Reply #32: OK, say that gained them 2 points. Clark cost them 50... [View All]

[Tom Rinaldo]

by constantly demolishing their Republican talking points on the air in front of their own audiance, making them look silly to even try to defend Bush's policies. And I am being really charitable granting FOX that 2 points. Virtually no one really ever thought they were "fair and balanced" except for those who had already swallowed that Kool Aid, and Wes Clark was the best cult deprogramer we ever could have dreamed for in that regard. Maybe, just maybe, if Clark had hos own show on FOX it would have created some confusion about their "balance", but his two or so short appearances a week weren't about to make a dent in the true image of that network.

But what Clark did was undercut the supposedly pro-military jingoistic posturing of the FOX Chicken Hawks by showing up as the real thing with compelling arguments proving that the Democratic Party has the right answers to America's security concerns. Clark was devestatingly effective at doing that, and since he was officially part of the "FOX Team", minor as his roll actually was, his contract protected him from having his microphone turned off, among other things. I am firmly convinced that Clark going on FOX when he did helped Democrats regain Congress from the Republicans in 2006. The votes we needed to accomplish that were votes that went to the other side in 2004, we didn't have to worry about holding on to our own voters, we needed some of theirs, and we got them. No doubt many of those voters were familiar with Wes Clark from watching FOX.

Strategically, any trade off of minor credibility gained vs defections from G.O.P. ranks caused by Clark appearing on FOX was well worth it. We have Congress now. His contract with FOX is over now, and Clark can move on. A Job well done, General.