By Dan Murphy
1930’s Broadway producer Billy Rose once said, “There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about. Every knock is a boost.”
Every U.S. President has had a reporter who serves as his foil, and speaks up at news conferences on behalf of the millions of americans who voted for the other person. For President Joe Biden that reporter is Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
The President and Press Secretary Jen Psaki have exchanged barbs with Doocy during the first year of the Biden adminstration. But what was an “inside politics” story became national news on Jan. 24 when Doocy, asked President Biden, “Do you think inflation will be a political liability ahead of the midterms?”
The President gave a sarcastic answer to an obvious question, saying “It’s a great asset, more infation.” and then thinking he was off mike said, “What a stupid son of a bitch.”
After the story traveled across the American media, President Biden called Doocy to clear the air and explain what happened. Biden did not apologize to Doocy, but later on the Sean Hannity show on Fox News, Doocy said that Biden didn’t have to apologize, and downplayed the incident. And while Hannity, and others in the conservative media have tried to criticize Biden for being mentally challenged, or cruel towards Doocy, Peter has taken the highroad.
But in today’s hyper-partisan political media climate, Biden’s comments have fueled Peter Doocy’s star, which was already rising among Trump supporters and the right wing media before Biden’s blowup.
The liberal media have called Doocy’s daily questions “assinine.” “Peter Doocy, who, as far as I have been able to tell, is indeed a dumb son of a bitch,” said ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Other’s have questioned Biden’s decison to make any statement of this kind in public, regardless of whether the mike was on. Tapper surprised many by supporting Doocy and saying “I don’t think any president should be calling any journalist a dumb son of a bitch.”
Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin writes, “Should Biden have kept his thoughts about Doocy to himself, or simply shared them with Jill tonight at dinner? Sure, probably, because this is literally all Fox News is going to talk about for the next month. In, fact, it will probably be known as StupidSonofaBitch–Gate. But can you also kind of see where Biden was coming from? Again, sure!,” https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/01/joe-biden-peter-doocy-stupid-son-of-a-bitch
Peter Doocy is the son of Steve Doocy, one of the co-hosts of Fox and Friends in the morning. But he is quickly carving out his own niche in the American media. And now he has the celebrity of having had the President call him a son of a bitch.
And among the millions of supporters of former President Trump and the conservative movement, Doocy now has a badge of honor that he can profit from. Perhaps a Fox News show of his own on the weekend, or a regular gig on Fox News Sunday.
Or, if Fox is unwilling to see how they can profit from Doocy’s moment in the spotlight, maybe jump over to another conservative outlet like Newsmax. And if you haven’t placed a call to a talent agent who can get you on the national speaking circuit, what are you waiting for?
Peter said that he likes to look for stories and questions “that maybe people are not talking about..but rises to the level of bringing to either Jen Psaki or the President,” adding “I just hope they keep calling on me.”
Don’t worry about that Peter. President Biden just made you a rock star, and in the process, your first million. Congratulations!
