FOX’s Todd Starnes talks ‘Dispatches from Bitter America’, liberals and attacks on Christian faith
Todd Starnes, the host of FOX News & Commentary, is the author of the new book “Dispatches from Bitter America” with the great tagline: “A Gun Toting, Chicken Eating, Son of a Baptist’s Culture War Stories”.
Starnes took inspiration from President Obama’s description of small town Americans (listen to audio at bottom of article):
“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Starnes goes on a journey to examine President Obama’s assertions and how America views religion, freedom, health care and even barbeque.
BRANDON JONES: Todd, I want to thank you so much for your time. I have to start by confessing that you won me over in the most unorthodox manner. I seldom read the Acknowledgements or Forward but as I cracked your book open your boldness jumped off of the page:
“First and foremost, I give glory to the Author of my salvation – my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
BBJ: So much for winning over the New York Times, eh?
TODD STARNES: (Laughs) Probably not. Liberals have taken offense, in fact, they launched a campaign on Amazon urging readers to post fake reviews to discourage people from reading the book.
Just proves how the only free speech the liberals love is their own.
BBJ: So they are banning your book?
TODD STARNES: The publisher and I couldn’t get a book signing here in New York, where I live. (We) couldn’t secure anything. Their claim was that it didn’t “promote tolerance and diveristy”.
The irony, of course, is that they were the ones being intolerant.
BBJ: Before I get too deep into the book, let me say this is a real page turner and I’d highly recommend it for someone who may not be heavily into politics or doesn’t have the time to get bogged down with the political doldrums reported every day. How do you determine the tone for book like this or do you start with a target audience in mind?
TODD STARNES: I grew up reading Lewis Grizzard and Erma Bombeck and I was really influenced by their style. This was going to be a serious book, but I didn’t want to freak people out.
I use the satire and humor to convey the outlandish things this President did to this country.
BBJ: Todd, your wit in this book cuts right through to the core of what I believe many of us are thinking and feeling. Example: Someone tell the White House they’ve got a Christian Nation on their hands.
I just don’t think the President is a very “religious” President, but more importantly, he seems committed to placating to the leftist and globalists, who wants us to rewrite history and ignore our Judeo-Christian roots.
You just wrapped up yout book tour, so what do you conclude we should do to bridge this gap…redirect the ship before it gets any further off course?
GET YOUR COPY OF THE NEW TODD STARNES BOOK AT AMAZON.COM – CLICK HERE
TODD STARNES: First I made this very clear in the book, we need to take him at his word and who are we to judge his Christian faith.
But we know by the fruit they bear (reference to Matthew 7:16-17) so ask ‘Why attack the faith that you aspouse?’
With this we can layout the wealth of evidence: This President, and his administration, attacks Christians and has carried out an onslaught against the Christian faith.
BBJ: But we can burn Bibles, not the Koran… (Read Pages 22-27 of Bitter America) and bury the story…
TODD STARNES: Incredible bury the story…the media is complicit in a culture war. I talk about it in bits and pieces and detail the last three years in this country. This administration, the mainstream media and Hollywood are turning out indoctrination disguised as entertainment.
BBJ: Do you boycott any of them?
TODD STARNES: I returned my copies of “Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13”.
BBJ: You cited Franklin Graham and his honest account of Islam: (paraphrasing) you can’t practice it in America, Maybe he should have clarified it as Sharia (beat your wife, murder your kids)
I’ve gotten attacked for pointing out to homosexuals that Islam mandates them to be put to death.
TODD STARNES: Certain religions are off limits. An example is “Good Christian Bithces”. I dare Hollywood to put out this filth with a different religion. They don’t care.
BBJ: Just in case any of the readers think the book is getting too serious, wait ‘til you get to Chapter 6. You created a satiric court proceeding where you 25 years for eating chicken. It could have been considered a hate crime if you had eaten dark meat as well…oh, Cass Sunstein (one of my favorite Czars) makes a cameo before the clucking and I quote “Ba-Gock” comes from Mrs. Chicken.
Okay, seriously, what did your editor say where they got to these pages?
TODD STARNES: I wanted to play it out in real life. Like the Chocolate Czar…
BBJ: If he was real, there would be a redistribution of Hershey bars.
TODD STARNES: (laughs) I have a lot of fun in the book, because you you read some of this stuff, it can make you mad. I needed to add humor, laugh at the things that liberals are doing and you certainly can.
BBJ: Okay, Global Warming…Lord help me. You included the “Hallelujah” moment for those of us kicking and screaming about the Global Warming hysteria: President Obama stating we can’t control the weather.
That’s a home run shot, if you ask me, but we shouldn’t expect the Environmental Extremism to end any time soon, no matter how many Snow-pocalypses you endure?
TODD STARNES: It’s getting worse. They actually are funding research to determine how cow emissions…gas emissions contribute to global warming.
Who wants that job? (pause) …To capture the cow’s gas.
Yesterday, Joe Biden’s motorcade sat idling for two hours, what does that do to the ozone layer?
(We need to) expose the hypocrisy. It’s outlandish, but also have some fun.
BBJ: Another example of the boisterous minority…like the attack on Christmas, closing schools for Ramadan, allowing burkas but removing candy canes.
TODD STARNES: Yes, something is happening around the country. Faith is being excised and removed from the classroom. There are so many examples, I had to pick some of the most egregious ones.
Todd Starnes: “Yes, something is happening around the country. Faith is being excised and removed from the classroom.”
BBJ: Okay, you’re Baptist, I’m Pentacostal, having some past in the Catholic Church…How can all of these faiths come together to strengthen “The Church”?
TODD STARNES: You saw some of that with the recent contraception issue. All can agree on fundamental faith, have fellowship together.
Ultimately, our values shape the country…the Judeo-Christian foundation is under attack.
First, they come after the Catholics, who’s next? Baptists? Pentacostals?
We are aliens in this world. We must protect our religious freedom…fight by getting involved, take back Hollywood and the mainsteam media.
BBJ: You discuss the media bias, but critics accuse FOX of bias, how do you address the critics?
TODD STARNES: By being the number one cable news network in the nation. It’s an honor to work there trying to bring “Fair and Balanced” which is what viewers have come to respect. Whether they are listening to FOX News radio, go to FOXnews.com…we follow through on that commitment.
BBJ: It has been a real honor and privilege. My best to you, your family and I hope the book sales are rewarding. Good Luck!
Check out Todd’s website: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/
or subscribe to his regular posts and blogs: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/
[…] The Dispatch was honored to speak with Todd Starnes during the release of his book, “Dispatches from Bitter America.” Check out that interview HERE […]