dagblog - Comments for "Fox News Launches Obama Change Index"

Thanks, Wolfie!

DF — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:50:36 +0000

In reply to "On the other hand, they can

Thanks, Wolfie!

No, it's not just you. I was

DF — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:50:14 +0000

No, it's not just you. I was equally baffled.

I'm still not sure whether the WH will reap the political benefits of this move. Most of all, it's been interesting to me to hear people from organizations like ABC and even NPR engaging in fraternal defense of Fox. Of course, these organizations aren't perfect themselves, but they do seem to me to be above Fox in a number of respects. There didn't appear to be a revolving door between the Bush administration and other ostensible news organizations, as was the case with Tony Snow and Karl Rove. Other supposed news organizations likewise are not engaged in actively promoting a movement against the U.S. government a la Glenn Beck's 9/12 project, a practice being continued by Fox new-hire John Stossel.

Oh, and most other organizations who claim to be providing news don't generally make it a practice to just make shit up.

Is the WH hoping for an "emperor wears no clothes" moment with Fox? I think they could get it, but it seems that the rest of the media will have to acknowledge that Fox really is a different animal.

"On the other hand, they can

William K. Wolfrum — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:09:42 +0000

In reply to Fox News Launches Obama Change Index

"On the other hand, they can criticize him for creating too much change by dragging real Americans into the shadowy, bi-curious world of Islamic socialism. "

Best. Sentence. Ever.

Is it just me, or is this

Michael Wolraich — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:49:54 +0000

In reply to Fox News Launches Obama Change Index

Is it just me, or is this widget confusing to the point of meaninglessness? It's basically a glorified approval rating meter, I think, but the "change index" stuff makes it seem like something more abstract. The bubbles are weird and nonintuitive. And I assume that the 0-700 scale is just a sum of the 0-100 scales from the component elements, but it took me some time and exploration to figure that out. I hope that FOX paid less for their O-Change-O-Meter than the RNC paid for flash-dancing Michael Steele.

I wonder if Obama's counterattack has put FOX in something of a bind. Obama's a politician. He's expected to attack his opponents. But FOX needs at least a pretense of objectivity--not all of its watchers are right-wing zealots. If FOX comes out too aggressively against Obama and appears to be feuding with him, then it will simply confirm his criticisms.