Obama Answers Fox News Question, Finally

A few days ago, we related how President-Elect Barack Obama had been ignoring Fox News at his post-election press conferences. Patrick Gavin had Fox going 0-5, with even CBS' embarrassing complaint-ridden Dean Reynolds getting an inquiry in ahead of the network. Well, according to Michael Calderone, the ice age between Obama and Fox News has begun to thaw:

It took six press conferences since Election Day, but Fox News has finally been called on.

Veteran White House correspondent Wendell Goler asked the third (and final) question during Obama's press conference to nominate Bill Richardson for Commerce Secretary, the fifth presser in the past nine days.

Goler's question? Oh, it was of a matter of national importance!

"We're deeply disappointed with the loss of the beard," Obama said.

He was responding to a question from FOX News' Wendell Goler for Mr. Obama's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Goler had asked Richardson "what happened to the beard, sir?"

The president-elect said he would answer for Richardson, saying that he was sad about the loss of the beard, which had given the Governor, in Mr. Obam's view, a "Western, rugged look."

For some reason, though, Richardson got rid of it.

"Maybe it was scratchy when he kissed his wife," Mr. Obama said.

Well. Nailed that story.

[WATCH.]

Comments

[Bluedog12]

Faux wouldn't be as calculated as to send the black guy to ask questions of the black guy? Wouldn"t you like to have been a fly on the wall in their politics desk meeting? "Hey what"s that black guy"s name? You know Kendall ..? Denzell..? OH! Wendell!"Get Wendell on the phone right away!" Fair and blatant.

[jOke]

hahahahahahaha lmao...!!!!!!!!! good one.

[lifeOFgraditude]

So let me get this straight... Fox News finally gets a chance to ask a question after all their crying and complaining and they ask "what happened to the beard, sir?"
Wow, is that what they call news? Dum6 a$$e$...

[Sylmason]

They had enough sense to not send a fool. Hee hee!!

[SammyGone]

Who cares if The One doesn't call on a reporter from Fox? Get one answer, get them all.

[SammyGone]

Fox News Rocks.

[kareemachan]

....not.

[pons1595]

Boycott Pox News in every way possible; it would be best if we don't speak or watch Pox News anyway or anyhow, ever, ever, and ever.

[glaze]

Fox News = BOX o' Rocks.

[strangerinthenight]

Sammy be gone. Go back to ROCKS where you crawl from.

[rzzza]

i have no problem if obama ignores fox news from now until the end of time, the stuff they pulled during the election was grotesque,

terrorist fist jab?! horrific and hilarious at the same time, fox is like a tragicomedy

[SammyGone]

You can watch MSNBC for top-notch reporting. Unbiased.

[Mikelawyr2]

Speaking of news: I probably shouldn't be pointing this out here (as opposed to somewhere else), but I don't know where to put it.

On Drudge right now, where it has been for at least the past six hours, is a link entitled

"ODD MAN OUT: NOTHING FOR EDWARDS?"
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/edwards-to-endorse-obama/

One might think that this would be a link to something about how Edwards is being considered and snubbed, or not considered at all, or at least something current, something newsworthy.

Instead, it's simply a link to the May 14, 2006 "Edwards to endorse Obama" story. So the link is simply Drudge asking the question, writing the news, making the news -- not forwarding the news or attracting trafic to the news.

(BTW I hope Edwards gets nothing. He's a scoundrel.)

[anticon2]

....they should all grow beards until the mess is straightened out....like a hockey team in the playoffs!

[RockySoldier]

Eddie Shore! Old time hockey!

(totally agree!)

[cdnbcn]

Hm. I can understand the animosity towards Fox. I tune it in when I want a good laugh myself, but I must say I think I saw a slightly different interview.

It's clear that Obama has been ignoring Fox.
Fox knows this and knows everyone else knows it too.
And suddenly they find themselves powerless.

So in the first public interaction between Fox and the PE, this is what I saw.

Goler thanked Obama for calling on him, offering him initial deference.
Then a question that DIDN'T follow the usual Fox rules. We're used to hearing fear mongering and gossip posed with question marks, Instead he asked for Obama's perspective. The setup actually gave Obama little room to look bad.

Then he took a risk asking a clearly frivolous question, but one that provided Obama space to come off as a normal and funny guy. With Obama's oratorical skills, I have no doubt that he could have skewered Goler and Fox, and come out looking crystal clean. I'm sure Goler knew this, and that he was being watched.

Instead he accepted the olive branch and FINALLY legitimized Fox as part of the "Press Club" by offering validation to a throwaway question. I say well played.

Here's what I saw.

Obama - "I'm not going to talk to you if you spread garbage, and your ratings will suffer because of it.
If you're respectful you can have just as much as everyone else."

Fox - "Grumble, Grumble, .... Okay fine"

[changeishere08]

Best. Post. Today!! Brilliant assessment. Fox is neither legit nor news.

[jOke]

i agree..

[mmgbizgirl]

I like how he plays the enemy. Sleazy as they are.

[mrsbee]

I love how he plays the enemy too...he is soooo smart !!!

[Aroura]

So, they finally get a question in, and that is what they ask??
No wonder real news junkies don't take them seriously.
I guess we should be glad they didn't fall back on old campeign questions that are totally irrelevant, though. haha

[Izadora]

Loved his answer. Intelligent.

[abouttime]

Boycott Fox!
In fact boycott all the "Networks".
Check out democracynow.org

[WeNeedSomethingBetter]

I liked the beard, without it he looks like Horatio Sanz.

[fflores]

have you senn Horatio Sanz as of late? Even Sanz doesn't look like Sanz!

[WeNeedSomethingBetter]

yeah he looks like a thin Richardson.

[acacia72]

"What happened to the beard"? Faux viewers have a right to know!
"Why do you hate your country Fidel Richardson?"

[NYCMami]

Well, I'm certainly glad he finally called on Fox news. How else would I have found out what happened to the beard???