more time with the Democrats.

In short, Fox News and the Democrats abruptly find each other useful.

Read the entire New York Times article here.

The New York Post's Michael Starr confirms how useful the Dems are for Fox, with Hillary Clinton's "O'Reilly Factor" appearance bringing in big ratings for Bill:

Clinton's first-ever visit to Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" averaged 3.7 million viewers, a 42 percent increase from O'Reilly's year-to-date numbers (2.6 million).

The numbers were even better in the "money" demo, adults 25-54, where "The O'Reilly Factor" averaged 939,000 viewers - a whopping 82 percent increase from its season-to-date average (515,000 viewers), according to Nielsen.

TVNewser confirms it was O'Reilly's highest-rated show of the year.

Comments

[gregjones]

HILLARY HAS LOST THE ENTIRE BLACK VOTE....FOREVER !!!
This is the message being sent by blacks to the DNC (and the superdelegates). There is no way Hillary will defeat McCain without the support of Black America aka the guaranteed Democratic vote. Hillary started out with 82% of the black support. But as Blacks learned more about her (Goldwater Girl...Against Civil Rights Act '64....It was LBJ...Not MLK....etc) combined with Bill's (...fairy tale....Jessie Won S.C. too...etc.­)...blacks were shocked beyond repair. (remember....we luved Bill so much we called him 'The First Black President')....but never again....WHERE'S THAT STORY. This has nothing to do with Obama !!!! We (blacks) have awakened to the truth about the Clintons......

Greg Jones
www.Blacks4Barack.org
(A Multi-Racial, Grassroots Org...Dedicated To Truth)

p.s. Blacks4Barack.org started in Feb. 2007 (Greg Jones) when VERY few blacks were for Obama.....they were ALL for Hillary !!!!! We knew that Obama was the best person to run our country and bring our troops home and that is why we started our grassroots organization. (Not because he's black...but because he's most qualified) The more black voters learned about Obama...the more they liked him.... the more they learned about the Clintons....the angrier they got !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We appreciate our friends of ALL races....who are working together....for the very best candidate....to put America on the right track.....Barack Obama ! THANK YOU !

[Oldtt]

If you say so.

[punkingale]

You might want to read www.dontvoteobama.net for a balanced view.

[LivingStardust]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[avicenna]

In all fairness - the fox people were surprisingly more tolerable (at least in Obama's interview - I'm allergic to both Hillary and O'Reilly, so can't comment on that one) then George and Charlie were during the ABC debate. The so-called popular media have cerainly set a low bar of their coverage of relevant topics - that one can't even scoff at FOX's irrelevancy. There is also the possiblity of extinction for FOX - Dems can take it as a boost of confidence that FOX pretty much knows that the Republican days are over and either they adapt or perish.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

It's all about the swing voters, folks.

[PghLori]

I have no problem with Dems going on Fox as long as they can hold their own. I missed Obama with Wallace, but saw some of Hillary with BillO, and thought she did just fine. Since I haven't seen O'Really in quite awhile, I'd forgotten what a complete joke he is. Mr. tough guy, Mr. bully -- what an ass!
To compound his assholery, immediately following the interview he proceeds to have "Fox News Contributors" on to critique HIS performance! He's not the center of his own universe or anything. Neither one of these people had the nerve to actually criticize him, as they want to keep their jobs on Faux. It is so ridiculous, ya just gotta laugh.

[CheshireCat2]

It is just killing the MSM's and the libs that Billo gave a good interview and what's worse? Hillary did a great job. Eat your heart out schlubs.

[HippieChick]

At first, my reaction was a big cringe-factor at the thought of the dems sleeping with a network that has demonstrated it is willing to be a 24/7 republican shill. BillO, however, came across as the shrill old malcontent that he always is, and Clinton stood her ground and continued to firmly state the how and why of her positions. In the long run, it may not hurt for the Faux Fanatics to hear details that are not a product of the continuous spin and twist of republican talking points. BillO tried to drown her out and back her down...but he failed miserably. Of course, I really don't have much hope that the firmly-programmed and set-in-concrete minds of those who are addicted to that channel were altered at all.

[UltraClassic]

Hillary '08

What you are saying in fact Hippie, is that Bill challanged Hillary. What's wrong with that.? I think she did quite will, not on everything but over all, a good performance.

Let's seen if Mr. Obama has the cojonis to do the same?

Hillary '08

[CheshireCat2]

HIllary rocked in that interview and I don't even like her but fair is fair. Wonder what would have happened had she been like this from the start. She fumbled the ball on the "sanctuary cities" question but came back and clarified it that she would reconsider her parameters. I thought that was rather impressive.

[Daisy1111]

I wonder how Barack "um-um-um" Obama will do on O'Reilly.

Hillary rocked it!

[UltraClassic]

Hillary '08

The "boycott fox" crowd are the fanatics of KOS and MoveOn. They could not run a political race if it had wheels and a small block V-8.

Hillary knows where the voters are. They are not a bunch of far left loones in thei PJs on the KOS web site. Those guys are already spoken for, screw them.

Hillary '08

[Countdown09]

Yeah, Fox is playing nice now because they want a piece of the rating pie - McCain is no head line (which is our misfortune) but they'll be back to their old tricks when we have our nominee trust me.

[rjean]

wrong countdown.....is that a take on that four eyed goon olberman....
fox has the ratings...hillary s people called fox.......

fox reaches more people than cnn and that other pos combined...

so smart candidates GO ON FOX...
it isnt rocket science

[izAriver]

All the mainstream media is right-wing. Fox noise is just the worst of them, by far. The fact that it is the most watched only shows how poor our educational system is. That's why emotionally based propaganda and reality tv have so much in common. There's no thinking involved. Just ask a 5th grader.

[ctbutte]

I beg to differ. While I will not deny that Fox leans right, how in the Hell you can say that MSNBC, CNN, The NY Times, and WAPO do not lean left?

Besides that FACT, most of you goons here who soak up Zsa Zsa's posters as the word of God, think that Jon Stewart is a real newscaster and the only place to get to the truth.

If you cannot read the lefty sites and the righty sites and then make up your own mind, think for yourself, then you deserve what you get!

[izAriver]

I beg to differ. You're obviously the one who can't think for himself. Sounds like you've swallowed the mass media line whole. These are corporate entities. Corporate entities are not liberal. I do not believe that this site hosts "the word of god" and I am well aware that Jon Stewart is a comedian. The truth is not found in any one news source and it is rarely found on tv. Your rebuttal just makes my point.

[elkabong]

"beg to differ. While I will not deny that Fox leans right, how in the Hell you can say that MSNBC, CNN, The NY Times, and WAPO do not lean left?"

Leans right? LEANS right? You've got to be kidding. And there is no one on television who spouts, in reverse, the kind of anti liberal screeds O'Dipshit oozes on a daily basis. NOT ONE! Then there's insHanity, Douchey and the rest.

[trollsbwild]

Joe Scarborough and Chris Matthews lean to the left? Wolf Blitzer and Lou Dobbs?

WTF have you been smoking?

[quadman]

C'mon folks, reread the last line from ctbutte:

"If you cannot read the lefty sites and the righty sites and then make up your own mind, think for yourself, then you deserve what you get!"

It's called due diligence. If you buy off on what one source says even though there are other sources out there to compare against, you are only limiting the scope of your view. ctbutte is saying to take all views in hand and you will be better able to understand and decide.

[LeftVetPatriot]

Quite the contrary. Fox sees the handwriting.

[Lisette]

Because Obama did
And copy cat Hillary must copy Obama
Someone send her the memo
Obama Won

[StephenDedalus82]

Because boycotting the network only appeals to zealots who intend to vote Democratic anyway?

[LeftVetPatriot]

Because boycotting Fox is your duty as a patriot?

[StephenDedalus82]

Do you have any interest in a Democrat winning this year at all? Or do you care more about rigid, uncompromising values?

[Ramirez]

Dems are going to FOX because of common sense. In the early primaries they could pander to the hyper-partisan hard left and boycott the hated network, but as the general election approaches they must either act like grownups or choose to loose.

More Americans watched Hillary on one hour of FOX than watched her at any other time during this campaign. She looked good, spoke well, and conducted herself like a potential president. That's where HRC is today.

OTOH, John Edwards is still defiantly boycotting FOX.

[bigogre]

"She looked good, spoke well, and conducted herself like a potential president. That's where HRC is today."

The simple fact that someone like you can like HRC is good enough reason for every REAL Democrat to support a REAL Democrat like Obama and not a DINO like Hillary.

[Kundera]

same reason Republicans do interviews with the NY Times, NBC, CBS, ABC, Washington Post, PBS, CNN