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FOX NOW AND THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, MANY THINK THAT ROGER
AILES EFFECTIVELY RUNS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, DECIDES WHO
THEY SHOULD PUT UP TO BE THEIR
NOMINEES AND SO ON.
IS THAT TRUE?
AND IF HE IS SO POWERFUL, LILY,
HOW COME HE'S EFFECTIVELY THEN
LOST THE LAST TWO ELECTIONS?
>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
ROGER AILES SURPASSED THE GOP.
IN THE 2012 ELECTION, HE SAID TO
HIS SENIOR EXECUTIVES, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LOT TO GET
THIS GUY ELECTED, MEANING MITT
ROMNEY.
AND HE SAID TO BILL KRISTOL, THE
EDITOR OF THE "WEEKLY STANDARD,"
AND AT THE TIME, A FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR, THAT HE DID NOT
THINK THAT MITT ROMNEY HAD THE
SPINE TO, QUOTE, RIP OBAMA'S
FACE OFF.
SO AILES, THROUGH FOX, TOOK IT
UPON HIMSELF TO RUN MITT
ROMNEY'S MEDIA STRATEGY.
AND WHAT WAS FASCINATING WAS
THAT REALLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN AMERICAN HISTORY, A
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE'S WAR ROOM
WAS BEING RUN OUT OF THE
HEADQUARTERS OF A NEWS CHANNEL.
MITT ROMNEY'S WAR ROOM WAS BEING
RUN OUT OF SIXTH AVENUE IN
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN.
>> WE'RE SEEING NOT MUCH
COVERAGE OF THE CHRISTIE SCANDAL
SINCE IT BROKE ON FOX.
CERTAINLY NOTHING LIKE THE
COVERAGE THAT WE'VE SEEN ON
SOMETHING LIKE BENGHAZI, FOR
EXAMPLE.
IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF ROGER
AILES EXERCISING HIS POWER TO BE
PROTECTIVE TO SOMEBODY HE THINKS
THE MAY WELL END UP BEING THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE?
WE KNOW FROM YOUR BOOK THAT HE
FAVORED CHRIS CHRISTIE OR
GENERAL PETRAEUS, ACTUALLY,
BEFORE HE WAS BROUGHT DOWN BY
SCANDAL OVER MITT ROMNEY, FOR
INSTANCE.
>> YES, THIS IS FASCINATING.
NOW, THIS SHOWS AT THE HEART HOW
FOX IS A POLITICAL MESSAGING
ORGANIZATION.
PERSONALLY, ROGER AILES HAS NO
LOVE FOR CHRIS CHRISTIE.
ON ELECTION DAY, IN 2012, WHEN
IT LOOKED LIKE ROMNEY WAS GOING
TO LOSE, AILES GRUMBLED TO HIS
MOST SENIOR TEAM, THANK YOU,
CHRIS CHRISTIE.
HE BLAMED CHRISTIE FOR THE PHOTO
OP THAT HE GAVE BARACK OBAMA
WITH HURRICANE SANDY.
SO NOW, PERSONALLY, AILES AND
CHRISTIE, NO LOVE THERE.
BUT AILES IS SMART ENOUGH THAT
HE KNOWS THAT HE HAS TO BALANCE
THE REST OF THE MEDIA.
NOW, SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO AILES
THAT I QUOTE IN THE BOOK SAYS
THAT AILES' MEANING OF FAIR AND
BALANCED IS THAT FOX IS A PLANS
ON THE REST OF THE MEDIA.
SO AILES SEES IT AS A POLITICAL
MESSAGING DEVICE, THAT IF THE
MEDIA IS COVERING CHRISTIE'S
BRIDGEGATE, IT IS FOX'S JOB TO
GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
SIMILARLY, WITH BENGHAZI, THIS
IS A STORY THAT AILES THOUGHT
WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
HE TOLD PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW,
OBAMA HUNG THESE GUYS OUT TO
DRY.
SO HE SAW IT AS FOX'S ROLE.
HE TOLD HIS EXECUTIVES THAT FOX
HAD TO DRIVE THIS STORY.
SO THERE YOU SEE THAT AILES IS
WILLING TO PUT HIS PERSONAL
POLITICS ASIDE, HIM AND CHRISTIE