I first want to mention that Joe Scarborough and the rest of the Morning Joe team on MSNBC have done a brilliant job since the show premiered many months back.
Although Scarborough was one of the incoming Class of ’94 in Congress under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, he has nevertheless been more than fair in his coverage and criticisms of both Democrats and Republicans.
With that said, I'd like to take a look at their morning rivals, none other than the great/brilliant/awe-inspiring collection of talent that is Fox and Friends: Brian Kilmeade, Gretchen Carlson and everybody’s favorite weatherman/humourist/poltical analyst/O’Reilly-worshiper Steve Doocey, aka The Dooce-Man, aka Dooce [or Duce].
IN THE TANK—Fox and Friends, Saturday, Sept. 27
The bumbling trio on Fox and Friends made a special appearance this morning [Saturday] to analyze Friday night’s debate.
Here are just a few moments I enjoyed from this morning’s episode. As a writer and a J-school graduate, I could not think of a more deserving winner of the infamous IN THE TANK award. Fair & Balanced, as always.
ON THE DEBATE
Kilmeade—I thought Barack Obama, in Pakistan, was buried by John McCain last night.
However, when it came to locking horns with John McCain about the seriousness of some of our enemies, I thought Barack Obama got off a very good line:
"If the United States has Al-Qaeda, (Osama) bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unwilling or unable to act, then we should take them out. Now, I think that’s the right strategy; I think that’s the right policy.
And, John, I -- you’re absolutely right that presidents have to be prudent in what they say. But, you know, coming from you, who, you know, in the past has threatened extinction for North Korea and, you know, sung songs about bombing Iran, I don’t know, you know, how credible that is. I think this is the right strategy."
Kilmeade—That’s almost like his version of Rezko.
Doocey—A bit of a cheap shot.
Carlson—But you know what I could not get past; I could not get past Barack Obama’s pronunciation of Pakistan. I thought, ‘wait a minute’, Is he talking that way because he wants us to think hes been there before, which he has? And so that hes pronouncing it the same way people in Pakhistan pronounce it? I know you can say it both ways but that’s all I heard. You know how you can get transfixed on something? I stopped listening because I was wondering, ‘what’s he saying’?
Doocey—Hey, email us. We want to know who you think won last night. I would say that a majority say John McCain won. Who do you think won?
Kilmeade—The other thing is, I’m looking forward to Thursday night.
Doocey—I will bet the coffee beverage of your choice, I will bet you Joe Biden, who has historically made about a gaffe every two days, I’m going to say he makes one or two real doozies. And I’m an expert at Doocey’s, at the debate.
Carlson—You’re gonna go out on a line [sic] right now?
Doocey—Joe Biden will make some big gaffes?
Kilmeade—Just one or two?
Carlson—I’ll go out on a line [sic] and say he’s going to do one before the debate.
Doocey—Oh, that’s a given.
Doocey—The thing about his gaffes are, if Sarah Palin had made the same gaffes, people would go...
Kilmeade—She’d have to leave the ticket.
Doocey—...’ah, she absolutely is not ready to be Vice President.’
Carlson—Well there are the rumors that Hillary Clinton is going to come back to that ticket. And since [Biden] suggested himself that she would be a better Vice-Predisential candidate...
Doocey—Oops ‘e daisy.
WITH GUEST LADY LYNN FORRESTER de ROTHSCHILD
Doocey—Joining us right now if former Clinton fundraiser Lady Lynn Forrester de Rothschild. Now you’ve been a lifelong Democrat, but about two weeks ago you said, ‘I cannot vote for Barack Obama because he’s an elitist’.
De Rothschild—Yes
Doocey—Are you struck by the double-standard? Joe Biden makes one to two gaffes a week. Had Sarah Palin said something like that, man she’d be toast by the media.
De Rothschild—Every gaffe by Palin will be...
Carlson—Front page news.
F&F--MORE THOUGHTS ON THE DEBATE
Carlson—What was the strategy behind telling your candidate, Barack Obama, to call Sen. John McCain ‘John’? And to McCain, what was your strategy in not calling him Barack, but calling him Sen. Obama?
Kilmeade—Because if it was in reverse, it’d have been a disaster, they would say it would be condescending for 72-year old John McCain to say that to 46-year old Barack Obama.
Doocey—And it was interesting, when I was watching the debate, I thought John McCain was very vibrant and alive and I never, not once, thought ‘man, he’s old’, or ‘boy, is that an old guy, I wonder if he’s sleepy’.
Carlson—I did find myself not thinking about his age, but thinking about his experience. He rattled off a lot of those names of foreign leaders like he spoke to them the other day, which he probably did.
Stay tuned...I plan on analyzing Monday's episode of The Factor. Included will be the Dem to Rep ratio, as well as, no doubt, a collection of classic lines from Karl Rove and/or Newt and/or Dick Morris and/or Laura Ingram. I'm sure Howard Wolffson will get a good four-minute segment in to balance things out!