Thursday, April 18th, 2019
My Dear America:
This past Monday was a frustrating day, for the most part. I spent the day trying to get tickets to the Fox News sponsored Bernie Sanders Town Hall at Steel Stacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, just a stones throw from where I live.
I sent a couple of E Mails to Fox News and when I had gotten no response by 5:30 PM I just decided to watch the Town Hall on Television in my basement den. Although I would have preferred to be in the Steel Stacks Audience, in the end I was kind of pleased that I was able to watch the hour long Town Hall on Fox News in my den.
What I saw on Television that I am not sure that others who attended the event in Bethlehem saw were some segments talking about the history of Bethlehem Steel. Steel Stacks was built on the extensive property that was for many years the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Due to a number of factors Bethlehem Steel, like countless other American Factories, closed its doors in the 90's never to reopen them again. Prior to and during the Bernie Sanders telecast Fox News told the story of how important Bethlehem Steel was in helping America to win Two World Wars and to build some of the most important bridges and buildings in our Nation. Those brief snippets of history made it all the more impressive as the television cameras in the Musikfest Cafe in the Steel Stacks building panned in on Fox News Town Hall Moderators, Bret Bair and Martha McCallum and the Town Hall Star and Democratic Candidate for President, Bernie Sanders. There was a large panoramic window in back of Bernie and the Moderators and outside that window, at least for the first part of the Town Hall, one could see some of the remnants of what was left of some of the Bethlehem Steel buildings that were strong enough to have been left standing following the close of the plant.
Following the disturbing, disrupting and devastating closing of Bethlehem Steel in the 90's by its new owner and today a member of Donald Trump's Cabinet, Wilbur Ross, the City of Bethlehem was faced with the question of what to do with the extensive inner city land that had been the home of one of the most important manufacturers in America. Some Bethlehem City leaders came up with a plan that would cost a lot of money but could revitalize the Bethlehem Steel site. With a great deal of planning and preparation plans were put into operation and Bethlehem Steel's abandoned factory site took on a vibrant new life.
Steel Stacks was built primarily as an Arts Center. The Musikfest Cafe, where Bernie's Town Hall took place was a concert venue where my wife and I have seen such musical luminaries as Judy Collins and David Crosby. Steel Stacks also has two movie theaters and outside Steel Stacks is the Levitt Pavillion where many free concerts are held every summer. Also next to Steel Stacks is the local PBS Television Station, WLVT, Channel 39 and down the road apiece is the Sand's Casino, Hotel, Shoppes and an Event Center where major concerts are held.
I mention these things because I think other areas of our country devastated by business losses could definitely learn some lessons from what Bethlehem has done to rejuvenate itself following the closing of Bethlehem Steel.
The Bernie Sanders Town Hall in the Musikfest Cafe at Steel Stacks was in my opinion a brilliant bit of Political Theater. Some of the early questions from the moderators were a bit Foxish, but fair. Clearly Bret and Martha were two of the more moderate Fox News personalities. Bernie handled them well, I thought. In the end I think that Bernie and the Fox Anchors came to an agreement that rather than spar with each other all night that they would at least personally respect each other. In the end I think that Bernie came off as he always seems to, an honest guy with good intentions and reasonably good plans for improving the lives of citizens of the United States of America.
As I watched the Town Hall I thought about the fact that the timing of the broadcast was a little odd. It aired from 6:30 to 7:30 PM on Fox News with Martha McCallum doing a review of the Town Hall at 7:30 PM. This was not exactly prime time but it was during a time period where many Fox viewers coming home from work might be inclined to tune in. Although early on the Fox News Moderators seemed to be prodding Bernie in order to embarass him, their questions were not unreasonable and were responded to with honesty by Senator Sanders. Bernie's tax returns were a subject of Fox scrutiny. Bernie stated that he had just released 10 years of his tax returns and then he turned to the camera and said that if the President was listening to the broadcast he should do the same and release his tax returns. Bernie was also asked by the moderators to respond to the fact that his tax returns show that he is a millionaire. Bernie stated that he had made a great deal of money last year from writing a best selling book and did not apologize for the book selling well.
Overall, during the Town Hall Bernie was asked some fair questions not only from the Moderators but also from the Audience Members. Bernie did not duck any questions and in my opinion he did a great job in answering every question he was asked in a truthful and honest manner. He was animated when he explained why he was running against Donald Trump, who Bernie identified as a "pathological liar"
Many in the Democratic Party, including myself, view Fox News as a Right Wing Media arm of the Republican Party and Donald Trump. I am sure that Bernie Sanders believed that prior to the Town Hall. But Fox News, for all their obvious fawning over Donald Trump, treated Bernie Sanders fairly and respectfully during the Town Hall.
During the Fox News Town Hall question and answer session with Bernie Sanders I couldn't help but think about how many other Americans who only watch Fox News for their political information and have heard about the terrible "Democratic Socialist" named Bernie Sanders might be willing to consider the fact that Socialist Bernie might not be as bad as Fox News and Communist Donald have made him out to be.
In agreeing to participate in the Bethlehem Town Hall Bernie might have sent an important message to Democrats, including Democratic Candidates, as well as Democratic Party Officials. That message might be construed as the following:
Hey Democrats. I know you don't like Fox News. But think about the fact that this news channel might just be changing enough for Democrats to begin using it to press their message to those who voted Donald Trump into the White House. Certainly not every Trump voter is still a Trump fan at this point in time. Trump is a "pathological liar" who cannot be trusted to run our country. Every day he does more to weaken and embarass our country. Lets be willing to follow Bernie Sanders and give Fox the benefit of the doubt and participate in Town Halls and Debates on Fox News with our eyes wide open to the fact that Bernie's successful Town Hall might have been a fluke. But then again we might find the Fox News viewers open to some new and highly improved Candidates For the Presidency of the United States.
I think Bernie Sanders has opened the door. Now it remains to be seen if other Democratic Candidates will walk through it.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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