Last night I theorized that Frank Luntz and Sean Hannity were singing the “unity” song in an attempt to maintain power for Republicans in the face of electoral losses. Now, there’s another reason that the Fox News crew might want to play nice—the network is facing up to ratings losses, as well. I’m with TRex. That article was just fun to read. I’m actually somewhat surprised that Fox News is losing ratings in the wake of the GOP losing esteem, because I always assumed that the audience for Fox News was the 25%-ers, the stable wingnut population of Republican loyalists that would probably go fascist under the right circumstances. The staff at Fox News apparently thought that, too, since they were pushing for Giuliani, who I’d assume was the favorite candidate of the 25%-ers.
But apparently the Fox News net was cast wider, which makes sense if you really think about it. They capitalized on the national sense of paranoia that rose up in the wake of 9/11. For a time, a lot of usually normal Americans went wingnut. But mass panics have a shelf life, you know? As people start waking up from the terror dream, the Fox News style of overwhelming the audience is losing its appeal. Seriously, even the stylistic choices of color, editing, and the relentless overblown graphics make you feel, when you’re watching Fox News, like the nation is in a constant state of panic. Apparently, that fit a lot of people’s moods for a long time. (I’m still sort of amazed at the people who really did live in constant fear of a terrorist attack. The stress-levels-to-probability ratio is completely out of whack on that.) Not so much anymore. I remember the last time I had to go get my picture taken for a new driver’s license years ago and how all the TVs in the waiting area were tuned into Fox News, and how much that got on my nerves. I’d be curious to go to the Department of Public Safety and see if they’ve changed their favorite station.
I’m not going to overindulge the schadenfreude, though. The media is all too willing to have really short memories about GOP failures, while of course they cherish Bill Clinton’s blow job as if it were a family heirloom to be dragged out as often as possible. With that big assist, I fear that Americans will quickly forget how much we fuck ourselves over when we elect Republicans. After the Democrats do even a half-assed job of cleaning up the mess that’s been made of this country, we’ll probably elect another Republican who will probably get right to business trying to destroy the middle class and bankrupt the federal government.
25 Responses to “Zombie Republicans”
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“…we’ll probably elect another Republican who will probably get right to business trying to destroy the middle class and bankrupt the federal government.”
Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim…
When you are looking at losing your house to the bank, the threat of a terrorist flyng a plane into it becomes less important.
Fox News has been execrable for a long time but its no longer entertaining to watch.
Damn. Which twin has the Tony?
Do you think FOX has a cup size requirement for its female anchors and commentators? I’m overwhelmed by the soft female XXX vibe coming out of that network. I mean, I know the whole point of the ladies being on there is so people will think HAWT chicks can be conservative too! but I’m just overwhelmed by cleavage and unnatural blondes on that network far more so than I am by the others.
I don’t want to unify with Republicans. They’re icky.
You’re right, Americans forget that Republicans screw us over. It’s not so much honestly forgetting as it is a double standard and a blind faith that the person who loudly announces that he is righteous must be so.Hypocrisy runs deep in this country.
I used to work at a hotel as the front desk clerk. It amazed me how many people would decline a room based simply on the fact that we did not have FOX News.
The same person who declined a room from us because we didn’t have FOX News on our station line up would inevitably be driving a gas guzzling SUV with a prostitute in the passenger seat. They usually would also be the same person who before getting to the FOX News question would, while wearing Louis Vuitton be asking me if our chain was french owned because if so …
I’m assuming that’s hyperbole, deep. I can think of a couple of Fox regulars right off hand that are fellow members of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee.
Money quote:
Seriously, how does a 24/7 news station actually LOSE viewership during a presidential election year?
I think ALL TV news operations have this requirement. You have to be at least “pretty” to get a job on-the-air.
I’m not going to overindulge the schadenfreude, though.
I am! I am!
I’m going to fill the bathtub with it and soak for HOURS.
Thanks for the link!
I used to work at a hotel, desk clerk. Thank goodness we did not have FOX NEWS on our channel lineup. This however would oftentimes create problems. Some people would call down to the desk yelling once they flipped channels and realized it was missing. Others asked for it before they would rent the room or even make a reservation. It always amazed me that these men would come driving up in a gargantuan SUV wearing a wedding ring but hosting a prostitute in the passenger seat, they would ask if we were French owned , because if so they couldn’t stay all the while wearing Louis Vuitton. After they were assured that we were not French owned, the inevitable second question would be ” Do you have FOX News?” I was always just a little bit happier to see those people leave than most anyone else.
I look at it as a sign of the much needed shift in the general public’s mindset if FOX is loosing viewership.
oops. so i didn’t wait and see that my previous comment made it, thought that it vanished and started over, sorry for being a spaz…lol
Half-kidding. The only women who don’t generously display cleavage that I’ve encountered are Rachel Marsden (who’s still vixen hot) and Greta Van Susteren. But they don’t count because they’re “liberals”.
I googled and found this: FOX female anchors. XXX feminine, indeed.
Wondering, did anyone catch this exchange on Cavuto’s show? There’s video of Jennifer Aniston (scroll down for it), over which Cavuto and some asshat in a wife beater with the words “No Chubbies” on the front have a debate over whether women would rather be rich or sexually attractive. On its face it just seems dumb but something about it disturbs me on a deep I-hate-this-guy level.
Let us not misunderestimate the power of the internet tubes and blogging.
I don’t know how close the internet, specifically political blogs, are to reaching critical mass, but whereas there used to be a debate if Fox News was biased, that debate is no longer. Furthermore, it is pretty much accepted that Fox News disregards facts.
My thought is that the so-called moderate or independent now realizes they can’t trust Fox News.
In the era now of instant fact-checking, the lies are debunked as soon as they ooze out of O’Reilly, et al.
John Gibson had to apologize (sort of)over Heath Ledger. A vets group is going to protest O’Reilly. This is all happening in real-time at warp speed.
All because Al Gore invented the internet after writing Love Story while cleaning up Love Canal at nights.
This seems too good to be true. No one ever lost money by overestimating the bigotry of the American people.
This blog appears to be remarkably well-informed on the chesticular endowments of fox news bobbleheads.
//in other news, Neil Cavuto creeps me out. Sure, scarborough and Oreilly and that dude who looks like brian williams but 20 years older are assclowns, but you get the feeling they could be completely happy doing something else, possibly involving falafel or docile southeast asian women. Maybe fly fishing.
Neil Cavuto does not appear to have that going on. His only desire is to be a hack. his only power, his only lust, is to be a fat, lying, evil little shit.
Ever read American Gods? He reminds me of “the technical boy”
Do you think FOX has a cup size requirement for its female anchors and commentators? I’m overwhelmed by the soft female XXX vibe coming out of that network. I mean, I know the whole point of the ladies being on there is so people will think HAWT chicks can be conservative too! but I’m just overwhelmed by cleavage and unnatural blondes on that network far more so than I am by the others.
There’s that, and the fact that the 20% of Fox News coverage that isn’t hysterical neoconservative propaganda consists of round-the-clock updates on dead white blonde women (pregnancy optional). There’s just a weird vibe to the whole thing, is all.
I used to catch Fox News at the gym all the time, because at least one of the four TVs above the ski machines almost always had it on. This confused the hell out of me, because I live in friggin’ San Francisco, and who in San Francisco would make a point of changing the channel to Fox News? In public? But I haven’t seen it on in a few months now, so maybe the winds of change really are blowing.
Be careful, deep6. Your bunny might get boiled, so be careful what you wish for.
The natural pessimist in me says we’re going to elect President Hundred-Years-War McCain.
How will it happen?
Basically because the feeling of terror has not be put away permanently. We will have a summer of heightened terror alerts and of course, an obligatory tape from Osama bin Laden in October in which he says that the Democratic candidate is better for world peace.
We already know that the main media anchors and hosts all drool over McCain.
The media, the bin Laden “endorsement” and the terrified section of American public will drive the election towards McCain.
deep6: Dayumm, Catherine Herridge is HOT.
Now, are ANY of those women over…32?
Oh, Jackie Gutfield, who looks to be about 63. She should know better than to associate with FOX.
Arun: here’s a nightmare for you: McCain runs and wins with Huckabee as VP. Promptly kicks bucket once inaugurated.
I’ll be heading for England in that event.
And Huckabee chooses as VP - Cheney!!!!
I love the speculation about Guiliani as VP. Wasn’t it Al Sharpton who said that in such a case the President would need a food taster?
that photo is straight out of a porno: 2 old uglyass loser men & 2 identical twin plastic robotwats.
Alisyn Camerota is the only reason I watch Fox News on occasion. I wish she would move over to CNN or C-SPAN.
And yes, we are finally catching O’Really in his lies. In the era of Youtube, he can’t hide behind a mic anymore.