Shaggy Fox Story

You do all kinds of dubious things when you're promoting a book. But when my publisher suggested that I accept an invitation to appear on Fox's "Hannity and Colmes," I was a bit skeptical. I've been on O'Reilly a few times over the years, and have stopped doing it, because these people play with such a stacked deck. They control the format, the timing, they flat-out lie, and they're rude as hell. Even if you win the debate, you're lending credibility to a propaganda act.

But I figured that it might be useful to hone my arguments against the nastiest possible audience, and might sell a book or two in the process.

Things started off well, when Alan Colmes, in his usual role of ineffectual and half-hearted liberal, played it fairly straight. Holmes asked if the election was turning into the Palin-McCain narrative-the soccer mom and war hero--versus the Democrats on the economic issues. I countered that the Democrats couldn't just talk issues; they had to have their own narrative:

If people vote on whether Sarah Palin is better at shooting a moose, the Democrats are toast. And if Obama and Biden can bring the election back to the fact that the Republicans have had their shot at experimenting with letting Wall Street go nuts and it's really harmed ordinary people, then the election turns on the economy and the Democrats win. So this is a fight about whether the election is about culture or about pocketbook issues...a narrative of the ordinary, hard-working family just getting the short end of the stick: everything from subprime to health insurance to your pension blowing up, of your job not being secure. That's a narrative that affects ordinary people. If that narrative is persuasive, the Democrats win.

I added that Obama might be in a little trouble because he was still trying to be high-minded and "post-partisan," at a time when the campaign was turning nasty. At that point, Hannity, sitting on my other side, came unglued.

"Oh, stop it, stop it, "he spat. "This is garbage you're spewing here."

I told him that he would get his turn in a minute, and that I hadn't come on his show to be insulted. "This is a pro-Obama book!" he hissed, as if his producers had tricked him.

Story continues below

advertisement

Hannity then want on a rant about how wonderfully the economy was performing under the Republicans, and what lies I was telling by terming economic conditions dire.

I countered:

If you can persuade the American people that the average family is doing great, your guy deserves to win the election. But I don't think the American people are that stupid. People's health insurance is going up in smoke, people's pensions are going up in smoke, people's jobs are being exported to China, unemployment is 6.1% and rising, the administration is bailing out Wall Street because of Republican deregulation... If you think the economy is great, you campaign on that.

Hannity then accused Obama, and me, of wanting to increase public spending by over a trillion dollars. I replied that it probably would take more than that to get the economy out of the hole that conservative policies had dug-and that Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson seemed to have no trouble spending a trillion dollars of taxpayer money to rescue Wall Street, but not to help ordinary people.

At that point, Hannity looked into the camera and declared that it was time for the next guest, Jordin Sparks, the American Idol winner! Colmes limply shook my hand. Hannity didn't even give me a parting sneer. I sure hope they don't invite me back, and I think the risk is fairly small. Watch it for yourself.

Conclusion: I think the show was worth doing; it was fun telling Hannity what a fool he is. I'm reasonably articulate at talking about economic issues, and I don't like bullies. However, I'm no politician, and Barack Obama at his best is a terrific one. But if I can credibly push back against the Palin-McCain narrative, deep in hostile territory, by turning the subject back to people's pocketbooks, Obama should be able to eat the right's lunch.

Robert Kuttner, co-editor of The American Prospect and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos, has just published Obama's Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency (Chelsea Green). He is blogging daily about the election and the economic crisis at www.obamaschallenge.com.

Comments

[Politico73]

Mr. Kuttner. Are you not embarrased by the fact that Hannity called your bluff when you "threatened" to walk out and you just sat there? You also resorted to name calling which made you look very unprofessional . You should be ashamed of your actions.

[Bendra]

This is what we ALL should be doing, whether we get to be on TV or not. If Obama wants to steer clear as he can from the mudslinging, that's fine, but it doesn't mean that people like you, with smarts and influence need to. Every little punch helps the cause!
Go Get 'em, Killer!

[TJoad]

Nice bitchslap on Hannity

[Maury66]

How ugly.....my first time seeing Hannity by the way...shocking...Fox should be ashamed. Good job standing in against that idiocy...what a rude and ignorant individual

[libbygirl]

Thank you for giving it your best effort but whenever any sane and rational person goes on FOX, especially Hannity and Colmes, whatever you're saying will not be listened to. Hannity has his talking points that he repeats endlessly and Colmes, like you said, is only a person in a chair......I just can't figure out why he shills for them.

[JBS]

Because SHILL is exactly what he is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill

Colmes gets paid big bucks to "play a liberal on TV"; not to BE a liberal voice, but to pretend to be one. He's not there to actually represent a liberal point of view, he's there to portray, by his own example, liberals as ineffectual buffoons.

He does a good job at it too.

[georgiaeliot]

Mr. Kuttner, thanks for putting your head on the chopping block to speak truth to the deaf. I hope your agents have you booked on some shows where we can actually hear what you have to say, with some intelligent discussion offered. Maybe the View?

[ObamaHead]

You are my hero when it comes to plainly stating and standing up for Americans when it comes to the economy. I will definitely buy your book and others would be wise to as well.

I will also repost the interview in hopes that it will be seen by thick skulled republican't's every where. They probably won't be happy to hear one of their boys being fed real knowledge.

[Phalanxman]

If Joseph Goebbels had television available to him in the 1930's, I sincerely believe it would have looked a lot like Fox News. "Fair and Balanced" -- right.

[TuesdayMorning]

Enough is enough! Bully! I despise Fox News because they're too far right which always seems to trump their 'fair and balanced' mantra. I really think they should get rid of it. I had a chance to see the interview on youtube and you were excellent. You confronted evil and you defeated it! Yes we can!
Obama 08

[crutnacker]

Can someone explain to me how people watch this s***? The show is loud and confrontational without any real intellect. Sean Hannity manages to be more odious than both O' Really and Bimbaugh, which is saying something.

Thanks for giving it back to him. I enjoy it when someone puts Fox in its place. My favorite was the prepared teen giving O'Reilly crap for his comments.

[Seeker14]

Reflecting on this exchange between Hannity/Colmes and Kuttner, these words come to mind: "He who forgets history is doomed to repeat it".

Television and film, in conjunction with print mediums, have chronicled -- via fiction and non-fiction -- every major event of the 20th and 21st century, good, bad or horrific; in ways many times unforgettable.

I would offer at least two:
1. "The Manchurian Candidate"
(Film, 1962 http://www.filmsite.org/manc.html)
2. "The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich"
William L. Shirer
Book: Simon & Schuster (1960)ISBN-13: 9780671728687
Movie: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/41503/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-the-Third-Reich/overview

I would also suggest consideration of an important book, that is considered a signature work, if not required reading, for aspiring or in place public relations, marketing and campaign managers:

"Doctor [Joseph] Goebbels: His Life & Death"
Roger Manvell and Heinrich Fraenkel Greenhill
Books 2006

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to
believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the
people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus
becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent,
for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the
greatest enemy of the State."

-Joseph Goebbels, Chief Propaganda Minister, Nazi Party

Points to ponder...seriously

[ewoman]

Mr. Kuttner, I watched the video and I was so impressed that you didn't walk out. I don't watch FOX, so I wasn't aware of Hannity's crudeness. He did you and Obama a service by showing Americans who don't watch FOX how ugly a person like this can become...and you showed us all how to react to that childish display.

I'm off to buy your book. Thank you.

[NorVaGal]

Mr. Kuttner: I saw your performance on Hannity's show. I sat there grinning from ear to ear, head swivelling from Hannity to you, waiting for his head to explode while screaming, " F*** it!!! We'll do it live. Dammit....we'll do it live!!!"

You made my DECADE. All I could think was..... "Kuttner's handling of this buffoon is.....PRICELESS. Just. Simply. PRICELESS!!!!"

Thank you for showing how bullies can always dish out the manure, but go ballistic when some cool, collected, rational person feeds them a helping of their own cow pies. YeeeeeHaaaawwww!

[XME]

I can't think of a single media "personality" that disgusts me anywhere near as much as Sean Hannity. He was ourtraged because someone DARED to state that Obama is a decent human being on HIS show. How dare you! = )

Anyone who makes every effort to push Hannity's buttons has my utmost respect. Nothing gives me more joy than watching someone saying something that nearly causes Hannity's head to explode...and nothing makes him explode more than someone saying ANYTHING decent about Barack Obama.

[robXdion]

Now THAT'S how you handle a bully. Good job!! Fox News commentators have brought the MSM to a new low since they started yelling at guests in 1997 with O'Reilly. They're out of hand.