Just Fine Without Fox
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One of the sillier arguments in favor of Democrats having a debate on the pro-GOP Fox News has been that Fox’s average larger audience is a worthy target for Dems. But the evidence seems to indicate that the candidates are the ones making the ratings, not the cable news network:
CNN’s telecast of the New Hampshire debate among the Democratic presidential candidates grabbed the biggest viewership of any of the cable TV debates so far this year.
Sunday’s debate averaged 2.8 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said. That put it ahead of Fox News Channel’s May 15 GOP debate, which averaged 2.5 million viewers, and MSNBC’s Democratic debate in South Carolina, which averaged 2.3 million viewers.
Even nuttier, I think, is the notion that Fox’s audience is any kind of hive of young or swing voters. I think the data has shown time and time again that Fox is older and more conservative – not exactly the key demo for a party primary. If the eventual Dem candidate refused to debate on one of the broadcast networks, that would be an issue, but right now its just the usual suspects who want Dems to go on Fox and be subject to the usual talking points. (via)
28 Responses to “Just Fine Without Fox”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
If they think a bunch of 90 year old life long Republicans, at least since 1964, are going to vote Democrat, they are nuts.
My family are among those since 1964 life long republican’ts who won’t vote Democratic.
H8ll, write ‘em all off. No over-30s, no moderates or conservatives, no Christians. Hold your debates on Pacifica or something and have the wonderful, talented Amy Goodman ‘moderate’. But if you do all of that, please don’t send your cheesy *ss tin pot candidates down south trying to talk like us with their fake corny southern accents and acting like they’ve got a clue about how working people live.
But if you do all of that, please don’t send your cheesy *ss tin pot candidates down south trying to talk like us with their fake corny southern accents and acting like they’ve got a clue about how working people live.
Yes, the GOP frontrunners have it covered. Just leave all that to the millionaire from Massachusetts, the adulterer from New York, and the Hollywood Actor. You are adorable.
Oh yeah, the Republicans have such a close affinity with the Working Man. Right little worker’s champions those guys are.
Somebody please tell me why this is an issue?
If the Democrats don’t want to debate on FOX, that’s that.
Who is involved in a dispute? Is it amongst the candidates? Or is FOX pressuring the candidates?
Do the candidates believe they have nothing to gain? That may be true. I know I’m not going to watch the Democrats debate so I can make up my mind whether to vote for Edwards, Obama, or Clinton.
If the 2006 elections proved anything it is that Democrats don’t need to pander to Southerners. When y’all are ready to join the rest of us in the 21st century, let us know. In the meantime…
EL: Maybe “The Wall” should be built south of Wash, D.C., instead of the Rio Grande, eh?
Commentators that are not at the mercy of a “moderator” and that can hold their own with a host and not have to fear the 24×7 replays can go on Fox, and should.
That’s Wesley Clark and Cliff Schechter. They do great on Fox and I think they have a large role to play in bringing swing voters back to the Dems.
But Presidential Candidates in a debate that are going to be ambushed by the moderator, or by Hannity, et. al.? That’s a sucker’s game.
If a Fox viewer is too stupid or uncaring to change the channel to the debate, then that Fox viewer isn’t really interested in the debate.
If the 2006 elections proved anything it is that Democrats don’t need to pander to Southerners. When y’all are ready to join the rest of us in the 21st century, let us know. In the meantime…
Oh bullshit. Democrats had a whole host of ‘blue-dog’ type Democrats that won in the south. The Democrats weren’t running Northeastern tea drinking liberals in middle-America.
Get real.
Seriously, what’s the “tea drinking” thing about? What’s wrong with tea?
You really think Hannity would be the moderator?!? Dollars to donuts it’d be Chris Wallace. And every major candidate has already appeared on FOX News Sunday to be interviewed by him at some point in their careers.
It’s poncey and upper-middle class and kind of British, and it proves you’re out of touch with the Working Man, who only ever drinks beer and, um, bales hay and…hootenannies?
“Oh bullshit. Democrats had a whole host of ‘blue-dog’ type Democrats that won in the south.”
Like who? Only Democrat I can think of like that is Harold Ford Jr. and he lost. We can disqualify Jim Webb right off the bat, he’s hardly a “blue dog” Democrat.
SpiderJ, don’t you know? All we drink is tea, and drive old Volvos (or new Subarus) and wear Birkenstocks. We also all wear hemp clothing, our woman don’t shave their armpits and we eat smelly French cheese. Oh, and we’re all on welfare. On weekends we burn flags and spit on soldiers. I know this about all liberals because Rush Limbaugh and Jay said so.
Per capita tea drinking is surely much high south of the Mason-Dixon. Cold tea, half sugar.
Don’t forget about the baby weenie roasts, EL.
“I know I’m not going to watch the Democrats debate so I can make up my mind whether to vote for Edwards, Obama, or Clinton.”
This is precisely why the Dem candidates won’t be slumming for votes on FOX.
And after that little Conyers/Jefferson stunt FOX pulled yesterday don’t be surprised if the black caucus drops them like the partisan hacks that they are.
Remember when Delay et al were Democrats when they got in trouble? Go over to Google and view Outfoxed if you have a strong stomach.
chum, what I meant was that if I watch the debates, it won’t be to choose between Democratic candidates.
But I’m not voting for a Democratic candidate anytime soon.
There are, however, people who call themselves independents (whether they are or not) who could be persuaded by a Democratic candidate that they see on FOX.
If they’re independent they’re probably not watching FOX.
Seriously, what’s the “tea drinking” thing about? What’s wrong with tea?
Beats the hell out of me. I was just being sarcastic.
All we drink is tea, and drive old Volvos (or new Subarus) and wear Birkenstocks. We also all wear hemp clothing, our woman don’t shave their armpits and we eat smelly French cheese. Oh, and we’re all on welfare. On weekends we burn flags and spit on soldiers.
Hey, I see your bogus stereotype and raise you the bogus stereotype that people who live in the south are all gun toting, tobacco chewing, Natural light drinking yokels. We drive nothing but 4×4 pickups for all the mudding we do over the weekend and everyone has a Confederate flag in their yard. Of course, there’s the requisite lynchings and cross burnings we squeeze in sometime as well.
Question, Jay: which liberal pundit espouses your conservative stereotype with the same fervor and frequency as several conservative pundits do with the liberal stereotype?
Is it Colmes? I’ve missed that, if so.
Spider, perhaps you can direct me to the conservative pundit that routinely claims liberal women don’t shave their armpits and that you all like to eat smelly French cheese. Hemp clothing too.
It was an absurd response to an absurd comment.
Lighten up, Francis.
I guess the name, Heath Shuler, is already forgotten in liberal circles since he got his victory in North Carolina and is no longer political expedient.
Spider, perhaps you can direct me to the conservative pundit that routinely claims liberal women don’t shave their armpits and that you all like to eat smelly French cheese. Hemp clothing too.
Rush Limbaugh.
Sure he has.
What was the fucking point of answering your question then?
Rush Limbaugh.
Ann Coulter.
“Now these Hollywood actress types who don’t have time to shave their underarms, two week old growth there…”- Rush Limbaugh
There’s one…