Yesterday’s Fox News Watch raved about discussed Sarah Palin’s appearance on The Today Show this week. Host Jon Scott opened the segment by saying "Sarah Palin holds her own against the lamestream media. The former Alaska Governor guest hosted the Today show on Tuesday, and she didn't disappoint, receiving generally positive reviews.” Scott didn’t mention Jon Stewart’s very scathing review.
Scott read excerpts of reviews from Newsday, the Chicago Sun Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. He quoted Newsday’s Verne Gay by saying, “…A slam dunk for Palin. She was poised, relaxed (more or less) and confident.” He left out how Gay at least partially attributed the “slam dunk” to Palin’s “precooked” questions and answers. Gay also sneered, “I know co-hosts. Ms. Sarah Palin, you're no co-host.”
Panelist Judith Miller said, "(Palin) won in the ratings. She beat America's Sweetheart Katie Couric, the woman who had tormented her four years ago by asking tough questions that she couldn't answer."
Monica Crowley agreed. “Well, they say that the best revenge is living well and looking good, to which I want to add, ‘getting killer ratings.’”
In fact, Palin’s ratings were not “killer.” In a post at Media Matters detailing Palin’s underwhelming television ratings in general, Oliver Willis noted that her Today appearance resulted in only a modest increase for the show. Furthermore, even on Fox News, she hasn’t exactly been a ratings goldmine. Willis wrote:
Real American Stories (Palin’s Fox special) had 10% lower ratings than the episode of On The Record with Greta Van Susteren that aired in the same slot the previous week. The special lost 183,000 viewers from its Hannity lead-in.
When Fox announced Palin's hiring, they said she would host "periodic episodes" of Real American Stories. Only one episode has been released since 2010.
But Crowley effused, "She was dynamite. She was funny and smart and on point, and poised and self-effacing. She won a lot of new fans."
Nobody mentioned that Palin is a Fox News contributor and, therefore, their colleague.
Video below via Media Matters.
3/9/20 Update: Video no longer available.
A spokesman says CBS newsman Mike Wallace, famed for his tough interviews on “60 Minutes,” has died. He was 93.
CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco says Wallace died Saturday night.
She was dynamite = if you have retarded expectations
She was funny = though not in any way noticeable
.. and smart = she didn’t use a palm-prompter
.. and on point = as it was all so fuzzy
.. and poised = but not in a healthy way
.. and self-effacing = some goo oozed out of her pores
.. She won a lot of new fans = by Fux’s count
.