by Mark Silva
Joe Trippi, who served as campaign manager for Howard Dean's unique bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has signed on for a new ride: FOX News contributor.
The Swamp has learned that the indefatigable Democrat will join the lineup of commentators on call for political analysis at the No. 1 cable news network. Trippi will help FOX ring in the new year, the Swamp hears, starting as an on-air contributor on Jan. 1.
Trippi's work at FOX should help broaden the political spectrum of commentary at a network known primarily for conservative points of view -- just as Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan has made an inroad for Republicans at MSNBC and Republican media ace Alex Castellanos has staked an anchor at CNN's news desks.
FOX already showcases Geraldine Ferraro, the Democratic candidate for vice president on Walter Mondale's ticket, and Bob Beckel, who managed Mondale's 1984 campaign. NPR-trained Juan Williams and Mara Liasson have played ball at FOX. And FOX's Democratic contributors in the past have included Hillary Clnton manager Howard Wolfson and former Rep. Harold Ford of Tennessee.
Neither CNN nor MSNBC, however, has attracted the sort of cable news audience that FOX News has gained, No. 1 for some time now. And, heading into a midterm congressional election year in which Republicans have gained new footing among voters, the debate should get pretty lively over at FOX.
Trippi (pictured above in an AP photo from the Dean campaign days) pioneered the art of Internet political fundraising and grassroot organization -- "Raising the bat'' for the Dean team when the firebrand former governor of Vermont needed campaign cash during 2003 and into the early 2004 party primaries -- a tool that Democrat Barack Obama employed with record results in his bid for the 2008 nomination.
Dean, a physician, also was talking about health-care reform well before other Democrats were. And Dean, who went on to serve as Democratic National Committee chairman, remains one of the most vocal advocates of a liberal health-reform policy that appears to be eluding the Obama White House as Senate leaders concede to moderates and conservatives within the party in a bid to hold 60 votes for a health-care bill.
We remember Trippi holding court at the Hotel Fort Des Moines in the heyday of Dean's campaign for the Democratic nomination.
We also remember his sudden, sinking recognition that a lot of those people whom Dean's army of young volunteers were courting door to door in Iowa, voicing support for the doctor, had never taken part in Iowa caucuses before. And we well remember the "scream heard 'round the world'' that primary night at the Fort when Dean realized that he had lost the caucuses to Sen. John Kerry but vowed to fight on.
That was the end of the campaign road for Dean.
FOX holds a new road for the campaign manager.
Comments
DON'T DO IT, JOE!
FOX IS NOTHING BUT RIGHT WING PROPAGANDA AND LIES!
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Posted by: Planet Wingnuttia | December 17, 2009 5:05 PM
Can't understand why Joe Trippi would want to be associated with liars at ClusterFox.
The Wingnuts love Faux because it's all pretty colors, flashing lights and waving flags. That's all they need.
But on serious note, I think they like it because it's not too mentally taxing. They don't have to actually absorb the information, take the time to parse out the positions of both sides and come to a conclusion.
It's like shorthand news: 'black' vs. 'white', 'up vs 'down' is really easy to understand, and get upset about, if needs be. In the Wingnuts uninformed, one "news" source based bizarro reality, they're arguments all end with - "cause we say so".
Posted by: B Mobbie | December 17, 2009 5:11 PM
Don't worry, Faux will 'fair and balance' this out by hiring that hatemonger Lou Dobbs. You watch.
Stupid Republicans don't know the difference between popularity and accuracy. To the idiot Republicans, whoever screams the loudest and has the last word is right.
Posted by: Franz | December 17, 2009 5:15 PM
The emails at the heart of SwiftHack were obtained from the Climatic Research Unit of a British university, and the basic conclusions of that university's work have been independently corroborated by three sets of American and Japanese researchers. So these phony Republican "complaints" amount to what they usually do - crap
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http://enviroknow.com/2009/11/25/climategate-the-swifthack-scandal-what-you-need-to-know/
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Posted by: B Mobbie | December 17, 2009 5:18 PM
SPEAKING OF FAUX NEWS...
THIS RECENT SNL BIT IS SO FUNNY.....AND TRUE!!!!
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http://tpmtv.talkingpointsmemo.com/tag/joe+trippi
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Posted by: Free To Watch Whatever I Want | December 17, 2009 5:23 PM
I give Joe three days on the job at Fixed News Channel before Bill-O, Seany H and Crazy Glenn Beck call for his mic to be cut off permanently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkFU4MtubU
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Posted by: Lithium | December 17, 2009 5:30 PM
Boy, the deranged, demented, delirious, sick act known as the Loony left is really foaming at the mouth over this news. Joe Trippi will now be persona non gratta with the loons on the Left. But us conservatives will accept Joe at Fox News with open arms. Just more proof that when it comes to varied debate, FOX has MSNBC and CNN beat all day long.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 17, 2009 6:01 PM
Right on, John D. . . .
Posted by: Thank God I'm Conservative | December 17, 2009 6:55 PM
So much for the "inclusiveness", "diversity", and "open mindedness" of the Loony Lefties. As long as you agree with them . . . or only if you agree with them. Welcome to the two-face world of the modern liberal!!!!!
Posted by: Thank God I'm Conservative | December 17, 2009 7:00 PM
Trippi, Ferraro, Williams, etc. are on Fox for one reason... they really don't like what has happened to the party of the left and what it has been hijack by... Socialist. They might be left of center, but they are no socialist. Many left of centers are now being pushed to the center by the 20% of the Democrat party.
Posted by: MAJMark | December 17, 2009 7:13 PM
You liberals are too funny. Complain about Fox news all you want. They beat the pants off of PMSNBC and CNN both of which are more biased than any channel, well except NBC, CBS and ABC.
To the "other" Free to Watch: have you no understanding of the word IRONIC????
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | December 17, 2009 10:11 PM
" MAJMark ", I don't know how it happened, but you seem to have it right, this time. Please keep in mind, that the operative word, " seem ", is very much in play. Your premise is on shaky grounds though. Your so-called " Party of the Left ", the Democratic Party, has really not been taken over by the SOCIALISTS, not any more then the Republican-Libertarians Party has been taken over by TERRORISTS, given your daily " terrorizing " of our seniors, our sick, the infirm, the uninsured and the under-insured, with your daily dosage of lies and scare tactics, concerning our Healthcare Reform proposals. That is why there are only 27% self-identified Republicans that proudly proclaim their allegiance to the Republican agenda !! That is in contrast to the 36% of the self-identified Democrats. So, if I were you, "MAJMark", I would suggest that your Republican-Libertarian Party try a different approach, less scare tactics and more honest facts, that are not of your own creation !! Voters appreciate when they are not lied to and intimidated !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 18, 2009 9:14 AM
So, here is Fox, brining in a leading liberal as a contributor, and rather that cheer the appearance of this guy, libs are whining!
Is this because Liberals like to hear only the LIBERAL side of every issue?
Clearly the Tribune fears any conservative views, so it is not surprising that just the signing of another liberal to Fox is "news".
Posted by: Dan C | December 18, 2009 10:02 AM
My goodness...such vituperation about a news channel. You should all be happy that there is such vigorous debate. Unless, of course, you do not wish that kind of debate.
Fox is undoubtedly opposed to the Obama/"progressive" regime but what is wrong with that? Hey, this is America. Ideas like everything else here must compete and the strongest survive.
2010 elections are not that far off and it won't be long before we see how "hope and change" sit with the American electorate.
Posted by: Five Rings | December 18, 2009 10:06 AM
The Swamp censored my earlier comment showing how The Swamp is much more politically biased than Fox.
Having learned my lesson, I'll just say what The Swamp allows me to say: The Swamp is wonderful, Obama's great, and Mark Silva is the next E. J. Dionne ...
Posted by: Not censored this time | December 18, 2009 3:15 PM
You FauxFans are funny. Yes, Faux is the number one news channel, but do you know how many people watch it's most popular programming? 3-3.5 million. That is 1% of the American public. Get a grip, people. Faux is not the cultural force wingers would like to claim.
And as for debate? On Faux? Are you kidding me? There is no debate on Faux, you lemmings. It is extreme rightwing talking points 24/7. It is part of the Wingnut Echo Chamber. Its' objective isn't to inform it is to confuse and to misinform in the name of balance.
For more reasonable folks here, you have to remember that to the wingers any news source that isn't demonstratively conservative is considered biased. Only conservative commentators can be nonpartisan. Progressives can't. It isn't possible in their narrow minds.
It isn't that progressives care about FauxNews in general. You folks can have a conservative media. We just smirk that it is positioned at mainstream and balanced when it clearly isn't.
Posted by: Chuck A | December 18, 2009 6:00 PM
ChickaBOOMer: Power Trippi
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2009/12/power-trippi.html
Posted by: StewartIII | December 18, 2009 6:13 PM
The Faux noose fans need to remember that Faux noose sold them on the ideas that Sadam and Osama were pals and that WMDs existed long after the rest of the world had wised up and they might wish to cease embarrassing themselves by calling it a news channel.
Posted by: Jane | December 18, 2009 8:21 PM
I was so surprised to see Trippi defending Fox News's Polls on Rachel Maddow show. Now the answer is FOX NEWS agent. Sell out! Just another Liberman boogy person.
Posted by: ropes | December 19, 2009 9:00 AM
GIVE EM HELL, JOE
faux gnus don't know what they got themselves into
Joe isn't suffering from "Battered Liberal" syndrome, and he ain't gonna cower in front of these liars like alan colmes does
anybody wanna bet that faux gnus cancels the contract after the first day ???
Posted by: freepatriot | December 19, 2009 9:38 AM
Joe,
We love you, but you are totally, totally, totally wrong.
Get on the right of God.
HE is PRO-LIFE.
Love
Aunt Ruth
Posted by: Ruth Trippi | March 18, 2010 10:13 AM