The White House feud with Fox News has prompted a larger debate over the role of partisan news during opposition party rule. Appearing on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Nation Washington correspondent John Nichols and Vanity Fair‘s Michael Wolff weigh in on the idea that Obama’s strategy is to conflate the Republican Party, the conservative ideology, and Fox News. Nichols argues that this argument is not new and not accurate. The Obama administration is not damaging the network or the party by refusing to appear–but that he would if he were to go on Fox and show himself to be “really able,” Nichols says. Fox News isn’t going anywhere, and this nuanced debate serves as a structured outline of the questions that will come up as the power plays between the network and the administration continue.

–Fernanda Diaz

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