stick to letter of the law and not use the law to go fishing. end of story stop wasting the Tax dollars. two years of muller need to be investigated.
1
I think Bill Maher deserves some credit for asking every Democrat that comes on REAL TIME to go on Fox news. It's important to get your message out there no matter who your audience is.
6
I don't agree with Bernie on anything, BUT I do commend Bernie for going on FOX. All voices should be heard. Too bad liberal stations don't follow suit. FOX always has opposing views on.
In a country of 330 million people, is it really accurate to call 2.5 million people a “vast” audience? Celebrities routinely have Twitter accounts with multiples more followers (11 million for Chrissy Teigen, for example).
The media constantly overplays the importance of Fox News: it’s a niche broadcaster with a narrow audience.
1
The problem with Fox news is that they will not take the talking points from the DNC and run with them on all their shows like CNN and MsNBC do. Even the pundits like Hannity, Sarah Carter, etc. who showed fealty to Trump were RIGHT in their assessment and investigative reporting regarding the Russia investigation, while the rest of the MSM was wrong, either stupidly wrong or criminally wrong.
4
At least Fox covers Bernie Sanders unlike some news organizations I could mention.
Bernie Sanders is always about two miles ahead of everyone else with his thinking. He seizes possibilities where others see none or when others decide the possibilities are too risky. He has chatzpah.
The DNC has fallen so far behind it is like a dinosaur in search of a cave. Imagine having a choice between Tom Perez and Pete Buttigeg for the chairmanship of its party and...choosing Perez?
4
As a regular Times reader, I was disappointed by the title of this article. Why should it be unusual for Democrats to want to reach voters through the most viewed news network (even if I don't watch it)? Every Democratic candidate should have a town hall on Fox so that their views can be shared with Fox's audience, regardless of what the political views of that audience may be. Fox is not Trump's network. I very much hope our future president is not the just the president for the audiences of certain news channels but for all Americans whether they watch Fox, CNN or MSNBC.
3
Democrats should campaign everywhere.
That means in deep red states and on Fox News. Deciding right off the top that none of FNC's viewers could possibly be persuadable would be short-sighted, cynical, and factually mistaken.
The problem is that those viewers are learning about Democratic candidates through the distorted lens of Sean Hannity and co., rather than listening to the candidates directly.
Democrats should jump at the chance to speak to these audiences directly. They need all the votes they can get.
5
I guess if Trump does not like it, it's biased.
2
It should not be unusual at all to see some democratic issues addressed on Fox or some Republican issues addressed on CNN. That is is what would make them news organizations instead of dedicated instruments of propaganda, which is exactly what they are today. They act as if we can’t detect ginned-up controversies or conclusion-based rhetoric in their news, both of which are anathema to real journalism. NYT has also fallen prey to non-journalism, as traditional journalistic methods give way to simply voicing the writer’s or editor’s worldview, while sprinkling facts into it — which is Rhetoric and propaganda, but is not journalism or news. This is a long way of saying I hope Democrats appearing on a national news program is normal in the future.
6
I think the democrats should have a debate on Fox News with Chris Wallace as the moderator.
4
@Siobhan Donohue I would prefer one, with Tucker Carlson instead, younger, more relatable and the most brilliant commentator at work today in the US.
1
Any Democratic candidate that doesn’t have the guts to appear on Fox News has no business being in the race. Jump into the snake pit people. Show us what you’re made of.
12
Why did the NYT/ Michael M. Grynbaum and Sydney Ember, writing about the pluses and minuses of the unusual prospect of Democratic presidential candidates appearing on Fox News, fail to report on the surprisingly interesting reception of Bernie Sanders, the only Democratic presidential candidate to actually have done this, that is beyond the single comment buried late in the article: "Mr. Sanders received generally positive reviews for his appearance on Fox News" How could they fail to discuss the enthusiastic audience reception of his savvy defense of a Medicare For All proposal? Instead after briefly noting the fact of his pioneering appearance, they eschew any analysis of that appearance, moving on quickly to speculate about future possible appearances by 'moderate' Amy Klobuchar or Pete Buttigieg. They left the descriptive analysis to a displeased Donald Trump, "So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @FoxNews. Not surprisingly, @BretBaier and the “audience” was so smiley and nice. Very strange“; What’s with @FoxNews?”
6
This is a no brainer: all networks, but especially one that broadcasts to half our electorate, the half we can’t count on to vote with us, should be fair game. Why would candidates leave FOX to portray them and not go there and speak for themselves? Get the dem debates, all candidates on there! As long the set up is right where the nessage is not heavily edited/put in the wrong context, etc. And why should progressives punish them for speaking their positions to a bigger audience? Insane.
3
Fox News might be a very bad channel with a lot of bad journalism, but what is the alternative to reach their audience? And what are the alternative sources of info and debate for their audience? As long as there is audience you need to talk to and no alternatives to talk to them, you don’t have much choice but to go on Fox. I mean what’s your strategy? Do you think they will go to your rallies? Or that you can convince them of anything in your 30-second TV ads?
Also I’m not sure you really want Fox News to disappear. Have you ever had a look at all the online websites and YouTube channels supporting Trump? It is actually quite scary, and way worse than Fox.
5
It is a very good idea. I am a former Democrat who voted for Obama twice, and for Trump. Not only I voted for him I predicted he will win the second Hillary got her nomination. Ten years ago when I worked for a broadcast network, I never watched FOX News and thought lowly of it. However, in the last 4 years, I have been watching FOX every evening as CNN and MSNBC have outdone FOX in terms of baseless propaganda many times over. I know all their hosts and while I do not agree on every single issue I find more common sense and integrity at FOX.
For any Democratic hopefuls who want my vote, Fox News is the only place where they can find me. If the Democrats reconsider their stance on immigration and identity politics and foreign policy they may have my vote again. So far, I only like Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbart. I would vote for Tulsi Gabbart over Trump, and a ticket Bernie Sanders Tulsi Gabbart would be great. The other Democrats from Pelosi, to Swalwel, to Schumer, to Adam Schiff, to etc.... I find sleazy and abhorrent.
6
There's nothing worse than bad acting, and most politicians stink.
Bernie can go on any TV network because he's genuine, and comes across as a real person with real policy ideas. He connects, because he communicates in real time, on his feet.
Sen Elizabeth Warren is a half step behind, like she's watching herself perform on a TV monitor to see how she's coming across. Her policies are a needed and timely antidote to the destructive powers of wealth destroying the fabric of society and the environment. But she doesn't come across as real, unless you already buy her act.
This is why Trump is President. He's just way better at being on television and telling a story, regardless of whether its true. Trump tells the story his audience wants to hear. Trump and FOX are alike in that way.
Trump is a bona-fide performer, with the TV ratings history to prove it. FOX is what it is because of its ratings.
FOX will be happy to have Democratic hopefuls all day long. First, its counter programming for the network, a chance to see something novel for their audience. Second, any traction of a Democrat further splinters the democratic vote in a crowded field. So the publicity may be helpful to a democratic candidate, but harmful to the party.
Its good business for FOX to boost its ratings by showing these rare birds in a foreign land. It's good for the candidates too. It's good for the FOX audience to get a peek outside the echo chamber. And its good for the country, if you ask me.
Appearing on Fox News shouldn't be an option, it should be a REQUIREMENT. Any Democrat who can't push back against the xenophobia, hatred and the race baiting that typifies their coverage should not be the nominee of the Democrat party as they are unable to stand up to bigotry and defend our core values.
Period.
8
I'm a left-leaning independent, never voted republican and probably never will, and I say, it's about time. The DNC's ban on Fox News for the debates is infantile and shows the democratic party as weak. Instead of whining that Fox is not fair, show them why democratic ideas are better than republican ones. Refusing to debate on Fox deprives democrats of a platform to demonstrate the value of their positions. You may even begin to pierce that Fox bubble.
4
Inasmuch hate one can ascribe to Fox Noise's disinformation to protect Trump (his propaganda outlet), Chris Wallace must be the exception, so hats off to him, for his courage in the midst of cynical pseudo-journalistic commentators 'a la Hannity'. Too bad that too many folks are uneducated in 101 Civics, to know that politics is the art of the possible...and not the ongoing 'politicking' that, conveniently, mixes facts with fiction, the truth with lies. And, unless they diversify their sources of information, will remain doomed in a sea of make-belief nonsense.
2
It's absurd to consider the voicing of one's viewpoint as anything but a benefit, regardless of venue. The reception of Bernie Sanders on Fox was most gratifying, simultaneously puzzling, but ultimately a plus for the advancement of truth and good government, so evident in his every word.
5
There are a lot of potential Democratic voters in Republican ranks. There have to be many honest Republicans left who will be ashamed of the criminal antics of Trump.
4
“There’s a whole other conversation to be had about how Fox News does their work and the bias with which they do it.”
___
CNN & MSNBC are no different; they're more rabid and partisan in some of their programming.
As to the DNC not allowing Fox News sponsor a debate, that's a grave mistake. Viewership would skyrocket and with potential moderators like Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Harris Faulkner there won't be bias for any candidate.
Finally, with respect to individual (D) hopefuls accepting the invitation for a Town Hall Q&A from FOX News, messaging works (candidates pre-screen questions).
3
Since 2016, Fox News has represented the opposing party significantly better than did MSNBC or CNN - and even NYT! Now that we're learning the realities of Trump's supposed collusion with the Russians, it's becoming clear that Fox's, yes, higher journalistic standards (in this case) likely aided them in reporting truth. Trump has had strong, core support from many non-establishment Republicans and Independents and, now, enjoys the support of mainstream Republicans. But at NYT, there is not a SINGLE op-ed writer (and reporter, apparently) who is sympathetic with (or can at least represent) any of Trump's positions. Despite his popularity among the opposition, NYT has managed to find a couple Republicans who despise Trump in order to "represent" the Republican president. Shameful journalism... and a good way to overlook reality staring you in the face.
4
It’s surprising that Fox has entertained having Dems on the show. I hope it reflects a tectonic shift, below the surface , that could change a lot of outcomes.
2
I agree with the decision to venture into “enemy territory”. Republicans regularly appear on Real Time and face hostile audiences with aplomb.
The hope is for an actual President of all the people. We say “they” live in a bubble but we have our own. We all subscribe to NYT and/or watch MSNBC and NPR. We’re already sold.
Use Fox’s reach to talk to people about income inequality, health care and their kid’s future.
The DNC should give Fox a candidates debate.
6
@Adam Clarke, well said! In order to break the partisan and social divides we have in this country, everyone needs to be willing to listen, respectfully, to all sides. We may all learn something, and move forward to compromise and get things done.
2
Someone needs to explain why the word ‘unusual’ was chosen for the headline. The Fox News audience is exactly where Democrats should be campaigning. Most Republicans and nearly all Trump supporters know nothing else but the universe that Fox News presents to them.
3
Fox News is misnamed (it is not news or journalism, but entertainment). That said, any serious contender from any party should go on. I particularly hope more progressive and father left (in a US context, which is actually fairly centrist these days) go on. They need to practice, prepare and rehearse to be ready for the lies and misinformation the lead entertainer/talking heads will throw at them, but if they can hold there own and get ideas out to listeners, it is worth it. Terrifying though it is, for many (particularly older and whiter) folks in the US Fox is a main source of information.
This shouldn't be seen as a betrayal. It's a smart campaign strategy. Would you see it so obtuse if Trump were to appear on MSNBC about his campaign?
I feel like Fox News watchers are entrenched and living in a bubble. Going to their trenches is the best way to get them out and see the light behind the shroud of Trump. It's the best way to break through the propaganda machine that Fox has become.
3
Of course it makes sense.
A friend in Hong Kong told me Fox News puts North Korean state run television to shame.
When viewers see a propaganda mill for Trump, and Trump’s inability to speak the truth, they are Fed a constant diet of lies.
It is refreshing to see Fox audiences respond to issues they care about, instead of a con job by a man with a history of enriching himself through failed promises.
I believe Fox understands Trump’s days are numbered, and they don’t want to be associated with the Titanic when it goes under.
When the fate of freedom, democracy and prosperity are at stake, the cult of a corrupt personality has outlived its preposterous ‘car crash’ watch value.
2
Good for Bernie and others reaching out to all the American people. I read many news sources from HuffPost through Breitbart, also watch CNN, MSNBC, Fox, major networks. Really do not see how you can say you are informed if you depend on a single viewpoint source. Isn’t this really life in an echo chamber?
6
Bernie just has a branding problem. If he wasn’t labeled a socialist, the Fox News crowd and Trump voters could love him.
6
Both Howard Schultz and Bernie Sanders were treated with respect and treated fairly. I appreciated hearing what they had to say partly because they were neither thrown unfair questions nor were they thrown 'softballs'. I would far sooner see Republicans questioned by MSNBC and Democrats questioned by FOX than the other way around. It is those who truly believe that "the Fox News audience is unnecessary" are the ones who will ensure Donald Trump of victory. aka they are all "deplorables". Tom Perez needs to reevaluate his commitment to debate and indeed the very basis of journalism and his chairing a news network. FOX encourages Democrats to come on their programs, CNN refuses to have Fox sponsor a debate. And whom then is the party of inclusion?
2
This may be an unpopular opinion among liberals like myself, but I think appearances on Fox News are beneficial for both the candidates and the channel's audience. The candidates gain exposure to a completely new audience, and a group of people (those who watch/read Fox News exclusively) who are rarely exposed to ideas different than their own get to see the other side of the argument.
10
I'm not a fan of FOX in any way, but I do believe that we have got to start talking with each other and finding common ground. And that means going to where folks might be resistant to our message. It's not necessary for Democratic candidates to change anyone's mind at FOX Town Halls (although that might happen), but even introducing new ideas, or just to understand the Democratic platform a little better, is a step in the right direction for all of us.
I have been really angry at Bernie for his behavior (and his Bros) in the 2016 election, but his bravery in stepping into the FOX's den brings me new respect for him. The DNC needs to stop plotting against good potential candidates and let the best candidate succeed!
8
Why not? I applaud the president for meeting with Kim Jong-il. As expected, it came to nothing but really, what was lost?
Not a fan of Bernie's but there's nothing wrong with trying to reach other Americans, especially since many know (but will not admit) that Trump is everything Bernie says he is.
They don't look very happy. Actually trying to be fair and balanced is a lot less fun than claiming you are, when it's obviously not true.
3
@JR
In what ways do you think "Trump" is "everything Bernie says he is?" Other than old and white?
I'm really glad the dem candidates aren't buying into the tribalization game to the same extent as this current administration. This current administration is a far outlier in that respect. Its one of the things we (all US citizens, dem, green, independent, rep alike) shouldn't allow to be normalized.
4
"...even as they (Democrats that appear on Fox TV) risk a backlash from others in the party who view the network as an ideological menace."
Huh? Fox News is a right wing entity, so appearing before its viewers is some sort of concession to the right? If this thinking represents just where identity politics leads, then the Democrats are in more trouble than I suspected.
I think speaking to the right wing is brilliant. Wasn't it a failure to appeal to those voters in the 2016 election that lost the Democrats the election. Maybe, just maybe, listening to right wing concerns will offer the Democrats an opportunity to knit right and left wing concerns together sufficiently to build consensus. I always thought that is what America is all about.
10
Of course Democratic candidates are appearing on Fox. The viewership of one prime time hour on Fox is more then the entire 3 hour evening on CNN and MSNBC combined!! That’s huge exposure even if it is exposed to the opposition.
4
Good to see Andrew and Tulsi given credit for being leaders in this area.
Does anyone else remember when Donald and Fox seemed to hate each other? Maybe I am imagining that. After all, I was not even living in the country at the time. Nevertheless, I think it was in 2015-2016 before Donald became the front-runner in the primaries.
Bernie came out a winner, but no other Democrat will. Somehow Bernie got an audience with a lot of his supporters in it. Even Trump was surprised by this. Future Democratic town halls on FOX will not be so lucky. They will face crowds of people who don't care about anyone but themselves, and who don't want to pay their fair share of taxes.
1
One more reason the democrats will lose in 2020.
By all means, pander to the people who'd never vote for you in a million years, no matter what you say or do.
So long as you have a D after your name, the right-wing will despise you, and vote against you every single time.
@M. Noone
You seem to have villainized the opposition and are perhaps projecting your own 'despising' onto them. Many Trump supporters voted for Obama - even twice! This was a great decision by Bernie, IMO. Let's see how it plays out. So far it has clearly helped him.
3
@M. Noone
Honest question: if Fox viewers weren't going to vote for Dems anyway, what is lost by going on the network?
2
The "Democrats" are not "increasingly" using Fox to reach potential voters. BERNIE just did this - and it seems to be a success. Only now, afterwards, two or three other candidates are negotiating to do something similar. (The earlier appearances on Fox by Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang were minor interviews and very unlike this "Town Hall" event, reaching 2.5 million viewers.) NYT just can't seem to accurately report news that is favorable to Bernie Sanders. For instance, he is not "'a' front-runner in the Democratic race". Bernie is "the" front-runner.
9
While Mr. Sanders did a good job the Murdoch empire fuels a modern day fascist movement. In my view unless this is emphasized the minute you walk in the door you bestow legitimacy on it.
The Democrats need to bring their ideas to Fox and their viewer and not let the man in the White House or his extreme allies defined them.
3
The Fox opinion pieces can not be more partisan than the New York Times. All candidates should appear on all forums to help get voters out of their silos.
6
@Joe
But they actually are. I can't name one NYT writer that defends Trump. There are several at Fox that do seriously represent the other side.
1
Must get inside the bubble. It will eventually burst due fact-overload.
1
Pete Buttigieg appeared on Fox prior to Bernie Sanders. Pete did a very impressive interview with Chris Wallace on Fox a week or so ago.
4
@AJBF
Lol...Yes, a 12min. fluff piece.
By the by...Amy Klobuchar did a Fox interview before Pete back in Feb.'19
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/amy-klobuchar-to-bret-baier-i-love-you-but-fox-news-may-not-always-be-comfortable-for-democrats/
Depending upon how far back you want to go...Sen. Sanders has done other Fox interviews years past.
Check out Sanders Fox interview with bully boy Bill O'Reilly back in '15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=EO4Ko-v-q0g
1
This says far more to me about Fox News than any Democratic candidates who might appear on it. It takes a wide semi-circle to turn around a ship, but it seems as if Fox might be making a correction in how it portrays the current President.
2
@Nate Scarborough
Fox hasn't really changed much. Brett Baier has always been pretty objective, however conservative. I think for many liberals this was the first time they actually watched Fox for any duration and which wasn't a snippet provided by their own side's media.
4
"President Trump’s favorite network is increasingly playing host to hopefuls from the Democratic presidential field, eager for exposure to the vast Fox News audience — even as they risk a backlash from others in the party who view the network as an ideological menace " ... which is exactly the problem plaguing the Democrats.
They've come up with litmus tests for so many hot-button issues that they've essentially banished themselves to the lonely shores of solipsism. Their "backlash" will lead once again to electoral whiplash as many Dems will attest to following election night 2016.
Bernie is the one candidate who has the sense, the courage and the political history to cross those "sacred" lines in the sand that have isolated the Democratic party, splintering it into narrow fiefdoms ruled over by dogmatic codes of ideological purity.
How unseemly.
Bernie's pitch to the people appeals more to our desire for a government that actually governs.
Democrats, please move your preciously held social issues to the sidelines. Diversity et al have their place, but these less-than-crucial issues have led candidates into a fruitless battles over identity. It is -- and has been -- a losing strategy.
Bernie has taken his message and resume to the people. Fox viewers, too.
He should be praised to high heaven ... but beware copycats. You cannot fake his passion or historically validated alignment with the 99%.
7
I suspect Republicans are working to help Bernie get the nomination because they know he would face an uphill battle in the general election. When Ann Coulter says she could vote for him, beware of those bringing gifts.
@CNNNNC
Can you think of any Dem who won't have an uphill battle in the general?
3
I am a devoted fan of MSNBC , however I do watch Fox from time to time to educate myself to their perspective. Some I avoid, Tucker Carlson being one since it seems he is not really interested in a respectful exchange of ideas... however I respect Chris Wallace even though I often disagree with his perspective. Overall, I think it is important to distinguish between those that supposedly report the news Bret Baier, Chris Wallace and others and those that comment or editorialize on the news i.e. Sean Hannity and others. Interesting piece on Rupert Murdoch in a recent New York Times Sunday magazine edition, perhaps Fox is trying to be a bit more evenhanded. One can only hope.
1
What Fox did was take a risk, apparently their viewership polling found that their same old alt-news was getting stale.
So they took a risk and were surprised to see their viewership skyrocket.
Fox is less ideological driven than they are money driven. They prefer money over the Republican ideology - which was simply an untapped way to make money and mainstream news had a thin profit margin, so why compete in a saturated market?
Now that they've seen a new and real need for Progressive views - ignored by the mainstream media - they will pivot to this new untapped market. Fox is more innovative than the mainstream and they've again caught the corporate media flat-footed.
Fox is in the process of switching horses. This is a smart money move.
2
@Fourteen14
They were mainstream Republican and against Trump until the nomination. They actually switched to Trump before the Republican establishment did, which was after the election, in fact (but before midterms).
1
President Donald Trump once asked aides, “Why can’t Medicare simply cover everybody? ” according to Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury"
I am waiting for him to tweet that it was his great idea first!
Perhaps Fox is trying to shift the Republican party over to a bi-partisan Medicare for all by showing Republicans, via Sanders, how popular it would be.
1
If a candidate wants to get the votes she needs to go to the “dirty” places too. She cannot just live in her progressive bubble and hope for the best. I appreciate that many Democrat candidates get that and act accordingly.
2
Notice how Bernie was treated on Fox and in '16 when he was at Liberty College ? Both appearances were polite and civil yet informative amongst political opponents... a very telling contrast with leftist interviewers /audiences.
6
@Lane if you are going to use the term "leftist," how about use the term "rightist" too.
It may be that Fox believes Trump is over and there's better profit growth elsewhere. Alternative facts lose their hold eventually. What goes up must come down.
1
Very good idea.
There are lots of Democratic policy ideas that may appeal to Fox News viewers once they actually get a chance to understand them.
2
Sanders is now the gold standard for literally beating Fox on live TV. He literally could not have done better. Let’s how his competitors do.
5
It’s all about the Benjamins! Fox and others rode Trump from maverick to the throne for ratings. Fox’s futile attempts to smear Bernie with lame and transparent questions backfired on them. Bernie cannot be cowed or compromised. Trump won’t be able to belittle him and the white working class is seeing his point. Trump promised similar things (universal healthcare, ending wars) and didn’t deliver. Bernie can and will with a mandate. The truth can be heard from any platform. Fox put Bernie in the ‘briar patch’ and now they can’t contain his message. Way to go Fox! Thanks!
2
How can 'Other Democrats argue that the Fox News audience is Unnecessary' ? More very unhelpful labeling is not a good strategy ! What next, assure the 'unnecessaries' that they're not so bad if they're not (also, too) 'deplorable' ?
People have a strong need to feel wanted. Considering them to be Unnecessary is another example of the Establishment Dems attitude of Condescending Superiority.
5
I’m a registered Independent with definitely liberal voting tendencies. I’ve contributed to the Democratic Party. I detest Donald Trump. And I heartily agree with liberal candidates going on Fox to show their mettle, to face their critics, to make their case...to counteract the bias of hysterical Fox pundits by presenting well thought out, progressive and universally beneficial policy initiatives based on fact and egalitarianism. Some of the Fox audience may even be persuaded.
4
Exactly what I've been saying to all the Moderates and Centrists: “Voters are going to reward fearlessness.”
That's how you win; you take risks. No more mealy-mouth poll-driven triangulation. No more Pelosi.
If you don't risk losing, you don't deserve to win. And if you lose, so what - you lost straight-up, and that's not losing, it's building, it's pushing off winning for another day.
What the pearl-clutching moderates and centrists mired in the last millennium have never understood is that the universe loves courage: it rewards courage.
Voters reward courage.
7
We saw the Fox News crowd cheering for Bernie as he spoke of Meidcare for all. The question to ask: WHO picked this cheering crowd? Were they vetted? Yes, they are called Fox News watchers and they are overwhelmingly for Trump. So, are we at the mercy of Fox News picking the democratic front runner? Are the Democrats going to let Trump supporters choose who Trump will run against? I believe Trump when he said he would love to run against "Crazy Bernie." He is already practicing his lines: Socialist! They want to make us like Venezuela ! All he needs to do to win is keep his base (42%) together (think Fox News) and peel off about 7 percent from the other side (think Fox News again). Do the math. It's easy for Trump to sow discord in "the enemy's ranks." All he has to do is create confusion with lies and fake news, rev up fears and disgust, and let voter suppression takes care of the rest. With a little bit of 'non-collusion' help from Russia this should not be too hard. I am disgusted with the Democrats -- they don't know how to respect their base. What propels Sanders and his supporters is a messianic self-righteousness -- what in the old days used to be called vanity and is now called "celebrity narcissism." No doubt, Cornell West re-surface again. I am afraid of a repetition of Nixon Vs McGovern. When will they ever learn, as the song goes.
I don’t get candidates that don’t want to go on Fox... you gotta go where the viewers are. If you don’t, you just haven’t grappled with the realities yet.
6
I was initially skeptical about the efficacy of Democrats going on Fox News. Now that we know it is a way to troll Trump I say they should all go on Fox at least once and don't pull any punches. Trump's head will explode.
4
Sander's was very successful. I hope Buttigieg will be also.
Also we need to fix spell checkers to accept Buttigieg. Did Mike Pence program them?
1
Just because it has the word "news" in its name doesn't make it true. For any rational politician to appear on Fox Propaganda is a waste of time.
1
Of course they should appear on Fox News. This is a way to reach many people who are getting their news in an ultra right wing cocoon.
2
Just because it has the word "news" in it doesn't make it true. For any rational politician to appear on Fox Propaganda is a waste of time.
Any Democrat who will not appear on FOX is making a huge mistake, want to send a message that you do not consider the voice and the vote of any and all Americans as important then shun FOX. Bernie showed that he is NOT AFRAID, that he will engage and he will answer questions. The fact that trump and his administration was upset by his appearance gave strength to Bernie's decision to appear on FOX. The DNC is out of synch, they are still wallowing in their Hillary defeat and heading down the path to destruction much as the RNC has done.
48
@Steve I agree.
1
Glad to see increasing recognition that the fringes of both Parties won't win the 2020 election. There are people who watch Fox sometimes and aren't stereotypical Right viewers. I appreciate hearing from, and will support, candidates like Buttigieg that talk clearly, intelligently and honestly, even if I don't agree with everything they say.
35
@David
Who are you calling "Fringe", out of curiosity?
Certainly not Sen. Sanders who is miles ahead on money and total individual donations. One who consistently polls well in the lead of any declared candidate.
In fact Fox is also a well known Rightwing media outlet. They are hardly "fringe" either.
Do you mean candidates that poll in the single digits?
That will "maybe" make the needed 65,000 donors to make it to the primary debates? Maybe you mean the candidates that are now turning to the corp.establishment to get backing and money; 'cause they aren't making it on single, small money donors.
Hmm...I wonder who is "fringe" here David.
6
@Dobbys sock I think he's calling a group of voters the fringe, not candidates. A slight syntactical fudge in saying "fringes won't win elections", in my mind is easily translated as saying the more extremist voters won't outnumber the vast centrist core, which is really just common sense.
1
Bernie understands the math - if he can peel away a relatively small percentage of disaffected, undereducated white folks, he wins in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.
His strategy is to tip the Electoral College to Democrats.
He's playing to win.
Sanders/Buttigieg 2020
53
@Barnaby Wild
Buttigieg may be an establishment tool (see Center for American Progress). Tulsi Gabbard would be a great VP (and president), IMO.
8
@carl bumba Fully agree! Sanders/Gabbart.
3
@Barnaby Wild
This is the CLASSIC Howard Dean 50 State Strategy.
IT WINS.
You ONLY need to flip 10-15% of rural voters in swing states (and win the Democratic cities), and voilé! You're President!
1
As a Democrat I am flummoxed. I do not know whether to laugh or cry. The Democratic candidates do have a point to appear on Fox to wrest votes from sitting-on-the fence Republicans. But it could also backfire losing Democratic voters who decide to sit-out the elections.
I certainly despised the picture in this article. Bernie Sanders looks like a reprimanded school boy standing before a bunch of sanctimonious seated news FOX reporters!
1
@NNI
Hmm...where a I see a politician listening respectively to a possible voter, trying to relate to what the man is saying. Bernie is pretty good at doing the "I hear what you are saying" as he then shortens and repeats the mans question to him, thus verifying he heard; and then leaps into his take of how his ideas and possible programs could help/change his life and America's future.
Looks like Baier and MacCallum are concerned the question the man is asking is going to backfire on them again. Lol...
But that is just my take.
14
@NNI
I'm flummoxed by your flummox. Have you so demonized your opposition that you can't see them as people? I don't want to live in that world. Whether you like it or not, the very large Fox viewership wouldn't exist if the network didn't speak to them. Its high time liberals recognize their humanity! Good for these candidates for leading the way.
50
@NNI
Any Dem too inarticulate to debunk Tucker Carlson doesn't deserve the nominee. Hillary Clinton spent 18 months in her "controlled environment" and "managing information dissemination".
How'd that work out?
3
To be fair, it should be noted more clearly that to date Senator Sanders is the first and only Democratic candidate to appear on a Fox town hall meeting. It took a lot of courage to do so and I applaud him. Audience reaction to his Medicare for All proposal surprised all including Fox News, its hosts and management, democrats and probably even the Senator himself.
He was a pioneer, and he came out ahead. On the one hand, that will make it feel safer for other democratic candidates to talk to Fox about appearing but on the other, it is also a warning for Fox executives to prevent another spontaneous outpouring of support for a proposal that is clearly so outside of their playbook.
Warning to other democratic candidates, this is still "Faux Noise" where truth has no meaning and to Tom Perez and the DNC, are you paying attention?
36
@Mike
The Times has been very slow to give Sanders positive coverage. That said, of the major papers, the Washington Post has been the worst towards Sanders. It would be nice to see Sanders get the credit he is due for being fearless. Not only that, it would be even better if these papers along with other media outlets put more energy into the even-handed reporting of candidate platforms. The longer these outlets disingenously apply their spin, the more millions of us will seek information elsewhere. That said, I still think the Times is one of the very best papers out there and I look forward to reading most of their features, special investigative pieces and their editorials.
9
@Mike
Fox News' track record over the past couple years is actually looking better than mainstream cable news. Even NYT doesn't have a single columnist representing Trump, despite his popularity across the country and, now, in the party. Fox represents the other side more legitimately than they do. When have you seen a panel discussion on the left (my preferred "side") with one of two people defended Trump's position? But Fox does try to do this (to a degree).
4
Bernie completely mopping the floor with Fox News on their home turf may prove to be one of the pivotal moments of this election, even this early.
What he has proven is that an honest discussion of issues in the Bernie way can actually heal the divide in this country. There are several Trump supporters in my life who watched that Town Hall, and even if they are not fully ready to ditch Trump, they respect Bernie and are seriously considering it. And in a strange way, suddenly it feels like we have something in common. And it almost feels like our nations political wounds can be healed. It’s the first time I’ve felt that way since November 2016.
167
@JW
Brilliant, spot on. Very interesting that this gives you commonality with your DT friends. Having DT friends myself, I can see that. A lot of the appeal of DT seemed to be his lack of filter. We've come to learn he's full of it, but there was something refreshing about him speaking his mind, regardless of one's agreement, or even if it was true!! Bernie, after a long career in politics, has maintained the intellectual integrity to be able to speak plainly and clearly, not twist himself into a politically sanitized pretzel. Refreshing.
21
All Democratic candidates should be willing to do a stint on FOX. The man or woman that makes the biggest dent in that bubble has a good chance of becoming our next president.
4
The Fox hosts of Bernie's Town Hall were asking carefully phrased gotcha questions that he handled well. They were hardly straight news questions.
If I were a Democrat going on Fox, I would ask for Shepard Smith. He tends to play fair with the facts.
3
@David Gregory
Isn't Donna Brazile on Fox now? Maybe some of the more sensitive snowflake type Dem candidates could ask for her.
1
Why Dem party apparatchiks would discourage candidates from speaking to Fox viewers is mystifying. Assuming they manage to hold their own - Bernie did, but it's not a foregone conclusion they all would - isn't it time the folks living behind the Fox curtain got to actually hear, in real time, just what Democrats think, from their own mouths?
Ideas and principles tend to attach themselves to political movements, but they can stand on their own. Bringing them into the discussion is essential, especially in the current era of GOP dishonesty and full-throated propaganda. Trump's lies, Medicare for all, income inequality, the soaring debt - when and where else are Fox viewers likely to hear thoughtful discussion?
It's not about political strategy. This is about piercing the Fox propaganda machine, derailing the false Trump narrative, about exposing as many people as possible to ideas that may solve the nation's critical issues.
Industrialists in a prior era warned against giving workers too much education - they didn't need it for their menial factory jobs, and it started them thinking. They were right.
7
Democrat presidential candidates seem to be attracted by the larger audience offered by Fox News in comparison with CNN and MSNBC.Far larger publicity is what matters here whichever party the candidates might belong to.
1
It’s laughable that the Dems can think they will get voters from Fox News demographics. Instead they should be frightened that the Rep will use the Mueller report to show the efforts by the Dems to destroy a Presidency through nefarious methods. The Dems have shown that they are willing to destroy the country to gain complete control of government. The efforts to abolish the Electoral College, the abolishment of the 2nd Amendment, the ongoing effort to restrict Free Speech and the efforts to open the borders only plays to the Far Left base and not to the very voter they need to win. People should fear that the Dems and the DNC have implemented the same game plan that Hugo Chavez used to gain control of Venezuela and the seeds of its destruction.
1
Sanders appearance on fox news was brilliant and totally right. It made a huge number of people starving for some equilibrium on both sides , relieved to see that the brouhaha was theatrics. It is a clear message that the American people want solutions not gladiator games. Don't underestimate the old master!
17
Make no mistake about it. Fox News has found a clever way to shape the Democratic primaries in order to get a candidate running for president the one who is most favorable to Trump's re-election. Fox News has learned quite a bit from the 2016 election especially from state-sponsored actors outside of the USA.
quite apart from the pros and cons of one candidate or another appearing on an "unfriendly" network, there's the near - uniqueness we experience in this country of being able to openly see and hear critics of a regime in power, expressing their opposition, mocking the leader and all the while doing so without the slightest fear of dismemberment and dissolution in a bath of acid
while we may agree or disagree with the positions of one candidate or another, let's not forget that it's not so much the positions themselves but rather the very public debate itself that is important and so miraculously distinguishes us
2
This is a genius move on the part of democratic candidates. Fox News channel’s ethics are immaterial. Only one thing counts: getting the message to those who need to hear it. Critics of this are short-sighted and politically calculating and the time for that has passed; voters see through that and want candidates who are in thus for real. And Sanders clearly crushed it. Looking forward to Buttigieg’s town hall if the negotiations go through.
3
Many of those that question whether or not Sanders or anyone else should give town halls on Fox, remember those that watch Fox do not watch anything else. Sanders has done these town hall type events on Fox before, the difference is, he knows how to handle the moderators and crowds that are in the room because when it comes to policies, he speaks from the heart, as opposed to those candidates whom in a "half-hearted" attempt to try to tell people what they want to hear with the usual establishment spin, just won't cut it. In order to catch the interviewee off guard, you can clearly see how the moderators frame the questions and in this case the other mainstream media outlets are no different.
The problem is, there are several candidates in the mix who really would not be comfortable in such an environment and they could end up making fools of themselves. I give credit to Sanders for having the guts to do something that the democratic party gave up on long ago and even if he is able to change a small percentage of the minds(or at least have them think about it) of those that are now closed, he is a winner.
6
Brett Baier and Martha MacCullum were fair moderators who did not pull any punches. They asked the important questions and if Bernie Sanders dodged the questions they were insistent for answers. The crowd was largely Sanders supporters and already approved of his policies. He had repeated them enough to know where he stood on the issues. They were ecstatic over his answers and cheered enthusiastically.
I do not know if he gained any new supporters especially in the Republican camp. He did not win me over as a Republican as I find him too extreme for my taste. He did not adequately answer the Medicare for all cost to the American people put before him numerous times by Ms. MacCullum. His answer to his support for late term abortions was even extreme for some in the audience and they clearly voiced their disapproval.
Mr. Sanders may have won some new voters from viewers but I think many people's minds were already made up for their choice of presidential candidate for 2020. Fox News is a good platform for the Democratic candidates in which to appear but I think the majority of the viewers will find their polices too radical to support. Most of those who watch Fox tend to lean conservatively and are Republican. They might switch their party allegiance to the Democrats but that candidate must be more moderate. The party has become too leftist and progressive for most Republicans to ever vote for the current field of Democrats.
1
In many areas of the country, Fox has a monopoly, not necessarily on televisions in private homes, but on TVs playing in public spaces: airports, restaurants, bars, dentist offices and the like. So if someone perched on a barstool or sitting on a waiting room couch looks up and sees a new face and a new perspective, I say huzzah.
10
Think Schultz will go on Fox? Any Democrat who refuses to go on Fox is refusing to win in the General. Think you can just cater to the extreme left to get the Nomination and then 'pivot' to the center? That would be more of an 'about face' than a pivot and the voters will never fall for it. Trump is in for a second term unless he doesn't run for some reason or another.
8
“Voters will never fall for it”? O dear. Voters have fallen and continue to fall for Trump and the GOP’s lies to such an extraordinary degree that the rest of the world is wondering what happened to basic intelligence in your country. As for the “extreme left” - the American idea of what is “left” is hilarious, let alone “extreme”. We have single-payer health care here in Canada (as in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark etc etc) - it is cheaper, fairer, healthier etc. and in American that is considered extremely “left”. Bizarre.
3
Is anybody waiting to see Donald Trump do a town hall on MSNBC? Or anywhere that an audience member might actually ask him a tough question? Or anywhere that an audience member might be able to ask him any question?
26
@stu freeman,
He's already the President. The election is his to lose. Serious candidates don't want to repeat Hillary's mistake.
2
The most ignorant, fragile, imbecilic, whining voters get all of the attention. We're supposed to care about how they feel, listen to what they say, and let them set cultural standards.
If I emulated the Trump supporters that Sanders and other Democrats crave, then I wouldn't have an advanced college degree, I wouldn't read actual books, and I wouldn't believe in climate change.
Sanders, you definitely won't get my vote this time either.
2
@AB Sadly, reaching across the aisle, even if the other side is a burning wreck, is what's required for bipartisanship, and bipartisanship and active listening is the only way we'll get out of this mess.
4
@AB
So you are Educated. Good for You ! But what do you have in the way of the practical life skills that many of those 'ignorant' voters have in spades ? Can you plan
and build a house, from the groundwork up ? Can you manage a farm, including fields, animals, truck garden, etc. ? What about fixing all kinds of different stuff when it breaks down, usually at an inconvenient time (such as the hay baler refusing to tie knots in the twine -- a tricky thing to adjust -- as a thunderstorm threatens) ? Please understand that many of those voters you just branded as Ignorant have real world skills that academics casually dismiss but could never manage to accomplish themselves.
5
@Pete
I disagree.
Thank you NY Times for a most interesting repoprt.
11
The Town Hall was fantastic, I have never seen Bernie in better form, perhaps the adversarial hosts stiffened his resolve. And for the record this article completely overlooks the reality: Bernie put the hosts on the hot seat, he commanded the conversation, he completely won the mixed audience, he hit a towering home run.
The whole 28 minutes was fully informative, professional, and stuck to where the rubber meets the road for the American Middle Class, a wonderful presentation. Posted to Youtube in two parts and now only 2 days old it is rampaging up to a million views per vid, and that's just the Fox branded channel, it will not doubt gather incredible support from both sides of the aisle for Sanders. And that is exactly what we need, a candidate that takes back a good portion of the disaffected who voted for Trump.
Must watch Youtube Fantastic setting too, Closed Bethlehem Steel plant:
part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ozAACcc8I
part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSnxuzDm7C0:
43
C'mon NYT.... get off the lectern, you guys do it too. If you honestly believe that Fox news is crafting fantastically false stories and you are just publishing the news, I think you might have a little bit of soul-searching to do. I've read PLENTY of opinion pieces (more like diatribes) tearing down the president and boosting the reputations of AOC or Ilhan Omar and others. It could be argued that MSNBC and the NYT are the mouthpiece of the democrat party as well.
The DNC banning Fox from their official party debate just plays into a message that will help Trump. "What? You don't want to hear people that disagree with you? You don't want to be challenged by questions that might challenge your beliefs?" or worse, "Are you afraid of a fight?" Apparently Bernie isn't, which I seriously respect (and he is my favorite democrat, I know right? shocking for me and my posts), how about the rest of the democrat party?
35
@Tom I think you need to separate the opinion page from the rest of the newspaper. You claim the news is not properly reported and then cite op-ed pieces as evidence. I do not think there is a hint of bias in how the NYT reports the news. You may not like what you read, but its news is sourced and verified, the hallmark of professional journalism. As for covering AOC and Rep Omar, they get far more column inches in conservative publications fully in line with the fact that its Republicans who are obsessed with two freshman members of Congress. Finally, it shows disrespect and ignorance to refer to the Democratic Party as the "democrat party". As for the DNC refusing to allow Fox to air a primary debate, that was a mistake which I hope the DNC will remedy.
2
The DNC seems to be again stuck in the take no chances mode that sunk HRC.
It is good politics to show your stuff to an audience that you could not reach in any other way.
Refusing to let FOX host a Democratic debate shows how little confidence the DNC seems to have in the Democratic candidates and prevents those candidates from having a wider audience.
It is a stupid and craven decision.
23
I completely agree. Tom Perez was a weak choice for head of the DNC. I never sent a donation last election due to their lack of vision and it seems to be continuing. We might just wake up some of their viewers out there. In so many parts of the country that is really the only news they get. Let’s not waste an opportunity!
6
@Edward B. Blau After 2016, the wishy washy DNC gets no contributions from me. The DNC, and frankly, the NYT (Ms. Dowd) did not help Hillary, in its effort to be "fair and balanced." Individual candidates only.
1
Bill Hemmer's comment is laughable. Maybe he didn't see the front page of the Murdoch owned NY Post attacking Congreswwoman Omar with that picture of the twin towers. Does he really consider that fair reporting of news and not an editorial comment. And since when should a newspaper be filled with editorial comment with occasional news as Fox News is. There's an old saying: lie down with dogs and get up with fleas. Those Fox news "reporters" are covered with them despite their claims otherwise.
As to the way Sanders was treated. I only wish the correspondents on CNN and MsNBC were as aggressive when they have pro-Trump Republicans on. But I guess they see themselves as news outlets and not mouthpieces for the Democratic Party
2
@Steve
There is a difference between Fox Entertainment, and Fox News. I think it is a good thing that Bernie and other Democrat candidates will have access to those voters and a platform to articulate and defend their positions. Better to define themselves than Fox Entertainment defining them. It is tough being President and bringing people together for the common good, much more difficult than doing a town hall on Fox News. Democrats need to get off their high horses and play ball even if they don't like the other team.
14
Of course Dems should appear on Fox; it's what needs to happen so that at least the fox viewers get a chance to hear the other side. We need all Americans to get on board with democracy!!
23
Let's be clear Fox "news" has nothing to do with news and is just a propaganda delivery mechanism. In fact to call any cable channel that identifies itself as news is a joke. Talking heads are just that. Finding a genuine journalist these days is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
A fact that needs to be addressed is how to get the 50% of the population who does not vote to get your attention. Unfortunately I don't see anything different in this upcoming election that hasn't been part of the past. The mere fact that the sitting POTUS can outright lie to the American people every single day and get away with it says it all.
5
Reaching out only to the hardcore base was a verifiable failure in 2016. To make the same mistake again would be idiotic. While I abhor Fox News, better to reach conservative voters with a progressive message and at least set the record straight about what we stand for.
21
Not Conservative commentary but radical propaganda. Trump's eccentricities, emotional outbursts and lack of planning isn't conservative, it's radical. Intemperate, injudicious, self-absorbed, unwise and foolish.
It's also anti-Christian to ignore the charity and morality of Jesus' actual teachings utterly to pursue tax cuts for already rich people. That's Rupert Murdoch and Republicans, not 'conservative' wisdom or 'family values' or 'religious freedom'. The whole 'conservative' movement is rotten to its core, which is Fox News.
6
It would be "nice", in New England terms, if NYT would state which Democrats are opposed to having candidates go on Fox News for a Town Hall event. We KNOW who they are; they are the Clinton wing of the party who are having a meltdown over loosing control. "Control" being the operative word. We also know the the editorial board of the NYT is with them on all things political.
For once, acknowledge that Bernie was right to ignore the dire warnings from the DNC. They had such a stellar show of their expertise at winning elections that they lost 1,000 seats nation-wide. Who would listen to anyone with a record like that? Pay attention to their advice at your peril. Why continue a loosing streak?
Go Bernie! Your experience is better than theirs.
DNC, get out of the way. You are sabotaging and splintering the party. As the president you elected by your incompetence would say, you are losers.
15
Any candidate contemplating and/or agreeing to appear on FauxNews should read the NYTimes exhaustive investigation into the network's history, political aspirations and quest for some kind of twisted world dominance...know the enemy of the people.
2
@JK and of course read Jean Mayer's New Yorker piece on Fox history. A revealing and sad commentary on the slice of extreme uncompromising conservative purists that hijacked a once functioning Republican party that actually had the nation's interests at heart instead of their own uncontested political dominance.
"...even as they risk a backlash from others in the party who view the network as an ideological menace." You think Bernie doesn't consider Fox a menace? Give me a break, so sick of NYT's spin on Bernie.
6
Bernie added to his audience.
Fox added to its audience with all the Progressives tuning in.
More Progressives will be taking in Fox when other Democratic candidates have their townhalls.
10
So why aren't any of the debates on Fox News?
1
How is it a dilemma? Fox News reaches more viewers than CNN MSNBC ABC combined during prime time.
17
This entire cable news "town hall" phenomenon is all about ratings and revenue. The "town halls" themselves are scripted and useless...with absurd questions from pre-selected "citizens". It is political reality TV. Why are there so many being planned over 18 months prior to the 2020 election? See below:
"CNN, ABC Bet Big on TV-News ‘Town Hall’ Shows"
https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/town-hall-tv-news-cnn-abc-don-lemon-david-muir-1201814574/
"CNN’S PRIMARY CANDIDATES TOWN HALL IS MOST WATCHED IN CABLE NEWS HISTORY"
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2016/01/26/cnns-primary-candidates-town-hall-is-most-watched-in-cable-news-history/
"TRUMP FAMILY TOWN HALL #1 IN CABLE NEWS LAST NIGHT"
http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2016/04/13/cnn-trump-family-town-hall-ranked-1-in-cable-news-last-night-release/
"How Much Will Cable News' Record Ratings Drop Post-Election?"
"Primetime ratings for those three cable networks have been up 50% over last year in 2016"
http://fortune.com/2016/11/12/media-election-ratings-drop/
1
@rfmd1
But mainstream media are also all about ratings and revenue. Trump is the NYT's best friend, made them rich and saved their bacon. You can bet they're searching for a new horse to ride after Trump.
1
Trump lies, it's what he does, and it makes sense for at least some of the Dem candidates to say directly to his audience, "We understand why you gave him your support. He misled you and let you down. We can do better."
By the opposite token, all the GOP has in lieu of outreach are bogus keywords such as justwalkaway and Jexodus; wishful claims of mass exodus, even while doubling down on the strategies that resulted in major Dem wins in 2018.
2
I think it's a smart move and I think it's a mistake for the DNC to withhold debates from Fox. One thing Trump did right during his campaign was to visit far-flung places that few politicians, (let alone Presidential candidates) ever bothered with. Those are the places where many felt forgotten by Democrats and they are also full of Fox viewers. I think people respect those who aren't afraid to venture into enemy territory, and maybe some votes will be changed in the process.
65
@Rick And according to The New Yorker, Rupert Murdoch is all about getting the greatest number of viewers for his network, whatever the source or ideology. Sounds like a win-win.
3
Although people like Hannity , Tucker Carlson, the Fox and Friends crew and others are very pro-Trump I find Shepard Smith, Cavuto and especially Chris Wallace more even handed than most of the folks on MSNBC and CNN. I think that Bernie Sanders proved that if you have answers, even to slanted or loaded questions from more conservative interviewers like Brett Bair, you can come across as honest, fair minded and knowledgeable. This could show people that think that they're not interested in what you're selling that they need to consider you as a viable option to Trump. I think Tom Perez and the Dems are making a huge mistake not broadcasting debates on Fox. It demonstrates a lack of confidence in their candidates.
26
"The Democratic Party" is seeking the votes of Fox viewers? I would suggest that Mr. Sanders is a bit ahead of the curve on that one. The others will, of course, follow, with all their polling and advisors and talking points culled from first observing Sanders - aka a real leader, by any definition - in action.
20
After watching Sanders and hearing the overwhelming support for his policies it is clear that Sanders would be president today but for the DNC and its sabotage of Sanders and his message.
I don't care whether Sanders calls himself a Democrat. He is a Democrat; a real Democrat whose policies are aligned with Americans who witnessed the Clinton neo-liberal faction of the Democratic Party repudiate and reverse a generation of economically progressive policies that brought a middle class lifestyle to tens of millions of Americans.
29
We need to restore thoughtful (relatively) unmoderated debate in this country. Do you think Lincoln and Douglas had a moderator? They debated the issues. The problem these days is that our so-called TV journalists just want more face time for themselves to raise their profile for future salary negotiations. A real moderator should get out of the way as much as possible. A real journalist will point out facts and lies. All networks should employ real moderators and journalists, not talking heads feeding their egos and wallets.
13
@chandlerny A real moderator would have told Trump to back to his own podium when he was stalking Hillary.
1
I think this is a brilliant idea. If Trump doesn't like it, he can go do a town hall on CNN to get even. A real president serves all the people.
10
In the mean time, all the Democrat Candidate wannabees running over to Fox News should realize, they aren't Bernie Sanders. a rather crochity 77 year old with no problem calling-out his Hosts with words like "nonsense" and "you're wrong."
The others run a real risk of trying so hard to convince their new audience they're not Darth Vadar or Deep-State Warriors they come off looking like Republican-lite with nothing more than a "D" behind their names:
The distinction between earnest outreach and pandering for the new "we like Fox too" candidates is indiscernible.
Meanwhile Candidate Trump (or others) have no interest in speaking to the concerns of Democratic Voters; never have and never will.
2
As usual, Bernie blazes the trail for the rest of the pack. Hand-wringers & the weather vane obsessed will have plenty to say, all after the fact. Bernie has the guts.
20
@Apple Jack
Yes, and only Bernie has come out against the global march of fascism, which may get us before climate change has its chance.
Bernie leads from the front (while the mainstream media pulls from the back).
2
Many Fox News viewers who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 may have voted for Bernie Sanders or even Elizabeth Warren if they had been on that ballot. Many have more in common with "Democratic Socialists" than with the real estate businessman now in the Oval Office.
12
It drove Trump crazy to see Bernie on Fox... I say let all the candidates and all our sitting members of Congress pay regular visits over there.
2
Some of US who do follow all sides of a story from all different sources including Fox news have known for the past 3 years Fox News is fair factual news. Yes there are fanatical supporters of the president Trump prominently touting his accomplishments but that does not make Fox News false News. It is just that they give they provide viewers food for thought. Often left leaning news sources like NY Times do not dispute such news.That Fox news has become one of the most watched news is a testimony to the trust it has earned.
The town Hall for Senator Sanders organized by Fox News should be an eye opener and a lesson to those close minded people who had made up their minds that Fox News is evil and biased news. In fact it is the opposite. Fox News never propagated the notion that Trump colluded with Russia nor did it support any push for preventing Mueller from completing his investigation with full cooperation from the white house. Today Fox News can take pride in not only giving a free forum to promote his ideas and defend his position as a millionaire in the top 1% of American wealthy but they can take pride in being fair to the 45th president of USA, Donald J. Trump all through the dark cloud of the Mueller investigation hovering over him right from the beginning of his taking over the highest office of our land.
As for me, I will continue to seek the truth from all credible global news sources and I will not be discouraged from making Fox News as one of the sources.
4
Why is this unusual ? Presidents need the support of as many Americans as possible. It should be expected.
6
The Dems are desperate. The way things now stand they haven't got a chance against Trump. It says something when their leading prospects, Sanders and Biden, are both fossils.
1
@MIKEinNYC Polls at this point are measures of name recognition more than approval. Ask registered Democrats what state Harris is from or to name Inslee’s signature issue. It would resemble a late night show asking a passerby what’s the capital of Finland.
The DNC made a bad decision on deciding not to have any Democratic debates on Fox News. Fox News viewers are the people the Democrats need to reach and communicate their ideas. Another fine example of the Democrats shooting themselves in the foot.
12
Kind of like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown.
1
Bingo. Where are the Churchills of the age?
Listening to the commentators of Fox News makes me sick to my stomach. BUT, I have seen where their news coverage was marginally superior to that of say, CNN. Case in point, Fox obviously did not stack the audience against Bernie Sanders in his Town Hall. Also, the moderators of that town hall, especially Mr. Baier, seemed to be trying to go into depth and there were plenty of substantive exchanges.
We, as in the general public, should probably try to discriminate between the loser commentators of Fox and some of the serious journalists. Hey, if it bothers trump, it must be good!
4
How else are Fox fans going to hear anything other than "alternate" facts than by entering their bubble? Of course Trump is not happy, because Trump fears truth more than anything else, and that is reason enough to speak directly to the cult he has created with his lies and Fox's help.
4
It’s ridiculous that there is even a debate as to whether a democrat should appear on Fox. Ignoring half of the country and the most watched news network isn’t going to help Democrats at all.
12
Those democratic purists, please note that not all FOX viewers are Trumpets. Some don't even know what democrats stand for because Democrats stopped listrening to them and talking to them. So they hear only hear what FOX Trumpets offer them, even if poison. Democrats should DEMAND more time with FOX, even buy commercials on theor network..Tell them what Trump and his likes are all about.
2
Fox News wants to change its image. Being too conservative is counterproductive.
1
This is fine and Bernie is an ideal candidate to go on Fox. He is issue oriented and can communicate how the government will help the people who our out of control capitalist system exploits. I don't like Faux but sometimes look at their website to see what the enemy is doing and have cut cable and satellite in part because some of my fees go to them and other right wing organizations.
27
Not appearing on Fox News ignores a large portion of the electorate. Doesn’t seem like much of a dilemma to me
87
@J
It's very doubtful that anyone who watches Fox News with the exception of people like me who occasionally turn it on to get a laugh is going to vote for any of the Democratic candidates. These are the people who are still absolutely certain Obama was a Kenyan born Muslim and that Hillary Clinton was running a sex ring out of a Washington restaurant.
1
Why is Bernie Sanders running for the nomination of the Democratic Party when he's not a Democrat, but a life-long Independent?
I don't say this to antagonize his supporters, because I like many of his ideas. I'm really just trying to understand why he should expect to be nominated by a party he doesn't belong to.
And yes, I know, Trump was not really a Republican.
10
@Spring Sanders isn't a Democrat, but he caucuses with them and he pretty much votes with them on almost all issues except guns. His "Independent" tag is more of a personal branding strategy than anything else.
10
@Spring where does it say he can't? Koch ran on a number of tickets of parties to which he didn't belong as did Bloomberg.
1
@Spring - He is allowed to run as a Democrat as long as he properly registers to. It is better that he runs as a Democrat than as an independent, anyway.
5
On the part of Bernie Sanders, simply put it his appearance on Fox News is a brilliant move. It is important to communicate to Fox News viewers directly by the candidates instead of through Hannity, Colter and the rest of the extreme right scoundrels.
79
I watched part of this and while no faux fan, I thought they were fair and asked questions their followers had. Yes, they had their opinions, but the Dems make a big mistake to ignore this outlet.
Bernie...well...he was awesome!
95
This is good. The Dems can only win by winning back some Obama-Trump voters in the Midwest. Doubling down on the base is sure to be a losing strategy.
23
It’s no bubble. It’s a big pharma ad trap.
1
Fascinating article, thank you Michael M. Grynbaum and Sydney Ember.
I feel a very negative reaction to any Democratic candidate for President who doesn't have the chops to meet Fox News and speak to their viewers. These viewers are Americans, and Democrats are crazy to ignore them or write them off. I'm disappointed that Elizabeth Warren, who is supposed to be so smart, can't figure this out. To not accept a chance to speak to these people about climate change, environmental degradation, income inequality, health care and the effect a green new deal can have on job creation, is beyond cautious, it's dumb. I get that Fox News opinion mongers are tilted towards white supremacy, male chauvinism and a fascist's carelessness with the truth and science, but to not speak to these people and their audience won't convince any of them of the integrity of our ideas or policy positions.
David Lindsay Jr. is the author of “The Tay Son Rebellion, Historical Fiction of Eighteenth Century Vietnam” and blogs at TheTaySonRebellion.com and InconvenientNews.wordpress.com. He performs a folk concert of songs and stories about Climate Change and the Sixth Extinction.
13
Talk about breaking a glass ceiling. I watched the two YouTube segments of Bernie Sanders on Monday's Fox News Town Hall (each about 30 minutes) and it is must-see TV.
Bernie was brilliant not because he was loaded with zingers ready to shoot, but because he was genuine and pure Bernie, the same person we see on many other stages. And the audience was most certainly with him. They asked serious and well thought out questions in a respectful manner.
Certainly both moderators tried to trip him up but even their fair and respectful treatment of Sanders is no doubt going to put them at the top of the "your going to be fired" list.
But for those who suggest, please not on Fox, I suggest why not? Fox viewers are Americans and equally concerned about their lives and our country's future as any loyal viewer of MSNBC. And something tells me that Bernie's high ratings are just the beginning.
I would suggest that many of Fox's viewers are "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Americans. While I don't doubt for a moment that many are die-hard MAGA Red Hats, many are deeply concerned by the Trump Presidency as Monday nights Town Hall's numbers suggest.
And the best part here is that Fox News knows this. They are easily Trump's television propaganda operation, but they aren't owned by Trump. Ratings matter. Advertising revenues matter. And if Fox viewers are thirsting to hear the answers to tough questions posed to Democratic hopefuls, Fox will deliver.
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Foremost among priorities for many Democrats is the ability to defeat Donald Trump in the general election. So why not dip a toe in Trump's waters?
Unfortunately, Fox News' town hall with Bernie fell short of the mark. It resembled a cheap Progressive infomercial. The moderators were inarticulate, almost comically so. The audience, apparently restricted to Democrats and Independents, served up cream puff questions to Bernie.
Why not open these things up to participants from the whole of the political spectrum? That would help us decide who has the best chance to defeat Trump in 2020. Prediction: honest heartfelt Progressives like Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders would do very well in such a setting, and in the general election.
1
@Cornstalk Bob I disagree -- it seemed like most of the questions were trying to trip him up on keywords and phrases like "socialism" or "how do you pay for it?" But he never seemed to crack or stumble. If anything it was worth it for Sanders to get to explain on fox news how his medicare plan would be cheaper than their current plan.
2
Maybe Bernie was an early fan of the YouTube video that shamefully exposes the hypocrisy of Fox "News" commentators whose rabid criticism of President Obama during his terms in office so accurately reflects their dismissal of -- even pandering to -- the very same ACTUAL bad (and worse) behavior of so-called President Trump?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-cZG81-MPQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3rGInFWKXQwa8r-tQmDD5ouoih_Ou64MHESmpvAY1wH4eAiMZtGBdvt5w
1
Wait, you mean having a dialogue with people with whom you disagree can be constructive? Who knew!
If you can’t handle Faux News, you definitely can’t handle the challenges of the presidency.
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@Mike
Well, you do realize that road runs both ways. Don't see much effort by MAGA mouthpieces wanting or initiating "Constructive Dialogues" using truth, facts, data, etc...
When the republican party members finally step up to actually want to solve problems instead of playing the victim day in and day out and fanning unfounded fear, then I might take what you wrote seriously.
2
Personally, I think this is a brilliant move. I’m a life-long (I’m 79) Democrat and don’t watch FOX, just never have. But, hey if that’s how Democrats can get their message out to millions of voters, go for it.
Democrats can be a bit prissy about things, and this business of not going on FOX because they are the enemy is akin to shooting themselves in the foot.
30
I am not a fan of FOX News nor do I plan to be but I give Bernie Sanders and others that will be appearing on the station a lot of credit and kudos for courage. To me, these appearances illustrate a willingness of openness and communication in spite of the hostile and or open resentment one may face in these town hall meetings. I can’t imagine a better way for the FOX News audience who are seemingly out of touch with vital issues concerning the country to be informed. They will have the opportunity to listen and hear Independent and Democratic perspectives/ alternatives/solutions on their own home turf….FOX News instead of listening to the same old rhetoric they are used to listening to.
One thing is certain, Trump does not like it and I would not be surprised if he came down on the station with his negative rants.
131
@A.A.F. a Democrat appearing on Fox is nothing different than a Republican appearing on every other news network. The actual NEWS programs on FOX are not right wing - they actually ask good questions and are fair. You might not be used to Democrats actually being questioned about anything, so perhaps it feels like a hostile environment. Brett Baier and Chris Wallace are good at their jobs.
13
@A.A.F.
I agree. The country is very divided, and an open dialog with one's opponents is a good way for people to understand one's opponents. Tom Perez and the DNC chose to villify Fox News and it's viewers. Hillary Clinton chose to refer to many of those viewers as deplorables. It makes much more sense to try to seek common ground and understanding than to rachet up the level of hatred that has overtaken our country.
Guardian reporter Gary Younge's series of articles on the view from Middletown helped create an understanding of why many people support Trump, and Bernie Sanders' Town Hall is another step that helps create more understanding.
2
This seems like the fastest way to weed out the field for Warren and Harris. Trusting the network is ridiculously naive.
2
The very first interview on Fox with a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President took place in mid-March. It was 12 min. and the interviewee was Pete Butttigieg. The program, Fox News Sunday, has 1.5 million viewers. Chris Wallace is the moderator.
The interview was remarkable for its honesty, keeping to the issues and never once was his being gay mentioned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97QknIG-Eo
Mayor Pete came across as honest, sensitive, intelligent, on topic, answered every question and just plain decent. He is a veteran from the Midwest and this scores many points with the viewers of Fox.
As Pete has often mentioned, many people who voted for Trump did so out of frustration with the way things have been in Washington. "They wanted to burn the house down," he said. They are frustrated, angry and often good people who just want someone who listens to them and will help them.
They are not going to vote for someone who calls them "deplorables". Democrats who demean them will neither get a hearing nor their vote. They are not stupid.
Pete reminds us that many of his constituents voted for both Trump and for him. When he came out as gay, running for a second term in Indiana as mayor, he was re-elected by over 80%, a larger amount than the first time.
He knows his constituents and understands the way to take back the White House and make America a nation that Americans and the rest of the world once again can be proud of.
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@simon sez Just a point - Hillary did not call at least half of Trump voters "deplorable" - so if that is why they didn't vote for her, shame on them. At some point the voting public does have to be held responsible for their own decisions.
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@simon sez
Mayor Pete is the DNC new Obama, someone they can control and shape. If you want radical incrementalism, he is your guy.
21
@Lizmill
But why was Herself putting all of us in 'baskets' (deplorable or not, but once spoken that word cannot be taken back) in the first place ? Is that really how she thinks of us peons ? So many potatoes in so many baskets ?
7
I do not watch FOX News at all, but I must say I agree with those of our Democratic candidates who appear on it. I do not know if its audience will change their minds, yet its viewers will learn that Democrats who aspire to the highest office of the land are not the enemies Trump, Hannity, et al portray them to be. They are human beings with hearts, souls, and brains. Their message is that they do not think themselves to be better than everyday MAGA supporters. In fact, their goals are to help and serve all no matter the political party and ideology. I wish them all well, and I thank their courage. After all, it does take moxie to show their stuff to the "other side." Most of all I have to think, Maybe, just maybe, they WILL change minds.
12
@Kathy Lollock Well some of the candidates are what you say and then the others are more of the same as regular corporate democrats who STILL take money from big business and the ultra wealthy to protect their interests and hope they can hide the huge donations right now and when they win the primary assume they will win against Trump and of course do what the Dems have done for forty years, put bandaids on a few things and only serve their big donors. No wonder out of desperation people voted for Trump. Try stagnating wages for one.
2
I was shocked (as I'm sure the Fox News folks were) to see such support for Bernie's "Medicare for All" idea among the people at this event.
I wonder if Fox will try to control who is in the audience for such "town hall" style events in the future.
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@Tom Wanamaker you mean like CNN does...
13
@LB I don't know - I don't have cable or watch cable news.
I would worry about that possibility with any event where relatively few people show up (and someone with an agenda controls the makeup of the audience).
It doesn't take many vocal extremists to reach a critical mass that makes the whole crowd look like they all came with torches and pitchforks.
4
This plethora of candidates from the Democratic side gives Republicans an enormous advantage. From now until the nominating process is complete, Democratic messages are splintered and conflicting. During the same lengthy period, Republicans can, and will, hammer on their fundamental messages that helped them get the electoral college on 2016—white power, wealth power, fear of immigrants, and whitewash (ha) of the corruption rampant in this administration. Simple messages , easy to understand, supported by enormous wealth, repeated relentlessly.
After this period and in the few months when the Democrats do have a candidate, detritus from the divisive campaigns like Bernie’s will prevent the necessary conjoined wave of rebellion against this destructive man and his minions.
Is there no way for Democrats to pull together NOW to stop this Republican electoral college juggernaut? I wish I knew of one.
2
Sanders obviously won a number of Trump voters to the cause of Democratic Socialism. Fox is odious. But to cede their viewers, elderly working class whites, to the Republican Party is folly and petulant. Democratic politics align with the needs of those people. You know who really doesn’t want to see people like Sanders and Buttigieg on Fox? Trump
60
This is an opportunity to give the people who watch Fox News a chance to hear the candidates themselves rather than just the twisted version sold by Hannity and others. In addition, it shows that Democrats don't think that they're so above it all that they look down on Fox News viewers. I hope it will be taken as gesture of good will and openness to the other side.
29
If HRC had done this outreach in 2015/16, she could have been POTUS.
7
@MS
She didn't even go to West Virginia because Bernie was polling well there. She sent Bill as her surrogate. One assumes she probably attended a fund-raiser instead.
Bernie, on the other hand, spoke at an evangelical university in 2016.
One had cash and the Center for American Progress/DNC. The other had guts.
2
So Trump doesn't like it? That is a good thing, isn't it?
28
Warren should bite the bullet and go on Fox news. She's the one who has bona fide, well thought out policies that would benefit the majority of voters. And if she won't go out and promote them, well, they're not going to come to her. She's my first choice (along with Sanders), but as it stands i'm under no illusions about her winning the primaries. Unless she does something to change her game. This could be one thing that does. Unless she's afraid that they'll bring up the Pocahontas thing again. So come up with an answer and move on. But to hide behind the "ethics" of appearing on a sleazy and biased news station (i happen to think that they all are) is, quite frankly, cowardly.
17
Great, then MSNBC and CNN can offer reinforced center-right air time to challenge the Republican nomination.
1
@Jon Wane They already do - they feature and interview right wing figures all the time - respectfully and intelligently.
7
@Lizmill And they never respectfully interview the progressives or socialists, ever wonder why? Because they want to maintain the status quo, it is good for business and lots of their sponsors agree. It is all about the money. not fairness. Not honest journalism. Not any care for the people. It is the elite controlling the message.
5
@cheerful dramatist
Status quo preservation of a deformed conservatism circa 2000 is the Roger & Rupert knack for stringing along the dominant US personalities (the often bottom line-focused traditionalists ESTJ and ISTJ).
I would imagine that there are many people with Republican leanings who are unable to get health insurance that they can afford. There are few Republicans, barring the wealthiest, who turn down their Social Security or Medicare.
Frankly, Obamacare has its shortcomings. Absent subsidies and mandates, the insurance industry just does not want to provide universal coverage at affordable rates. Just as electric companies 100 years ago did not want to provide service to rural and low density areas. Health insurance is an activity clothed in the public interest. Where private enterprise will not meed the public's need, its time for a government run alternative.
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@RM
Your comment reminds me that when Obamacare passed, I said to myself "it's a start." I was never of the opinion that the mish-mash known as Obamacare would work in the long run. I expected it to be a starting point, to evolve. The bought-and-paid-for Republicans would just give up and say, okay, maybe it's time to make sure everyone has coverage like in the rest of the developed world.
But, no. Instead, the Republicans put the whole thing in their rifle sights and voted sixty-something times to repeal it.
Bernie, it will turn out, is going to be the evolution I had hoped for. He's saying, okay, you capitalists are going to keep overcharging the American people for basic health care and keep raising prices? Well, you had your chance. We're going to do what we should have done in the first place--Medicare for All!
5
Fox pundits can only out-argue the democratic candidates when they aren't there. Face to face, Fox loses.
Fear not. One minute after the town hall, Fox pivots back to spinning about scary brown people, and the evils of 'socialism'.
59
Get in the bubble.
1
Snubbing Fox News viewers will be another “deplorables” moment.
14
Any Democrat who refuses to go onto Fox has got to be the biggest idiot.
It defies logic.
For a start any Democratic voters who agree with that stance won't be watching
Secondly any one Trump voter who can be turned is worth two non Trump voters. ( Leadwise)
Thirdly Fourthly and Fifthly. There's no downside.
20
Hurray Bernie!!! Some of us thought he may be too old for this race. But he is the smartest politician and the best.
The deep problem with the Democratic Party today is that it is all about cultural politics and not as much about economic politics. This distinguishes it from the UK Labour Party, just as it distinguished the NY Times from the Guardian.
Bernie understand what a mistake Democratic Party leaders are making in writing off those - mainly Blue Collar workers in the mid-west and upper mid-west - who have economic issues, not cultural. Not only does the party need their votes, but many of us who relate to their backgrounds - white, Christians of European background who have been in the US for generations - also feel there is something amiss with Democratic Party focus.
Bernie respects these people and wants them back in the Democratic Party. His focus is on economic issues which will appeal to them. If some of them have abandoned the liberal press for Fox News (and SPORTS!!!) Bernie is just brilliant in going there to get them back.
Virginia Roehrig Kaufmann
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@virginia Kaufmann
Agreed. And how different from Trump who holds cult rallies, visiting only states where he won by a landslide. Imagine him going on MSNBC?
Bernie is showing that he's not afraid to face the opposition despite the fact that they may do their best to take him down. He has ideas and is willing to have a discussion on policy. He's not a crazy old man that they should fear. Why should Fox viewers only hear the Fox version of what the Democrats are offering delivered to them through a Fox lens?
21
@virginia Kaufmann You say that "white Christians who have been in the U.S. for generations" don't like the Dem party's embrace of diversity. So when a black American whose family has been in this country for generations wants equality, it's "identify politics", but when a white person does it, it's their right? If Bernie is attracting whites who feel victimized by others seeking equality, it's no wonder he doesn't resonate with people of color.
1
@ajbown
Sorry dude...you're just wrong.
Not only did Sen. Sanders win the young vote last election, he also won amongst the young POC vote too. In fact he won more than HRC and DT. COMBINED!
The current March, Morning Consult poll finds Sen. Bernie Sanders leading all other announced candidates in support from black voters. The only potential candidate who polled better with African-Americans than Sanders, according to the poll, is former VP Joe Biden, who has not announced a campaign. Despite a persistent notion that his supporters are disproportionately white male “bros,” the new survey suggests that Sanders is actually slightly more popular among black Democratic voters than white ones, indicating that the narrative that developed during the 2016 campaign may no longer hold, if it ever did. According to their national polling conducted March 18-24, 71% of black Democrats had a favorable view of Sanders, compared to 10% who had an unfavorable view. Sen. Kamala Harris, had half as much support, at 14%, among black voters as Sanders, according to supplementary polling data provided by Morning Consult.
The findings are drawn from a sample of 2,587 black, likely Democratic primary voters in March. https://morningconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Political-Intelligence-3.5.19.pdf https://morningconsult.com/2020-democratic-primary/
6
Of course Democratic candidates should appear on Fox News! There is always the opportunity to reach swing voters. And "swing voters" are largely women. So, any message must include a need for compassion and fairness, whether that applies to wages, immigration, the environment or health care.
10
Sanders showed courage and leadership in being the first one to do this. Curious to watch the other Democratic candidates play follow the leader in his wake. Mad props to Sanders for engaging those audiences directly.
It'll be curious to see whether the less-progressive, more watered-down neoliberalism of the other Democratic candidates will resonate with Fox viewers the way that Bernie's honest progressivism did. More so, it'll be interesting to see how the NYT covers it.
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@Daibhidh
In 2016, Bernie spoke at a prominent Christian university. No other Dem even thought of it such a thing. He got a very polite welcome.
24
@Daibhidh
Wrong. Pete Buttigieg was on Fox before Berney. He catapulted to fame for appearing with Chris Wallace weeks ago. His interview is on youtube, and I heard about it in the NYT. Buttigieg is extremely impressive, on Fox News, going head to head with Wallace.
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@Daibhidh
Couldn't have said it better. Thank you.
7
Fox News is an “ideological menace,” but it draws more viewers than any of the other cable news outlets and the people who watch it can and do vote. Anyone who wants to win the presidency needs to go on Fox News to show their viewers there are other alternatives to Trump. Sure, they probably won’t convince or convert a lot of Fox viewers, but even just one would make it worth it. If you won’t talk to someone, you give them no reason to support you.
As a side note, this is one of the reasons I support Sen. Bernie Sanders. I feel like Fox viewers want someone who is himself and doesn’t go out of his way to sound like a politician. Whatever one thinks of him, Trump certainly fits that description. Bernie does, too, but he’s a compassionate, caring, and real human being speaking truth, instead of lies, to power. Bernie has demonstrated a willingness to admit when he doesn’t know or is wrong and to listen to people with different perspectives. In other words, he is everything the current president is not.
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@ChrisH - Amen, sir!
9
Fox News is a veritable metaphor for misinformation, pandering to conspiracy theories with no grounding in reality and an irrational devotion to all things Trump. It is neither a respectable source of data-driven news nor a bastion of truth and integrity. I believe Democratic hopefuls would be better served finding more reputable and respectable means to connect to Trump's base, most of whom will continue to support him no matter what he does or says.
2
@Patricia Caiozzo
Hey, he shows up on MSNBC, so why not Fox News as well?
4
@Patricia Caiozzo
If Fox News is a metaphor, it's an infected wound in the American psyche, a rent between right and left. Bernie is all about healing, and going there is a cleansing act.
Go, Bernie!!
2
Like it or not, Fox is here to stay and ignoring it is foolish. But you'd better be ready to mix it up, defend yourself and not allow their shout-you-down approach to get the better of you. Do not let a single slight, smear, mischaracterization, etc. pass unchallenged.
Voters want someone who will defend their interests, and that starts with someone who is not afraid of a potentially hostile forum and who will defend themselves when attacked.
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I'm all for it since it seems to drive Trump up the wall.
187
@Christy, yep, another great reason to do it!
7
@Christy
Divide and conquer.
3
@Christy
That's certainly a good enough reason to do it but it's also strategic.
Trump's over-reactions show the Trumpsters that he's not on their side. Makes them think twice about Trump.
He'd lose in a landslide if some of his Trumpsters switched sides.
What's driving him crazy is losing control over his base. He knows it's all he's got keeping him out of jail.
4
Smart move by Fox. It's called hedging your bets. Trump is becoming toxic even for their brand; they'll have to some fence-mending with the "enemy" in case things fall apart for Donald in time for 2020.
33
Good! The outreach is necessary to win back some states. And this is one way to have Fox viewers become less insular in their echo chamber.
We need to get back to Americans realizing that we can have different viewpoints and yet not be enemies.
10
Interesting question. Do you boycott an unethical organization on principle or do you engage? Not going on Fox means conceding almost half of cable news watchers to political oblivion. However, we're talking about Fox. I have a moral conflict even watching Simpsons reruns at this point.
I will say this though. I don't think anyone who goes on Fox is necessarily pandering to the Fox demographic. That's a possibility but not a necessity. 2.5 million viewers is a lot of eyeballs. An appearance is simply a means of introducing yourself to a different audience. The candidate's behavior and conduct determines whether they are legitimizing Fox or whether they are simply broadcasting a message.
There are few examples but Bernie Sanders offers a good one. Bret Baier essentially gifted Sanders a huge earned media gain when his question about employer based health insurance completely backfired. However, think about the implication. A crowd of people who would bother showing up at Fox News studio are cheering public health care on air.
Baier unintentionally helped normalize public health care to an audience that usually only hears Trump and Hannity reeling about "socialism" and Venezuela. Maybe the Fox audience is worth reaching out to. Not as a means to elevate Fox but as a means to reintroduce truth into their media bubble. Fox is diminished when their viewers are shown a world which exists outside their fiction.
26
@Andy
I really liked your summation...best one so far. If more democratic candidates choose to appear on Faux News, they must strategic about the format of that engagement. Bernie, by having an open forum with an audience where FOX had to at least appear fair, reined in the normal FOX shout-down methodoloy which normally occurs with one-on-one interviews. This gave Bernie a chance to really be heard.
5
@Andy
Well stated. As we all know, having name recognition in politics is vital and in this case, after two years of travelling the country and visiting several red states who supported Trump, this more than likely helped contribute to the record viewership of Bernie Sanders appearance on Fox. They now know who he is and what he REALLY stands for and he speaks from the heart.
Clearly, other than to call him names like "socialist" and "old man" the "empty suits" like Carlson, Hannity and other extreme right-wingers, find it virtually impossible to refute his policies because as being two rich guys, when it comes right down to it, they don't even relate to their viewers, Sanders does and they don't like it.
4