Posted on 10/23/2009 9:42:07 AM PDT by Alter Kaker
Friends and associates are encouraging Fox News chief Roger Ailes to jump into the political arena for real by running for president in 2012, top sources tell POLITICO.
"Ailes knows how to frame an issue better than anybody, and that's what we need now," says one Ailes friend who is encouraging the Fox founder, chairman and CEO to seek the Republican nomination to run against President Barack Obama.
Ailes, 69, has an aggessive, winning personality that made Fox News a huge success — and a huge target for liberal critics.
Frank Luntz, the well-known Republican pollster, said Ailes could be a force if he makes the run.
"I have known Roger Ailes for 29 years," says Luntz. “No one knows how to win better than Roger."
Talk of an Ailes run, which informed sources said is based on more than mere speculation, could escalate the White House war with Fox war in wildly unpredictable – and fun – ways.
It was Ailes who recently held a private meeting with top White House adviser David Axelrod to ease tensions. The meeting was not a success.
Shortly after, the White House stepped up its attack on Fox – and Fox has proudly fired back.
Fox executives are relishing the public spat – so much so that virtually every on-air personality talks about it, and Sean Hannity has made it a central part of his show’s promo.
The biggest reason: ratings at Fox are through the roof.
From his official bio: “Roger Ailes has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FOX News Channel since 1996, Chairman of Fox Television Stations and Twentieth Television since 2005 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FOX Business Network since 2007. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Ailes was President of CNBC from 1993 to 1996 and served as President of America’s Talking, an information talk channel that later became MSNBC.”
As a legendary Republican political consultant in an earlier career, Ailes helped engineer victories for Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H.W. Bush in 1988.
I could go for that...don’t know if he could win..but somebody has go to get the Republicans back to conservatism. The Dede New York fiasco shows that many really have lost touch with the base.
No way. He’d immediately turn off more than half the country. He would instantly have a negative/positive ratio similar to Rush’s.
Which is fine, as long as you’re not looking for elected office.
If we’re going to go with someone from Fox, why not Glenn Beck?
Don’t do it, Rog!!!!! You need to stay with “fair and balanced”! It’s working real well...keep up the good work...
Roger Ailes does a great job at Fox news. That’s where he belongs.
But tweaking the libs and sending them into a panic, is a good thing.
Check out the lib comments at the end of the article. They frame everything around race and age. I guess its still better to have a hip, rock star president with no known background.
Not half.
Maybe 10-20% that are full blown leftists who are convinced Fox News is EVIL!
But it would be fun watching them froth at the mouth...
Really!?!
I wonder what kind of ‘crowd turnout’ Roger can achieve in comparison to Sarah.
Why leave your empire for the white house? No way.
Then if you must, make him a campaign manager, not a candidate. I agree with the other posters, he should really stay where he is.
Thank you - I know why they wouldn’t, but what a hard worker and a decent guy, huh?
I smell a rat....if the Dems can create the impression out there that Ailes is a political player, then the Obamites can pretend to feel justified in freezing out Fox as a partisan opponent.
“Maybe 10-20% that are full blown leftists who are convinced Fox News is EVIL!
But it would be fun watching them froth at the mouth...”
Like Rush has what, a 40/60 for/against split? Those are great numbers for Rush IMO, but it’s no good for running for office. Great for him though.
They would instantly make this guy into the same kind of polarizing figure. He’s not mega-con anyway.
I haven’t seen FNC in years, but he was the head guy when I did, and it wasn’t super conservative.
No thanks.
Excellent point and we need a power player behind our Conservative candidate to offset all the ACORN crap about to hit the political fan during an election.
Ailes needs to stay right where he is...maybe buy another network or 2.....and a hollyweard studio or 2....and a radio station or 2......and a newspaper or 2.....so on....I think you get my drift. We need to push the left out of every nook and cranny they feel so safe in....take this fight to their base...THE MEDIA!
I love it,big dittos for that idea!!! The best thing he could ever do for his country is to help take back over the corrupted media - both news and entertainment
Just what we don’t need—a 72yo fat-cat candidate against Obama in ‘12. Ailes would be great doing the patriotic thing and donating his wisdom and expertise to a strong candidate, whether that’s Palin or someone yet to emerge.
But no, he’s not got a snowball’s chance—and his friends aren’t doing him any favors. (Just the usually suck-up to the wealthy and powerful, I imagine.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.