Outfoxed smears Fox News Washington correspondent Carl Cameron, claiming in a voiceover that “It was well known in the summer of 2000 that Fox’s lead political correspondent covering the Bush campaign, that his wife was campaigning for Bush”, however the film provides dubious evidence of this, and Bowling For Truth has been unable to find evidence of this allegation.
VIDEO OF CAMERON AND BUSH FAILS TO CONFIRM THE ALLEGATION MADE BY THE VOICEOVER
Outfoxed uses the distortion technique of telling the viewer what they are about to see so they may watch it through the filter of their set up. In fact, despite the implication by Outfoxed that the video shows Carl Cameron mentioning that his wife campaigned for Bush, no such statement in made. Instead, Cameron mentions that his wife had been spending time with Dorothy Bush, the Governor Bush’s sister, and that Dorothy had been campaigning for Bush-Cheney. Outfoxed inserts the unsupported claim that Carl Cameron’s wife Pauline was “known” to be campaigning for Bush right before footage showing Cameron chatting with Bush off-air mentioning Pauline’s friendly association with Dorothy Bush.
CAMERON: My wife has been hanging out with your sister [Dorothy “Doro” Bush].
BUSH: Yeah good. My county…
CAMERON: Dorothy has been all over the state campaigning and Pauline’s been constantly with her.
Outfoxed provides no context for these statements so the viewer is tricked into going along with the false setup (that Cameron’s wife was the one campaigning).
The exchange states that Dorothy Bush has been “campaigning” for her brother and Carls wife Pauline Cameron has been “hanging out” with Dorothy and “constantly with her”. At no time does either man make any statement of Pauline Cameron working for the Bush-Cheney campaign.
BUSH: Yeah, Doro’s a good person.
CAMERON: Oh, she’s been terrific. I mean, to hear Pauline tell it. When she first started campaigning for you, she was a little bit nervous.
Cameron says “[Dorothy Bush, has] been terrific” according to his wife Pauline (“I mean, to hear Pauline tell it”). So who is the “she” who was nervous “when she first started campaigning for you”? Who is the only person either Cameron or Bush said was campaigning? Dorothy Bush.
BUSH: She’s getting her stride.
CAMERON: Now she’s up there. She doesn’t need notes. She’s going to crowds and she’s got the whole riff down.
BUSH: She’s a good soul.
By not explaining who Dorothy and Pauline are and each’s relation to Bush and Cameron respectively, Outfoxed tricks the viewer into hearing what they want them to hear instead of what was actually said.
A PREMISE FOUNDED ON A FALLACY
Despite lack of evidence and ignoring Outfoxed’s dishonest portrayal of of the Cameron/Bush exchange; if one were to assume that Carl Cameron’s wife did have some level of involvement with the Bush-Cheney campaign, it is a fallacy to conclude that this alone is proof of bias.
Outfoxed never addresses the fallacy behind their claim and makes no attempt to argue exactly why having a spouse that favors a political candidate says anything about the other spouse.
Mary Matlin and James Carville worked on President H.W. Bush’s and Bill Clintons campaign respectively and remain opposite partisans today – something that is impossible according to Outfoxed antiquated claim that a wife must mirror her husbands opinions.
Outfoxed not only makes the baseless accusation that Carl Cameron’s wife had an involvement with the Bush campaign, but asks the viewer to then assume that Mrs Camerons political opinions must automatically be the same as her husbands.
IF CAMERON PROVES PRO-REPUBLICAN BIAS, VAN SUSTEREN PROVES MORE EGREGIOUS PRO-DEMOCRAT BIAS
Outfoxed ignores the fact that during the 2004 campaign, Fox News host Greta Van Susteren provided far more hours of political and election coverage for Fox News than Cameron despite being married to John Kerry’s top fundraiser.
Van Susterens husband John Coal was a prominent Clinton supporter throughout the 90s and has given tens of thousands of dollars in donations to Democrats over the years.
In 2006, Van Susteren’s sister, Lise was a Democrat candidate in the primary for the nomination of the party to the U.S. Senate.
Thus, Outfoxed’s logic actually argues against the intended thesis: Fox News’ use of Van Susteren proves a left wing bias at Fox News.