Friday Fox Follies – The Midterm Election Edition

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The recent midterm elections has Fox “News” as giddy as Sarah Palin in front of a microphone. And, it’s not just the results. Fox News Dominates Midterm Election Ratings, But Overall TV Interest Down gives the station bragging rights: “Our manure attracts more flies than all the other cow patties combined.”

Yet, Fox wants it both ways. Pretending to be the underdog, Foxites up and down the schedule call out the “mainstream media” without any acknowledgment that it dominates the ratings and, therefore, IS the mainstream media. For those keeping track, this is the station’s second biggest lie, after “Fair & Balanced.”

TO BE FAIR: There is no way to know how many of Fox’s election night viewers were either long asleep in their easy chair or hoping to witness another existential meltdown like the last go-round. Remember when Republican strategist and dark money donor Karl Rove flipped out when the station called Ohio for President Obama? Come to think of it, there’s no way of knowing how many viewers were hoping Megyn Kelly would take another on-camera walk down to the decision desk. Watch the least spontaneous moment during the Fox “News” election night coverage:

Does Fox knows its audience, or what?

Regardless, brain-dead viewers were probably unaware of How ‘Straight News Anchors’ Kelly And Baier Dropped Their Bias Into Fox’s Election Coverage. Nor would Fox “News” make them aware that CNN’s S.E. Cupp, Fox News Media Consultant Provided Training To GOP Candidates (REPORT) or that Vox Charges Fox News With Violation Of Exit Poll Agreement. Move along. Nothing to see here.

But, what has Fox “News” even more giddy than the election results? MSNBC’s Maddow Highlights Fox Figures “Already So Excited” About Impeachment Over Executive Action On Immigration.

Back in May David Weigel asked “Will Republicans try to impeach Obama?” Even before the election Fox was beating the drums for impeachment. In July, it gave Sarah Palin a platform for to make The case for Obama’s impeachment: The Constitution’s remedy for a lawless, imperial president. The next month Fox News Claims Obama The Black President Is Forcing Republicans To Impeach Him.

From here to 2016 expect Fox to give massive airtime to anyone pushing impeachment, but little to none to those sane people opposed. And it begins: Fox’s Cavuto Prods Republican Senator-Elect Capito About Impeaching Obama. Already Ted Cruz Promises Lots Of Investigations Into Obama’s ‘Lawlessness’ With GOP’s Senate Takeover and John Boehner Makes A Veiled Impeachment Threat Towards Obama At Press Conference. Not that Cruz and Boehner don’t already turn up all over the Fox schedule whenever they want to smear Democrats or, especially, President Obama.

One thing that’s frustrated Progressives is how open the POTUS is to compromise, and he’s already made noises like that following Tuesday’s results. However, Fox has already begun to poison that well:

Fox & Friends: Don’t Be Fooled by Obama’s ‘Tone’

Right-Wing Media Outraged After Obama Declares Intent To Cooperate With GOP

Judge Nap: Only One Option for GOP If Obama Declares Immigration Amnesty

Fox’s Megyn Kelly Asks Republican Senator If He Will Impeach Obama Over Executive Action On Immigration

Impeachment talk will be good for ratings, even if it threatens to destroy the country.

It would be journalistic malpractice to report on Fox “News” elections without singling out pollster and wordsmith Frank Luntz, one of those calling for bipartisanship:

Frank Luntz, Who Reportedly Shepherded The GOP Plan To Beat Obama, Calls For Bipartisanship

GOP Strategist Behind Republican Obstruction Of Obama Now Laughably Calling For Compromise

Despite having the worst toupee in tee vee, Luntz has been one of the most influential partisans of election battles, going alla way back to Pat Buchanan in the early ’90s. However, it’s as a polling wordsmith that Luntz excels. That’s why he’s been hired by GOP campaigns as far back as when they kept track of election results by cave paintings. Luntz poll tests words and phrases to see which ones mislead voters the most. The winners are then used by GOP candidates.

There was a time when Fox “News” had exclusive rights to his on-air deceptions. Now he seems to freelance and can be seen all over the dial. However, make no mistake. When Frank Luntz is calling for bipartisanship, he’s really calling for the GOP to use the word bipartisanship over and over again, as they pass bills knowing full well they will be vetoed by POTUS. That’s what partisan Luntz means by bipartisan.

FFF has previously written about alleged quack Dr. Keith Ablow. Others are now sitting up and taking notice. The psychiatrist, who is little more than his own projections, was analyzed (read: slapped around) pretty good this week:

Medical Experts Condemn Fox’s Keith Ablow: “Shameful” And “Unfortunate That He Is Given A Platform”

Fox’s Dr. Ablow Slammed As ‘Shameful’ And ‘Irresponsible’ By His Medical Peers

Fox’s Ablow regularly ‘diagnoses’ Obama

Jay Carney: ‘No One in the White House Spends Any Time Thinking About’ Fox’s Keith Ablow

But, Ablow makes it look like so much fun Charles Krauthammer The Latest Fox News Psychiatrist To Diagnose Obama Without Examination. Everybody wants to get in on the act.

Just as FFF was going to press Fox’s Keith Ablow fires back after fellow psychiatrists denounce him as a hack. In a written statement Ablow doubles down:

“While some may be offended by my commentary, it is, nevertheless entirely accurate.

“President Obama provided the data for my commentary through his statements and actions.

“As a medical professional it is readily apparent that a President who tours the world apologizing for America, who was part of a church in which the pastor preached “God damn America!” and who admonished American entrepreneurs that they did not build their own businesses is a President who has issues with the nation of which he is President. The use of selected and edited comments of mine to attempt to “shoot the messenger” is an unfair attempt to impair my credibility.”

Let that sink in a moment: “The use of selected and edited comments,” like how Ablow diagnosed President Obama? Media Matters provides a handy mash-up of Ablow impairing his own credibility through the use of selected and edited comments.

A Friday Fox Follies Foto Is Worth:

Less than 1,000 words: Bob Beckel Flips Off Jesse Watters in Heated Clash over Race

The 2nd to last word this week goes to our own Hrafnkell Haraldsson, who writes in The Mainstream Media is Culpable in the Murder of American Democracy:

Extremism is hidden, after all, by the mainstream media. Fox News certainly doesn’t disclose the really crazy stuff; the crazy stuff you do see on Fox News is just the tip of the iceberg. The mainstream media is even worse than this, completely ignoring, for example, the extremism of supposedly mainstream Republican candidates while promoting the fantasy that the Republican Party has reigned the Tea Party in.

The problem is, the Republican Party is just as – if not more – extreme, than it was pre-reigning in. What seems to have happened is that the Tea Party craziness has been further mainstreamed, subsumed by the Republican establishment until the need for Tea Party radicalism has gone away.

The last word: Remember when Fox “News” was promoting Tea Party rallies? Fox News built this and the GOP has never properly said thank you. They’ll have the next two years to do so. Elections have consequences.

Headly Westerfield, proprietor of the Not Now Silly Newsroom, has been writing Fox “News” criticism since 2009. He previously worked a decade as a tee vee news writer, calling himself a ventriloquist as he put the words in the mouths of the meat puppets.