Fox News chairman and C.E.O. Roger Ailes is gearing up for another election season and making sure his disciples, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, continue to play nice.
Fox News’ OG Roger Ailes: Obama’s New BFF?
In a new Newsweek article, Ailes revealed that O’Reilly “hates” Hannity because he’s jealous of his radio success among other things.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Ailes & Russell Simmons: Both Sides Are Wrong
Ailes doesn’t hold back on what he thinks of his on air anchors, from Hannity to Shepard Smith, to the exodus of Glenn Beck.
Ailes has long been known as one of the Godfathers of the political game, ever since he rolled with President Richard Nixon 40 years ago.
In fact, ever since becoming the head of Fox News, many Republican candidates seek his input and know-how on the regular.
Alies wasn’t shy on his beliefs when it came to the Republican Presidential candidates.
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On Mitt Romney:
Turns out Romney wanted to meet with Ailes over dinner and the Fox chief was amused by his sense of humor and told him, “You ought to be looser on the air.”
As for everyone calling Romney “weak” Ailes said:
“‘Weak’ is a word the mainstream press will give to all Republicans always, as a precursor to killing them off…It saddens me. America used to be able to get straight journalism.”
It’s kind of weird Ailes is talking about “straight journalism.”
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On Tim Pawlenty:
Tim Pawlenty wanted a job at Fox News after he dropped out of the race. But Ailes said no and told him it was because “I’m not sure I want to sign you as a paid spokesman for Romney.”
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On Michele Bachmann:
Ailes believes the mainstream media is tagging Bachmann as a “Jesus Freak.”
“The way they’re playing it on the networks is that she’s a Jesus freak.” To her credit her and her husband run a Christian center that have reportedly tried to convert gay men to straight.
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On Rick Perry:
Ailes think Perry is smart, but he’s also right to be suspicious of talking to news organizations, saying:
“They will set a trap for him and ask him who’s the leader of Uzbekistan and run with that for a week.”
The same way George W. Bush was weak on foreign policy.
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On Mayor Michael Bloomberg:
Even though they are friends, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasn’t favored well for Ailes. When Bloomberg proposed a salt band in New York restaurants Ailes said:
“I like Bloomberg, he’s a friend. But fuck him and the salt. I like salt. It’s not his business.”
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What’s Beef?:
Seems as though Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity are always at odds. Ailes knows about the feuding between his two star anchors, saying:
“O’Reilly hates Sean and he hates Rush because they did better in radio than he did.”
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An Eye On Shepard Smith:
Ailes likes to keep an eye on anchor Shepard Smith because at times he will go off script so to speak and occasionally backs aspects of the Obama record:
“Every once in a while Shep Smith gets out there where the buses don’t run and we have a friendly talk.”
