Tucker is out apparently

[Benjamin Cole]

Just now, Matt Allison said:

And that would be a comically delusional notion; wishful thinking by GOP devotees.

I am not a GOP devotee. That is what many lawyers said; the case was up in the air. 

[Benjamin Cole]

2 minutes ago, Bob Ness said:

Please. It was so weak they flipped 3/4 a bil? I'd find new lawyers.

It does seem odd. 

[Matt Allison]

Just now, Benjamin Cole said:

That is what many lawyers said; the case was up in the air. 

And these unnamed lawyers you cite were comically delusional GOP devotees if they proffered such a ridiculous take.

[Benjamin Cole]

1 minute ago, Matt Allison said:

And these unnamed lawyers you cite were comically delusional GOP devotees if they proffered such a ridiculous take.

Matt--

Do you have a law degree, and have you practiced libel law? 

[Paul Brancato]

2 hours ago, John Cotter said:

It seems that the main reason Fox News fired Tucker Carlson is that tweets by him saying he despised Donald Trump had been discovered in the course of legal proceedings, and that Fox News’ most prominent TV host couldn’t be seen to be so negatively disposed towards the Republicans’ leading presidential candidate.

That screws up the simplistic narrative of the anti-Carlson fanatics who are celebrating his axing. Ironically, the reason for the celebration is that he is probably the most incisive and articulate TV host in US mainstream media.

It’s classic “shooting the messenger” cancel culture which has been destroying western so-called democracy. Denying reality is not going to change reality – the reality that unipolar US global dominance is being inexorably supplanted by a multipolar geopolitical order.

The sooner US jingoistic imperialists wake up to this reality, the better it will be for all of us.

I mostly agree with John’s analysis. I’m focused on finding common ground with people. That doesn’t mean I can’t vehemently disagree with them at times, just that I’m looking for what we can agree on first. Cancel culture is destructive because it often reduces people to a sound bite or an out of context statement, and it’s media driven. I’m visiting my relatives in a few days, and I think they are all wonderful, though disagreements abound. I feel similarly with neighbors, and fellow posters. I see Matthew Koch is back, and I sincerely hope we can bury our hatchets and listen to one another. 
Getting back to Tucker Carlson, I am not willing to condemn him to purgatory for past sins, of which there are in my opinion many. I won’t prejudge where he goes from here, don’t know his transformational arc in life, would rather trust my own judgement than criticize his, would in fact be curious what his beliefs actually are, and that goes for any and all media personalities and pundits.
Censorship is a huge problem, and RFK Jr is taking direct aim at this through his recent lawsuits. We cannot censor free speech as a way to deal with the effects on an undereducated populace of pundits who tell falsehoods, nor trust the censors - governments, social media companies, corporations, Big Brother - to be judges. And if we come into a debate about what is true or false, we need to approach first with humility and kindness. One does not have to let go of ones core beliefs in order to do this. We all search for truth. Political, religious, social, racial divisions are destructive when they are absolute.

[Matt Allison]

Just now, Benjamin Cole said:

Matt--

Do you have a law degree, and have you practiced libel law? 

Well, you know the answer to that is no, but I know what the bar is for actual malice, and Fox jumped right over it and just kept running.

You don't pay out 3/4 of a BILLION dollars if you've got a strong case and a chance of winning.

I don't need a law degree to understand that, Ben, and neither do you.

[Paul Brancato]

23 minutes ago, David Andrews said:

Why can't we live together?

 

Or Rodney King - “Can we all get along?”

[Benjamin Cole]

Just now, Matt Allison said:

Well, you know the answer to that is no, but I know what the bar is for actual malice, and Fox jumped right over it and just kept running.

You don't pay out 3/4 of a BILLION dollars if you've got a strong case and a chance of winning.

I don't need a law degree to understand that, Ben, and neither do you.

As a layman, I am earnestly surprised Fox rolled over.  There may be more to the story. 

 

[Matt Allison]

 

Just to add some factual context to the conjecture from his fans here, let's watch Tucker in his own words demonstrate why he's no longer on the air:

 

 

[W. Niederhut]

16 minutes ago, Matt Allison said:

 

Just to add some factual context to the conjecture from his fans here, let's watch Tucker in his own words demonstrate why he's no longer on the air:

 

 

Matt,

    Thanks for sharing these clips of the man John Cotter just called, "probably the most incisive and articulate T.V. host in the U.S. mainstream media." 🤣

     I needed a good laugh today, and John Cotter's Irish wit provided one.

Edited April 25, 2023 by W. Niederhut

[Bob Ness]

33 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

I am not a GOP devotee. That is what many lawyers said; the case was up in the air. 

It wasn't. The judge denied their requests for summary judgements on at least two issues. 

1. Fox knew it was broadcasting false information. Fact.
2. Because Fox refused to allow airing of responses by Dominion or government experts refuting the false claims, their claim of "newsworthy reportage" fails.

Defamation is not protected speech. The entire "stolen election" gag is a con job cooked up years ago by Trump to fleece the gullible. He's still doing it and I heartly think people should mail their grandkid's college money to them right away, as I suggested to Wheeler years ago. I'm not suggesting you're a mark but I do suspect Trump is a grifter and most of his celebrity followers were just joining the race to easy cash.

Edited April 25, 2023 by Bob Ness

[John Cotter]

43 minutes ago, W. Niederhut said:

Matt,

    Thanks for sharing these clips of the man John Cotter just called, "probably the most incisive and articulate T.V. host in the U.S. mainstream media." 🤣

     I needed a good laugh today, and John Cotter's Irish wit provided one.

Matt and William consider a hodgepodge of cherry-picked soundbites cobbled together by a political fellow traveller to be an accurate portrayal of someone they hate with the venom of a rabid dog.

To make matters worse, William omitted a key word in the purported verbatim quotation he ascribed to me.

That’s how demented the Punch and Judy show of US mainstream politics has become.

Well done, lads.

PS. I note that by the time I submitted the above, William had apparently amended his post to include the word he had omitted, namely, “U.S”.

________________________

Edited April 25, 2023 by John Cotter

[Benjamin Cole]

Dershowitz has become a lonely voice...but another point of view. 

[W. Niederhut]

7 minutes ago, John Cotter said:

Matt and William consider a pastiche of cherry-picked soundbites cobbled together by a political fellow traveller to be an accurate portrayal of someone they hate with the venom of a rabid dog.

To make matters worse, William omitted a key word in the purported verbatim quotation he ascribed to me.

That’s how demented the Punch and Judy show of US mainstream politics has become.

Well done, lads.

For lads like John Cotter, who still don't seem to realize that Tucker Carlson has been telling outrageous lies on Fox television for years, here's a link to Politifact's catalogue of Carlson flamers.  Worth reading.

Fact-checks | PolitiFact

Among the most outrageous were Carlson's repeated lies promoting Trump's Stop-the-Steal hoax, and his persistent denial that Trump had orchestrated and incited the violent J6 mob attack on the U.S. Congress, for the purpose of blocking the certification of Biden's election.

Carlson has also told a lot of flamers about the COVID pandemic and vaccines.

No wonder anti-vaxxer John Cotter views Carlson as "incisive."  😬

[John Cotter]

27 minutes ago, W. Niederhut said:

For lads like John Cotter, who still don't seem to realize that Tucker Carlson has been telling outrageous lies on Fox television for years, here's a link to Politifact's catalogue of Carlson flamers.  Worth reading.

Fact-checks | PolitiFact

Among the most outrageous were Carlson's repeated lies promoting Trump's Stop-the-Steal hoax, and his persistent denial that Trump had orchestrated and incited the violent J6 mob attack on the U.S. Congress, for the purpose of blocking the certification of Biden's election.

Carlson has also told a lot of flamers about the COVID pandemic and vaccines.

No wonder anti-vaxxer John Cotter views Carlson as "incisive."  😬

William,

Thank you for further illustrating my point.

In view of the irrationally vitriolic import the term has acquired in the covid-related culture war – to the extent that it is a largely meaningless term of abuse – I take particular exception to being called an “anti-vaxxer”.

In the context of this discussion, it is a blatantly gratuitous and irrelevant ad hominem.

Therefore, I request that you delete this post, and I am also reporting it in accordance with the forum rules.

Also, since this is not the first time you have crossed the line with me, as acknowledged by the moderators, I submit that some form of sanction by the moderators is warranted.