Sara Carter – The Democratic National Committee’s public rebuke of Fox News is really a public rebuke of anyone who watches the network.
It seems the DNC hasn’t learned much from its past mistakes: Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign is the biggest example.
And we all know what happened with her strategy. She underestimated and undermined many midwest voters and middle-class Americans. Many of those voters were independents and when she called President Donald Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables” she helped sink her own election.
That’s exactly what the DNC is calling viewers of Fox News “deplorables.”
The DNC has drawn a line in the sand, making their divisions public by saying it won’t allow the network to broadcast any of its 2020 presidential primary debates.
If the DNC really wanted to lure voters to their side of the debate they wouldn’t stay on familiar ground but would welcome the opportunity to get asked the tough questions by some of the most respected anchors in the business: Chris Wallace to name just one.
Instead, the DNC has targeted Fox News and its viewers. What the DNC is actually saying is anyone who watches Fox News is a “deplorable” and the Democrats don’t need them.
DNC Chairman Spins
Just listen to what DNC Chairman Tom Perez said Wednesday.
“I believe that a key pathway to victory is to continue to expand our electorate and reach all voters,” said Perez. “That is why I have made it a priority to talk to a broad array of potential media partners, including FOX News.”
Perez attempted to pin the decision on recent reporting in The New Yorker that there is an inappropriate relationship “between President Trump, his administration and FOX News.”
He said this led him to “conclude that the network is not in a position to host a fair and neutral debate for our candidates. Therefore, FOX News will not serve as a media partner for the 2020 Democratic primary debates.”
It’s a lie and it will backfire. Fox News has the highest ratings for 17 straight years for a reason. Viewers watch everything from straight news to more opinionated shows like Fox New’s blockbuster nightly primetime lineup with Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Laura Ingraham.
Perez claims that the New Yorker story reveals an inappropriate relationship with the White House – really? It’s simply not true. News anchors on the Fox News Network like Shepard Smith, who consistently challenges the White House and hold the administration accountable to Chris Wallace, whose interviews have included senior ranking Democrats and heads of state aren’t in line with President Trump – they are in line with the truth and asking tough questions most politicians don’t want to answer.
The DNC Fox News Excuse
Martha McCallum, Bret Baier, Shannon Bream are objective anchors and compared to CNN and MSNBC their news casts provide far more reliable news coverage. I challenge those of you that haven’t seen these news broadcasts to watch them. Afterwards, watch Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon or Chris Cuomo. I’m not pointing fingers, just look for yourselves.
For full disclosure, I’m a Fox News contributor and a frequent guest on Sean Hannity’s show, who was criticized in the New Yorker story for his support of President Trump.
Americans like to flip back and forth between the networks. They are curious and want to see a glimpse of what the opposite side is saying or hoping to catch the top stories from various anchors. Sure, people have their favorite shows but many times channel surfing gives people a glimpse into stories that some favorites just don’t cover.
But something changed during the 2016 election. Network anchors and pundits on MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and others made it clear that a vote for Trump was unacceptable. Instead of reporting on policy differences they targeted Trump supporters.
Most Americans I’ve spoken with over the past year — whether they are Republicans, Independents and some Democrats — have not forgotten how those networks treated them and continue to treat them.
It backfired. Maybe that’s why we saw so many anchors and pundits crying on the night of the election. They just couldn’t believe Americans had basically had enough of the constant badgering and belittling. So Americans let the networks and the Clinton campaign know how they felt with their votes.
American Voters Haven’t Forgotten
I believe most American voters haven’t forgotten that Hillary Clinton didn’t bother to visit states that she thought she had already won. She underestimated the constituents and that was a huge mistake.
It seems with the DNC’s move to ban Fox News, it is history repeating itself.
Remember Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” wasn’t directed at Trump but the American people. And they will remember the DNC’s decision to ban Fox News viewers come 2020.
In the end, this situation bodes well for Trump.
However, I’m not sure Trump’s possible plan to block the “fake news” networks from the “General Election debates” is the way to respond.
Democrats just blocked @FoxNews from holding a debate. Good, then I think I’ll do the same thing with the Fake News Networks and the Radical Left Democrats in the General Election debates!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2019
The best way to handle this situation is to put the American people first. It doesn’t matter if they watch Fox News, CNN, MSNBC or the television networks.
We shouldn’t be a nation divided but one that works together to find common ground in our ideas.
The networks and political parties don’t and shouldn’t define Americans. They must, however, work hard to gain America’s trust.
Remember, the message is far more important than the messenger who delivers it.
It worked during the 2016 presidential election and it will work again.
SF Source Sara Carter Mar 2019