Rob Kall:
OK. Let's get back to Fox News,
then. Maybe this is an example of it,
and I really wanted to get into hearing a little bit more about what your goals
are for participating on Fox. I know I
have a hard time even just leaving the channel on for too long, because it just
gets so abrasive and irritating. What do
you think you can accomplish by being a commentator there? Do you have goals?
Dennis Kucinich:
Well, in accepting, sure. You
have to realize that Fox, perhaps more than any network, over a period of
sixteen [16] years, created opportunities for me to come forward to challenge
the War in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan, the National Security State, the
hegemony of Wall Street over our politics; Fox created those openings so that I
could do that. Now, maybe they wanted me
there so that I could be a left foil to a more conservative commentator, but I
took the opportunity.
Now some told me
back then, "Why are you doing it? Why
are you going on Fox?" Look. It's a
reality. They have a huge following, and
it's important to be able to communicate with people who may not exactly agree
with your point of view, but they have the chance to share your point of view.
I will tell you, more so than any other network, they created the opening. So, as a member of Congress, I took
that. Now, when I left Congress and I
was invited to come to New York to discuss the potential of being a part-time
contributor, I approached it with the same experience that I had over that
period of time, for a period of sixteen years.
As a member of Congress, I had energetic exchanges with Fox hosts? Absolutely!
Do I think that will continue to happen?
Yeah! Sure. Is Fox bringing me on to convert me to a more
Conservative point of view? Well, that's
not why they wanted me! They wanted me
on so that they could give me a chance to present the same side and position
that I've done before. And I think it's
important to do that.
If you want to
change peoples' minds, you've got to communicate with them; So to me, that's a significant forum. I'm well aware of the challenges, but also I
think that if someone aspires to be a leader, you can not shy away from such
challenges.
Rob Kall:
So do you have any specific goals in terms of the message you want to
communicate to the listeners and viewers on Fox?
Dennis Kucinich:
Just so you know, I don't have my own show. People need to know that. This isn't a case where I've been given my
own show. I have been invited to be a
contributor on the Fox News channel across the board, on a whole range of programs.
Rob Kall:
So that means, basically, that they call you or they email you and say
"Hey, we're going to have you on this show, here are the topics, be ready to
discuss them." Something like that.
Dennis Kucinich:
Yes, Exactly. So, you know, it
keeps me on my toes, but I'm there to make a forthright presentation that is fact-based,
and also to engage in a give and take which is characteristic of the
network. To me, it's important to be
able to communicate with people who may not agree with you. I've done that throughout my career; and in
doing that, I've been able to achieve some real advances in Congress, because I
communicated with the Conservatives in Congress. We almost stopped the war in Libya. We put together a coalition that, for the first
time, began to challenge U.S. foreign policy that's actually working to undermine
our country instead of advancing our security interests. That was a huge development that happened!
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