Fox News: Roger Ailes Doesn't Think Palin Is Stupid

Fox News responded on Monday to a blockbuster story that alleged that its CEO, Roger Ailes, thinks Sarah Palin is "stupid" and an "idiot."

The article, which was written by New York's Gabriel Sherman, said that among the many problems Ailes is facing at Fox News is Palin. Beyond the fact that she did not follow his advice about her infamous "blood libel" video, a "Republican close to Ailes" told Sherman:

"He thinks things are going in a bad direction. Roger is worried about the future of the country. He thinks the election of Obama is a disaster. He thinks Palin is an idiot. He thinks she's stupid. He helped boost her up. People like Sarah Palin haven't elevated the conservative movement."

The quote was an incendiary one--and Bill Shine, Fox News' executive vice president for programming, issued a flat denial to the New York Times:

"I know for a fact that Roger Ailes admires and respects Sarah Palin and thinks she is smart. He also believes many members of the left-wing media are extremely terrified and threatened by her. Despite a massive effort to destroy Sarah Palin, she is still on her feet and making a difference in the political world. As for the 'Republican close to Ailes' for which the incorrect Palin quote is attributed, when Roger figures out who that is, I guarantee you he or she will no longer be 'close to Ailes.' "

Comments

[Earfling]

01:48 PM on 05/26/2011

"a Republican close to Ailes" told Sherman:..." careful. treading on Globe territory here.

[Sadie22]

09:49 AM on 05/26/2011

" He also believes many members of the left-wing media are extremely terrified and threatened by her." ....just the opposite is true. Sarah running for president will be a gift to the left wing media.

[kareemachan]

11:18 AM on 05/26/2011

As well as us liberals.

[delfry]

03:07 PM on 05/26/2011

I know The Daily Show would be in favor of pushing the election back a few months if SP is the nominee. There's just too much material to get in before November of 2012.

[Stilyagi]

11:26 PM on 05/25/2011

"I know for a fact that Roger Ailes admires and respects Sarah Palin and thinks she is smart. "

Ok. So the question is, which one of these two toadies is telling the truth? For that, I actually look to the truth to find out. And it's an indisputable fact that Palin is stupid AND an idiot. Therefore. Ailes must be telling the truth. Simple.

[Fattonecat]

01:47 PM on 05/26/2011

Self evidence is not their strong point for sure. It's so simple it goes right over their freaking empty heads !

[juabdib]

08:36 PM on 05/25/2011

"...and thinks she is smart." You know this guy is lying.

[truthinesshurts]

08:06 PM on 05/25/2011

"when Roger figures out who that is, I guarantee you he or she will no longer be 'close to Ailes.' ""

I guess that means he said it to more than one person.

[sugarbooger62]

07:13 PM on 05/29/2011

Exactly!! By saying that he's basically admitting he said it. :)

[TSRVT]

08:04 PM on 05/25/2011

What a bunch of childish rectii there are at Fox 'News'. They are not even human.

[Earfling]

01:49 PM on 05/26/2011

but, let's say "human-er" that Ed of the Departed Keith over at MessBC.

[carllafong]

07:40 PM on 05/25/2011

Yeah, she's smart. Real smart. Smartest gal in the sta-- in the world. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[choppychop]

05:51 PM on 05/25/2011

Ailes put her on because people would watch. It brought viewers which brought advertisers. There's no mystery.

[Mausinn]

05:39 PM on 05/25/2011

These statements just goes to show just how out of touch Ailes and Shine really are. Both are tap dancing as fast as they can so they don't lose their small but noisy TP base. Terrified and threatened indeed. More like amused and dumbfounded.

[codwix]

03:45 PM on 05/25/2011

The Great Oz has spoken. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain....the...Great...er...Oz has spoken.

[JazzyJim]

03:07 PM on 05/25/2011

He doesn't think she's stupid and an idiot - he KNOWS she is.

[Neal Norvell]

02:47 PM on 05/25/2011

Stupid is as stupid sees. How can a 40 something year old women that has a child the same age as her 19 year old daughter, former governor with literally hundreds of ethics complaints never dealt with, a woman that attending five colleges to get a degree in Journalism (you can get one of those on-line), one who tried to steal literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of clothes from her campaign monies, refuses to be interviewed by any objective news agency be considered smart. Pardon me be she is one dumb Beeacch!

[fredgladys]

07:31 PM on 05/25/2011

And these are her good points.

[CDL1]

02:36 PM on 05/25/2011

Palin isn't smart. She isn't stupid either. She was a skirt and a sound bite. Now she isn't anything....

[Denemator]

01:35 PM on 05/25/2011

In this case he indeed does not think it, HE KNOWS IT.

[demohkrat]

12:53 PM on 05/25/2011

The article is correct. Sarah Palin "is an idiot." She lies to the public and does not know how to work with other people. She needs a good kindergarten teacher to help her start over.