Rupert Murdoch's Conservative Image Challenged By Soft Treatment Of Barack Obama

Big, bright pictures, including a two-page poster, show the president-elect in poses ranging from warm and fuzzy to downright heroic. Headlines blare "Top Dog," "One Cool Dude" and "Brink of History."

All this from a charter member of what conservatives deride as the biased liberal media, right? Not quite. This take on Barack Obama comes from The New York Post, the feisty, generally conservative tabloid that is, like the Fox News Channel, part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, the News Corporation.

So has Mr. Murdoch gone soft on liberals -- or perhaps just reacted pragmatically to Mr. Obama's sizable victory? The answer, according to people who have watched him operate at close range, is that Mr. Murdoch is a less predictable, less doctrinaire character than his critics imagine.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[MyTake]

Murdock will followed his orders handed down to him by The Bilderberg Group who brought Obama to power.

[adv2int]

I have that news paper!

[Indie2008]

Evidently Hannity, Van Susteren,and O'Reilly didn't get the memo.

[bayside]

So far Hillary and her people, MCCain and his people are very happy with their buddies being in your cabinet, with no liberals..Only problem, we didnt vote for them and their ideas, we voted for change..Where are the liberals..You wont get a second term if your going to continue bush and clintons term..We would have voted for them if we wanted the. Look at JFKs cabinet, now thats real change..

[whit4brains]

Exactly! If we would have wanted HRC we could have voted for her and ran her as our candidate. How is this change?

[lorandrea]

Here's a thought -- "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Besides which, HRC would make a fine sec of state. "Change" in this case can also mean appointing people who are actually QUALIFIED to do their jobs, unlike Dubya, who hired his old buddies for most posts (see Michael Brown, the incompetent horse-show administrator in charge of FEMA during Katrina, for only one example among hundreds). Obviously, qualified folks are most likely to have worked in other administrations or have experience on Capitol Hill. Bill Clinton was also dogged with problems after putting old friends and supporters in positions of power for which they were not qualified. What Obama is doing is in fact VERY different than any President since Lincoln -- searching out a team of rivals who represent a great diversity of opinion and who are exceptionally well-qualified to do the tasks assigned. It takes tremendous courage to select a Cabinet that may disagree with you -- courage and amazing self-confidence. As Bill Maher said to Arianna on msnbc tonight -- the pundits -- including Maher himself -- have been second-guessing Obama all along and Obama has always proven to be right. So Maher is going to give him a pass, stop second-guessing him, and see how it goes. I think we all should. As Maher said, Obama is incredibly intelligent. That's why we all voted for him. Let's have a little confidence that he can get it right.

[truth2008]

Mr. Murdock only cares about money, he will swing with the tide.

[Bocababs]

Maybe what Murdoch sees is that after all The Sean Hannity's and the Bill O'Reilly's and the screaming and grinding of teeth during this entire 2 - year process on Obama...and Obama still won...well that just might deserve a little respect.

[3fingerbrown]

"Rupert met him, spent a good deal of time with him, and I think he"s been very taken by his intellect, by his ability to inspire and by the opportunity that he has to truly take America in a positive direction on education issues, social issues and others ..."

I think what Rupert was taken with is Obama's ability to sell newspapers and generate ratings.

[castlerider]

Yes but hard Murdoch treatment for the O man could mean the equivelent of being deported back to Australia...
Rock and a hard place, anyone?

[Giada]

Conservatism as a product? No Buyers

[allonfla]

HAHAHAHAHHAAAHHHHAAAAAAA..............HAHAHAHHHAAAHAHHAAAAAHHAHAHA.........BullCaca!!

[Mikeeee]

murdoch is amoral. Need proof? See; ailes, o'reilly, hannity, cavuto............

[bookon]

His only REAL bias is to profit.

[oceanlover]

You nailed it. Anyone who thinks that Murdoch gives a rat's ass about anything other than the almighty dollar is delusional. Honestly. Who are these jokers trying to suggest Murdoch is anything other than what history has proven him to be, i.e. an amoral, destructive, dangerous, pandering old coyote, intent on destroying real journalists/journalism around the world all in the name of making just one more buck for himself. There is but no question at all, that Murdoch realizes he's on the losing side of the public's sentiments these days. He's just so smarmy. It's pathetic behavior and so very unbecoming. He may have the right in his pocket but the left has his number. Fraud. Next thing you'll know is he'll be hosting parties for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. (As if he had their class.)

[sueno]

Thank you! that is his first and only religion-
FOX News is dropping in ratings and the NY Post is now a rag.
All because of him-

[ohyes]

Murdoch needs a smack down from Obama and regulate the media.

[steamboat]

regulate the media ! You are kidding I hope......................Myself, I prefer living in a FREE country. Where everybody's view is protected. And we debate the issues instead of everybody being FORCED into a certain view.

[scared4ALL]

Yes the media needs regulated!

These guys like O'Reilly, Hannity, Ann Coulter, Glenn Backinvoke hate. Hate crimes will be on the uprise if they continue the way they do in spinning and lying. There's free speech but there is a line we should never cross with unacceptable matters that rate as propaganda that initiates hate at any level.

[DKLabRat]

"Mr. Murdoch is a less predictable, less doctrinaire character than his critics imagine." And this is a surprise, how? The man is all about profit. He'll do whatever it takes to get it. It's been profitable for him, so far, to pander to the right-wing bigots in society. Now he senses the wind is changing and so he starts to get with the liberal programme. The man is a weasel, end of story.

[Audrey704]

Fox news.....fair and balanced.???? ...from a marketing perspective if you say it repeatedly and with conviction it will eventually be believed.....1930's and 40's Europe proves that addage true... once again it is not true...you are just repeating a marketing ploy