Lou Dobbs is a moron

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Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby lightstalker » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:57 pm

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer – Mon Aug 3, 6:46 am ET

NEW YORK – He's become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network's "no bias" brand. And on top of all that, his ratings are slipping.

How does Lou Dobbs keep his job?

It's not a simple answer. CNN insists it is standing behind Dobbs, despite calls for his head from critics of his reporting on "birthers" — those who believe President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States despite convincing evidence to the contrary. The "birthers" believe Obama was born in Kenya, and thus not eligible to be president.

Dobbs' work has been so unpopular that even Ann Coulter has criticized him.

Dobbs has acknowledged that he believes Obama was born in Hawaii. But he gives airtime to disbelievers, and has said the president should try to put questions fully to rest by releasing a long version of his birth certificate. He's twice done stories on his show after the public leak of a memo from CNN U.S. President Jon Klein saying that "it seems this story is dead."

Klein said those stories were OK because they were about the controversy and weren't actually questioning the facts. But critics suggest Klein is parsing words, that even raising the issue lends it credence.

Joked The Washington Post's Lisa de Moraes: it "explains their upcoming documentary: `The World: Flat. We Report — You Decide.'"

Dobbs hasn't made it any easier by using his radio show to fight back at critics, who he called "limp-minded, lily-livered lefty lemmings." He considered going on CNN tormentor Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show to thank him (O'Reilly says the birthers are wrong, but he defended Dobbs' right to talk about it).

"He's embarrassed himself and he's embarrassed CNN," said Brooks Jackson, a former CNN correspondent. "And that's not a good thing for any network that wants to be seen as a reputable, nonpartisan news organization."

So who needs the headache?

Klein said Dobbs does a smart newscast that explores issues that get little in-depth attention elsewhere, such as trade with China, health care funding and the stimulus plan. He suggested Dobbs' CNN work is unfairly lumped in with his unrelated radio show, and that he's judged on the show he did a couple of years ago, when Dobbs became a political target for his campaigning against illegal immigration.

The two men sat down after last year's election to make changes, aware that the anti-immigrant Dobbs' image ran counter to the brand CNN was trying to create. CNN calls itself the network of unbiased reporting compared to conservative commentators on Fox and liberal ones at MSNBC.

Since then, Dobbs has been doing a relatively straight newscast, Klein said.

"He brings more than three decades of experience reporting and broadcasting the news," Klein said, "and that's very valuable to a news network."

Through a spokeswoman, Dobbs said he would not comment for this story. But he is a CNN original. Except for a two-year break a decade ago, he's been with CNN virtually from the network's beginning. Much of that time was spent anchoring a business newscast that made him hugely influential in the business community and immensely valuable to CNN. Old-timers say the desire of advertisers to be connected with Dobbs and Larry King essentially funded the network for years.

Dobbs is considered among the smartest people at CNN, and also the most personally intimidating. For whatever reason — the rise of CNBC as a competitor or a sense that opinionated hosts were the future for cable news — Dobbs morphed from a business anchor to a polarizing populist.

That version of Dobbs seemed better suited for HLN, formerly CNN Headline News, which has an opinionated prime-time lineup led by Nancy Grace. But reruns of Dobbs' show didn't do well on HLN, which is more female oriented. Klein said he and Dobbs determined Dobbs was more valuable as a reporter than as a commentator.

The 861,000 people who tune into his 7 p.m. ET newscast on a typical night are down 20 percent from last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. He's still ahead of MSNBC's Chris Matthews in that hour.

"It's very cutthroat," said Janet Keefer, a Drake University journalism professor and former CNN producer. "As long as he isn't doing anything that's driving viewers away, they'll keep him."

Fear could be another factor keeping Dobbs and CNN together.

Dobbs has never been shy about fighting for his point of view. His feud with former CNN chief Rick Kaplan spilled out on the air in 1999 when he objected to having his "Moneyline" show pre-empted for a speech by President Clinton about the Columbine school shootings. "CNN President Rick Kaplan wants us to return to Littleton," he said. Dobbs soon left CNN and returned after Kaplan left.

With Dobbs hosting his own weekday radio show, the thought of him launching anti-CNN missiles every day has to be disconcerting.

It's also not hard to imagine Fox News chief Roger Ailes coveting Dobbs as a prize for his struggling business news network, offering reports to the main news channel as well.

Organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and Media Matters for America have called for CNN to take Dobbs off the air; he's proven a galvanizing and attention-getting force for his critics. At CNN, they're hoping the controversy dies down with the heat of August.

For that, they'll need Lou Dobbs' help.

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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby Q » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:50 am

True or not, it's a story that has garnered national interest. Seems to me he's reporting on what is news.

Unless it's now up to the media and journalists to decide what is, or isn't, news.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby lightstalker » Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:46 am

Its mainly due to the fact that he actually advertises himself as an "unbiased reporter" that undermines his credibility
As for the birth certificate issue - Dobb's has made his point. Its not wise to try to continually hack a "story" without something other than a rumor to go on.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby Q » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:47 pm

I'm merely playing Devil's Advocate as admittedly, I haven't watched much US news as of late.

I will say this about Lou though... He's (from my view) been extremely middle of the road in the past. He started calling bullshit on Iraq for example (from an unbiased point of view), long before anyone else did.

And if you are looking for unbiased news from the US media..left or right....good luck with that.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby lightstalker » Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:27 pm

Q wrote:I'm merely playing Devil's Advocate as admittedly, I haven't watched much US news as of late.

I will say this about Lou though... He's (from my view) been extremely middle of the road in the past. He started calling bullshit on Iraq for example (from an unbiased point of view), long before anyone else did.

And if you are looking for unbiased news from the US media..left or right....good luck with that.


It dont exist ;)
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby seeker » Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:54 am

it's odd, i was always astounded at the immense amount of airtime George Noory gave the "birthers" prior to the election - even prior to his nomination...

there was a group of these "birthers" , led by a rep of the PA lawyer who was trying to have the case heard, present at Grant Park on the night of the election...i was certain they were going to get their heads ripped off.

I was also surprised to see a number of 'Infowars.com' tees, also...
Maybe some clever line selected from the 'This Will Destroy That' chapter from Victor Hugo's 'Notre Dame de Paris' perhaps? (Ch II). Or maybe something from The Mighty Boosh.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby Q » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:40 pm

seeker wrote:it's odd, i was always astounded at the immense amount of airtime George Noory gave the "birthers" prior to the election - even prior to his nomination....



You are astounded that a show that has always focused on conspiracies gave airtime to one? What's next, you are going to be shocked they had commercials for the y2k ass-purse or the Peenman Enterprises laser beam??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRqXD2tm ... re=related
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby friendlyskies » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:30 am

Lou Dobbs wrote:limp-minded, lily-livered lefty lemmings


Not quite "nattering naybobs of negativity," but close. I sometimes wonder if the "birthers" aren't actually agent provacateurs. Not the followers - those are just people so blinded by [fill in the blank] that they don't realize how ridiculous this looks. But look at the main players - Orly Taintz is like the sale rack version of Zha Zha Gabor, Lou Dobbs is only a recent convert to fire-breathing populist conservatism, the Kenyan birth certificate was a sloppier job than a high school prank. Hmmmmm....
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby seeker » Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:25 am

Q wrote:
seeker wrote:it's odd, i was always astounded at the immense amount of airtime George Noory gave the "birthers" prior to the election - even prior to his nomination....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRqXD2tm ... re=related



thanks for the Phil Hendrie reminder...I used to produce the Canadian feed of that until his first retirement...and then did a 5 month "the best of phil hendrie' 4 hour show every saturday for CKTB....oh was it fun going through 15 years of my Hendrie archives...i JUST listened to the "interview with Ted Williams head" bit...

too bad his return show on talk radio network is more Hannity and Mancow than Lenny Bruce and Jerky Boys. bummer.
Maybe some clever line selected from the 'This Will Destroy That' chapter from Victor Hugo's 'Notre Dame de Paris' perhaps? (Ch II). Or maybe something from The Mighty Boosh.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby Q » Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:36 pm

seeker wrote:
thanks for the Phil Hendrie reminder...I used to produce the Canadian feed of that until his first retirement...and then did a 5 month "the best of phil hendrie' 4 hour show every saturday for CKTB....oh was it fun going through 15 years of my Hendrie archives...i JUST listened to the "interview with Ted Williams head" bit...

too bad his return show on talk radio network is more Hannity and Mancow than Lenny Bruce and Jerky Boys. bummer.



Yes, I too was saddend that he turned to politics. Oh well, I have an iPod full of his old shows. Comedy gold.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby seeker » Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:10 am

this is OT - but this Onion vid reminds me of Herb Sewell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0nnU71ggro

oh btw - at the RNC last year, I never saw so many Lloyd Bonafides in one place...and i'm certain i spotted Bobbie Dooley at a Nancy Pelosi speaking engagement (she had the bannana yellow pantsuit on)

Q wrote:
seeker wrote:
thanks for the Phil Hendrie reminder...I used to produce the Canadian feed of that until his first retirement...and then did a 5 month "the best of phil hendrie' 4 hour show every saturday for CKTB....oh was it fun going through 15 years of my Hendrie archives...i JUST listened to the "interview with Ted Williams head" bit...

too bad his return show on talk radio network is more Hannity and Mancow than Lenny Bruce and Jerky Boys. bummer.



Yes, I too was saddend that he turned to politics. Oh well, I have an iPod full of his old shows. Comedy gold.
Maybe some clever line selected from the 'This Will Destroy That' chapter from Victor Hugo's 'Notre Dame de Paris' perhaps? (Ch II). Or maybe something from The Mighty Boosh.
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Re: Lou Dobbs is a moron

Postby Q » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:11 pm

seeker wrote:this is OT - but this Onion vid reminds me of Herb Sewell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0nnU71ggro

oh btw - at the RNC last year, I never saw so many Lloyd Bonafides in one place...and i'm certain i spotted Bobbie Dooley at a Nancy Pelosi speaking engagement (she had the bannana yellow pantsuit on)



Lloyd was always good for a laugh, and Bobbie had her moments..But the absolute King of the show was R.C. Collins. Both in his goth (Barnabus Collins) and cadet days....

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