What Motivates the Beltway Media?
Not what you and I think, or need to know, but who in Washington DC is watching:
On a recent Sunday morning, shortly after refereeing a debate between Karl Rove and Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Wallace talked to Politico about the Democrats’ lack of appearances on Fox News, the “liberal bias” at competing networks and how November’s television ratings prove that while his show remains in fourth place nationwide, it’s on the upswing in Washington.
For Sunday talk shows, thriving in the D.C. ratings — although clearly trumped in size by New York — provides bragging rights over which show reaches more political insiders.
Chris Wallace is upset because Democrats are willing to not go on Fox news, which puts a crimp in Wallace's claim to "legitimacy" with the Beltway insider crowd. Everyone, and especially everyone in Washington, knows that Fox News is a Conservative mouthpiece, particularly for the Bush White House, so if Democrats continue to avoid Fox (which I wholeheartedly support), it puts an upper limit to what Wallace can claim.
All this, of course, ignores that he is a partisan hack.
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Chris Wallace, Fox News, Media
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