Posted on 02/27/2009 9:56:25 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The TV ratings for February have been tabulated, and in the world of cable news there is weeping on the left. Fox News Channel, which is generally tougher on the president, hammered the two networks that most favor President Obama -- CNN and MSNBC. In fact, Fox News was the third-highest rated prime-time cable network in America, behind USA and TNT. CNN was 15th; MSNBC, a dismal 23rd.
Also, unique visitors to the Obama-loving website Daily Kos have declined a whopping 73 percent since last fall -- a disaster. What's going on?
It all has to do with fear. While Obama retains a high approval rating, many Americans are flat-out scared about the economy. The recession is bringing massive pain to America, and responsible citizens want the truth about public policy, not partisan cheerleading.
Thus, many news consumers do not trust news operations and websites that have a vested interest in seeing Obama succeed in the White House. One look at NBC News, for example, and you know the company line is to help Obama, not report the unvarnished truth.
Spinning the economy does not help people whose jobs may be in jeopardy. They need solid information about what is actually happening in order to make difficult decisions on personal spending and, perhaps, seeking new employment in a more secure industry. Self-protection dictates they secure the most reliable sources of information available.
On the other side, Obama bashing doesn't do the folks much good, either. Why waste time on attacks when information is what the folks need? I think it's fair to say that this brutal economic downturn took most Americans by surprise. It certainly shocked me. Even though I'm a journalist, I had no idea that mortgage companies were gaming the system by bundling risky loans and selling them to dunces at Lehman Brothers. I was clueless. In hindsight, I should have been more skeptical of the housing bubble.
The point is that concentrating on ideology instead of accumulating information can lead to a distorted view of reality. Many among the media these days are in business to promote a political philosophy rather than to protect the folks by exposing dangerous situations. Ideology has corrupted the watchdog press that our Founders envisioned.
Left to fend for themselves, the folks are gravitating toward news agencies that seemingly tell it like it is. Committed left-wing newspapers are folding in Seattle, Minneapolis and, perhaps, San Francisco. The New York Times had to borrow money from a Mexican guy at 14 percent interest, and far-left TV news operations are sinking fast.
President Obama still has wide support, but not fanatical support. Most of the folks simply want the truth, even though, these days, the truth can be hard to handle.
Half of those hits at Daily Kos were probably conservatives seeking ironic humor, I'll wager.
I don’t hate O’Reilly, but his incessant “the folks” populism is really tedious.
I didn’t know CNN had sunk to 15th place.
O’Reilly is a joke to most conservatives, so this is a good sign.
These ratings probably have more to do with American Idol and other entertainment venues than news reporting (although, that said, MSNBC is perpetually hideous and unwatchable). We are, after all, still in the “Bread and Circuses” phase of the empire.
I like O’Reilly. He shows the ability to continue to educate himself and improve. It looks to me like he’s getting better all the time, and I have been watching his show more regularly.
By the way, Lou Dobbs has also been tearing Dumbo a new one, big time.
I visited Daily Kos frequently in the Fall! It was fun to read how the lunatic fringe was faring.
I place my bet on Dobbs.BOR tried too hard.
CNN and MSNBC deserve where they’re at.
I’m not usually into giving suggestions to the enemy but if anybody from those organizations is reading this here is how I would go about getting back into the game: become dignified, polite journalists, who promise to respect both invited liberals and conservatives and not interrupt, ridicule guests or play the gotcha game, but allow each side to say their piece as they address issues.
So simple, but alas not even an option in the era of Obama where the number one goal is to destroy Sarah Palin.
The reason is really twofold: 1) the socialists got their president, why do they need to watch MSNBC or hit the Daily Kos anymore? Those such outlets are fuelled by hatred - what’s there for them to hate with a marxist in the white house and d’rats in complete control of congress? 2) with the economy falling apart, many others still have a great interest in what’s going on. These MSNBC/Kos people who haven’t completely unplugged actually want to hear some criticism of Obama. Just the way it’s fun for us to look at the Daily Kos or the Huffington Post for a few laughs from time to time, they only have one tv outlet, cable or local, that doesn’t routinely heap praise on Obama for taking a trip to the jon. Of course, that tv outlet is FNC, so they get all that viewership.
Most of "the folks" want to be lied to, be told that everything is gonna be all right, and that Obama will fix it all. The big drop-off at Daily Kos reflects the desire of the parasite class who elected Bammy to now sit back and coast in blissful ignorance while their hero takes care of them.
I'm confused. What does 'American Idol' have to do with the FOX News Network?
Apparently you didn’t hear his recent radio show where he went on an extended rant against the ‘right wing lunatics’ that are all over talk radio.
“...MSNBC, a dismal 23rd.”
I’m proud to say I’m contributing actively to their lack of ratings. I deleted MSNBC from my cable/remote so it skips right over it as if it were an empty channel (which, content-wise, it pretty much is).
Yeah, it’s a little juvenile. But it makes me happy knowing there’s no possibility of accidentally seeing Dobermann or Madcow’s ugly mugs on my tv. :-)
This needs to be put in context. The visitors to all political websites have probably dropped off since the election. If FR, NRO, etc. have dropped relatively less, then that would mean something.
No, I missed that. Big mistake on his part. He's thinks he's elevating himself "above all that", like he's better than everybody else. If O'Reilly doesn't understand that people see right through that kind of snobbishness, he's an idiot.
American Idol is not on the Fox News Channel.
he made a couple of not so subtle references to Rush Limbaugh (big mouths with their fat cigars) during his rant. I totally lost any respect I had for him when I heard it.
MSNBC, CNN, and Daily Kos are all so preposterously propagandistic that EVEN LIBERALS can’t tolerate them!
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