Crazy Like FOX... Dems Should Follow Bernie Across the Cable DMZ

[Mountain Mule]

It is the riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma for all who lean left: how is it possible that Donald Trump’s sins, deceits, criminal acts, vile behaviors, racist bloviation, misogynist bile, xenophobic rants, impeachable offenses, and now broadside volleys against the Constitution have had, in aggregate, no discernible impact on his approval rating?

Theories abound. Some involve arrogant estimates about the IQs and education of Trump supporters, but a modest amount of googling can shoot these theories to pieces. There is the theory that many Trump supporters care only about the strong state of the economy and stock market. Other theories hold that Trump gives voice to the anger of Americans who feel that their government has failed them.

But there is of course another factor, and it is profound. And that is the fact that millions of perfectly intelligent Americans choose to get their news from Fox News, and each and every day they are provided an aggressively curated version of the day’s events. If you want to know a want to know a big reason why Donald Trump’s approval rating is immutable, the answer lies there...

All of which brings me to a recent flash of brilliance from contrarian Bernie Sanders.

Sure, we can worry that Bernie's ideological rigidity and uncompromising rhetoric could lead to damaging rifts in the Democratic Party. But it is fair to argue that he has been the pre-eminent thought leader for the Party over the past four years... creative, perceptive, original, and way out in front of the party's sharp shift to the left.

A few weeks ago Bernie participated in a town hall-style television event broadcast on Fox News. Bernie’s town hall in the other team’s town was particularly notable as the Democratic Party had recently announced that it would refuse to allow Fox News to host any of the televised debates in the Democratic primary season.

This time, it’s sure not crazy Bernie. Bernie is right and the Democratic Party leadership is crazy...

So Bernie Sanders decided to go behind enemy lines and speak directly to Trump's base. He realized that allowing the base to listen exclusively to Sean Hannity was to acquiesce to the polarization that fuels Trump's power.

If you don't shake the faith of Trump's base, he keeps his Senators, he keeps his job, and he keeps crushing the checks and balances that make our nation a democracy governed by the rule of law.

We must try to get to Trump's base.

[link:http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2019/05/btrtn-crazy-like-fox-dems-should-follow.html|

The excerpt above is taken from today's blog post on Born to Run the Numbers. It's a bit long but well worth the read. I'm posting about it NOT because I'm a Sanders supporter - I am undecided. However, I am a huge supporter of the Democrats, and I believe that by taking the battle to the enemy, we may gain some converts. Fox viewers are mostly on auto-pilot - they keep their TV's tuned to all Fox, all of the time - thus they never are exposed to the real world.

When Bernie appeared on Fox, this all changed and some Foxers were actually applauding Bernie! I bet they would applaud Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren or any of the other Democrats now running in the primaries.

What's the worst that could happen if Kamala Harris had an interview with Fox? The audience would automatically reject her and her ideas? BFD. Foxers do that now. But what if Kamala (or Joe or Pete) actually caused some of them to stop and think? Thoughtful people vote Democrat these days. Why not give it a shot?

[stonecutter357]

1. fox is not a legitimate news source .

[DownriverDem]

2. It's all about the judges

and over turning Roe v Wade. The reason that repubs in red states are passing such insane anti abortion laws is because they want them to get before the Supreme Court. Of course I can't help but wonder if they know what would happen if Roe v Wade was overturned. Legal or not legal abortions return to the states like before. I knew of a woman who had to travel to New York by herself from Ohio, for an abortion. They couldn't afford for her boyfriend to travel with her. If only folks would have listened in 2016 when folks were screaming for them to think of the court appointments when they voted. repubs have approved over 100 judges and you know they are right wing.

[left-of-center2012]

3. Who is behind "Born to Run the Numbers"? the linked website

[Mountain Mule]

5. It's written by a couple of bloggers with a decidedly left leaning point of view

They do lots of statistical analysis, write interesting blog posts, and collect humorous political songs among other things. They've been around for 6 or 7 years. I drop in on BTRTN from time to time mostly for their stats, but today's post seemed interesting enough to share on DU.

[LibFarmer]

10. They are like unskew the polls outfit. nt

[kimbutgar]

4. What a waste of energy for any Democratic candidate to go on fox

The cult members are not going to be moved to change their minds they are goners. We have to grow our party with the young as those old fox viewers die off.

[Mountain Mule]

6. If they cheered on Bernie of all people...

They just might applaud other Dems. Plus, they'll never get any other exposure to what the Dems actually stand for. What the hell? It's worth a shot.

[kimbutgar]

8. Except the audience they had were half Bernie supporters before who voted for the orange maggot

[LibFarmer]

9. Bernie packed the audience with his supporters

and advertised "Bernie watch" parties to drive up the ratings.

Fox only used Bernie as a defector and ridiculed his socialism in later broadcasts.

If anyone watching Fox was vacillating, they would change channels to get another point of view wouldn't they?

Legitimizing Fox as a news source is detrimental to the message. Democrats should always say Fox is an entertainment network and not a credible news organization.

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. I'm not sure why anyone here would be trying to pump up Fix News viewership, but it's not a good....

look. Let Fox thrive or die on its own, they don't need help from us.

[MrsCoffee]

11. Fuck Fox.

Goddamn fucking Trump propaganda mouth piece.

No one should be trying to give these assholes any legitimacy.

Oh, and I never click on links to that site in your OP anymore. Just a bunch of nonsense.

[LongtimeAZDem]

12. No "Foxers were actually applauding Bernie"; the audience was packed with Sanders fans

"Borntorunthenumbers" can't recognize a sandbag play.