Hannity: "Media Elites" Will Be Cowed In Future GOP Debates, "Scared To Death" Of Being "John King-ed"
January 20, 2012 10:10 pm ET
From the January 20 edition of Fox News' Hannity:
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Was it that?
Was it a good idea to start with it? Probably not, but since Gingrich is in the public eye, these kinds of things will come up, and if he has a problem with that, he is in the wrong occupation.
I've seen people questioning King's starting off the debate with it, but I saw it as getting something out of the way. It wasn't a tough question, there was something in the news that day, and King only asked if newt would like to address it. It was a gift to newt, a chance to defend himself, or simply say he didn't ant to discuss it.
I don't really care much about the personal scandals, but given newt's sanctimonious lecturing on family values, his part in snooping around Bill Clinton's sex life, and his history of philandering, I didn't see anything wrong with bringing it up.
What's bugging me is I'm seeing so many in the media describing the exchange exactly as newt planned it, as him "telling off" the media. I saw a child, obviously guilty, pretending offense at the "appalling" question. His ridiculous claims of offering friends to ABC who could "prove" some private convo between him and his wife didn't happen should have been laughed at.
The crowd there ate it up, that's expected, but to see the media still describing this meltdown as "hitting it out of the park" is disturbing. The media is still coddling newt, even as they back up his media-persecution complex.
The Fox audience/ GOP base doesn't know the reality, that the righties have spent a few decades making the media scared to appear 'liberal', moving everything to the right.
These suckers still believe the media is liberal, and that newt just 'put them in their place' a little bit.
And she's right. I was appalled at the big juicy grapefruit Jon King served up. I wasn't surprised, though. The guy handles a touch screen well, and got rid (I'm told) of a thick Bahstan accent. Otherwise, he's pretty inept.
That's kinda the thing for me. If it were somebody else, he would have a point. But it's Gingrich, one of the biggest hypocrites and scumbags that has run for President in recent times. He made his career from petty sex scandals and preaching about family values.
Gingrich = poison.
Like I said above, this was a gift to newt, in this setting. A softball question from the media that allowed him to emphasize that the media is not allowed to question republicans, while claiming in the same breath that GOPpers are unfairly victimized by the media.
Rachel Maddow had a bit last night, offering some alternative questions on the matter that I would have loved to have seen. If newt lost it this bad with this puffball, he would have crapped his pants at Maddow's questions.
I wish I could be the moderator at the next debate. The obvious follow-ups; either "OK, newt, if you don't want to defend your sleazy history, don't, let's move on", or " So you did not ask your second wife to accept you screwing future wife #3 while you were still married? You didn't care if she wasn't into it ?".
He would probably be appalled and call me tawdry trash. And I would be honored.
Really ???
what ???
I get a lot of right wing emails, many of them alleged "jokes", and there are a couple of standard themes-
One involves a kindly, gentle and wise conservative, and a silly, emotional straw man version of a liberal. These always end up with the conservative teaching a lesson, or showing some truth, to the misguided liberal.
But most of the jokes involve a punchline where the liberal or Democrat is killed, or at least badly physically harmed. Is it that they know they can't argue or support their ideology, that the only way they can prevail is if anybody they don't agree with is exterminated ?
I saw one of these "funnies" posted by an acquaintance on Facebook the other day, one that started out with that facetious "let's all show solidarity as Americans, regardless of politics", and it went on to suggest that Republicans drive with their headlight on during the day, and Democrats drive with their lights off at night.
These don't offend me with their hate, as much as they offend my love of a good joke,they're just so utterly stupid.This particular one was followed by comments like "OMG, that is hilarious, I'm going to re-post it!!".
Maybe some right wingers can explain this to me, especially those who describe themselves as "Pro-Life".. Why does so much of your humor involve the death of people?
I thought the lede in the article you linked to was interesting for the reason I highlighted.
What happens when Democrats do something incredibly stupid and bad for both their career and the party, like, say, Anthony Weiner? They resign.
What happens when a Republican does something similar, like, say, John Ensign? They have to be literally forced out of office with an ongoing ethics probe.
Newt, forced out of his Speaker of the House position by his OWN PARTY over ethics violations now think he is fit to lead this nation as it's President.
I think the problem arises from the unholy alliance between the Religious Right and the Republican Party in the 1980s, and that is that they falsely believe that God is on their side no matter what, so no matter what they do wrong, they are still acting under the auspices of divine providence and can't really be blamed for it. They feel entitled to be right 100% of the time, regardless of whether or not they are in fact in the right. And yes, they are sick in the head.
(Note To Today's Repubs) The gig is up. The citizens of this country are not foolish enough to allow you to hamstring the legitimate media as you attempt to pass off one of your flaming piles of feces as your latest puppet/President in your lame effort to impose your warped agenda. We've seen just a glimpse of the hellish future your party stands for with the incompetent governors and nutjob Congressmen you've saddled the nation with by lying and conning our citizens. No, we won't play by your crooked rules. Your horrendous candidates will be challenged with the legitimate questions you clowns are attempting to hide from.
A lot of republican shouting,and baptising events with big name republicans to draw a crowd had to be cancled today in South Carolina....The reason is most of the events could not drawa crowd larger than 10-14 people........Irrational is very predictable....
What he meant was,
In other words, he's trying to say that the term "John King-ed" would refer to the way Gingrich responded to King. But it's the other way around. What Hannity should have said was,
Hannity doesn't even understand his prescribed talking point.
John King "John King-ed" Newt Gingrich.
In the future, when a journalist asks a Republican candidate a question and the candidate does not wish to answer, they should say "I've been John King-ed."
It's the new gotcha. You really botched this one, Hannity.
Lurking around in the background is the notion of forgiveness. It is a most important element of Christianity and of Catholicism in particular. Gingrich claims to have converted to Catholicism, however I would contend that either his instruction was derelict or he wasn't paying attention at the time.
The essential prerequisite for forgiveness is true contrition. This essential element is always missing from anything Gingrich has to say regarding his "indiscretions". Every time there is some sort of infantile excuse even, astoundingly, attempting to mitigate his appalling history of marital infidelity by claiming patriotism did it.
I'll put my more than a decade of Jesuit education against him on any point of theology. Methinks Mr Gingrich is still a long way short of Divine Forgiveness and I suspect God is less than moved by bluster and prevarication.
It's completely telling that this one supposed "liberal" slipup was a personal attack, and did not include any hint of a suggestion that conservatism might be opposed to reality in the slightest way. In fact, the question itself was conservative since it helped the Official Party Candidate.
The media learned long ago not to be liberal. Now it's learned not to even be pretend-liberal, and it will obey to the letter.
King acted like a little girl, and so will the rest of them, tiptoeing around these jerks like they just came down from Mount Rushmore.
InSannity is an idiot.
Newter treating women like cows will never result in the media being "cowed" and "scared to death" by him.
However, I sure do encourage Newter to stay on the attack against the media!!
""You Go Cow-Boy Newter!!
Yeeee Haaaa!!""
Most people don't know that Sean and Gingrich's friendship go back many years. You can guess who Sean is supporting for president, although he won't say it publicly.
King looked downright apologetic and ashamed at having to ask that question, like the parent of a spoiled child quietly, desperately reminding that child that he would really, really appreciate it if he put his socks in the hamper- but don't get mad if you don't want to! Daddy still loves you!
The media IS cowed by the right wing, and chances are we will NOT see this question brought up again. That's just the way it is. Sorry, but Hannity is right on this one. Now, what are we going to do about it?
Not a dammn thing. Newt is better at media spin than Mitt. Let him do it. If you're following Doonesbury at all, he's doing a nice run on Newt's baggage so I hope he's the nominee. You can bet campaign Obama will have a stream of adds fully illuminating his past. The press will have no choice but to ask the questions because Newt will undoubtedly lie and spin against what I'm sure will be well crafted, devastating ads.
Independents will vote for Romney - they won't vote for (i.e., they will go out and vote against) Newt.
Gingrich did nothing but wag his finger at the guy and basically yell at him, deny the story, and wag and yell some more for 2 and a half minutes. I can't wait for someone staid and strong to stand up to him. Somewhere, there must be some reporter who is tough but calm enough to make him understand that yelling and acting upset won't be good enough, and he sure as HELL won't be shutting the media out of the government.
"The organizers and the campaign have mutually decided based on attendance, Newt is going to go to the children's hospital to spend more time with the children," campaign spokesperson Nathan Naidu told reporters. The children's hospital visit was originally planned as a town hall, but the campaign changed it to be a tour.
His daughters also issued a last minute cancellation Friday. They were originally scheduled to appear on network morning shows to respond to an ABC interview with Gingrich's second wife Marianne. Their cancellation came after Newt Gingrich drew a standing ovation at the CNN debate by telling moderator John King, "To take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."
The SRLC has been drawing small crowds this week, and Rick Santorum is the only candidate to appear before Friday. Event organizers said 1,700 people registered for the event, but crowds of less than a hundred people have been seen.
"I think it stinks," said Ann Sullivan, of Goldsboro, North Carolina when she learned of Gingrich's cancellation. "Is this the best attended event I've ever been to? No. But he gave his word."
Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/01/20/gingrich-cancels-southern-republican-leadership-conference-appearance#ixzz1k6Se8Kz1
Two of his previous wives thought the same thing...
Wow, it's like he knew he'd be asked important questions, and knew that he'd be on TV and knew he wouldn't have hundreds of people cheering for him. He must be psychic!
Or a coward.
The candidate's a dodger and a bully as well.
Also, leaders welcome tough questions. Gingrich wasn't displaying leadership qualities, he was displaying bully behavior by trying to intimidate the moderators.
But then, it seems that's what the Republicans want in a presidential candidate--a bully.
I'd say "Drama Queen" or "sissy". Besides being a hypocrite and a sociopath, newt can't take a fraction of what he dishes out. If he loses his sh*t at John King politely giving him an opportunity to spin his personal problems, can you imagine him being questioned by another world leader on foreign policy ?
'Trump' and ION/Newsmax being a perfect example of a late to the party attempt to join the circus.
It absolutely adds nothing to the knowledge needed for anyone to make an intelligent determination of what any of the 'actors' on stage stand for. They repeat their lines to an already prepped audience who wait for the applause sign to light up so the camera can get the obligatory shot of the crowd going mad with enthusiasm for the lead 'actor' of the moment who just said his lines.
The press asking 20 questions about Newt's sick marriages does nothing to advance civilization. The press is so predictable and easily manipulated; they play their part for the oligarchs perfectly.
That's because so much of my interest in politics is about the psychology.And watching this group of clowns argue about who can best implement their failed ideology, and the audience reaction to them, that is very informing to me.
Newt's dismissing of Juan William's ( and the follow-up salute by newt's follower for 'putting him in his place') informs the hell out of me, about what's going on in South Carolina, and how newt's race-baiting works there.
Mitten's shaky responses and stammering whenever the subject gets around to his career and money tells me a lot.
Newt's breakdown about the liberal media, this filthy hypocrite's playing the martyr. and the cheers from the audience informs me - I like to know that there are people this stupid voting.
The GOP debates are interesting to me, not about picking a candidate, as there's no chance of me voting for a Republican, but just to remind me why there is actually a viable GOP in the 21st Century, and why they need to be kept out of power if the country is ever going to get any better.
We can all fall victim to losing track of a complex sentence from time to time. We had a P.M. back in the late 60s who was notorious for losing track of what he was saying. I once heard his speeches described as "a large quantity of words in search of a verb".
I do envy people who are very pithy and concise with their comments, I have to watch myself after a few commas.I like to leave those rambling strings of words that never get to their destination to the right-wingers.
Any time I see one of those tossed word salads I worry that my stuff might look the same to other people, like one of those transcripts of Rush Limbaugh that's 200 words but not quite a sentence.
Well said sir. I've often thought that the litmus test is who is the most anti-Obama.
It's sad that people who should know better stoop to this level.
If there is someone they should distance themselves from, it's W. He may the biggest stain on their party's record in history.
Instead they viciously attack a man who's done his level best to try and right the country following an epic recession, and champion truly awful policies rightfully discarded in some misguided attempt to "return" the country to Constitutional principles.
I just hope a few have the courage to keep after the nasty little toad.
Hundreds of troglodyte conservatives booed King for daring to point out the 4,000 lb elephant in the room, meanwhile MILLIONS of people watching cheered. Yeah Sean, the media will never dare point out a candidate's glaring faults ever again.
The republican field is beyond hilarious. One well-coiffed chameleon and three extremist zeros with even less chance of winning.
Only if their a spineless tool, ... Let's see him try that to Al Sharpton of Thom Hartmann, ...