Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes did not hire Sarah Palin as an on-air commentator because of her lacerating wit or insight into domestic and foreign affairs.
“I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings,” Ailes, 71, said of the former vice presidential candidate in an interview with the Huffington Post published Wednesday.At least one Ailes confidant has previously said the media honcho doesn't think much of Palin's intellect.
"He thinks Palin is an idiot," a Republican close to Ailes told New York magazine at the time. "He thinks she's stupid. He helped boost her up. People like Sarah Palin haven't elevated the conservative movement."Palin, whose will-she-won't-she potential 2012 presidential run kept politicos' tongues wagging this season, signed a multi-year contract with Fox News in 2010, and has remained front-and-center in the media following her failed 2008 campaign alongside Sen. John McCain.
The former Alaskan governor has also stayed in the limelight thanks to her now-canceled reality TV show, her daughter Bristol's controversy-filled run on "Dancing With the Stars," and most recently, a tussle with author Joe McGinniss over his tell-all book.
In McGinniss' book, "The Rogue," the author details Palin's supposed sexual tryst with basketball star Glen Rice and even claims that the once-White House hopeful dabbled in marijuana and cocaine.
And just last week, Palin gave Fox Business Network viewers a piece of her mind about this election's GOP race and her current favorite, Herman Cain.
Ailes the influential Republican, who gave a wide-ranging interview on the occasion of his cable news channel’s 15th birthday, denied that Fox, which he founded, exhibited political bias. Then he unleashed a variety of amusing salvos in a wide-ranging interview with television writer Frazier Moore.
Ailes strafed network competitors by saying he hadn’t counted on them “screwing up as much,” which helped him win ratings battles. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, he sniffed, “is an excellent reporter, but he’s not a star.”
He also shot down any connection to his operation and the hacking scandals that have tormented Fox News’ parent company, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. “It’s not a Fox issue,” Ailes said. “I don’t discuss it with Rupert.”
The blunt and bombastic septuagenarian revealed that when his contract expires in 2013 he may enjoy an encore performance in America’s national pastime. He has always, he said, wanted to buy the Cleveland Indians. Of course, “the politically correct crowd” would clamor for him to change the team’s name. “They’d be all over my ass because I bought the Indians!” he said.
We at NFTOS wonder how Saranoya feels about being used for beauty instead of brains?
NFTOS
