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Roger Ailes, the Fox News' high-profile CEO, realizes that the Republican Party has a serious demographic problem, most notably when it comes to Latino voters. But Ailes told The New Republic that he's on the case.
Mitt Romney lost the Latino vote by nearly 50 points, and now almost everyone agrees that the Republican Party needs to improve with Hispanic voters to have a shot at the White House in 2016. That could also be Ailes's last year at Fox News: His contract expires then, when he'll be 76 years old. So if Roger Ailes wants to see a Republican win what may be his last presidential election as a major player, he'll need to try to make conservatism more palatable to Latinos. Which, of course, he will.
"The fact is, we have a lot -- Republicans have a lot more opportunity for them," Ailes says. "If I'm going to risk my life to run over the fence to get into America, I want to win. I think Fox News will articulate that."
Yes, Ailes accidentally used the word "we" when talking about Republicans, before correcting himself.
As a substantive matter, Ailes went on to argue that Latinos should, in theory, be receptive to the intended ideological argument, driven in part by culture and religion. "I happen to think that the Latino audience is an essentially traditional audience and will go to Fox News for traditional American values," Ailes told TNR.
This has been the subject of considerable research, and there's ample evidence to the contrary. Indeed, most polls suggest most Latino voters support center-left candidates because they are, in fact, center-left voters.
And while that discussion is important, I'd like to pause for a moment to ask a more fundamental question: the head of a major American news organization believes it's his job to "articulate" a message to a specific group of voters that "Republicans have a lot more opportunity for them"?
Not to put too fine a point on this, but since when is it the job of a cable news network to help persuade a voting constituency that one political party is good for them?
Imagine, for example, that the head of CNN was reflecting on Democratic electoral difficulties among voters in the Deep South, and said, "The fact is, we have a lot -- Democrats have a lot more opportunity for them. I think CNN will articulate that." Wouldn't that seem odd?
I realize there's a wink-and-nod dynamic when it comes to Fox News' "fair and balanced" claims, and most political observers know the score well enough to be cynical about such things. But when Ailes makes comments like these -- out loud and on the record -- I find it rather alarming.
Indeed, it was just a couple of months ago that Ailes explained why he pressured David Petraeus to run for president in 2012: "I thought the Republican field [in the primaries] needed to be shaken up and Petraeus might be a good candidate."
Again, the point isn't whether the GOP field needed shaking up; the point is whether it's the job of a major news outlet to intervene.
Has the political world reached a point at which this is so expected from Ailes and Fox that we no longer even notice the importance of his admissions?
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No Republican needs to improve their message for any group to win any office. Start making plans for the whole country and don't worry about trying to make certain groups happy 'cause it ain't gonna matter and it ain't gonna work!
Ailes apparently feels otherwise. Expect him to find a clone of Hannity with a brown face.
Is this what it will take for MSNBC to have a show expressing the diversity of opinion from inside and outside the barrios of the US? How about a show with a rotating set of hosts (I prefer), or a shared host panel like the Cycle. Hosts would include people like
And maybe long before 2016 someone will lock up the racist old coot in a facility suited to his demeanor and mental stability.
How KGB of you. Careful, your inner totalitarian is peeking out.
The Republicans are indeed right about Hispanics supporting them. The only problem for them is that it's just the oldest generations that skew conservative. Young people don't speak bigot, they don't react well to Republican division tactics.
Stop repeating inside the beltway nonsense. Maddow pointed out to polling that Latinos skew more to the left than typical Democratic voters.
Do you dispute the polling she cited?
He didn't say that, he said that Latinos are split generationally, just like most other demographics. I don't know if that's accurate, but it wouldn't surprise me if the older Latinos were conservative and the younger were more liberal, and the younger outweigh the older by numbers. White voters see a similar demographic breakdown.
This is a false statement. Do you agree or not?
There is a generational facet, of course- but that doesn't change anything about the overall statement. We need to be fact based about Latino opinion. Reagan made the observation that "Latinos are republicans- they just don't know it yet." As Maddow noted, this idea of the conservatism of Latinos is often repeated inside the beltway, but it is wrong.
Here's a link to the Maddow segment. `11 minutes in. She doesn't cite a lefty pollster, but Jeb Bush's swing state poll among others.
According to a Pew pre-election poll, 73% of Catholic Hispanics planned to vote for Obama, 82% of nonreligious Hispanics planned to as well, while Evangelical Protestant Hispanics broke a bit more evenly: 50-39 for our President, with the rest undecided.
http://www.pewforum.org/Race/Latinos-Religion-and-Campaign-2012.aspx
A new survey shows that 2nd generation Hispanics are more likely to identify as Democrats than those from the 1st. [71% compared to 63%.] The Republican I.D. also goes up in the 2nd generation [from 16% to 19%]
It notes "Second-generation Hispanics and Asian Americans characterize themselves as liberals at higher rates than the general public. The relative youth of the second generation contributes to, but does not fully explain, their liberal political leanings."
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/02/07/second-generation-americans/
yes indeed, the party of free stuff is the party of choice for the young and not too bright.
John: Stop telling me to stop anything in any context, unless you are in charge of the forum. I did not say anything about Democrat/Hispanic polling, I only made a legit point about age differences. There is nothing "inside the beltway" about what I said, and I don't dispute the polling you say you are referring to. If you have questions, fine. But if you feel you have the right to tell me anything in the tone you used, you are sorely mistaken. Apparently I have alot more respect for you than you do for me.
From the report:
The Pew Research surveys find that second-generation Hispanics and Asian Americans place more importance than does the general public on hard work and career success.
They are more inclined to call themselves liberal and less likely to identify as Republicans, and for the most part they are more likely to say their standard of living is higher than that of their parents at the same stage of life.
About three-quarters of second-generation Hispanics (78%) and Asian Americans (72%) say that most people can get ahead if they’re willing to work hard. By contrast, 58% of the full U.S. population of adults feel the same way.
The quoted statement was false. Saying that its just the older latinos that skew conservative doesn't change the aggregate statement. Similarly, one could say,
Republicans are indeed correct that Massachusetts voters support them. It's just the older voters that skew conservative.
Is Massachusetts in aggregate Republican or not. It is delusional of anyone to state that it is. If the point is that GOP makes a delusional aggregate statement that is only true to the extent that it is true of elderly latinos, then fine, but that's a generic statement about any group of americans. Breaking news: Older people skew conservative.
The following statement is the meaning Jurgan took, but as Maddow noted, it is common wisdom inside the beltway among conservatives and liberals alike to not assume the implied "some". You can read LD's statement in its entirety and believe that Hispanics in aggregate are conservative, assuming that older generations have a stronger vote than the youngest Hispanics.
My read of LD's statement was that he was laboring under the false assumption that Hispanics in aggregate skew conservative. He does not dispute the polls cited by Maddow, but neither does he accept them.
If we demand the GOP to be fact based, we should demand the same of ourselves. I got too heated about that, but I do feel strongly about it.
Republicans have a lot more opportunity for them
Yeah, in the sense that when you start at the bottom, there is nowhere to go but up.
But as the battle for the heart and soul of the GOP heats up, voters have realized the the GOP has neither.
Yes, before he is too old, Roger Ailes is dreaming of the day we pledge allegiance to the United States of FOX! Roger is a propagandist - he does not trust independent news sources to carry his truth of the matter!
That job is for Steve Doocey! And, boy, how silly Ailes' truth has become lately! Why, his favorite personalities on the yellow couch have taken to maudlin pining for the good ol'days of neocons and Cheneyites! -Kevo
When the old dog gets up and growls at Americans for listening to the politician elected by all Americans , remember he is armed and drinking . It is only natural that other old rich drunk dogs and their adorable minions , who basically started the choir singing the poisonous treat of sweet anarchic politics of negation , get up for some primo fence fighting .
Dave Mason
Here’s a little song you can all join in with:
It’s very simple and I hope it’s new.
Make your own words up if you want to:
Any old words that you think will do.
Yellow, blue, what’ll I do?
Maybe I’ll just sit here thinking.
Black, white, stop the fight.
Does one of these colours ever bother you?
Their audience is too stupid to notice what he says.
> ...since when is it the job of a cable news network to help persuade a voting constituency that one political party is good for them?
The problem with that question is that it's based on the assumption that Fox News is actually a legitimate news organization. It's not.
When you go back to what Fox News really is - a 24-by-7 infomercial that sells its crappy wares by manufacturing outrage and amping up people's fears - then Ailes really isn't saying anything alarming, is he? Ailes is announcing the upcoming products his channel will be peddling. Just like QVC.
Well that explains "MundoFox." I can only imagine the out right lies broadcast on that channel considering what they're willing to air on Faux News. I'm sure they have little to fear from Spanish language fact-checkers.
The answer is yes.
"I happen to think that the Latino audience is an essentially traditional audience and will go to Fox News for traditional American values," Ailes told TNR."
Since telling Latino's "self deportation" was the answer last time, I'm sure it worked out so well - President Robme.....Hahahaha....
The whole problem with Faux is that WE are failing to get the message out that if they stop watching it for just 24 hours their IQ will go up by at least 10. And I'm beginning to think that if everyone just stopped watching MSM and their 24/7 of politics, their IQ would go up at least a little.
Claiming that Latinos support GOP ideas of 'culture' is utterly ridiculous. Latinos have a rich and thriving cultural heritage which they have contributed to our American one. To imagine that some buttoned down, penny pinching rich "Anglo" tightwads have a "culture" for Latinos to identify with is a huge joke.
Cue the trolls asking "but MSNBC helps the Democrats, what about that, huh?" So, to attempt futilely to preempt those inane comments: Many MSNBC hosts and programs, including Rachel Maddow, identify themselves as liberals, but that's not the same as being Democrats. Having a viewpoint and an ideological predisposition is all right, in my opinion, as long as it doesn't bias you in your reporting. Ms. Maddow is more than happy to call out Democrats when they are behaving inappropriately. Fox News will lie to protect Republicans. That's the difference between an ideological viewpoint and a partisan bias.
MSNBC is also under the control of the NBC News division which, unlike Fox News, cares about its reputation for honest, unbiased, fact-based journalism.
The problem with Ailes assertion is that neither fox news nor the republican party represent "traditional american values." They might have at one point, but no longer. As far as I can tell, they both represent some combination of libertarian and fundamentalist christian values. Not only are these not compatible, but they are not "traditional american values."
There is a part of the republican party that represents traditional american values, fair play, equality, representing the people not corporations, environmental conservation, etc. But they've been all but silenced. So given that the democratic party also represent these things, I don't see "the latino vote" going over the Rep. any time soon.
When I watch Fox, usually by force in public offices and private businesses, I hear manipulation and fear-mongering. That these could be Ailes values, I won't dispute, but are they American values?
Values, like patriotism, has become an exploited fill-in-your-own-meaning word.
Every time I go to the VA and see all the old vets watching Fox, I am reminded of how many stupid people I knew in t he military.
On an airplane I talked with an officer who insisted that PBS was totally biased while Fox was fair and balanced. It seems that PBS hadn't had anyone on board who opposed allowing gays and lesbians in the military while that was all that Fox had.
Are talented Latinos/Latinas getting in line to be the next FoxNews personalities promoted heavily and paid megabucks?
It is getting harder and harder for sane people to characterize Fox News as anything but a full-blooded outreach effort of the Republican Party. They are running 24-7 programming devoted to Republican propaganda and the delegitimization of Barack Obama. And you're telling me that isn't a violation of campaign or broadcasting laws? Someone can and must shut down this network of lies, exaggerations, and racially offensive outbursts. Fixed Noise is having a more difficult time trying to disguise its blatant partisan intentions. - progressive
Roger Ailes and Fox News are the parties responsible for the current political polarization which started with Fox and Gingrich going after Bill Clinton. It is too late for Fox and the Republicans to start mending fences when they have done everything they could do to build more walls around the white Republicans and the rest of the country. The Republicans were aware of the changing demographics for a number of years; this is not a sudden development. Fox gave the radical right a microphone and now the network is trying to bury its past. You can't undo decades of damage by saying you made a mistake. It will take a lot of work to fix the problems Fox and Ailes created. Glenn Beck, Palin, Dick Morris should be just the first casualties with more to come. But I doubt Fox is going to change by nibbling around the edges.
Did you know that Roger Ailes has bulletproof glass in his office windows to protect him, FROM THE GAYS? I guess that explains the KEVLAR underwear too.
Latinos who migrated to the US with or without documents come from a long history of left wing activism. The camps and marches in the Zocalo were the predecessors of OWS. Cesar Chavez was able to organize because workers in Mexico have always organized against the bosses. Unions are very strong in Latin America, and people have a long tradition of supporting each other against the elites. If the republicans don't realize that, they will be in for a very big surprise.
Religious social values only go so far. More important is family and the republican crusade against families is not going to do them any good. If they want Latino support, they need to put in paid sick leave for kids and parents, they need to put in maternity leave, they need to push for an increase in the minimum wage, they need to make it difficult to fire someone just for fun. And since the republicans aren't about to do any of that, their push to abolish abortions isn't going to do them a bit of good.
What I find most interesting about the attempts by the GOP to redefine themselves is all about how to repackage their messaging without any change to the message. Across the nation they are restricting women's rights in all conceivable ways states like mine, Pa., are trying to rewrite our electoral vote allocation to allow a minority of the population in rural counties to have an astounding electoral advantage. The GOP majority are constantly attempting defund urban school districts while redirecting tax revenues to their gerrymandered districts. They tried their best to drive voters away from the presidential election by restricting the vote until struck down by the courts. For decades they have done everything possible to make Hispanic immigration as difficult as possible in everything from access to Spanish speaking service providers to access to educational services. Hazelton Pa's mayor has imposed anti Hispanic laws and regulations that make Arizona look like an immigrant paradise. Saying we hate you and want you to leave in a more pleasant tone does not change the message.
jkh
If Fox ever was a valid news organization, it isn't anymore. It's a propaganda network now. I once thought that it was a front for the Republican party, but now I realize that it is more insidious than that. In reality it is a front for an extremist group that is trying to usurp the Republican party because it needs the legitimacy the major party label brings in order for its extremist candidates to have any chance of election.