Rupert Murdoch Says Obama Will Win

Carlsbad, CA -- Tonight at the "All Things Digital" conference sponsored by the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch -- Chairman of News Corp, new WSJ owner, and longtime torchbearer for conservative politics -- said this about Barack Obama: "He is a rock star. It's fantastic" "I love what he is saying about education." "I don't think he will win Florida.....but he will win in Ohio and the election". "I am anxious to meet him." "I want to see if he will walk the walk."

About the presumptive Republican nominee, Murdoch said, "McCain is a friend of mine. He's a patriot. But he's unpredicatble. Doesn't seem to know much about the economy. He has been in Congress a long time, and you have to make a lot of compromises. So what's he really stand for?... I think he has a lot of problems."

Here is the video of Murdoch's appearance at the All Things Digital Conference:

Update: More on Murdoch's speech from Silicon Alley Insider.

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Comments

[PaulUK]

Why are people surprised by this, he did the exact same thing in the United Kingdom. For years he had supported the conservatives and his media outlets vilified the Labour Party. But once it was evident that John Major's Conservative party was washed up and going to loose big time he promptly swiched his allegiance to Tony Blairs Labour Party.

[nathananderson]

Such a shame for a guy who donated 2300 to the Hillary campaign.

[Tamalpais]

It makes sense. He will sell alot more papers if he can slam Obama for the next 8 years.

[Teritt]

Has anyone had the stomach to put on Fox today to see if they are reporting this 'news'? I'm sorry, but I just can't bring myself to watch that channel.

[ZHarris]

I have a parental block on Fox News...

[mrBlue1]

So have we, for years now. I consider insHannity, O'liely, et al at Phocks Snooze to be indecent, smarmy, nasty, obscene and disgusting.

[KYJurisDoctor]

WOW.

[Raphae1]

I personally think, that this latest advance toward Obama is nothing but a distraction from the latest FOX news scandal. Come on, this guy still employs a Mrs Trotta who openly "joked" about assassinating Obama on national TV last Sunday! Please sign the petition and ask FOX news to fire Mrs Trotta:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/fox-news-has-to-sack-liz-trotta

[mirza]

One of Murdoch's daughters is an Obamaphile

[john85msy]

WHAAAAAAAAAATTT! I could not agree more Mr. Murdoch.

[abby4ever]

Here's something neat about Obama's standing against McCain in European polls----he wallops him:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/2049446/Barack-Obama-beats-John-McCain-in-European-vote-US-election-2008.html

[JanetE]

Why would other governments in the world want to have a good, experienced, strong US President?
They would much rather have someone they feel they could roll right over.

[kuhsay]

Or perhaps it's because the world frowns upon the economic and political instabilities that result from the United States' foreign policies. Thanks for playing though.

[cnobody]

...a president who'll complain about "disrespect" anytime things don't work out, who'll agree to one set of rules and then spit on those rules when it benefits her to do so, who struggles with imaginary sniper fire in the presence of a comedian and a rock singer and school children, who wants to "count every vote" unless you are talking about caucus states, who wants to "obliterate" iran, who likes to booze it up on camera, who talks about 3AM on one hand, but uses the "tired" excuse when she "misspeaks" on the other, who puts more faith into Rove's polls than she does the will of the people....­.

[bygollymissmolly]

Actually, they would rather have a President they can talk to. One who doesn't run around playing the Bully pulpit.

I just love the smell of Republican fear. I'm smelling it more and more every day.

[deecee22]

Mr. Murdoch. YOU walk the walk and talk the talk. You will never Meet Mr Obama until you

1. Fire Mrs. Trotta on fox tv. and apologize to Mr. Obama's family and America. An apologize that does not begin with an "IF"

2. Call of the racist dogs that you employ that constantly try to media lynch
a good family like the Obama's.

[TheRebel82]

Murdoch says this after the months of slander that Faux Noise has been dumping on Obama trying to get Hillary to be the nominee. I guess they underestmated the support Obama has across this nation.

Murdoch is a complete tool and I hope Obama shuns this idiot. Don't meet with him Obama!! These people are snakes!!

[new logic]

keep your friends close and your enemies...­........

[Thunderbeach]

Does anyone really think Fox News is going to have a Scrooge-like epiphany? Is Murdoch really going to start his own Air America? Heck no. Murdoch is just the last in a long line of people trying to put the final nail in Hillary's coffin because he knows she would be a real threat to McCain in the fall.

[LawSource]

THE PERSON THAT Refuse To Apologize, "Supported" and VOTED FOR THE WAR
WOULD BE A STRONGER Threat to McCain?? YAWN!!

[olivia]

That would be why he gave Clinton so much money? ???

Murdoch is all about money. It would not help Fox News or any of his other networks for him to call the outcome incorrectly.

[timm]

Well we know that isnt true, since murdoch contributed a large sum to hillary's campaign early in the primary process. No somthing else is going on here, and its hard to say what.

[Viper]

Tin foil on head.. conspiracy theory manual in hand.

Remember FOX also owns the Comedy Channel and Face Book and etc...

His viewers of FOX News average over 62. They are dying off. Not the desired market for advertisers. He senses a move to the left, its about money and he needs to move that way.

Regards

[speakingtruth2power]

Ditto heads have very flexible grasps on reality and can be flipped easily.

Far easier than saying much of anything too critical about Murdoch here.

[MrRavini]

Here's the bottom line. Murdoch is in this to make money. By having Obama in the White House, FOX can turn from being the hapless defenders of an extremely unpopular President to ratcheting up the heat on a new Democratic president. Remember that their base grew substantially during the Clinton problems and the talk of impeachment. Murdoch is looking to be the aggressor -- not the defender. That brings in viewers and that makes him money. This is not an ideological thing -- give me a break on the "education" issue -- this is all about positioning Murdoch's substantial media holdings to best benefit from the election. This year it's about sweeping out the Bushies (who really can't be effectively defended) and bringing in some new red meat to be ground up. It may also be a tip of the hat to Murdoch's new younger-demo, internet savvy consumers, ie. Myspace, youtube, etc. No one wants to sell to the 50+ demo -- he wants the younger audience..­..and if Obama is the ticket, then he'll gladly swallow his ideological pride (if there is one) and accept the new reality. Whatever it takes to MAKE MONEY.

[raiheen]

if you read the NY Post as I do everyday, you will see, that the editors there long ago was supporting Barack, they would have went with a lot of different people, they supported Hillary heavy early but Barack got the best of her, and they were not heavy on board with Rudy no NY papers thought he would do well outside the east coast, and it is funny that the Republican paper (NY Post) is supporting Obama and the Democratic paper (NY Daily News) is not, they will go to far links to give bad news about his campaign, even to point of characterising pictures (after he dis owned Wright-they put a fiery sermon picture-which wasnt even from the day of the dis owning), it is not diabolical on Murdochs point, he just likes to win

[cubalibre]

The reason Fox ratings beat all the other news channels combined Is because they a give a different point of view. A conservative point of view. To conservatives all the other news channels are slanted to the left. As are most things that come out of Hollywood. Look at the tele-movie "Recount". It was completely slanted to make the democrats look better. The depiction of the republicans were much less flattering and that is always the way in Hollywood.­So people tune into Fox. To see a different point of view. Because people are tired of drinking the Kool-Aid. That will continue to happen no matter who's president.

[candyc]

If the Democrats looked better, it's because they WERE better

[theshadowalker]

...and yet, the "liberal" media (and not just the news, but also the Hollywood studios that kept releasing movies like "Primary Colors") gave Clinton far more heat over a blow job than they've ever given Bush over a blown job.

[Susanfrom29]

That is funny, since most of the Republicans, including James Baker felt that it was an accurate depiction of what went on, with the possible exception of the Warren Christopher portrayal. He really wasn't as wimpy as he was made out to be.

But Joe Liebermann showed his true colors - that was no actor.

[AmbivalentGuy]

Well, this is correct, even the Dems portrayed said it wasn't accurate about Rove or the Dems.

Sometimes there is a bias.
Nat that there's anything wrong with that. All communication is biased.

[Philm35]

The Democrats didn't look better in "Recount" because the movie was slanted... The Democrats looked better because they WERE better. Republicans BEHAVED in a less flattering way in 2000, so an accurate depiction will of course appear less flattering.

Any ratings success that Fox News enjoys is not because they give a "different point of view". Their ratings come from effectively offering (or some might say, pandering) a specific product to a large, specific audience. Call it marketing. Call it a different flavor of Kool-Aid. Just don't call it journalism.

[JanetE]

Whenever you hear major Republicans pushing for Obama to win the Dem nomination, it's because they feel he would lose the general election to McCain ... they'd rather have McCain vs Obama rather than Clinton.

[MenopausalMick]

oh my goodness..­.almost six hundred comments. I don't have the time to read thru them all to know if anyone else has posted these two YouTube videos on Murdoch.

My guess is that ole' Rupert is starting to worry about the Congress making FCC tighten up the relaxation of market share that they allowed under Bush. Mr. Murdoch appears to care little about anything but the bottom line for his News Corp. He advances his corporation in many ways, not the least of which is his ability to get in bed with the Bushies thru advancement of a right wing agenda.

Murdoch admitting to propoganda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9HpuZm6-g&feature=related

Employess Expose Fox News Extortions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3kI8LNTqNo

Menopausal Mick