Why do any Democrats appear on Fox?

[bluestateguy]

I just saw Debbie Wasserman Shultz appearing on Fox up against a very snide Gretchen Carlson, after a milquetoast start she took Carlson to task for her bullshit. That may give great cheer to liberal bloggers, but I really don't see the point of it. Teabaggers and right wingers will not be persuaded no matter who comes on from the Democratic Party or the Left; by and large Democratic voters and left thinking people ignore what is on Fox News anyway. Independents who watch Fox are most likely right leaning and know that it is filtered through a deep bias anyway.

So I am not seeing the value behind Democratic officeholders, party officials, consultants and others affiliated with the party appearing on Fox.
It would be better to just shun Fox altogether and not give them the legitimacy that they don't deserve. It would be harder for them to claim to be fair and balanced if all of their guests were from the Right side of the aisle.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. I've often wondered the same thing.

The only answer that makes sense to me is that they're getting paid for the appearances, either with money or favors.

[emulatorloo]

2. The go on to try to cut through the bullshit. Fox is on in every public place I go to.

At the gym, at the hospital, at the car repair shop.

So not every person exposed to fox is a close-minded fox viewer.

[FBaggins]

3. People have a hard time accepting the truth if they never even hear it.

"Teabaggers and right wingers" do not make up their entire audience.

[otohara]

4. Mystery to Me

she won't be changing the minds any of the FOX low-info/Dem hating viewers.

[RZM]

5. A better question would be: 'why wouldn't they?'

It's part of Schultz's job to get the message out, so that's what she's doing. Hostile territory or not, it's still a media outlet with lots of viewers. Not everybody who watches Fox is an arch-conservative either. Most of them lean right, but that doesn't mean they all agree with the RNC on every issue. I'm sure there are things in the Democratic platform that plenty of Fox viewers approve of.

[Webster Green]

12. Because it gives the impression that they are a legitimate news outlet.

They have no credibility whatsoever. They are into right wing propaganda, and that's all. Any democrat should simply laugh when asked to appear on faux.

[RZM]

13. Perhaps those who appear do consider it to be a legitimate news outlet

I don't know . . . can't speak for them, but I imagine that's what many of them think. Or perhaps they judge it in shades of gray (meaning Fox might not be the NYT, but it's better than this or that, etc.). In the end though, whatever an individual Democrat may or may not think about Fox probably isn't even relevant to their decision to appear. If the goal is to get your message out, you go where the eyeballs are -- and Fox is precisely where you want to go if you're trying to appeal to people on the other side.

[sufrommich]

6. I wish they were on more exposing the lies. Why let Fox get away

with it?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. I think that they need to be there

We need the right kind of Dems there, though, not fake kind of Dems (i.e. Pat Caddell) whom pretend to be Dems but really just support Republicans (and have been voting for them for years now).

BTW what were they discussing with DWS and what kind of smackdown did she deliver? :shrug:

[elleng]

8. 'Face Time' is valuable.

Probably correct that tbuggers + right wing won't be persuaded, but others, not radical, MAY be.

[Johonny]

9. because a lot of Dems watch FOX

sure it isn't the majority of their viewers. But a large number of would be Dem voters don't understand FOX is biased. For many it is the easiest news channel to view and the most likely on where they work, shop or eat. The view of Dems is if they never go on FOX than they miss ever getting to reach these people, who are constantly bombed by BS propaganda. Going on Fox has limited upsides, but the Dems should never totally abandon it.

[Turbineguy]

10. Shoveling shit against the tide.

It still has to be done.

[OHdem10]

11. By not going on Fox and putting out a good Democratic Message

the Democrats deny themselves an opportunity to talk
to millions of viewers. Also an opportunity to refute
Republican Lies.

By only going on MSNBC they talk to the choir.

If you do not talk to other side, nothing will ever
change.

If each party only talks to its kind, the country goes
backward.

[applegrove]

14. Obama has done it for the same reason he has gone on "the view". Wingnuts are in a fox news

bubble and that is the only way to reach them.