News silo. Don't look up!
Fox.
Newsmax.
One America News.
You are what you eat. Ignorance is bliss.
Democrats are frustrated by the silence of "good Republicans." Democrats have expectations of the "good ones," and are disappointed with them. Most Republicans are sitting back, quietly enabling the dismantling of America democracy. Democrats think Republicans should be thrilled by Michael Pence, Brian Kemp, Doug Ducey, and Brad Raffensperger. They should be happy Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are saying the things that any good Republican would normally believe as recently as a few years ago. It isn't happening.
These "good Republicans" are normal rational people. They don't have "Fuck Joe Biden" signs on their cars. They aren't Q-Anon. They don't believe Hillary Clinton is a lizard who feeds on the blood of kidnapped children. They voted for Reagan, two Bushes, Dole, McCain, and Romney. They aren't crazy.
There are complicated explanations for why these otherwise-normal democracy-loving Republicans are silent in the face of such anti-democratic behavior. Trump charisma. White demographic anxiety. Subtle and un-subtle racism. Immigration panic. Or maybe it is mostly opposition against Democrats and woke-ness, abortion, spending priorities, tax policies, or too much "free money" to the wrong people.
There is also a simple explanation: News silos and the business of news. Republicans don't much see the anti-democratic side of Trump.
The for-profit news business is all about attracting an audience. A solid lock on a loyal customer niche is a very successful business model. Fox built a huge, profitable niche essentially doing infomercials for Trump and the GOP, but with some journalistic news sprinkled in during the afternoons. In the fractionalized market, people seek a predictable, consistent product. A Big Mac is a Big Mac. A Big Mac is not a salad. Not even mid-days.
Fox was tabloid. It has beautiful women with bare legs facing the camera. They wear form-fitting solid-color dresses and heavy makeup. Fox has flash. On-air hosts say provocative things. Trump was the perfect star vehicle for them--more glamorous and trashy and interesting than the earnest, boring Bushes or Mitt Romney.
Fox made a mis-step we have seen before with music labels, movie studios, and political machines. Fox created a monster, a star popular enough to go rogue. Trump's independence exposed another mis-step. Fox had tried to be a quasi-news organization. It gave Trump and his huge base of supporters reason to be disappointed in Fox. Trump has the power to move an audience to upstart Newsmax and One American News Network. They had better Big Macs and no salad.
Fox is scrambling to recapture its its core audience. That helps explain "good Republicans." Democrats may think the big news today is that Trump demanded the overthrow of an election. No. Maybe it is news that Pence said "Trump is wrong," signally a growing rift in the GOP. No. Would it be that Pence's Chief of Staff testified for hours to the January 6 commission, or that confidantes of Trump are being subpoenaed by the House, or that memos by Trump's lawyers outline a White House plan to void the 2020 election? No. What about the job report number, something Biden was thrilled to announce. No.
Fox still dominates the news diet of Republican voters. Here is the news they see on Fox and on its new rivals. Nothing about Pence, Cheney, or overthrowing an election. Zero. Not one word.
Fox News
25 top stories
Newsmax:
28 top stories
One America News Network:
14 top stories