Helping Bush With the Details
Reported by Melanie - August 30, 2004 -
Dayside w/Linda Vester (August 30, 2004) opened with video of Ed Koch speaking at the RNC. (Fox highlights Democrats for Bush whenever it can.) After a report by Jamie Colby on security at the RNC, Carl Cameron delivered a report from Nantucket, MA on the coming week's campaign activities of John Kerry and John Edwards and on how they'll be "trying" to share the spotlight "so brightly cast" on the RNC.
At 1:08 p.m. ET, a FOX NEWS ALERT took us live to Nashua, NH where Bush was beginning an "Ask the President" event. Rich Lowry (National Review) and Ellis Henican (Newsday) were all suited up to debate Bush's "style," but after only a minute or two Fox went back live to Nashua for four minutes of Bush's speech there. After returning to the studio, and off and on for the next four minutes, Fox continued showed a split screen of Bush in Nashua.
At 1:22 p.m. ET Vester interviewed Dylan Glen, an African-American who lavished praise on Bush and talked about how Bush's policies are good for African-Americans.
At 1:24 p.m. ET Vester introduced pro wrestler Shawn Michaels, live at the RNC, as a "husband, father, born-again Christian" and Bush supporter.
After a news break it was live to Wendell Goler at the RNC who talked about goings on there and about speeches tonight by Rudi Giuliani and "Senator John McCain, of course, John Kerry's first choice as Vice President." (The McCain & Giuliani speeches were touted over and over during the show, either verbally or in banners.)
At 1:37 p.m. Wesley Clark was interviewed. Part of the "booking notes" at the bottom of the screen included the fact that Clark was raised a Southern Baptist but converted to Catholicism.
At 1:45 p.m. ET it was back to Rich Lowry and Ellis Henican again, this time to talk about whether or not the RNC delegates want to see the moderate speakers who're scheduled to speak. (COMMENT: More African-American emphasis: during this segment Fox went to a split screen showing video of Bush at an African-American church.)
During the Lowry/Henican segment I noticed a banner touting Zell Miller's keynote address. While banners ran during the show touting Giuliani's and McCain's upcoming speeches, as well as one mentioning NY Governor George Pataki, the banner talking about Miller was the only one which indicated a party affiliation after the name - (D-GA) - another way to emphasize Democrats for Bush.
At 1:49 p.m. it was off politics and on to Peterson, and then to a "Special RNC edition of the Stupid Criminals" file which was about a guy trying to sell his vote on EBay.
COMMENT: Today's theme: African-American for Bush, Democrats for Bush, and religion.
