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Los Angeles Times columnist Doyle McManus has a nice recap of the Republican National Committee’s election “autopsy,” in which the party leadership concludes, ”The Republican Party needs to stop talking to itself. We have lost the ability to be persuasive with — or welcoming to — those who do not agree with us on every issue.”
Don’t look now, but that prescription seems to be working quite well for Rush Limbaugh — who, as McManus noted, dismissed the report — and Fox News Channel, whose imperious leader, Roger Ailes, just gave another one of those give-no-quarter interviews to Howard Kurtz.
Then again, why should Ailes back down at all? He’s learned from experience being the voice of the opposition is good for business. The problem, as conservative author David Frum has pointed out on numerous occasions, is the interests of the “conservative entertainment complex” — which has thrived during the Obama administration by stoking fears and giving a forum to those who oppose the President at every turn — and the Republican Party are not aligned in this regard, since there’s a very profitable niche to be mined that, alas, doesn’t necessarily help in winning over moderates and thus a majority of the popular vote.
Conservative pundits will say they are simply adhering to their principles, and that’s their prerogative — as well as that of an audience, just like those progressives who gravitate toward liberal columnists or MSNBC, who seek out voices that reinforce their views.
Still, it’s the GOP right now that is rather publicly exploring ways to broaden its tent. And from that perspective, it doesn’t help if the carnival barkers on the inside keep pulling the curtain shut behind them.
When you wonder why the GOP has lost the popular vote in 5out 6 of the last elections, blue pastry should be exhibit A. Thanks to Fox (and Limbaugh, Beck etc) conservatives live in their own version of reality…polls show Romney is losing? We will create our own (see “unskewed polls). Don’t want to acknowledge climate change? Hire a bunch of “scientists” paid by Exxon/Mobil to say it isn’t happening. Want to deny evolution? How about “intelligent design” (which is anything but…). The demographics are against them and they are desperately clinging to any resemblance of hope. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch…..
Interesting, but are we also going to talk about the Democrats MSNBC problem? According to Pew Research that channel not only contains more opinion pieces than Fox (85% to 55%) but was also more bias in their coverage.
you actually mean “more biased” not “more bias,” but if you think the issue is FOX vs. MSNBC then you are really missing the point.
the reason why there is no longer a daily variety is that most people do not wanna hear stupid liberal slanted articls from the left. A bunch of inane comments that are nothing more than delusional views of us conservatives in the biz. Liberals are too cheap to spend their own money. Us conservative will not support left wing bigoted views. so there is another liberal paper that bites the dust.
Keep it up with your racial bias Fox News is the klu klux klan network and will be only listen to by dumb and stupid people who cant think for themselves. By the way what is the newspaper that is read by the klu klux klan crowd.
Variety has not bitten the dust. Yes, the daily print version is gone, but the paper continues to post on-line reports and maintain its website. And there will be a new weekly magazine. So there is no triumph here for you and, by the way, Variety reporting is direct news coverage. It’;s columnists have their take on things but the paper isn’t a bigoted left wing publication at its core. It is a NEWSpaper.
the only place to get fair and balanced news is the fox news channel. funny how an open gop party which needs to embrace conservative values is viewed as being in turmoil. The democrat party which silences free speech and opposition and hushes people who know the truth about the dead ice agent, benghazi, intrusive illegal witretapping, etc. democrats are getting indicted for corruption all over the USA. Soldiers are dying at higher levels under obama , then bush. funny how writer can make a prescription commet about rush. But forgive people like chappaquiddick ted knnedy, sexual abuser bill Clit’n, Menendez, Robert KKK Byrd, I could write democrats names all day. Charles Rangel avoids taxes, supports draft. We have a democrat party that is a joke. they support a socialist agenda that has not been seen since Adolph Hitler. They support total repression of the rights of the unborn. But support saving some stupid owl
Bluepastry, your demented ravings are music to every liberal’s ears — please post everywhere as often as you can. In your own small way you are guaranteeing that the White House will remain in Democratic hands for the next generation.