CNN's Oliver Darcy Beclowns Self in Latest Fox News Criticism, Bret Baier Swoops in to Finish Him Off

When I think of “fair and balanced journalism”, I think of a news network/outlet that presents both sides of the debate and allows viewers and readers to make up their own minds, rather than the media engaging in one-sided “reporting” and trying to tell their audience what to think.

This apparently is also the mindset of Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier, who on his network yesterday noted that Fox had provided live coverage of three different rallies that were held Tuesday — one featuring President Trump, one featuring Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and one featuring former President Obama, who was stumping on behalf of Biden.

“It’s what we do to cover an important election fairly,” Baier stated on the program. “Fair, balanced, and unafraid. We are seven days from election night. We promise we are going to cover it all fairly and get in the news around the world in between the fast-moving political developments.”

Baier’s remarks seemed to be a response to veiled criticism from Trump about the network covering the Obama event, but the respected longtime Fox News anchor’s comments about covering elections fairly appeared to seriously trigger Brian Stelter’s CNN sidekick Oliver Darcy, who took to the Twitter machine to make the following “professional” observation about how it was supposedly wrong for Fox to give equal time to both campaigns because Trump allegedly lies more or something unlike Obama and Biden (yes, Darcy actually made these claims):

Here's @BretBaier justifying Fox taking Trump's rallies live, by noting the channel also took Obama and Biden live as well. It's classic bothsidesism. Trump uses air time to brazenly lie and spread misinfo, including about the coronavirus. Obama and Biden do not. pic.twitter.com/y2moobL7ET

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 27, 2020

That Darcy would make the absurd claim that Obama and Biden don’t “brazenly lie” nor “spread disinfo” just shows you how much in the tank CNN is at this point for the Biden campaign, and just how low the network has sunk. Not that it’s a surprise, considering their “fact-checker” Daniel Dale’s ridiculous spin on why he views Trump’s statements more critically than Biden’s, but it’s worth pointing out all the same.

Not only that but as my colleague, Bonchie pointed out last night, Obama told numerous whoppers during his Florida speech, whoppers that were so huge that you’d think a news outlet that kept fact-checkers on staff would do their jobs in pointing out the lies.

Plus, Biden lied his you-know-what-off during the last presidential debate, not that anyone who watched CNN religiously would know.

In any event, Baier, being the consummate professional he is, responded to Darcy in a way only a fellow media figure could, pointing out that Fox did what other networks including CNN should have done yesterday (but didn’t) if their goal was to provide balanced coverage from a “we report, you decide” perspective:

Thanks for watching Oliver.. we can always count on you to tune in. Did ALL of the cable nets cover all of those speeches LIVE today? I didn't watch. I assume they did to cover an election fairly. Have a good night. https://t.co/di213xjPdd

— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) October 27, 2020

pic.twitter.com/MkjIgl6fnm

— Maggie’s Kid (@Maggies_Kid) October 27, 2020

But though Baier had nuked him, Darcy continued to nip like a poodle at Baier’s heels, basically proving his point:

This doesn’t address my point, which is that you’re suggesting it’s fair to give equal weight to someone who lies and lies (in addition to spreading misinfo about a public health issue), and others who campaign in the traditional sense.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 27, 2020

OMG. That this “journalist” actually believes 1) that Biden and Obama are “campaigning in the traditional sense” (whatever that means) versus how he claims Trump is campaigning just gives away the whole game for the cast of characters at CNN, doesn’t it?

In addition to Baier, Twitter users let Darcy have it, too:

I think we get into dangerous territory when a reporter demands a news network censors a presidential campaign because he doesn’t like what the candidate is saying. https://t.co/4qVFRdKmKD

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 27, 2020

I'll take @bretbaier and "classic bothsidesism" over "declaring yourself and your network the arbiter of what is true and what the people deserve to hear for themselves." https://t.co/zARYkH7sgA

— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) October 27, 2020

“Here’s Fox News, airing both candidates equally” is quite the endorsement @oliverdarcy pic.twitter.com/4VIOCcKKff

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 27, 2020

CNN's media reporter complaining that Fox's news side won't make special rules for covering Trump like his network has done explains a lot about the current media environment. pic.twitter.com/bfm6K5CsYs

— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) October 27, 2020

Indeed. And none of it good.

By the way, Darcy’s had me blocked for a few months now, but hopefully someone will tag him on Twitter and include a link to my reporting here so he’ll know that blocking me hasn’t stopped me from continuing to analyze his dishonest “coverage” of the election.