Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:37 am
Proving once again that they don’t fact or background check anything or anyone, Fox News humiliated themselves today by interviewing a stand up comedian posing as a Romney supporter on Fox and Friends.
Here is the video:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Gretchen Carlson was in for a surprise after she introduced a segment on the unemployment rate for young people and how that demographic might swing to Romney. She brought in “former” Obama supporter Max Rice who started off by referring to Carlson as Miss USA, which Carlson corrected him by saying “Miss America.” Carlson called Rice a former Obama supporter who voted for him in 2008, and asked for his story.
Rice said, “I was a huge Obama supporter in 2008. I met him in third grade back when I was little.” Carlson gave him a puzzled okay, and asked why he is now supporting Romney. Rice answered, “It is actually a funny story. I lost a basketball game to a friend of mine…He’s a huge supporter of this show.” Gretchen said, “Okay, it sounds like you’re not taking this interview very serious.” Rice said, “I am also disappointed in the direction Obama has taken this nation, so I am casting my ballot for Mitt Romney.” Carlson asked Rice about moving back in with his parents, and he said that he moved back in with parents after going to college for a bit, but now he is back on his own, independent, and on national TV. After nearly two painful minutes, somebody finally caught on and Carlson wrapped up the segment.
This kind of thing happens all the time when cable networks are covering breaking news. People will call in, or get on camera and claim to have witnessed things that they haven’t, but Fox and Friends set this segment up. They thought they were going to get ammo on Obama and give a boost to the Romney campaign, but it totally backfired.
Fox News was in such a rush to attack Obama that they never checked Rice out to see if he was legit. Apparently, nobody in the Fox and Friends offices could be bothered to do a Google search on this guy before they put him on live television.
In their haste to blame Obama for everything and create a completely false narrative for the Romney campaign, Fox News got owned. Rice’s line about voting for Romney because he lost a basketball game was classic, and it is a better reason than most Republicans can offer for supporting their nominee.
All the trappings of a Fox and Friends propaganda segment were set up and ready to go. The ominous graphic at the bottom of the screen. The promise that young people are going to flee Obama in the setup for the interview, the misleading questions. It was all there except for a guest who was a little too in on the joke.
Obama has maintained a consistent 20 point or more lead with young voters, and the margin also holds up in swing state polls.
The only young people who would support Mitt “borrow the money from your parents to start a business or go to college” Romney are would be comedians. Romney has offered young people nothing, but a prescription more difficult life, so it is no surprise that they are strongly supporting Obama.
Max Rice showed what happens to a propaganda machine when it gets punked. Fox News is so eager to hate on Obama that they will apparently put anyone on the air who seems willing to bash the president. If this is the right’s source for truth and information, it’s no wonder they are so completely out of touch with reality.
Max Rice might have fooled Fox and Friends, but Fox News has been punking their own viewers since 1996.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
