In a rare direct match-up between Fox News and Media Matters, “Geraldo at Large” anchor Geraldo Rivera appeared on Media Matters’ Sirius XM radio show earlier this week.
After reacting to whether some of the Fox News personalities and commentators were justified in make a big deal out of President Barack Obama’s “You didn’t build that” remarks from last month, Rivera said that debate was just a symptom of a disagreement of which he didn’t wish to be a part. (RELATED: Full Daily Caller coverage of Media Matters)
“I know you guys have a gripe with the morning show,” Geraldo said. “I wish you didn’t. I know that they probably feel similarly about you guys. I wish I could be a peacemaker because I think you have a valuable voice to add to the dialogue. And I think it’s important that, you know, the liberal progressive left side of the agenda is heard with the same volume as the hard-right Republican side is heard. But you have this civil war going on between you two that I don’t care for, and I absolutely refuse to get engaged in.”
The Sunday night Fox News host explained trying to be “middle-of-the-road” has resulted in the downfall of CNN, and that’s why the likes of MSNBC and FNC have political leanings. But he said those outlets do themselves a service by having an opposite perspective in the mix.
“I think that we miss an opportunity — I understand how they managed to make CNN obsolete, the two beat-them-alls on either side — MSNBC and then Fox on the right,” Rivera said. “They managed to make CNN irrelevant almost because of its middle-of-the-road kind of stance. But I would argue that you spice up the stew when you add for instance me being on Fox News, when [Pat] Buchanan was on MSNBC, before he made that boneheaded mistake and wrote that awful book about the Nazis weren’t so bad.”
“But I argue that you can have a leaning. The New York Times clearly has a leaning. The Washington Times clearly has a leaning. You know, I think they’re pretty easy to define. But I would argue you spice things up and you broaden your audience with your base if you bring in, you leaven it — or spice it up I guess is a better metaphor — with other voices from other parts of the political spectrum.”
As for whether or not he will be frowned upon for making an appearance on Media Matters radio, Rivera explained he wanted to “add to the dialogue.”
“You know, I know that like me dealing with you — a lot of people in my shop will say, ‘Why do you talk to them when they hate us?’” Rivera said. “But my point is I think you do a fine job and represent a point of view. That’s cool with me. You know, live and let live. And like me coming on your show or you guys coming on mine — I think that all adds to the dialogue.”