Bernie Sanders didn’t take the bait to go after Hillary Clinton on her honesty and trustworthiness at Fox's Democratic town hall, so Fox News did it without Sanders’ help.
I’ll admit the town hall wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Host Bret Baier did ask Clinton eight questions about her emails but none about Benghazi or Bill Clinton’s infidelity.
But one of Baier’s early questions for Sanders was a perfect example of Fox News bias from an “objective” reporter.
BAIER: One of the most interesting trends to emerge from the exit and entrance polls this year, so far, is which of you is honest and trustworthy. In state after state, for voters who value “honest and trustworthy” as the top priority, there’s a massive gulf between you and Senator Clinton.
Baier listed all the states and had some graphics handy to display on the screen.
“So do you share the concerns of your supporters that Secretary Clinton is not honest and trustworthy?” Baier “asked”
Sanders didn’t take the bait. “Well, I will let the people of the United States make that decision,” he said. He added that he is “very, very proud” to have received 86% of the vote in his home state, where “the people who know you the best are your own neighbors.”
A little later, Fox brought on audience member George Jackson to ask Sanders a question. Jackson prefaced his question with a Fox News talking point: “I’ll speak for the American public. You’re much more honest than Hillary.”
Then Jackson added, “I’m also a Trump supporter.”
That got him a big round of applause.
It makes you wonder who Fox stacked its audience with.
During Hillary Clinton’s turn, Baier asked, “Do you think a child should have any legal rights or protections before its born?”
You can watch the entire Special Report March 7 town hall below.
I don’t think Bret was ignoring #Benghazi! to be easy on HIllary.
One overall thing I noticed about the Fox town hall was it seemed a lot more rushed than a similar CNN town hall of Republicans Anderson Cooper ran. I was surprised how quickly the entire thing was over. Even Hillary seemed surprised remarking along the lines of is it all over already. So if Bret had gone into the standard Fox #Benghazi! spew, time over and no audience participation.
The other thing about #Benghazi! is Hillary’s outstanding performance before the Republican Congressional Kangaroo #Benghazi! Committee took all the wind out of right-wingers’ sails. Even the hardcore Foxys hardly talk #Benghazi! any more and have shifted all their hopes to Hillary going to jail over Email-gate. So Bret’s choice was easy.
That said, I thought his kick-off Libya question a poor choice on his part. I also think the next series of questions on abortion he asked of both candidates was a waste of time. Certainly, it’s red meat to Fox’s pro-life audience but it’s largely meaningless outside of conservative circles. Pro-lifers will never vote for either Bernie or Hillary.
In a campaign cycle where social justice and economic equality are front and center in Democratic leaning voters’ minds, I have to ask [respectfully] “What the fck are you asking, Bret?”
I feel for Bernie supporters because I thought the audience participation segment for Hillary was far better than his. I thought the questioners Fox picked for Bernie were pretty awful. It’s not what I was interested in.
If the kindest thing I can say about the Fox News town hall is it wasn’t nearly as nasty as it could have been given some of the outrageous things their pundits have said how good is that? Seriously? Yeah, it was like that.
