On Tue, 31 May 2011, Doug Henwood wrote:
> This article assumes that Fox has a vast influence.
That's true, it does assume it, and I did notice those demographics. I found it mostly interesting for the history. Plus the diagrams of how just how tightly the talking points were followed.
But what about the arguments that it has wielded influence not directly through its audience's size, but indirectly through using its audience to bully the Republican party to the right and screw them to the sticking point? And thus to move the discourse to the right? Which is really the holy grail of such an endeavor.
Perhaps one could argue it's not that Fox increases the size of the far right wing, but that he amplifies its influence, through the Repug party taking it seriously, and through all other media taking it seriously. (Constantly answering its talking points -- which is the whole point of talking points, to be the focus of the talk -- and following the statements of political talk celebrities that Fox has largely created.)
Michael