Media Matters for America has done good work to bring together samples of some of the nutty, out of touch and hypocritical talk coming from those far to the right of what mainstream Americans really feel. When you look at the names on this list (Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, etc.) you can see just how dumb the comments and the thought behind the comments are when you break it down. The hatred of these individuals on the far right, for President Obama, has clouded their judgement and destroyed any pretense of objectivity related to anything this president does.
Check out some of the foolishness going out on the airwaves.
Hannity: “It seems very close to indoctrination.” During an interview with conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity said on his show that the president’s speech “seems very close to indoctrination.” Malkin replied in part: [T]his is not merely a morale-boosting speech that he’s giving. He’s giving it in the context of his Obamacare plan completely under siege. We know that the left has always used kids in public schools as guinea pigs and as junior lobbyists for their social liberal agenda.” Later, Malkin said Obama will “actually deliver a very innocuous speech. I can guarantee you that. But in these classrooms, which are living laboratories for left-wing activism, what you’re going to get are overzealous teachers, teachers’ union brass who are in the hip pockets of the Democrat Party, urge their kids to write letters, to demonize Obamacare opponents, and to call them opponents of change.” [Fox News' Hannity, 9/2/09]
COMMENT: You expect this kind of stupidity from Hannity and Malkin.
Crowley: “This is what Chairman Mao did.” On Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, host Laura Ingraham said the speech is “just another slick attempt to brand Barack Obama” and that “it’s a message being sent out by the Department of Education with these questions that without a doubt lead to the further branding of Barack Obama as a savior of our school children.” Also during the segment, Fox News commentator Monica Crowley said, “[J]ust when you think that this administration can’t get any more surreal and Orwellian, here he comes to indoctrinate our children,” and, “[T]his is what Chairman Mao did, Laura. This is like Max Headroom, this is going into every single classroom. There is no escape from him.” [Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, 9/2/09]
COMMENT: Chairman Mao … this is so stupid and ignorant of past presidential speeches it’s almost chilling.
Beck connects Mussolini to purported Obama “indoctrination next week.” Discussing a bas-relief supposedly representing Benito Mussolini, Fox News host Glenn Beck said: “Gee, who is having indoctrination next week? Oh, yeah, that’s right, the president, completely unrelated. This represents, at the time this was made, Mussolini. This was Mussolini. By the way, the artist that made this — his son, ironically and tragically died fighting the army of Mussolini years after this was made.” [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 9/2/09]
COMMENT: It’s Glenn Beck … enough said.
Tantaros: “They do this type of thing in North Korea and the former Soviet Union … very cultish.” Fox News contributor Andrea Tantaros responded to host Martha MaCullum’s comparison of the treatment of Ronald Reagan’s funeral and Obama’s inauguration in schools by stating: “This isn’t a historic moment. I mean it’s historic in the sense that it’s unprecedented. They do this type of thing in North Korea and the former Soviet Union.” Tantaros later added: “I would argue it’s a very fine line. You argue it’s propaganda. It seems very cultish, very sort of get in the minds of the kids.” [Fox News' The Live Desk, 9/3/09]
COMMENT: More efforts from the far right to try and portray the President as someone who is an evil dictator. It’s laughable coming off of so much of what we saw from Bush and Cheney.
Fox & Friends hosted parents who plan to “keep kids home” from Obama stay-in-school “indoctrination” speech. On September 3, Fox & Friends hosted two parents who, in the words of host Steve Doocy, “are concerned [Obama's] message is less about education and could be more about teaching the ideals of a liberal presidential administration.” Onscreen text during the segment read: “Education or indoctrination?”[Fox News' Fox & Friends, 9/3/09]
COMMENT: Using words like indoctrination show how idiotic some of these people are and how they are attracted to Fox News like metal to a magnet. Steve Doocy has no credibility.
Fox Nation asked: “Will You Keep Your Kids Home the Day Obama Speaks to Schools?” On September 3, the Fox Nation website featured a headline asking, “Will You Keep Your Kids Home the Day Obama Speaks to Schools?”
COMMENT: Fox Nation is a safe haven for far-right hatred. It’s a place where conservatives can come in and anonymously spew their right-wing hatred as they hide in cowardly fashion behind their anonymity while laughing hateful and often racist rants against President Obama.
