Fox News Claims they are the Real Victim Not Shirley Sherrod

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:00 pm

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On Special Report with Bret Baier, the host and Charles Krauthammer denied Shirley Sherrod’s claim that Fox News has a racial agenda. Charles Krauthammer said, “She is a victim, but that doesn’t entitle her to victimize others, and to use these kinds of attacks.” In essence, Fox News smeared Shirley Sherrod then claimed to be the real victim.

Here is the video courtesy of Media Matters:

Shirley Sherrod spoke about Fox News to Media Matters, “When you look at their reporting, this is just another way of seeing that they are (racist), but I have seen that before now. I saw their reporting as biased during the Bush Administration and the Clinton Administration.” Later she directly discussed Fox News’ broader racial agenda, “They are after a bigger thing, they would love to take us back to where we were many years ago. Back to where black people were looking down, not looking white folks in the face, not being able to compete for a job out there and not be a whole person.”

Host Bret Baier replied, “Ms. Sherrod that is just not true. It’s not true.” Charles Krauthammer said, “She is a victim, but that doesn’t entitle her to victimize others, and to use these kinds of attacks. I think she’s wrong, and even though she is a person who needs restitution on the part of those who wronged her. This is not something that anybody can endorse, and again it is a part of this cycle that really ought to stop.”

The evidence though tells a different story. The edited videos used to bring down ACORN to the bogus attacks against Van Jones, the phony New Black Panthers/DOJ scandal, and now the railroading of Shirley Sherrod all have one thing in common. They targeted African Americans as part of a larger narrative designed to make a segment of America afraid of the black man in the White House. Fox News has been race baiting since Obama took office. I agree with Ms. Sherrod that it is a part of larger strategy. Not a racial one as Ms. Sherrod suggested, but a political one.

Fox News wants to deny President Obama a second term by making his reelection about race. They assume that if they terrify enough people about Obama, he will be denied a second term. The victims in each of the FNC attacks were targets of opportunity. None of them have/had the resources to combat a full on assault from Fox News. Charles Krauthammer decried the cycle of race based accusations in this country without pointing out that it is Fox News that is instigating and perpetuating the cycle on a daily basis. FNC can try to claim that they are the real victims here, but without Breitbart’s edited video and their endless, relentless promotion of it, Shirley Sherrod would never have been fired. The real victim is Shirley Sherrod, and the racist attacks are originating from Fox News.

Jason Easley

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