Kyle Green/Erin Hooley/Ben Curtis/AP Photos
Partisan politics make for strange bedfellows.
To wit: Progressive stalwarts are appearing on Fox News-branded content. Why? Maybe due to a begrudging acceptance that Democratic isolationism has failed, and we now live in Trump’s America. Or perhaps dreadful ratings at cable news outlets that have long been sympathetic to shared principles and political beliefs?
Either way, Democratic lawmakers are showing up in places that have long held them in partisan contempt: on the air at Fox News and in op-eds for FoxNews.com.
Illinois Governor (and presidential hopeful?) JB Pritzker is the latest Democrat to appear on Fox for what the Chicago Tribune editorial board called a “constructive and civil” exchange with Fox News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream. The Tribune editors lauded Prizker for coming “across as reasonable and laser-focused on the economy, repeatedly emphasizing the needs of working families and focusing on the cost of living. He refused to be distracted by divisive culture war topics.”
And Pritzker seems to be wisely following the lead of other
But Pritzker joins a growing cadre of national Democrats wading into the enemy territory of Fox, a news network known as much for its pro-Trump opinion programming as it is for its massive ratings. Indeed, the list of prominent Democrats with bylines on FoxNews.com might surprise those expecting the site to be stocked with pro-Trump opinion.
On Fox’s website, you’ll find Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is regularly mocked and insulted on the network, writing an editorial titled “Social Security is under attack. Gutting it is a broken promise.”
Then there’s Teacher’s Union President Randi Weingarten contributing a column titled “Trump’s decision to gut the Education Department is not only illegal, it’s wrong.” There’s Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) writing “Why Trump’s pattern of purging our highest-performing military officers is dangerous.” Her fellow Democratic Senator from Illinois Dick Durbin writing “Closing federal offices punishes everyday Americans.” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote a column titled “We have a government of billionaires, by billionaires and for billionaires.”
James Carville, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Mark Warner, Maggie Hassan, and Cris Coons have all written columns for Fox News Digital. Even former Biden spokesman and
But as cable television’s traditional linear model continues to collapse, top news brands are hastily bolstering their digital presence. Significant attention has been given to how cable news outlets are pivoting to streaming content for the elusive cord-cutting set, with mixed results ranging from the successful lifestyle value proposition provided by Fox Nation to the tragicomedy that was CNN+.
There is, however, another side to beefing up a digital portfolio that has less to do with the technical operations: developing and diversifying content provided on a digital platform. This might be behind Fox News.com’s embrace of leading Democrats, aiming to reach the top-rated network’s audience with thoughtful and often politically charged columns that feature ideas rarely heard on the network’s right-of-center and pro-Trump prime-time shows.
There is, of course, also the apparent prestige angle at play, and pointing to Democratic bylines on FoxNews.com is a smart way to preempt criticism of biased opinion.
Given the bitterly divided political environment, this is a good thing, regardless of the motivation.