Sean Hannity’s Happy Hurricane Harvey politicization was almost complete until Texas Governor Greg Abbott shot down Hannity’s attack on the Democratic mayor of Houston.
When I worked as a researcher on the documentary, “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism,” we had a category we called “Happy Iraq” that became a segment of the film. Watch the clip below and you’ll probably see why I’m reminded of that now.
If it weren’t for the fact that Fox has had to report on suffering Texans, you might think that Hurricane Harvey was a great thing. At least as far as Fox is concerned. Just like Iraq was a great thing except for all the casualties.
Even the Harvey smears of Houston’s Democratic mayor, Sylvester Turner, and the victimization of Donald Trump, fit nicely into Fox’s partisan Republican propaganda.
For example, from the opening of Hannity’s interview with Abott last night:
HANNITY: Governor, by all accounts, everything that I have seen, you have amazing people in your state. You were prepared on the state level. We have some problems with some local people. It seems like your coordination with the federal government and the president couldn’t have gone better.
But I want to hear from you. Is it as good as I saw it? We learned a lot from Katrina.
ABBOTT: I got to tell you, the coordination at the federal, state and local level has been as good as in any tragedy that we’ve ever seen in the United States. As you know, I spent the day with the president, but today was not the first day that I’ve talked to him about this storm. Our talks began before the hurricane even hit Texas.
From the White House, to his cabinet, to FEMA, to all of his leaders, we have planned and prepared for this days before the hurricane even came. And then we mustered up an arrayed resources and personnel, and food and water and shelter all across the affected area. And this has been done because the president took action swiftly, early, coordinated with the state of Texas in a way far superior than I’ve ever seen in a hurricane tragedy.
Hannity even got in a plug for the charity of his bigoted, birther pal, Franklin Graham.
Later, Hannity decided to further his pleasure with a swipe at a Democrat. But, unfortunately for him, Abbott shut that down.
HANNITY: What—why didn’t the mayor of Houston, sir, take your call? How may times did you call him?
ABBOTT: Well, I called several. But listen, he and I have spoken. And I want you to know that we’ve spoken, and we’re working collaboratively and on a daily basis. My office is communicating with his office because we know that we are all in this together and we as Texans are going to work together to address these challenges.
So Hannity went back to promoting his bigoted pal’s charity.
Hannity closed with more Happy (Republican) Hurricane backslapping:
HANNITY: Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Governor. You did a phenomenal job in your hour—in the state’s hour of need. You, the lieutenant governor, federal government, local officials, and the people of Texas really deserve our praise. Thank you, sir.
It’s not just Hannity who’s having a Happy Hurricane Harvey. Much of Fox is pushing this meme.
I certainly hope that everything goes as smoothly as these Republicans are claiming. But I remember how Fox tried to spin Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on George W. Bush’s behalf. So I’ll just refrain from judgment until we’re much further along into the process of recovery.
Meanwhile, watch the Hannity and Abbott PR job from the August 29, 2017 Hannity show below. Underneath is the “Happy Iraq” clip from Outfoxed.
It could be one of the few things they endorse publicly funding, other than conservative Christianity.
I jest somewhat.
But what I do know for sure is that there’s a lot more to come in the Harvey story, including the environmental damage. So whether the federal and state government does as good a job in the long, slow recovery and rebuilding process may be a whole ’nother story.
The previous FEMA guy, Craig Fugate, was OK, but this fellow seems to be a couple steps ahead of events. BUT this could not be going as well as it has been without Abbott’s full participation. The president has almost no role in this, other than to give his FEMA person full rein.
The incredible collection of military types brought into this is something I’ve never seen before— not just Texas National Guard of all services, but Coast Guard and other active duty military, including a couple of big Navy ships and their Marines, even down to Border Patrol guys.
(I have a close friend who’s been a small cog in this big wheel at FEMA, so I’ve paid closer attention to these things over the last 20 years or so than I otherwise would be inclined to.)
Sean Hannity is a fraud
Sean Hannity is a coward
Sean Hannity is a traitor
I pray for the day that his sneering face and voice are gone from the airwaves. He is a cancer on America and needs to be excised. He contributes nothing except to ratchet up the level of hatred in his already bigoted supporters.