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Stewart mocks Hannity for inflating Bachmann rally attendance, trying to pass 9-12 rally footage off as Bachmann rally footage

November 10, 2009 11:29 pm ET

From the November 10 edition of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:

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Previously:

Citing no evidence, Hannity estimates that 20,000 attended Fox-promoted GOP health care protest

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- by Sharpe (November 10, 2009 11:51 pm ET)
  20 2
  
  So they used clips from a decade ago to make 9/12 look bigger and then, used 9/12 footage to make this latest charade look bigger. Do you think they are trying to convince people that there are more people opposed to this then there actually are? Wow if its such a radical position, why would you have to fabricate numbers and distort footage to make opposition look larger?
  
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  - by captfoster2 (November 11, 2009 2:35 am ET)
    10 3
    
    For all the propaganda and lies that Cluster Fox spews on a daily basis, one might think that the many producers over at Fox would be well versed in creating proper effects to push all that propaganda and lies...
    
    A bright sunny day with yellow/brown leafs / cloudy day with vibrant green leafs ...
    
    One would think that the average Fox viewer would notice?
    
    That or they would simply either deny it or wave it away as some liberal Jedi mind trick!
    
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    - by jbraskin4786 (November 11, 2009 10:45 am ET)
      2 2
      
      Of course not!!!
      
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- by DAWUSS (November 10, 2009 11:53 pm ET)
  10 2
  
  owned
  
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- by bluestate69 (November 10, 2009 11:53 pm ET)
  12 2
  
  john stewart is the only journalist actually exposing fox news for what they really are, and he didn't have to edit the tape to make a political point.
  
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  - by Sharpe (November 10, 2009 11:56 pm ET)
    15 1
    
    You never have to edit the tape to make a point - mediamatters exposes FOX news frauds like 20 times a day and its all just footage from FOX. Thats the point - mainstream news obviously know about this stuff but for some reason, dont feel the need to point it out even though they are undermining their own journalistic integrity.
    
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    - by MickD (November 11, 2009 9:33 am ET)
      6
      
      It's a deep psychosis in the information industry. By doing nothing, as you said, they are destroying everything.
      
      Reply Report Abuse
  - by captfoster2 (November 11, 2009 10:17 am ET)
    8 1
    
    john stewart is the only journalist actually exposing fox news for what they really are, and he didn't have to edit the tape to make a political point.
    
    Sadly, in order for the real news to be exposed it has to be done with humor instead of seriousness. I find it rather sad that the days of Edward R. Murrow are pretty much dead.
    
    This is not to say that Jon Stewart is not a worthy source, however, he is not a journalist... even with that said, he is more of a journalist than the entire group of circus clowns over at Cluster Fox!
    
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    - by Sharpe (November 11, 2009 11:04 am ET)
      4 1
      
      I was going to say but i think you pretty much said it yourself at the end, I dont think Jon is doing this merely to be humorous. Look at his history - his comedy has ended in real results. After he destroys Carlson and cross fire, he was cancelled and the show was promptly cancelled. He absolutely pummeled Jim Cramer which I think really affected Cramer and the way he did his charade before wont happen again. Not big changes but he does make an impact when he puts his heart into something.
      
      The best thing is this new TIME Magazine poll that came out in July: "an online poll entitled 'Now that Walter Cronkite has passed on, who is America's most trusted newscaster?' Jon Stewart won with 44% of the vote, 15% ahead of Brian Williams in second place with 29%."
      
      Its funny because its true - somehow comedy central fake news is more trustworthy than almost any real news out there because we know what stewart is about and we know when he is making jokes and when he is actually trying to make a point. If only FOX can live out to the journalistic bar that comedy central has set....
      
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      - by Harthur32498 (November 12, 2009 7:52 am ET)
        
        Totally agree. It's ironic that a comedy show on news is more effective than so called news shows. Just ask Lou Dobbs.
        
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  - by phfeenikz (November 11, 2009 2:54 pm ET)
    2 1
    
    John Stewart isn't actually a journalist, he's an entertainer and comedian. He readily admits that without question. However, his intellect and integrity tower over the entire profession of journalism, and I'm personally pleased that he chooses to use his influential show to call them out on their own BS.
    
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- by bluestate69 (November 11, 2009 12:01 am ET)
  10 1
  
  why is it a news story that there are republicans in this country? these are republicans rallying against democrats. most of the media is reporting it as a political phenomenon. there were millions of people opposed to social security as well. should we have scrapped social security because there was solidarity in opposition to it? we have a two party system in this country. if we halted legislation every time a group opposed it, we would never have social security, medicare, wic, head start.......etc
  
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- by Don Quixote (November 11, 2009 12:07 am ET)
  10 1
  
  JEEEEZ. What a complete unabashed scumbag. No shame at all. Lie through your teeth all day long and sleep well at night regardless.
  
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- by christopher howard (November 11, 2009 12:10 am ET)
  13 1
  
  Dan Rather got fired for less.
  
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  - by blueline99 (November 11, 2009 5:41 pm ET)
    3 1
    
    Yes, but Dan Rather worked for a news organization...
    
    Fox News is not a news organization... there is no journalistic integrity or fidelity.
    
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    - by ecoarchitect (November 11, 2009 8:35 pm ET)
      1
      
      Dan Rather also fought with a different opponent. If you want real investigative journalism visit www.gregpalast.net. His book Armed Madhouse has a revealing story behind the firing of Dan Rather and the George Bush get out of Vietnam story, see http://www.gregpalast.com/dan-crashes-bush-flies-high/
      
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- by New Frontier (November 11, 2009 12:19 am ET)
  9 1
  
  With Stewart's revelation, Hannity now sees himself with three options: 1) Ignore it with the hope his FOX viewers don't find out; 2) Spin it by saying 'The control room made a mistake-but-it-doesn't-really-matter-anyway 'cuz there were awesomely massive crowds'; or 3) 'Fess up.
  
  We can eliminate #3 right off the bat.
  
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  - by Sharpe (November 11, 2009 12:51 am ET)
    6 1
    
    Im going with 1 and they likely won't find out since FOX viewers probably dont even know who jon stewart is or what channel comedy central is even on for that matter.
    
    Ironically, liberal news is on comedy central and liberal comedy is on FOX.
    
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    - by MickD (November 11, 2009 9:34 am ET)
      2 1
      
      Number 1, definitely. The Fox philosophy is never admit a mistake or lie. It all eventually goes away.
      
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  - by jbraskin4786 (November 11, 2009 10:46 am ET)
    2 1
    
    Or just act like nothing happened.
    
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- by princeofwheels (November 11, 2009 12:22 am ET)
  4 2
  
  The sad part of this is that you colud show this clip from Stewart to these morons who listen/watch Hannity and they would still believe him.
  Personally, I think Hannity is trying to get laid by always kissing the butts of Malkin, Bachman and the HandModel(per Olberman) Prejean. Maybe his wofe realizes he is a dirtybag and shut him off.
  But who am I to judge...
  
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  - - by MeanMrSpicyMustard (November 11, 2009 10:04 am ET)
      
      Really, I think we can make a strong point about the opposition without saying that so-and-so is "hot" or that so-and-so is a biznatch. Why sink to their level?
      
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  - by Sharpe (November 11, 2009 1:23 am ET)
    3
    
    I think she only actually won the vote because her main opponent on the democratic ticket lost some votes to the independent who was also a democrat - the independent democrat won 10 percent to the democrats 43.5 and bachmann's 46.5. Clearly, without the independent dem on the ticket, the dem would have won. Its because originally, the candidate was on the democratic farmer labor party so the independent ran unopposed. Basically, anderson should not have run and got this mess elected.
    
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    - by lockportgirl (November 11, 2009 4:26 am ET)
      1
      
      When is she up for re-election? If it's 2010, I hope the Dems are better organized and get her out of there.
      
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    - by blk-in-alabam (November 11, 2009 7:18 am ET)
      2 1
      
      She wins because of a republican gerymandered distric.That is why Michelle Bachman fears the census
      
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- by MidnightWriter (November 11, 2009 1:50 am ET)
  4 1
  
  As Fox has been playing their little opinion show/news show game they've been carefully dodging a certain word; integrity.
  
  Sean Hannity clearly has no integrity. If News Corps takes no action against him for this fraud, they clearly have no integrity either.
  
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- by donwelty (November 11, 2009 4:02 am ET)
  4 1
  
  I can't believe Michele Bachmann. She comes on Hannity last week and says that she wants to have a rally and tells everybody to show up on Thursday at noon. Sean Hannity says that he will send a Fox news team to capture the event. And now Michele Bachmann says that it was complete word-of-mouth? Is she is such a moron that she forgot what she said last week?
  
  Why didn't Sean Hannity asked Michele Bachmann "Michele, didn't you come here and promote this last week pleading with people to come to Washington on Thursday? Didn't I promise that we would go and cover this? Do you think people will catch us lying through our teeth?-- Are either one of these two able to remember what they did last week?
  
  Is Jon Stewart paid by media matters? He certainly has found some things that MSNBC did not mention? Jon Stewart does not run a news program--he runs a comedy program. Fortunately, Fox in its attempts to allegedly report the news does some really stupid things which are quite comical. And the people at comedy central were able to pick up on it. Way to go.
  
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  - by lockportgirl (November 11, 2009 4:29 am ET)
    1
    
    No, Michele thinks WE are all morons and that we don't check anything or remember anything. And when MB and Hannity are found out they just ignore it all and hope that nobody is paying attention.
    
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- by PurpleState (November 11, 2009 8:16 am ET)
  4 1
  
  BUSTED.
  
  Your rebuttal, Fox? Hannity?
  
  Oh, of course there won't be any rebuttal.
  
  That's total sleaze, FNC. Your feet are now held to the fire for trying to stretch the truth to the point. I would absolutely LOVE an apology.
  
  Or a simple (L) behind Hannity's name for (Liar).
  
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  - by toombsie (November 11, 2009 10:42 am ET)
    3 1
    
    I'm surprised even someone as low life as Hannity would think he could get away with that. Not only are the trees and sky different, but most of the signs held up are about Glenn Beck.
    
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- by jbraskin4786 (November 11, 2009 9:25 am ET)
  2
  
  On one hand, I'm surprised that someone would be so stupid to come up with such an easily traceable scam. On the other hand, it's Hannity who came up with it, and Fox News who broadcast it.
  
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- by kjholsinger (November 11, 2009 9:41 am ET)
  
  Okay, so if I work at Fox, here are my options:
  
  1. Go with the actual footage, and re-align my thinking to reflect the reality that these protests aren't as big as I'd hoped.
  
  2. Use different footage to inflate the numbers, in the hopes that repeating the fantasy enough times will make it reality.
  
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- by newzhound (November 11, 2009 9:52 am ET)
  3 1
  
  Crowd estimates range from 20,000 to 45,000? I estimate Mrs. Bachmann's IQ to be between 0 and 100.
  
  Meanwhile, Faux Noise still complains about the White House not considering it to be a news organization when they run pieces like this? Faux Noise is bringing new meaning to the phrase news "story."
  
  Astonishing that it must be pointed out, but I will anyway. Real news organizations don't just make stuff up.
  
  This is just as bad as Jason Blair at The New York Times - and the right wing gasbags had a field day with that one, didn't they?
  
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  - by newzhound (November 11, 2009 11:35 am ET)
    2 1
    
    I've thought about it and geez, we're being too harsh on ClusterFaux. In the upper left-hand corner of the video it does say "Earlier."
    
    A viewer might assume it was earlier that day. ClusterFaux thought it was earlier that year.
    
    What's to complain about? It wasn't like they actually came out and said it was Mrs. Bachmann's non-rally rally.
    
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- by jbraskin4786 (November 11, 2009 10:01 am ET)
  5 1
  
  Is there a more dishonest person on the air today than Sean Hannity?
  
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  - by toombsie (November 11, 2009 10:41 am ET)
    2
    
    Well it's totally okay for him to do these things because it's just his opinion that the exact same crowd was there for Bachmann's protest as was there for the 9/12 protests. Don't you see?!? It's the opinion people of Fox News that can get away with and say anything they want because it's just their opinion even when they are presenting it as fact, as Hannity has done here showing these clips. To get upset over that is just being plain silly!
    
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- by themidnightreview.com (November 11, 2009 10:50 am ET)
  4 1
  
  The average Fox News watcher will fail to notice because they want to believe what they want to believe. They live in a fantasy world, and any supporting fact continues their delusion.
  
  As long as Stewart is out there, there remains a chance for the rest of America. Fox may have the mindless "conservatives", but that's not enough to win elections (right NY-23?), so maybe the remaining media outlets can help show liberals and independents (not conservative independents) what's what...
  ----------------------------------
  The Midnight Review
  Mum Is The Word
  
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- by sluggo (November 11, 2009 11:23 am ET)
  2
  
  I'm sure that after this piece by Stewart, there will be a surge in advertising dollars for Fox. Viewers that continue to watch FOX "News" and believe what is being presented, are also likely to believe those television ads trying to sell products that rely on the stupidity of the viewer.
  
  Extendz anyone?
  
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- by DellDolly (November 11, 2009 12:01 pm ET)
  2
  
  So, if we do what we've done before, and look at Metro ridership (although we do know that most came to THIS event via paid-for bus trips), we see about 4,000 extra trips on this day versus the same Thursday last year. Those would have been the local people who attended this event plus those who drove in cars who had to park in park-n-ride lots and be ferried in - there isn't room for very many private cars to park near the Capitol.
  
  And we know that they had about 40 buses, and if each was full with 50 people, that's 2000 people.
  
  So, that means less than 10,000 people at this event.
  
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- by blueline99 (November 11, 2009 12:39 pm ET)
  3
  
  I'm sure it comes as no surprise that Sean Hannity has used this technique before.
  
  Here is a great clip of him trying to prove to Michael Moore that the hospitals in Cuba are horrible and Michael Moore calls him out on it, because the video is of an obvious abandoned hospital.
  
  The only reason Hannity is able to keep his job is because Fox doesn't care about the integrity of the news. Fox encourages this type of propaganda.
  
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- by Hashassin (November 11, 2009 2:21 pm ET)
  1 1
  
  The vast majority of people don't stay glued to the mainstream media. And the people who watch it, do not necessarily mean they are the majority of people.
  
  Fox News has found, that using old propaganda techniques that the business of television mastered. They use there viewers and scare them on a daily basis with lies and distortions of a black man in office. Everything he does, although just passed his first year, of a three year term. That somehow he is the worst possible person to lead our Country, while they praise former President Bush with all his success.
  
  Fox has turned the art of lying into a business.
  
  Reply Report Abuse
- by eonyx (November 11, 2009 5:30 pm ET)
  2 1
  
  If you are as outraged about this as I am, I strongly encourage you to file a complaint to the FCC here:
  http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
  
  The appropriate Complaint Type is "Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable, and Satellite Issues" and the Complaint Category is "Unauthorized, unfair, biased, illegal broadcasts" (the form states that this includes "Biased or distorted news stories by the media"). The original show aired on Fox News at 9:00 pm Eastern on November 5th 2009.
  
  We have an avenue to correct this type of falsification and to make change we must make a complaint.
  
  Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ybenjamin/detail??blogid=150&entry_id=51465#ixzz0WaoCl9M1
  
  Reply Report Abuse
- by independent THINKER (November 11, 2009 7:34 pm ET)
  1
  
  WOW! I'm utterly disgusted and appalled by the ignorance....maybe everyone should try picking up an actual book. Try real scholarly literature for your education resources! A people is empowered by REAL education versus turning on the TV to watch someone read from a teleprompter as to what their personal take on it all.
  
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- by AlwaysRightLeftist (November 12, 2009 3:47 am ET)
  
  In my ideal version of America, this sh_t Fox News pulls would be illegal, and I don't care what you whiny liberals have to say about "repercussions", and "slippery slopes".
  
  Reply Report Abuse
- by Lindaj (November 12, 2009 10:26 am ET)
  
  Reminds me of the ACORN video where the clock on the wall shows a time of 7:10 -- a.m. or p.m. who knows? The office is open from 9 to 5.
  
  Reply Report Abuse
- by pixelSHREDDER (November 12, 2009 9:03 pm ET)
  
  I actually started a Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=207416352813 dedicated to bringing attention to the Hannity scandal. On the Discussions page I left instructions for filing an online complaint with the FCC (they have a category of complaint specifically for this kind of media bias). Hopefully with enough complaints the FCC might put pressure on Fox News to take some kind of action
  
  Reply Report Abuse

Stewart mocks Hannity for inflating Bachmann rally attendance, trying to pass 9-12 rally footage off as Bachmann rally footage

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Stewart mocks Hannity for inflating Bachmann rally attendance, trying to pass 9-12 rally footage off as Bachmann rally footage

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