Some Conservatives mad at Fox News deciding to going centre-right, Tea Party furious - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Fox News may have created a monster. Fox has undergone a Roger Ailes-mandated “course correction,” in which its politics now more closely align with the GOP establishment, angering the Tea Party constituency it helped create. The infamous cable network was once so aligned with the Tea Party that the two were often advertised together, and was one of, if not the, primary forces behind the movement’s metastasization. (For a lark, here’s Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin’s blog on the initial Tea Party protests, in which she in no way defends against the exact charges she would later hurl at Occupy Wall Street.) But that was during a Democratic presidency and midterm election, the latter especially feeding on the type of local issues and campaigning at which the Tea Party, uh, excelled. Now that a national election is at stake, the network has somewhat dissociated itself from the Tea Party’s preferred candidates, if not from the movement’s actual platform of severe austerity, vicious limits on health and education services, and wacky theories about UN plots to control us through bike lanes. Hints of the changes in Fox’s programming have been there for some time, but the biggest clue was when the network essentially ditched spinning top Glenn Beck. Beck was a ratings monster, and though his numbers were on the decline, his was still among the most watched programs on cable news. Instead, Fox has hired some liberal voices, colorfully characterized by one conservative viewer as “graduates from the Jane Fonda Women’s Media Center. Politico also notes that after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, Roger Ailes—in addition to advising Sarah Palin to go hide in a hole, which she did not do—told the network to tone it down. Viewers have noticed. Politico spoke to numerous conservatives; many involved in local political movements, who are turning away from Fox News to more ideologically rigid websites, and, in a couple inexplicable cases, CNN. Ron Paul supporters are especially angry, as they feel that Fox news has been instrumental in denying Paul the coverage to stymie his electoral chances, even going so far as to cancel anchor Andrew Napolitano for being pro-Paul. (Paul fans: to the comments section!) Buried on the fourth page (tl;dr) of Politico’s article is some insightful analysis from a Fordham University media professor Paul Levinson, who argues that both Fox and MSNBC are undergoing an inevitable shift toward the center, having sapped their respective extremes for all they’re worth. Levinson argues that this shift—in which MSNBC is also centralizing after firing Keith Olbermann—counteracts rating stagnation resulting from narrowing audiences. This is counter to the now-accepted-as-fact narrative that cable news will go on polarizing political discourse until we’re all sneering at each other from behind barbed internet pods. Instead, networks will keep their general political bent but move increasingly toward the center on the hunt for new viewers, mirroring the movement of the national parties to which they roughly correspond. While it’s easy (and fun, and fulfilling) to engage in some schadenfreude at incredulous conservatives who are shocked, just shocked, that Fox News’ content is manipulated, the effect overall can’t help but be good for the Republican Party and conservative movement. Ideological echo chambers—or epistemic closure, if you’re being elite about it—are validating, but they lead to extremities of opinions that ultimately do a movement harm. The “birther” movement alone shows what can happen when an idea becomes divorced from both reality and political prudence. Fox News seems to have realized this. What remains to be seen is how much of what they brewed can be poured back into the bottle.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.ology.com/politics/fox-news-changes-anger-tea-party-audience/02142012[/url] I don't understand hardcore conservatives, their beliefs are a minority, their own fucking party is churning out moderates by the minute, and all the GOP advisers know going moderate is the only way to stay relevant 10 years from now, yet the delusionals seriously believe there is going to be a "Conservative Revolution" (I've seen this exact language used) that will sweep the nation like a storm. I guess they don't want their fantasy world bubble popped.

Maybe this signals the ends of conservatism? A man can dream.

Perhaps they realized they were supporting a BATSHIT INSANE MOVEMENT.

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;34721602]Maybe this signals the ends of conservatism? A man can dream.[/QUOTE] No, they still have the bible to worship (note: worship, not reading).

[QUOTE=Jimpy;34721611]Perhaps they realized they were supporting a BATSHIT INSANE MOVEMENT.[/QUOTE] it's more likely that their sponsors came to that realization

What if Fox just intended to lure viewers into a net of blissful ignorance and trust, then all at once steer them in the right direction? Just kidding.

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;34721602]Maybe this signals the ends of conservatism? [/QUOTE] with progressivism dead conservatism will only flourish.

Theirs nothing wrong with conservatism. I can very much respect their opinions but when you start to get things like the tea party and the religious right that's when it begins to be too much. As with everything it need to be in moderation.

[QUOTE=Mudbone;34721851]Theirs nothing wrong with conservatism.[/QUOTE] there's plenty wrong with conservatism!

[QUOTE=thisispain;34721858]there's plenty wrong with conservatism![/QUOTE] Only if you're an idiot who can't understand other points of view. The key to a good understanding of any topic is seeing it from different angles

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34721899]Only if you're an idiot who can't understand other points of view[/QUOTE] i understand it just fine, i just think there are a lot of things wrong with it.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34721858]there's plenty wrong with conservatism![/QUOTE] The idea of self reliance and smaller government is a fine idea. Respectable at the least. However the new breed of ultra conservative's IS a problem.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34721910]i understand it just fine, i just think there are a lot of things wrong with it.[/QUOTE] Well you're acting like there's literally something morally apprehensible about being a conservative or being in favor of limited government, which is a very closed-minded view to take

[QUOTE=Mudbone;34721935]The idea of self reliance and smaller government is a fine idea. Respectable at the least. However the new breed of ultra conservative's IS a problem.[/QUOTE] self-reliance and smaller government aren't conservative ideas unless you want to call anarchists conservative.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34721950]Well you're acting like there's literally something morally apprehensible about being a conservative or being in favor of limited government, which is a very closed-minded view to take[/QUOTE] Social conservatism is pretty terrible.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34721950]Well you're acting like there's literally something morally apprehensible about being a conservative or being in favor of limited government, which is a very closed-minded view to take[/QUOTE] that's a very nice abstraction but that's not what i said. i said there was plenty wrong with conservatism.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34721950]Well you're acting like there's literally something morally apprehensible about being a conservative or being in favor of limited government, which is a very closed-minded view to take[/QUOTE] Conservatism is all about maintaining the status quo you need a big, powerful government to prevent societal change so small-government conservatism doesn't exist (this is why conservatives continue to expand government)

FOX NEWS IS FOR SOCIALISTS

let's please bear in mind that the republicans are liberals when it comes to economics. conservatism is a different boat completely.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;34721978]Conservatism is all about maintaining the status quo you need a big, powerful government to prevent societal change so small-government conservatism doesn't exist (this is why conservatives continue to expand government)[/QUOTE] That may be what it means in the dictionary, but along the American political sphere, conservative just means small government and reduced spending. Sure, a lot of people in the Republican Party favor the status quo as for social standards, but that's not the main drive among Republican voters.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34721954]self-reliance and smaller government aren't conservative ideas unless you want to call anarchists conservative.[/QUOTE] Smaller government = Anarchy? I'm afraid I don't follow. All I am saying I can respect their opinions. Personally I side with socialism. Here in america to most people it makes me a communist.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34722019]That may be what it means in the dictionary, but along the American political sphere, conservative just means small government and reduced spending. Sure, a lot of people in the Republican Party favor the status quo as for social standards, but that's not the main drive among Republican voters.[/QUOTE] that's an assertion made up to paint republicans as some kind of small government and reduced spending party which is total bullshit. after the great shift in ownership of the republican party not a single republican has reduced spending or made government any smaller.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34722017]let's please bear in mind that the republicans are liberals when it comes to economics. conservatism is a different boat completely.[/QUOTE] It really depends on the Republican, but it's unfortunate that the Republican party is now overflowing with neocons.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34722019]That may be what it means in the dictionary, but along the American political sphere, conservative just means small government and reduced spending. Sure, a lot of people in the Republican Party favor the status quo as for social standards, but that's not the main drive among Republican voters.[/QUOTE] If conservatism means small government and reduced spending, and the Republicans are conservative, how come Republican voters keep voting for people who favour huge government and non-stop worthless spending

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;34721602]Maybe this signals the ends of conservatism? A man can dream.[/QUOTE] There isn't anything wrong with being conservative. Stop comparing conservative people with crazy people.

[QUOTE=Mudbone;34722038]Smaller government = Anarchy?[/QUOTE] anarchists don't advocate for what is known as anarchy.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34722040]that's an assertion made up to paint republicans as some kind of small government and reduced spending party which is total bullshit. after the great shift in ownership of the republican party not a single republican has reduced spending or made government any smaller.[/QUOTE] I never said I endorsed the Republican candidates and congressmen themselves, but most Republican voters and American Conservatives in general want a smaller government, at least fiscally

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34722051]It really depends on the Republican, but it's unfortunate that the Republican party is now overflowing with neocons.[/QUOTE] i didn't say anything about republicans.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;34722062]If conservatism means small government and reduced spending, and the Republicans are conservative, how come Republican voters keep voting for people who favour huge government and non-stop worthless spending[/QUOTE] They're not really conservative. Its turned into a buzzword.

[QUOTE=thisispain;34722017]let's please bear in mind that the republicans are liberals when it comes to economics. conservatism is a different boat completely.[/QUOTE] at least when liberals throw all the money around it usually lands in places that benefit citizens, I wouldn't call the gop economically liberal if their money only lands on corporations