My Email to Fox News

Dear Fox News producer ____,

Thanks again for having me on.  It's always a hoot!

I want to express some concern about how today's segment went.  Usually you contact me a few days beforehand, to see if I'm available.  If I am, you let me know what the topics will be on Sunday morning, a few hours before we go live.  I then drive to Fox 9 and stare at a blank camera as I listen to audio feed of the Fox News show, fed to me on a 1960's quality telephone line.  I try to participate in a discussion of the issues, as I decipher what everyone is saying.

The host I usually talk to, Leland Vittert, seems to be nice enough but you can tell he's not a fan of anything from the left.  That being said, he's been surprisingly even keeled on my previous segments, but that seemed to come to an abrupt end today.

This morning (Sunday) you had sent me two emails on today's topics.  The first was about former Vice President Joe Biden's comments about Jim Crow laws, comments he made in South Carolina.  I prepared to talk about the Democratic race and how he was right about the attempts at voter suppression.

Then about an hour before the show, you sent me a second topic email, this one about Senator Amy Klobuchar, and her calls for a return to civility in the White House, how she's calling for a leader kids can look up to.

Okay, pretty clear cut.

We went live and the first subject on Biden went fine (although the jackass conservative who was supposed to be a counter point seemed to only be there to throw out crass, insulting comments, like a REALLY bad [and possibly drunk] Andrew Dice Clay cosplayer).  Then Leland introduced the video clip of Senator Klobuchar. After the clip ended, Leland got a little weird.

Leland said he wanted for me to talk about Klobuchar's comments as they related to the economy.  O...kay...???  Klobuchar's comments in no way related to the economy, but fine, I can roll with the punches.  Then, taking another incredible abrupt turn, Leland then asked me a history question (???), if I could name one president seeking re-election during an economic boom who had lost.  In hindsight, I think Taft might fall into that parameter, but I could not recall such a detailed historical fact under pressure.  I did then say that even though the employment numbers are currently very good, and that the stock market is in high territory, there are undeniable bad signs in the economic sector, like trade, housing, and the fact most of the jobs being created in America today fall into he lowest paying category.

For the record, NOTHING Leland had asked me related to anything Klobuchar had stated.  And for the record, I wasn't the one who played the Klobuchar clip, THEY were.

Leland went back to ADC-lite (who's disgusting and inappropriate insults about Klobuchar seemed to be the ONLY reason Leland played the Klobuchar clip in the first place).  My problem is with how Leland segued back to the troll; "It sounds like Matt is endorsing Trump in 2020."

WHAT THE F?!?

How in the hell did Leland even get that impression from anything I said?  There's nothing I said which could even be misconstrued as a Trump endorsement.  This was supposedly a neutral TV journalist, one of Fox News' self proclaimed 'news people,' making this outrageous claim.  I know he'll insist he was just joking, but in no way did he convey that to the audience and he never gave me a chance to rebut his dickish comment.

This comment, suggesting I endorsed Trump, crossed a line.  He should've NEVER said that, even jokingly.  No one puts words in my mouth, and you sure as hell don't credit me with false and incredibly contradictory opinions either.

And before Conservative guy insists I can't take a joke, this wasn't a joke.  I'm not angry about the changing of the topic, or the loaded question which was designed to catch me off guard (which I handled quite well, thank you).  I'm bothered by the lame attempt at a smear.  If I were to ever imply a Republican was endorsing President Obama, or any Democrat for that matter, and then cut them off before they could respond, I'd have a thousand weeping, "victimized," snowflake Rightos threatening legal action, and demanding my firing, without a freaking doubt.

I don't mind giving up the occasional Sunday, as up until today I enjoyed helping you guys out.  Plus the very real fact Trump himself might be watching is funny as hell.  I know the list of progressive/liberal/Democratic talk show hosts isn't exactly lengthy, and the ones who will appear on your network is probably 7 or 8 total.  I feel as if I get some minor benefit, but this is not a career maker for me.  It's just something I can do, so I do it.

I'm agreeing to be part of a back and forth discussion on Fox News about a predetermined set of topics, topics and contexts which I'm made aware of prior to going live.  I understand there will always be some improvisation, but today boggled the mind.  If you're only looking for a Democratic foil to insult and demean, I'm not your guy.  I've worked too hard and too long to have some D-list weekend host try to ruin my reputation, jokingly or not.

In the future, if you are needing someone for a discussion, please be in touch.

Kindest regards,

Matthew