Clayton’s Weird Departure

Abby, please don’t go, too! As word spreads that Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Abby Huntsman may leave the FNC fold to join her friend Meghan McCain at The View, F&FW fans are welcome to muse about the strange disintegration of a trio of co-hosts that preceded her, i.e., Clayton Morris, Alisyn Camerota, and Dave Briggs. (Yes, the author knows that the lovely now honorary Aussie Anna Kooiman was the lovely F&FW co-anchor that was the bridge between Aly and Abby.)

Of particular interest was Clayton’s bizarre adieu [vid]. Dave left in an emotional farewell in 2012 as the Bean Town sports boy transitioned to NBC Sports (before going to CNN to co-host Early Start with Christine Romans). Alleging legendary FNC honcho Roger Ailes harassed her, lovely Aly left for CNN New Day eventually where she has “woke” according to her book, Amanda Wakes Up. Re Clayton, his departure seemed strange at best: Out of the blue seemingly, he emotionally announced, “I have decided after 18 years in broadcast television – I didn’t think I was going to do this. That today will be my last day in television.” Additionally, he remarked, “”I don’t think you’ll ever see me on television again.”

In an ambiguous assertion, Clayton said that “he would be pursuing a new calling in ’empowering people’ and helping others build wealth through passive income.” Now, Clayton posits, “How to pay off your house within 5 years using these awesome ninja tricks.” Hopefully, it works: But, it sounds as strange as his fascination with UFO’s.

Clayton’s farewell was a bizarre goodbye. Hopefully, Abby will not follow suit. (She’s a keeper–or should be!)

Coulter Scratches McCain

Rowrr! Yes, it finally happened: Ann Coulter belatedly clawed Meghan McCain back early this morning on Red Eye. It was a joke but it hit its mark with cat-like precision (based on the reaction of her fellow panelists).

Almost nine months ago to the day, Meghan McCain penned her Daily Beast column entitled “My Beef with Ann Coulter.” She wrote, “I find her [Coulter] offensive, radical, insulting, and confusing all at the same time….I don’t like her demeanor. I have never been a person who was attracted to hate or negativity.” Not holding her fire, McCain added, “Everything about her is extreme: her voice, her interview tactics, and especially the public statements she makes about liberals.”

When Coulter did not immediately go after her, McCain appreciatively remarked, “At this point, I have more respect for Ann Coulter than I do for Laura Ingraham because at least Coulter didn’t come back at me with heartless, substance-less attacks about my weight.” (For a less-than-conservative characterization of Ingraham’s remarks, cf. this ThinkProgress.org link.)

On Red Eye today, Coulter returned as a guest commentator. During a segment on Tiger Wood’s continuing saga, host Greg Gutfeld played a Today clip of Jamie Jungers who claims to have had an eight-month relationship with the golfing great. After viewing footage of the cute chubby blond, Coulter jested, “Wait! Meghan McCain had an affair with Tiger Woods?”

Gutfeld and his sidekick Bill Shultz roared with laughter. Even liberal guest, professor Marc Lamont Hill of Columbia seemed to join in the merriment. Shultz laughed, “I hope I register my disgust in that two-shot, Greg. Ooh!” Gutfeld joked, “How did she have the time between Twittering?”

In the author’s view, Jungers does seem to bear a resemblance to McCain and Red Eye is a politically incorrect free-for-all. Ergo, Coulter may have waited for the perfect time to scratch back at her GOP antagonist without any blowback.

“Old” E.D.: New View

Former Fox & Friends co-host E.D. Hill may have been too old and controversial for FNC but she will be right at home on ABC’s The View.* According to the Washington Post, E.D. will be one of the substitute co-hosts for Elisabeth Hasselbeck (on maternity leave) this fall on the all-femme gabfest.** (As an aside, reportedly, another guest co-host will be the equally confident and assertive Meghan McCain.)**

As F&F fans may remember, E.D. was famous for her opinionated soliloquys on F&F. In fact, so much so, that the producers often would air a flying flag vid with accompanying patriotic music to give her the humorous “hush” hint.*** On the View, she will be in her element, where Silent Cal is seen as Satan. This conservative, brassy Texas beauty will be more than able to hold her own against her more lib counterparts, e.g., Joy Behar, Barbara Walters, et al.

Tune in: The sparks should be fun to watch.

*https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/ed-out-over-fncs-hill/

**http://www.nypost.com/seven/08202009/tv/meghan_mccain_liked_view_185476.htm

***https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/carlsons-carping-unfurl-eds-flag/

Meghan McCain: Miss McBeef?

Is Meghan McCain confused? Did she think that Ann Coulter dissed her vis-a-vis Laura Ingraham? Just a mere six days after Ingraham unloaded on the Daily Beast blogger and her dad, Meghan wrote “My Beef with Ann Coulter.”*

The very day after Meghan complained that her Dad’s failed candidacy had ruined her social life,** Ingraham, in an interview with Fox & Friends, declared, “I think maybe she [Meghan] should just stop writing insipid blogs and just focus on something positive. These people who are constantly whining about things that don’t matter: Go out and volunteer. I’m sure that you’ll find some nice people to date.”*** Last night FNC’s king of cable Bill O’Reilly remarked that he did not know what had started the one-sided feud with Ann Coulter. Today Fox & Friends co-hosts, Alisyn Camerota, Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade elicited no further elucidation in their interview with the flaxen-tressed daughter of John McCain.

Not only does the timing of Meghan’s attacks on Coulter seems to indicate that she has the wrong woman in her sights but also the personal nature appears to reflect that to boot. Meghan decried Coulter as “offensive, radical, insulting” and one who “could be the poster woman for the most extreme side of the Republican Party.”* Not to mention, on F&F today she carped that Coulter had not answered her twenty-question quiz.

Meghan, did you mistake Coulter for Ingraham? Or are you aping Ron Reagan?

*http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-09/my-beef-with-ann-coulter/2/
**http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-02/looking-for-mr-far-right/
***https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/meghan-mccain-mocked/

Meghan McCain Mocked

On Fox & Friends today, conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham unloaded on Daily Beast bloggette Meghan McCain and her dad John McCain. When co-host Brian Kilmeade asked about Meghan’s post on how her dad’s campaign had ruined her dating life, Laura sarcastically said, “I woke up sweating [because] I was so upset by Meghan: I wouldn’t know who she was if she bumped into me in the street.”

Turning serious, Laura continued, “I do know this: John McCain’s anemic campaign has done more than ruin a lot of people’s personal lives: It’s done a lot to help wreck the economy by paving the way for Barack Obama. She should criticize her father for suspending his campaign and signing on for that absurd TARP….That was a disaster.” Addressing Megan directly, she added, “Our economic lives are in a shamble, Megan: We don’t really care about your dating life.”

With big smiles and loud laughter, co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade visibly enjoyed Laura’s vitriolic response while a less appreciative Gretchen, crossing her arms, clearly did not. In defense of Megan, Gretchen replied, “Whoo-hoo! No, no, no. But Laura, I know that you are upset about his campaign but actually she’s fair and balanced in her blog.”

Giving Gretchen no quarter, Laura deadpanned, “Oh, okay. I think maybe she should just stop writing insipid blogs and just focus on something positive. These people who are constantly whining about things that don’t matter: Go out and volunteer. I’m sure that you’ll find some nice people to date. We don’t really care about this.”

A silent Gretchen turned to Steve who segued to a new topic. Then she smiling turned to Brian for his thoughts: he merely grinned. Bemused, Gretch simply guffawed.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-02/looking-for-mr-far-right/