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deurbano

(2,891 posts)
80. They're all brainwashed. "Without the 'Fox effect' neither Bush nor Trump could have won."
Sat May 4, 2019, 06:35 PM
May 2019

My mom watches Fox or listens to hate radio all her waking hours. She was always right-wing, but now lives in a fact free universe.

When the 2016 primary season began, she absolutely loathed that vile thing now occupying the White House... yet ended up attending his inauguration! The brainwashing overrides critical thinking, personal experiences and previous knowledge. Very effective and extremely dangerous.

https://www.vox.com/2019/3/4/18249847/fox-news-effect-swing-elections

Fox News’s propaganda isn’t just unethical — research shows it’s enormously influential
Without the “Fox effect,” neither Bush nor Trump could have won.


<<A study by Emory University political scientist Gregory Martin and Stanford economist Ali Yurukoglu estimates that watching Fox News translates into a significantly greater willingness to vote for Republican candidates. Specifically, by exploiting semi-random variation in Fox viewership driven by changes in the assignment of channel numbers, they find that if Fox News hadn’t existed, the Republican presidential candidate’s share of the two-party vote would have been 3.59 points lower in 2004 and 6.34 points lower in 2008. Without Fox, in other words, the GOP’s only popular vote win since the 1980s would have been reversed and the 2008 election would have been an extinction-level landslide.

And Fox is not the only thing out there. The Sinclair Broadcast Group is not a television network in a traditional sense. Instead, it’s a company that owns a disparate bunch of local television stations affiliated with all four major networks. But Sinclair does exert centralized control over the “local” television news broadcasts. And research from Martin and his colleague Josh McCrain found that when Sinclair buys a local station, its local news program begin to cover more national and less local politics, the coverage becomes more conservative, and viewership actually falls — suggesting that the rightward tilt isn’t enacted as a strategy to win more viewers but as part of a persuasion effort.

It would be ridiculous, of course, to argue that absent conservative propaganda broadcasting, Republicans would never win an election. What would happen, instead, is that in order to avoid constantly losing, Republicans would need to do more to bring key aspects of their policy agenda in line with public opinion and display less indifference to the prevalence of scandal-plagued individuals in party leadership. The conclusion, however, remains the same: Fox appears to be a decisive influence in making the Republican Party as currently constituted an electorally viable entity. And these studies are based on Fox's past — according to Mayer, the network has only become more propagandistic since the 2016 election....

...It’s commonplace, for example, to treat the contemporaneous and narrow electoral victories of Donald Trump and Brexit in the United States and United Kingdom as revealing some important, deep-seated truth about the nature of global capitalism. An alternative explanation, however, is that Rupert Murdoch is a very powerful person in both US and UK media and he intervened decisively to put the Trump and Brexit phenomena over the top.

If true, lancing the boil of this particular destructive form of nationalism requires less a broad rethinking of the foundations of politics and more specific focus and the ability of a handful of propagandists to decisively alter the course of events....>>

Ronald Reagan is the foundation, watoos May 2019 #1
and the degradation of our educational systems. mopinko May 2019 #10
Yes. elleng May 2019 #22
+1000 To reverse this trend we MUST improve our schools & teach critical thinking. CaptainTruth May 2019 #44
it teaches them to swallow whatever swill is thrown at them. mopinko May 2019 #52
I've learned personality traits and "tribal" groupthink Hortensis May 2019 #83
groupthink - agree. nt iluvtennis May 2019 #86
...and tribalism. Ligyron May 2019 #123
Or a God... Callmecrazy May 2019 #156
I maintain the best intervention includes passage of a rewritten Fairness Doctrine lambchopp59 May 2019 #152
Yes. I left teaching during the Reagan era. Best decision livetohike May 2019 #105
The hard core will just home school their kids like they do now tikka May 2019 #114
"The Government is the problem". Mr.Bill May 2019 #29
That's the one I have the hardest time with. kag May 2019 #146
Yes. The republicans say government doesn't work Mr.Bill May 2019 #164
I alway have believed that it began with the Powell Manifesto to the US chamber in PatrickforO May 2019 #51
You and me both. Efilroft Sul May 2019 #61
Nixon was the foundation... Drunken Irishman May 2019 #70
There has been a systematic brainwashing of people. Left-over May 2019 #75
I maintain the best intervention includes passage of a rewritten Fairness Doctrine lambchopp59 May 2019 #154
Yup wryter2000 May 2019 #82
Oh yeah. Reagan's "government is the problem " Nuggets May 2019 #93
because he killed the fairness doctrine. the 20-1 talk radio monopoly of 1500 radio stations are certainot May 2019 #104
There is only one reason limbaugh is on so many stations Kilgore May 2019 #107
that only applies to little stations. and iheart is $20BIL in debt. it's irrelevant and doesn't certainot May 2019 #120
Ok, but here the choice is limbaugh or hannity Kilgore May 2019 #133
all self criticism of dems and the left is bullshit until they recognize talk radio's part, which is certainot May 2019 #140
This is part of why Adam Smith was wrong misanthrope May 2019 #122
That is the result of the problem. Group think that is controlled. olegramps May 2019 #145
It also very difficult to counter under the existing situation. Repub control the broadcasts. olegramps May 2019 #144
Some of them think Trump was literally sent by God to "save America". TwilightZone May 2019 #2
Reagan was the one watoos May 2019 #6
Agreed. TwilightZone May 2019 #8
Why do you think so much industry moved to at140 May 2019 #69
That's been a time-honored pattern misanthrope May 2019 #126
More than Reagan misanthrope May 2019 #124
yep, one is on tape at a rally saying tRump is 2 steps above God, no kidding. nt yaesu May 2019 #47
My sister-in-law also has political Tourette syndrome. LastLiberal in PalmSprings May 2019 #3
Cognitive dissonance is common with these folks. mn9driver May 2019 #4
Scientists, or doctors, or whoever it was, watoos May 2019 #9
I agree. And fear mongering. I think there should be a concerted effort to label them as gullible. TryLogic May 2019 #108
I asked the wife of a retired union member who complained about all the dues he'd paid LastLiberal in PalmSprings May 2019 #138
I know people drawing city government pensions, rabid Republicans, Trump fans all. Demit May 2019 #13
Had a relative who retired from a union job after 30 years Jake Stern May 2019 #42
I actually know a former Union Local President that has always been a Republican. Of course this walkingman May 2019 #131
Both my parents fed at the government "trough" their WHOLE working lives, yet would say the same deurbano May 2019 #50
Well, to those folks the "government" is in D.C. nt oldsoftie May 2019 #125
it's brainwashing, classic symptom. Like suddenly singing a jingle for Oscar Meyer hotdogs CharleyDog May 2019 #84
So what do we do about it? rwheeler31 May 2019 #5
It's not exactly giving up, but, watoos May 2019 #14
Improtant to remember, the Blue Wave of 2018 even hit PA aeromanKC May 2019 #31
OMG Kitchari May 2019 #98
"I golf with the nicest 86 year old person". luvtheGWN May 2019 #99
I know, right? jayschool2013 May 2019 #112
Good question. The way I see it the problem is twofold: mn9driver May 2019 #19
a fox fake news lobotomy is irreversible & isn't covered by ACA. nt yaesu May 2019 #48
Same thing people do to radicalized ISIS fighters; devalue thier stupidity with reality uponit7771 May 2019 #132
They remind me of the true believers of the old East German regime DFW May 2019 #7
Yes, well explained. watoos May 2019 #17
Someone argued that was the source or Orban's success in Hungary DBoon May 2019 #49
Yes, Orban learned well from his predecessors DFW May 2019 #66
A Hungarian cousin who lives in moonscape May 2019 #89
Interesting observation. Psychologists refer to those as "frames," Hortensis May 2019 #11
Another one that really frosts my ass is the old "They're all the same." bs. You point out the retread May 2019 #12
These people can not be reached. You can't change their minds. Glorfindel May 2019 #15
That is what inspires me, watoos May 2019 #20
+1000 That's the key FakeNoose May 2019 #43
Plato's Allegory of the Cave. ariadne0614 May 2019 #16
Interesting. I'll give it a listen. mn9driver May 2019 #28
I ask them what specific crimes Hillary Clinton committed. Maraya1969 May 2019 #18
We need to be ready. watoos May 2019 #21
Murder treestar May 2019 #25
Trey Gowdy said on Fox that they knew she could not have stopped the attacks. But they Maraya1969 May 2019 #127
Debunked for rational people treestar May 2019 #158
The dinosaur I used to know not fooled May 2019 #141
Yes! It all makes perfect sense to them. nt femmocrat May 2019 #151
They are crazy Meowmee May 2019 #23
If the government doesn't work, how come it does not continue to not work treestar May 2019 #24
Belief is not a skil set NotHardly May 2019 #26
Gotta wash socks. BBL. n/t rzemanfl May 2019 #100
What do you expect from a bunch of Christians who are told stopbush May 2019 #27
Big truth here! nocoincidences May 2019 #35
They were easy marks . Twice suckered. lunasun May 2019 #38
TRUE here! The BAD PART is bluestarone May 2019 #63
Don't forget Lying for Jesus, a time-honored tradition in the Xian church. stopbush May 2019 #73
Only two kinds of Publicans left in the country.... safeinOhio May 2019 #30
trump's support is shrinking barbtries May 2019 #32
Die-hard, lawless libertarians? moondust May 2019 #33
Most are in their 40s or early 50s. Many had a previous military career. mn9driver May 2019 #41
The evidence u cite is just another symptom of BootinUp May 2019 #34
It's kind of like religion-- dawg day May 2019 #36
The interesting thing is, many of them don't believe all the resultant lies. mn9driver May 2019 #53
This is very very good, thank you for writing it stopwastingmymoney May 2019 #71
I know I posted a few days ago that mountain grammy May 2019 #37
You can't reason with unreasonable people. BarbD May 2019 #39
New facts don't change peoples' minds. The_jackalope May 2019 #40
For them, there are no new facts... Ferrets are Cool May 2019 #58
It does if you practice rational skepticism misanthrope May 2019 #128
Thanks to the power of right wing media liberalmediaaddict May 2019 #45
I have nothing to do with tRumpsters & luckily I don't have to work around them. nt yaesu May 2019 #46
Ask them... Aviation Pro May 2019 #54
I would have to engage in order to do that. Not gonna happen. mn9driver May 2019 #55
The group of people Trump has lost iamateacher May 2019 #56
It wouldn't even change if YOU were frogmarched to prision for your political Ferrets are Cool May 2019 #57
These Republicans are the same kind of people who would have followed Jim Jones patphil May 2019 #59
Trouble is by the time they die out, I'll be dead by then as well. no_hypocrisy May 2019 #60
From my experience... Different Drummer May 2019 #165
It's not so jarring when they're among like-minded people sop May 2019 #62
I'd be curious to know whether they're fundamentalists Xians, Opus Dei-type Catholics & their ages. Texin May 2019 #64
+1 Mosby May 2019 #65
I've noticed the first one with my stepfather a lot recently underpants May 2019 #67
Damn skippy. MrScorpio May 2019 #68
You are correct. They are completely brainwashed. Then I ask myself, am I the brainwashed Pepsidog May 2019 #72
Yes indeed TryLogic May 2019 #110
if foxnews went off the air for just one week, what a difference it would make. unblock May 2019 #74
+5 appalachiablue May 2019 #91
Confirmation Bias: ginnyinWI May 2019 #76
We shall overcome Beringia May 2019 #77
Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and the Christian right? Martin Eden May 2019 #78
Add Alex Jones, Hannity etc. Alwaysna May 2019 #94
You have my sympathies, having to work with these people! InAbLuEsTaTe May 2019 #79
They're all brainwashed. "Without the 'Fox effect' neither Bush nor Trump could have won." deurbano May 2019 #80
Yet they don't question the motives or actions of corporations Fiendish Thingy May 2019 #81
I didn't see race or hate mentioned here. They are not talked about in mixed company. empedocles May 2019 #85
governance through the sympathetic magic of conservative ideology. Thomas Hurt May 2019 #87
I hope we can make it to the other side, regarding rationality. warmfeet May 2019 #88
Fox TV est. 1996, Hate Radio since 1987 and this is the result appalachiablue May 2019 #90
Another problem i see is bluestarone May 2019 #92
I'd say your employer's screening needs work. BobTheSubgenius May 2019 #95
Screen for political ideology? Marengo May 2019 #160
Yes, indeed. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #96
Sorry, you are quite wrong! No matter how many screenings, when they believe in obvious.... machoneman May 2019 #97
I was thinking it was brainwashing but also had an in-law who was in a union and hated demigoddess May 2019 #101
Bingo samplegirl May 2019 #139
I can outdo that. this guy disliked being 'held back' by medicare. Searched for a doc he demigoddess May 2019 #166
"We have a big problem." saidsimplesimon May 2019 #102
Gee, we must hang out in the same places! Irishxs May 2019 #103
The ACA gave lots of new people insurance, but it indeed made many politicians filthy rich. MadDAsHell May 2019 #106
I have a customer who really thinks that HRC .. Botany May 2019 #109
"Nothing you say can change my mind"... czarjak May 2019 #111
"the ACA slowed the runaway rise in medical costs." Honeycombe8 May 2019 #113
This hurts me so much mrsadm May 2019 #115
I guess I am wasting my breath in trying to talk reason to them Demonaut May 2019 #116
Propaganda Works dlk May 2019 #117
Pure hate makes "smart" people stupid Steven Maurer May 2019 #118
Thank you. And this is why our priority must be on reaching out to Democrats pnwmom May 2019 #119
Thanks for this inside observation; obviously they don't ask questions SayItLoud May 2019 #121
as an extension, I bet they believe shanny May 2019 #129
This is what keeps me up at night.....nt Heartstrings May 2019 #130
Why are we coddling misguided people? If they want to live in an illusion...Go Ahead Chin music May 2019 #134
Small point....I think they ARE crazy. Hulk May 2019 #135
. struggle4progress May 2019 #136
It's all based on bigotry. Doodley May 2019 #137
I've learned something important as well. Aussie105 May 2019 #142
We are forced to pick the lesser of two evils... sokpupet May 2019 #143
That is one thing that got me out of flying... GetRidOfThem May 2019 #147
Something I've noticed repeatedly that pushes their buttons: mpreorder May 2019 #148
Not for nothing, but this has been the case for a L O N G time Cosmocat May 2019 #149
Brainwashed Republicans JGug1 May 2019 #150
I maintain the best intervention includes passage of a rewritten Fairness Doctrine lambchopp59 May 2019 #153
This is the result of Trumpocalypse May 2019 #155
True. Nitram May 2019 #157
I concur: " stop the godless socialism lover at any cost" California_Republic May 2019 #159
How I turned out differently cp May 2019 #161
The Ditching Of The Fairness Doctrine Led To Where We Are Now colsohlibgal May 2019 #162
I don't care how bright one thinks they might be... BlueJac May 2019 #163
Talk radio, Fox News, Breitbart and InfoWars have done their evil work... Blue_Tires May 2019 #167
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