Who's been spiking Shepard Smith's coffee? Last week the Fox News host took down a guest who blamed the media for Obama's victory... and today he goes off on a viewer who writes in to scold him over his views on the potential auto industry bailout. Shep is not amused:
Good for Shepard Smith for telling off the e-mailer and the nitwit last week blaming the 'liberal media' for Obama's win. If the so-called liberal media was always on board for the Democrats, how is it this is only the third time they are taking the White House in the last forty years (well, four if you count Bill Clinton winning twice). Seems the 'liberal media' is not all powerful the way paranoid Republicans think.
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David S.
1:16AM Nov 19th 2008
Shepard Smith is about the only fair and balanced anchor on FOX (well, that has a personality anyway). But good for him for telling off the e-mailer and the nitwit last week for blaming McCain's loss on the so-called "liberal media." I always have to wonder - if the so-called liberal media is always in the tank for the Democrats, why is it they have only won the White House three times in the last 40 years (well four if you count Bill Clinton winning twice). The real truth is sore loser and paranoid Republicans cannot accept the fact that McCain ran a lousy campaign, did not make the case for a third GOP term, and deserved to lose.
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PCL
1:22AM Nov 19th 2008
David S. I agree completely. I can't watch the rest of them over at Fox, but I have always liked Shep.
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CAROLYN
2:27AM Nov 19th 2008
Dear Shepard: I am very proud of you for telling that emailer off on national tv. I know you are a very courageous person because of watching you cover the Katrina thing while it was going on. You go guy. Dont let the jerks get to you. Take care Shepard.
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Gary H
4:30AM Nov 19th 2008
Most of the time I find Shepard Smith to be half-way objective about his comments and news. But, overall the Fox Republican News is a real piece of work. Many of the reporter's and commentator's at Fox are still hung-up on Bill Ayer's. No matter how many times this connection is disproved they are sure that President Elect Barrack Obama is a mole for some communist movement or radical lets blow them up conspiracy. Many Republican's are letting their minds get ahead of the truth, and are ready to file impeachment paper's against Obama right after the inauguration. Why don't you people who loved McCain try and find out why you lost and then do something about it. If the Republican Party continues to act the way they have after this election they may have fewer electoral votes next time around.
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DD8V92
6:20AM Nov 19th 2008
At different times I have taken Shep with a grain of salt. I totally agree with him on this one. What ever happened to "checks and balances"?? Have we not figured it out yet?? You cannot leave some people to their own devices. The auto industry in the US has always been behind on the times. They should have stepped up to the plate years ago by making a Fuel efficiant-quality product. Now it is biting them in the butt. Since when is it the Governments job to clean up the mess of Corporate America?? How many more will step in line for "Bailout" money?? There needs to be more accountability. How many Execs are willing to do what Lee Iaacoca did when he ran Chrysler?? dropping his salary to One Dollar untill they were back on their feet??
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Allie
6:34AM Nov 19th 2008
Go Shep! I want to know why the only budget that has to be balanced is mine? I work for a living, I pay my bills, I try to not get in over my head... do I get rewards or bail outs? NO. Kill the unions, they are distroying this country. We can't afford them any more!
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bob
7:01AM Nov 19th 2008
How many Execs are willing to do what Lee Iaacoca did when he ran Chrysler?? dropping his salary to One Dollar untill they were back on their feet??
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Just for the record, Chrysler got a hefty government "bailout" while Iaacoca was in charge.
The "Big Three" have been primarily selling in the US Market. Our gas prices for the most part have been considerably lower than those in most other developed nations. Demand, until recently, has not been for fuel efficient vehicles. Ford is the only one with a relatively sizable presence in Europe. Over there one of the cars they market is a 60 MPG diesel. Due to restrictions in this country, it's not feasible for them to bring it over here.
So they have been building to the market here for the most part. Their quality is much better than it was, say, 20 years ago. Other foreign based manufacturers have been building to sell in markets with higher gas prices for years.
In addition, foreign manufacturers who have set up non-union plants here have an average labor cost of approximately $40.00/hour (wage and benefits). The Big 3 have an average labor cost of approximately $80.00 (wage, benefits and pensions for retired employees)
You can't retool 3 behemoths to react to a change in demand from low MPG SUVs, sedans and pickup trucks to fuel efficient smaller vehicles in a matter of 18 months or so. You can't expect them to continue to compete with labor costs that are double those of their competitors.
So you have a choice I guess. Bail them out in an attempt to get them through the short term. Or let them go bankrupt, which might possibly allow them to survive under reorganization, eliminate the drain of those union contracts and restructure the business model in a more efficient fashion.
Neither option is appealing. Neither is guaranteed to work. Only one will have any long term effects.
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Voice of Reason
7:17AM Nov 19th 2008
if they cleaned down to the bone...Shep would be the only guy left...
his opinion is not completely informed, but it is his
now ...for anyone that watched the entire vid...
hard line ideology is going to be the end of us...
tell me how is it better to outsource more American jobs?
will We have everything built outside the USA?
Asheville, Japan...that is where your tanks & cars will be built...
and forget ever using the industry for R&D to develop those American made cars of the future
tell me Mr. Hardline Ideology...if We are to actually have manufacturing in THIS country creating NEW exports to be sold in order to grow again without the auto industry...how?
you can't get there from here using your map
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CAROLYN
7:47AM Nov 19th 2008
Dear Shepard: Long time viewer here. Im very proud of you for telling the emailer off on national tv. I watched you cover the Katrina thing and know you are very courageous. Dont let these jerks get to you. Take care Shepard.
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M2D5
7:51AM Nov 19th 2008
Just for the record, Chrysler got a hefty government "bailout" while Iaacoca was in charge.
One BIG difference, Chrysler stock was down to about $5 a share. Iacocca and his team came up with the "K" cars that were extremely popular and very affordable for everyone. They then proceeded to create the first the mini-van. Which was an instant hit and sales of those took off. Also that min-van concept was copied by "every" auto maker world wide. Then the unions did "give backs" to help the company's cost to build cars. Lastly, Chrysler, I believe, paid the loan off in full, way ahead of schedule . Oh, yes Chrysler stock was around $35 a shared by then. Do not expect any of the current management at these companies to be able to achieve similar results. They are managers, Iaccoca was a "leader". Bailouts will work but only if the one being helped is competent enough.
these bankruptcy pushers - choose to ignore public opinion- are the same guys that lost many on their side in this last election...
what does public opinion mean to them...
voters/consumers/viewers/readers/listeners are one in the same...
listen to the RIGHT people
not on the right
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Voice of Reason
8:10AM Nov 19th 2008
groups...as you guys set up grass roots connection groups...
troll check first prior to finalizing....make sure there is a mechanism to remove trolls later from group lists without affecting the chains...Yes We Can...keep growing
Floridians...see what you can do on your end...may be tough there, but worth the college try
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M2D5
8:17AM Nov 19th 2008
Voice of Reason7:55AMNov 19th 2008 Why is this a "political" thing on your part? I can understand you're wanting to help your membership. However, the status quo does not work anymore. Management has to face the cold reality of that fact. You want to give them tax payer money, fine, but have so many strings that both management and labor will prefer to take the money only once and use it wisely. Though I doubt seriously that their own self interest will permit that. That goes for both sides , labor and management.
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bob
8:18AM Nov 19th 2008
Lastly, Chrysler, I believe, paid the loan off in full, way ahead of schedule .
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Chrysler negotiated some deals with local governments as well. In our state, they got tax benefits and assistance in retooling an old American Motors plant that they got when they bought that company out (essentially to get the Jeep brand). Eventually they shut those plants down, with the exception of a small engine plant. There were no loans involved, so it was a lost investment on our state's part, essentially.
Iaacoca did what he had to do to save his company. Not everything he did was of benefit to the communities in which there were Chrysler plants. But the company did survive. It's interesting that he's become a bit of a folk hero to even folks who don't regularly look favorably on other big businesses that have gone down the same road as he.
I doubt the people who say we MUST bailout Detroit would take kindly to dumping a lot of money into these companies, only to find out that their local plant is going to close down anyways. Then again, they've been conditioned to believe that the solution to every problem is to throw more money at it. Even when years of evidence suggests exactly the opposite.
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nick
9:39AM Nov 19th 2008
Shepard Smith is like CRIS WEBER the both of them should be doing game shows or get jobs on the VIEW.
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PCL
1:52PM Nov 19th 2008
CAROLYN7:47AMNov 19th 2008
Dear Shepard: Long time viewer here. Im very proud of you for telling the emailer off on national tv. I watched you cover the Katrina thing and know you are very courageous. Dont let these jerks get to you. Take care Shepard. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Katrina debacle is when Shepard Smith caught my attention as well. Between him and CNN's Anderson Cooper, I would be hard pressed to pick which one was my favorite. They both seemed to have more compassion for the victims of Katrina than our own government did.
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Marsha Bailey
2:37PM Nov 20th 2008
Of course we want to keep manufacturing jobs in the U.S., but if the unions are going to insist on ridiculously high wages and benefits only to produce substandard products and workmanship, failure is insured.