Why Is Fox News Channel So Smitten with the Kennedy Family?

July 17th, 2007 1:11 PM

Fox and Friends anchors Gretchen Carlson and Steve Doocy, along with author C. David Heymann (there to discuss his new book on the death of JFK Jr.), fawned over the eighth anniversary of the plane-crash death of John F. Kennedy Jr. Meanwhile, by comparison, CBS, CNN, NBC, and ABC were silent about JFK Jr. Monday morning.

The segment opened with ambient violin music. Afterward, Carlson marveled at the size of Heymann’s book, which she held in the air, touting the breadth of information within it. Doocy said JFK Jr. "looked like the heir to Camelot." Likewise, Heymann said, Ted Kennedy had "marked" JFK Jr. as the successor to the "Kennedy throne," which the U.S. Constitution refers to as the U.S. Presidency. After Heymann went over JFK Jr.’s most mentioned qualities, "good looking, handsome, the hunk," Carlson said eagerly, "And so many people want to know that, what were his plans politically, because, quite honestly, he always deferred that question?"

Here is a portion of the segment:

Heymann: "He absolutely informed the committee, a fact finding committee, to run politically for the Senate in New York, if not that, then in Rhode Island, eventually to run to the Presidency. I mean he had his whole life ahead of him, good looking, handsome, the hunk, I mean."

Carlson: "And so many people want to know that, what were his plans politically, because, quite honestly, he always deferred that question? And I think he had other ambitions in life first, but you say, ultimately, he did want to become President."

Heymann: "Ted Kennedy absolutely marked him as the heir apparent to the Kennedy throne, which they, you know, had been lost with his father’s assassination in ‘63, and they were finally going to regain it through John F. Kennedy Jr.’s hands."