Is FOX News a GOP Kingmaker?

[RobinFinderson]

Sarah Palin continually tells the country that the liberal 'lame-stream' media is out to brainwash us. Perhaps to put a more positive spin on that, if you are a liberal, you can look to many different sources to have your convictions reinforced. If you are a conservative, however, and you are looking for a fast-food-style injection of conservative news, you have three places to turn -- AM Radio, Drudge, and FOX News. I don't mean to downplay the wealth of conservative blogs and journals that provide valuable conservative perspectives, and these in turn influence the content of FOX News, however in a Fast-Food Nation, FOX News seems to be the dominant means by which self-identified conservatives get informed. Thus FOX News wields an incredible amount of power in determining who will be the GOP candidate. Does this make FOX a kingmaker when it comes to the GOP nominee?

[frank ryan]

we know Murdoch has played this role in other countries. Tony Blair and David Cameron sought his blessing. One of the guys arrested for phone hacking was working for Cameron.

[Jacob]

Yep. Fox News and Rush Limbaugh really, really wanted Mccain to be the nominee.

[frank ryan]

Yep. Fox News and Rush Limbaugh really, really wanted Mccain to be the nominee.

Who did they want? I would look at Fox and Limbaugh seperately.

[taekwondave]

Who did they want? I would look at Fox and Limbaugh seperately.

Well, all the talking heads seemed to be in Giuliani's court to some degree, until he blew the first three or four states in the primary, then they seemed just simply confused. By the time Florida rolled around they had turned all their efforts towards supporting Romney, as he seemed to be the last ditch hope to keep McCain from getting the nomination. It took a few weeks for the Republicans and their talking heads (I say Republicans, not conservatives. I don't believe they're conservative except in that they like to invoke the founding fathers frequently to make it look like they are) to come around and start speaking well of McCain. But before he won the nomination you'd have thought they saw him as the second coming of Hitler from what they were saying 24 hours/day. It wasn't like they were big fans of Romney, they just saw him as an infinitely better option that McCain. Just like they clearly didn't like McCain, but saw him as a better option than Obama. I don't trust any of them. I like that you brought up old Rupert.

[pellegrino]

I don't know that it is a kingmaker, but they definitely do have their positions, talking points, and candidates that they promote. In the end, I think evangelical churches have more of an influence than FOX actually does.