CNN'S HOWARD KURTZ DISCUSSES DOBBS CONTROVERSIES

An interesting discussion that questions whether Dobbs is in it just for ratings and whether his recent shooting incident was distorted for publicity:

Comments

[George Chell]

"Obsessive Dobbs haters like to crow that nobody is watching (less than 1 million). If so, how could he single-handedly be responsible for such a perception (if true)? How is that possible? Or are statements like Geraldo's and campaigns like 'basta dobbs' just intolerance?"

Just like NY 23. Small but significant number of rabble rousers, but not the majority as the results showed.

[Jack]

Wow. John Fund of the anti-borders WSJ called out Carlson for 'mischaracterizing' Lou Dobbs' 'enforce laws we have on the books' position on immigration as 'extreme'. Many of those who label Dobbs' pro-enforcement position 'extremist' seem to believe that law should not be enforced simply because they disagree with it. Now that's radical.

Carlson says 'He takes extreme views in part for ratings'. Are you a psychic, Margaret? She's just speculating but speaks as if she knows something she has no way of knowing. Bad form for a 'journalist'. It would be one thing if 'for ratings' critics to speculate that, as a hot button issue, the *amount* of coverage given to illegal immigration might be in part for ratings but to assume a person who doesn't condone illegal immigration like they do couldn't possibly believe what they say? That can come off a little paranoid and intolerant like Tim Rutten did in his conspiratorial meltdown 'CNN: Corrupt News Network':
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/newsletter/la-et-rutten1dec01,0,4804052.column

Geraldo recently made this charge:

"...and then came back to CNN, and nobody was watching his program. He discovered that one of the ways to get people to watch was to make of the image of a young Latino trying to get into this country a profoundly negative icon. Lou Dobbs is almost single-handedly responsible for creating, for being the architect of the young-Latino-as-scapegoat for everything that ails this country.”

Obsessive Dobbs haters like to crow that nobody is watching (less than 1 million). If so, how could he single-handedly be responsible for such a perception (if true)? How is that possible? Or are statements like Geraldo's and campaigns like 'basta dobbs' just intolerance?

[George Chell]

I think he set up the shooting to elicit sympathy in order to drive his ratings up!