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Fox News Host Greg Gutfeld Tells Pres. Obama Why He Needs Fox News

» 46 comments

Pres. Barack Obama fired a shot at Fox News earlier this week when Rolling Stone published an interview with the President that included a less-than-flattering appraisal of the network (“It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world”). Now Fox News has begun to fire back.

First, Bill O’Reilly addressed Obama’s criticism on last night’s edition of The O’Reilly Factor. Now Greg Gutfeld, future gay bar proprietor and host of Red Eye, has also spoken up, writing this column, ““Why Obama Needs Fox News,” on FoxNews.com.

Gutfeld begins by making an easy dig at Rolling Stone itself, calling it a “thinning pamphlet aimed at our country’s dwindling supply of pony-tailed pensioners.” Then he gets down to brass tacks, accusing Obama of targeting Fox just because its personalities rarely agree with or support his policies:

OK, let me get this straight: You’re the President of the United States, with both Houses under your control. You also have the most fawning press of any president in the history of the universe. And yet you let FNC get under your skin, because it’s the only network that doesn’t have a thrill up its leg?

Obama is like a sports team who owns the ref, the fans and the field, but refuses to play until the kid in the tenth row stops chewing gum.

… In fact, I’d say it would be far worse for Obama if there was no Fox News, because then he’d only have the American people to get mad at. There is no Republican adversary right now, and without Fox News–who’s left? You.

And this is why the crybaby-in-chief needs us. It provides cover, so Obama can criticize Americans without ever saying “those Americans.” He can just say Fox News instead.

Gutfeld is being willfully obtuse by claiming that most members of the press are still “fawning” over Obama—mainstream outlets like the New York Times do not shy away from citing the President’s critics as well as his cheerleaders. It’s also absurd to say that Obama faces “no Republican adversary right now,” considering that most Republicans currently in Congress do their best to block Obama whenever they can—a phenomenon that Fox News itself has both observed and brought up while interviewing Congressmen in the GOP.

Still, there’s something valuable here. Freedom of the press exists for a reason, and Obama may have overstepped his bounds by citing Fox News as a news source he specifically disagrees with.

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  • writer

    Come on, Greg. There has to be someone to blame. Reminds me of a nature show I saw when I was a kid. A grizzly bear fell on its ass, then went over and started taking it out on a tree.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Charlie-Martin/625252424 Charlie Martin

    Fawning less doesn’t mean the fawning has stopped.

  • BatBoy

    “Obama is like a sports team who owns the ref, the fans and the field, but refuses to play until the kid in the tenth row stops chewing gum.”

    But that kid is probably a racist! He must stop chewing….now!

  • TeaPartyPatriot

    Achtung! The NEW POLITICAL ORDER IS HERE!

    Anyone who criticizes TheOne, our beloved Messiah, OR ANY OF HIS ACTIONS, DECREES, POLICIES OR PALS will be condemned. They will be ostracized from society, they will be labeled a threat to national security, they will be called “unpatriotic”, “un-American”, “a terrorist”,”destructive” and “a racist”, they will have to actually pay taxes (unlike lunatic-left socialist tax-cheats rangel, geithner, caroline “you know” kennedy, olbermann, daschle, killifer, solis, kirk, sebelius and millions of others) and they will be vilified until they succumb to the ONLY ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL VIEW – that of the lunatic-left socialists.

    All hail TheOne! Resistance is futile.

  • Arkansas Steve

    If not already, I’m guessing this will be a Redeye “Gregalogue” this week.
    Gutfeld has an ability to pull out the weeds and expose the plants, for better or worse.
    His analogy of a sports team owner is spot on.
    Now I must confess: I hope Obama keeps his thin skin & keeps attacking FOX. Every time he does, more moderates & independents check out FOX. Most of them like it & stay or visit frequently.
    Tell me again, who says this President is intelligent?

  • chatmandu002

    Fox news is the only MSM or cable outlet that isn’t kissing our Campaigner-in-Chief’s ass all the time. If the MSM and other cable outlets are kissing his ass then they are blasting his opponents. What more could he ask for.

  • senoj_nav

    Well of course he’s a racist… He’s chewing while the great one reads from the teleprompter.

    Never mind about those 97% who voted for him because they share his skin color…

    “ignore the man behind the curtain…”

  • The Real Royal King

    chatmandu002 said:
    Fox news is the only MSM or cable outlet that isn’t kissing our Campaigner-in-Chief’s ass all the time. If the MSM and other cable outlets are kissing his ass then they are blasting his opponents. What more could he ask for.

    You obviously haven’t heard any of the real ass chewings President Obama has received from Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Paul Begala, Anderson Cooper, et al, all the more effective because they are not coming from the RNC Propoganda Ministry.

  • jk76

    by Republican adversary, he’s referring to a person, as opposed to a group or potential opponents in 2012. He may get a politcal adversary in January though. The NYT may not be in 99% love with Obama anymore but some of what he’s lost at the Times is people who think he has gone far enough, not necessarily an objectionable critique. He has lost a few because they don’t have their beloved storyline fairytale or because they question his decisions.

    They tried to attack FNC last year, how’d that go? I mean they seriously basically tried to, not just marginalize them, but remove them as an information outlet. That right there should’ve probably been a scandal forever, but you don’t hear about it. They scapegoated Anita Dunn because of her position, when most likely, everyone was on board. Thankfully, the non-FNC media stepped up despite their antipathy toward Fox. So instead of a full-court trap against Fox, he’s switching to a zone defense. He doesn’t understand how to stop snowballing.

  • The Real Royal King

    These FOX “News” clowns are just like Palin. Even when the more effective course would be to keep their mouths shut, they have to bleat, kvetch, moan and whine.

  • http://www.anonymousfinch.com AnonymousFinch

    Gutfeld is right. Fox News is the Emmanuel Goldstein of the Oceania that is left-wing politics today.

  • lane

    The only one being ‘willfully obtuse’ is the writer of this post. The media continues to fawn over Obama. Of course, given that Obama’s policies are throwing the country into a ditch, I guess the fawning is relative. The tea party is about taxes and paying for others’ bad decisions yet the media wants it to be about race? Really? Did the country suddenly realize the color of the President’s skin?

  • DEFENDER-90

    Obama cannot be troubled with the trivial say for example the economy,jihadist,narco terrorism on our border the falling doller or the deficit. we all know the problem is FOX NEW’S. Go get them dear leader

    Power to the Peoples Workers Revolution,Power to Charman Obama!

  • soccermom

    You obviously haven’t heard any of the real ass chewings President Obama has received from Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Paul Begala, Anderson Cooper, et al, all the more effective because they are not coming from the RNC Propoganda Ministry.

    Well, no one has! 70% of people don’t even know who Maddow and Big Eddie are!

  • LibertySister

    Greg always says it like it is…
    He is so right, but the left are so blinded to the freedom of this country but for some reason really hate the people that have different views then them.
    If Obama didnt have Fox news…. this country would be just like North Korea. Every media outlet telling us how great Obama is without question nothing he does…

  • The Real Royal King

    soccermom said:
    You obviously haven’t heard any of the real ass chewings President Obama has received from Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Paul Begala, Anderson Cooper, et al, all the more effective because they are not coming from the RNC Propoganda Ministry. Well, no one has! 70% of people don’t even know who Maddow and Big Eddie are!

    So, you’re telling us you’re speaking from a position of ignorance, Michelle-in-Utah? That is a very crowded place in the Tea Party. I hope you’ve had your flu shot.

  • The Real Royal King

    LibertySister said:
    Greg always says it like it is…He is so right, but the left are so blinded to the freedom of this country but for some reason really hate the people that have different views then them.If Obama didnt have Fox news…. this country would be just like North Korea. Every media outlet telling us how great Obama is without question nothing he does…

    Do you even watch news programs?

  • newzmaker

    I read that Dems want felons to have a right to vote. Seems most felons vote ‘Dem.’ LOL. Sounds a tad bit racist.

  • soccermom

    Royal Race-Baiter/Religious Bigot says:

    Do you even watch news programs?

    Sounds to me like she does. She hit that nail on the head.

  • Cecelia

    “Gutfeld is being willfully obtuse by claiming that most members of the press are still “fawning” over Obama—mainstream outlets like the New York Times do not shy away from citing the President’s critics as well as his cheerleaders.”

    If a sentence as packed with irony as the one above doesn’t illustrate who’s REALLY obtuse… nothing does…

    Wow!… The NYT won’t “shy away” from citing critics of Obama! They aren’t fawing “still”!

    With all THIS media skepticism and bravado, wonder how Republicans fare?!…

    The NYT must be pushing the Obama Administration from the conservative tilt of the other side of the aisle…. ALL THE TIME!

    (Dead-on, Gutfeld.)

  • The Real Royal King

    soccermom said:
    Royal Race-Baiter/Religious Bigot says: Do you even watch news programs? Sounds to me like she does. She hit that nail on the head.

    But, you’ve already admitted you don’t watch the pertinent programs and are blissfully ignorant of their content, so how would you know, Michelle-in-Utah?

  • Azarkhan

    “Gutfeld is being willfully obtuse by claiming that most members of the press are still “fawning” over Obama”

    The MSM still sucks off Obama. Some of them are just more private about it then they use to be.

  • Cecelia

    Oh, come on Azarkhan, the media is playing devil’s advocate with the Obama Administration from the standpoint of their CONSERVATIVE (rather than further leftist) opposition, all the time…

    This sheer cluelessness of Busis’ blog here reminds me of the shrieking headline and content of Glynnis’ piece on the Pew stats about cable news:

    “Poll: More Than Half Of Likely Voters Have Never Heard Of Rachel Maddow”

    Hahahaha!

  • DEFENDER-90

    Why is no one asking the important question, when is Greg Gutfeld going to give us a calender of Red Eye hot baby hoochie mama’s?

    Lauren Sivan
    Se Cup
    Carrie Keagan
    Patti Ann Browen
    Diana Falzone and many more.

  • Arkansas Steve

    DEFENDER-90 said:
    Why is no one asking the important question, when is Greg Gutfeld going to give us a calender of Red Eye hot baby hoochie mama’s? Lauren SivanSe CupCarrie KeaganPatti Ann BrowenDiana Falzone and many more.

    I would pay $25 for a photo calendar entitled “The Women of FOX”.
    Nothing tawdry, just have the 12 most important on-screen women at FOX NEWS & FOX BUSINESS pose in what I would call:
    the sexiest BUSINESS attire they have worn to work.
    Does anyone know Roger Ailes direct email address?

  • LibertySister

    The Real Royal King says:
    Do you even watch news programs?

    I dont as much as you do apparently… but I have a life… and when I do get a chance to turn on the News I see the blame game played out on every network except Fox. Blame Bush , Blame Fox , Blame tea Party… No responsibility is taken by Obama and no network calls him on it…
    What happened to “always question authority”. or the journalist being our watchdogs not cheerleaders.

  • TruthLovinFreedomLover

    Cecelia said:
    “Poll: More Than Half Of Likely Voters Have Never Heard Of Rachel Maddow” Hahahaha!

    And 100% of them of heard of Greg Gutfield! He is more popular than God Himself!!

    LibertySister said:
    and when I do get a chance to turn on the News I see the blame game played out on every network except Fox.

    Aboslutely! FOX never blames Obama or the Demoncrats or the Lieberal MSM or…

    LibertySister said:
    What happened to “always question authority”. or the journalist being our watchdogs not cheerleaders.

    I thought only America-hating liberty-haters would dare to criticize the President during a time of war!! What? It’s no longer 2000 through 2008? Nevermind…

  • avoidswork

    Azarkhan said:
    “Gutfeld is being willfully obtuse by claiming that most members of the press are still “fawning” over Obama” The MSM still sucks off Obama. Some of them are just more private about it then they use to be.

    And FNC sucks off of Sarah, Newt, Cheney, etc.

    BTW, Gutfeld is seriously unfunny. RedEye isn’t even perversely funny, unlike Fox&Friends.

  • The Dweller Ysul

    I don’t get it. Every republican president of my lifetime has pissed and moaned about the liberal media. Obama returns fire once in a while, and each time Fox acts like a bunch of little girls with skinned knees.

    And willful obtuseness is what passes for wit with Gutfeld and what, indeed, sets him apart from some many at Fox. For most of them, it’s not willful.

  • Cecelia

    The Dweller Ysul said:
    I don’t get it. Every republican president of my lifetime has pissed and moaned about the liberal media. Obama returns fire once in a while, and each time Fox acts like a bunch of little girls with skinned knees.

    When did any Republican go beyond pointing out media bias to suggesting that any part of the media was destroying the country?

    I don’t think a Republican president could claim THAT about our sworn international enemies without being called fear-mongering.

  • soccermom

    Royal Race-Baiter/Religious Bigot says:

    But, you’ve already admitted you don’t watch the pertinent programs and are blissfully ignorant of their content, so how would you know, Michelle-in-Utah?

    Actually, I’m part of the 30% that unfortunately knows who they are.

  • Mr.Papshmer

    Greg Gutfeld: “And this is why the crybaby-in-chief needs us. It provides cover, so Obama can criticize Americans without ever saying “those Americans.” He can just say Fox News instead.”

    I haven’t heard anyone put it more clearly.

  • Cancon1

    Obama is like a sports team who owns the ref, the fans and the field, but refuses to play until the kid in the tenth row stops chewing gum.

    Classic…

    And if you disagree, then you are a racist, Wisconsin Professor who never provided a reach around.

  • DEFENDER-90

    My conservative brothers and sisters I have a dream ,Chris Christe president,Michal Bolton(not the singer)vice president and for press secretary GREG GUTFELD.

  • The Real Royal King

    avoidswork said:
    And FNC sucks off of Sarah, Newt, Cheney, etc. BTW, Gutfeld is seriously unfunny. RedEye isn’t even perversely funny, unlike Fox&Friends.

    I do have to say Fox & Friends is the best conservative comedy show on television. That Gretchen O’Van Karlsen is a comic genius.

  • Morgan

    Hillary Busis wrote:> Still, there’s something valuable here. Freedom of the press exists for a reason, and Obama may have overstepped his bounds by citing Fox News as a news source he specifically disagrees with.

    I thought Obama had once stated that Fox(NC) was not a news network. Has he changed his mind?

  • http://none pyrope

    AnonymousFinch said:
    Gutfeld is right. Fox News is the Emmanuel Goldstein of the Oceania that is left-wing politics today.

    Your are once again proving your perspicacity and I am compelled to agree given my own observations.

  • http://none pyrope

    DEFENDER-90 said:
    My conservative brothers and sisters I have a dream ,Chris Christe president,Michal Bolton(not the singer)vice president and for press secretary GREG GUTFELD.

    We could do a lot worse.

  • VRWC Destruction Machine

    The Real Royal King said:
    These FOX “News” clowns are just like Palin. Even when the more effective course would be to keep their mouths shut, they have to bleat, kvetch, moan and whine.

    You’re kidding, right? You get your panties in a bunch every time there’s an article that Mentions Fox News on Mediaite. Fox News gives the Left Wingnuts hissy fits. Good job!

  • Mr.Papshmer

    The Real Royal King said:
    I do have to say Fox & Friends is the best conservative comedy show on television. That Gretchen O’Van Karlsen is a comic genius.

    King, was that really you in that dorky video, wearing the Obama hat and pleading for him to take care of you? I gotta say, it it’s true, you need help, son. If anyone came to our company looking like that, even without the hat, looking for a job, the application would go in stack #2. They’re not labeled other than 1 and 2, but we all know what stack #2 means. :)

  • ganymede

    Just imagine what the world would be like if there were no Fox TV a or Greg Gutfeld, who is a fringe character even for Fox. I think we’d be in infinitely better shape in every way. We’d have a functioning economy with people making a lot of money and paying sensible progressive taxes just like in the good old 1950-70′s. We’d certainly be a more peace-loving nation not creating wars for no good reason. We’d be further ahead with alternative energies. We wouldn’t have outrageous characters from Beck and Hannity to, what’s his name, Gutfeld pandering to the most ignorant and susceptible amongst us, backed up, of course by benevolent billionaires like the Murdoch, the Koch Brothers and Richard Mellon Scaife. We’d have better politicians and better government with sensible financial rules and regulations. We’d be a partner with the world instead of trying to rule it. We’d have real health care for all not run by the wasteful and inefficient insurance and pharmaceutical industries. One expects that the yin and yang principle will always be in operation. There will always be an opposition. Unfortunately, things have gotten a bit out of control and the manipulation and fear monerging perpetrated by Fox will eventually collapse. Let’s hope it collapses before the country does. The polls are turning towards Obama and November’s election will probably not be the bloodbath the Teapublicans are salivating over. My advice is for all decent and well-meaning people to get out there and work to help get out the vote for Obama. As much as I appreciate the forum offered on these websites, there is much more important things going on which we should be attending to. The rightwingers on this website are some of the biggest blockheads I’ve come across-some of them sound like downright, can I say it, foul-mouthed fascist thugs who will never change and, happily, most of them will stay by their computers and not to anything worthwhile to help their cause. Some of the leftwing types should also look at the inflammatory language and the occasional illogic they throw around. It’s time to move forward. The right is fighting their last big battle with reality and, fortunately, time,demographics and the common sense of most Americans is not on their side.

  • writer

    All this power credited to a network that most of our left wing posters insist very few people watch. Fox caused the Great Depression. Fox pushed us into Vietnam. There were no crooked politicians before Fox. School kids in the ’50s were given drills to duck under their desks because of Fox. Yep. Things such as bad politicians, unnecessary wars, fear, bad economies, none of these things existed before Fox.

  • Mr.Papshmer

    ganymede said:
    Just imagine what the world would be like if there were no Fox TV a or Greg Gutfeld, who is a fringe character even for Fox. I think we’d be in infinitely better shape in every way. We’d have a functioning economy with people making a lot of money, blah, blah…

    It would be easy to just pass you off as a young idealist who hasn’t paid a lot of taxes yet, but, if you dare, just consider a couple of things…

    In generation after generation, young people are more likely to be liberal minded, older people more likely to be conservative minded, why do you suppose that is? I could say that older people have more of life’s experiences to help shape their outlook, but would you just pass that off as BS?

    Also, for decades now, most of the larger cities in America have been run by liberals. You can come up with any idealist reason why, but if we’re all honest with ourselves, we can admit that it’s because cities attract people looking for work, hence populated areas are more likely to have more unemployed, politicians promise free stuff, undesirables move in because of the free stuff, politicians promise to stick it to the man so everyone can get more free stuff, cycle repeats. Point is, it never gets better. Most large cities are either shitholes, so far in debt that they’ll never recover, or both. And every four years, some liberal Mayor says, “Hey, I’m trying to make it better, if not for all those wascly wepublicans, we’d all be living in Nirvana!” And every four years, a third of the taxpayers and all of the freeloader buy into this.

    You mention the 1950′s through the 1970′s, but hop in your way back machine and go there, and you simply would not recognize your beloved Democrats. Here in Washington State, where I live, we had a very powerful US senator, Henry “Scoop” Jackson, a Democrat who served senate for over forty years until he died in the early 80′s, was a hard line anti-Communist and hero of the blue collar working man. These days, the Democrats are Communist sympathizers and hero of the jobless, bong smoking slacker who nurses off of the taxpayers nipple. Not saying that to be funny, the Democrats that I grew up with in the 60′s and 70′s were more conservative than the Republicans you loathe today.

  • ganymede

    Mr.Papshmer says:
    It would be easy to just pass you off as a young idealist who hasn’t paid a lot of taxes yet, but, if you dare, just consider a couple of things…

    I usually don’t dialogue on this website, but your comments to my earlier blog were so silly and off the mark that I have to respond. I’m a 73 year old ‘idealist’ who has had, I’m sure, a lot more life experience than you. I say this in all certainty because contrary to your narrow minded views that life experience makes people more conservative, I would turn this around and say that most anyone who’s had deep and varied life experience is usually a more well rounded, wiser and liberal type. Most older Teapublicans have not participated in public discourse and they certainly weren’t very critical of the eight dismal, murderous Bush years. Older people who aren’t disappointed, angry and bitter don’t practice exclusion and bigotry such as is expressed by many rightwingers on this website. You then go on about people who live in large cities being kept down by the liberal politicians who run these places and we’re all communist sympathizers as well!. Well, I live in Manhattan, have a good job and I’m even happy to pay taxes. My only gripe is that much of my tax money is wasted on war, corruption and payoffs to the upper 2-3%, and much of this is caused mostly by those wonderful conservatives contrarians. New York, as you must know, is probably the best run large city in this country and possibly the world. Lower unemployment, more efficiency and safety, more concern and compassion for people in need, probably the best public transportation system in the world and, not surprising, about 80% Democrat. It’s no wonder that so many of the best and brightest flock to New York and other big cities. I suggest you open your eyes and mind to what’s really going on and put your pitchfork away. I think you’re going to be quite shocked that the upcoming election is not going to be the bloodbath that you’re already salivating over. The polls are beginning to turn to Obama’s favor and reality is dawning on people all over the country. Time, demographics and the common sense of most American will prevail.

  • LA screenwriter

    The Real Royal King said:
    You obviously haven’t heard any of the real ass chewings President Obama has received from Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Paul Begala, Anderson Cooper, et al, all the more effective because they are not coming from the RNC Propoganda Ministry.

    Oh, puh-leeeze. “Ass chewings” from the likes of Matthews et al?

    First, let’s remember history. “Tingle down the leg” Matthews is the buffoon who stated publicly on air that it was his “duty” to use his broadcast show to make sure “this president succeeds.” But a funny thing: I don’t recall him being SO patriotic and feeling that way when Bush was in office. Instead, THEN his “duty” was to be a “hardball playing reporter” to always question an administration.

    Hence the sheer stupidity of your statement. These morons aren’t giving Obama any type of “ass chewing” because they’re ACTUALLY being reporters or investigating facts. Instead, they’re pure ass KISSERS of the higher order, and the ONLY time they “ass chew” is when Obama didn’t go even MORE to the Left, in the way that they wanted.

    Which basically means they’ll have his back no matter what…they’ll cover for him all the time…and they’ll only speak up when they don’t get every progressive item that they had on their checklist. That’s HARDLY news reporting or any kind of critical analysis, which is SUPPOSED to be their actual job.

  • Pablo

    ganymede said:
    The polls are beginning to turn to Obama’s favor and reality is dawning on people all over the country.

    Well, you’re half right. What polls are you looking at? The ones I’ve seen are not favoring Obama.

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