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As we all know Fox News is 45's propaganda outlet, but did you know they have been influencing voters since 2000? They have had 19 years to hone their craft and addict people to their style of "news" and yes I said addict. I will explain this addiction in this thread. 
A little history review on voting and FOX viewers:
"Americans who say they voted for Trump in the general election relied heavily on Fox News as their main source of election news leading up to the 2016 election,"
Source:pewrsr.ch/2iRUxfg
"Americans who say they voted for Trump in the general election relied heavily on Fox News as their main source of election news leading up to the 2016 election,"
Source:pewrsr.ch/2iRUxfg
We know the effect FOX had in 2016, but did you know they affected 2000 - 2008 elections?
"Fox News played an increasingly important role in presidential elections between 2000 and 2008. Their analysis suggests that, had the network not existed (and no similarly conservative"
"Fox News played an increasingly important role in presidential elections between 2000 and 2008. Their analysis suggests that, had the network not existed (and no similarly conservative"
"network arose in its absence, perhaps an unlikely counterfactual), the overall Republican presidential vote share would have been 0.46 percentage points lower in 2000, 3.59 points lower in 2004, and 6.34 points lower in 2008."
There is "no corresponding political influence from more liberal networks. Republican vote shares among viewers increase by 0.3 percentage points for each additional 2.5 minutes of Fox News viewership per week."
Source: Source: brook.gs/2jL6Z2Y via @BrookingsInst
Source: Source: brook.gs/2jL6Z2Y via @BrookingsInst
Fox affects voting as noted above, but how they affect people is what I found most interesting. It's similar to addiction and cult following. Below the article from Forbes(2016) about The Brainwashing of My Dad explains what happens to people with FOX and similar radio programs
"With the help of Dr. Kathleen Taylor, a British neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, the film explains how media outlets like Fox News can literally brainwash otherwise reasonable, intelligent people."
The fox cult:
"As Taylor puts it, Frank's brain -- and those of millions of people just like him -- was physically rewired, first by Limbaugh and then by Fox News. Not only that, he had also become literally addicted to the anger"
"As Taylor puts it, Frank's brain -- and those of millions of people just like him -- was physically rewired, first by Limbaugh and then by Fox News. Not only that, he had also become literally addicted to the anger"
The Fox addiction:
"those sources incited in him toward feminists, the poor, blacks and gay people: Anger releases dopamine, so counter-intuitively, with rage comes a kind of pleasure. If religion was the opiate of the masses in Marx's day, today it could well be Fox News."
"those sources incited in him toward feminists, the poor, blacks and gay people: Anger releases dopamine, so counter-intuitively, with rage comes a kind of pleasure. If religion was the opiate of the masses in Marx's day, today it could well be Fox News."
Source: forbes.com/sites/davidalm…
WE have a population in our country in their 60s and above addicted to FOX. And we can also thank FOX for addicting them to hate, racism and a complete aversion to facts. Add to this hate filled stew one Donald Trump advocating that all media except FOX is the enemy.
Trump is taking advantage of FOX's ability to feed his base and keep the fires of hate and racism burning and they have no problem fulfilling that role.
Trump may very well be FOX's number one addict which gives him a very skewed view of the world and a dangerous view as well. It appears at times he bases policy on what FOX plays on hate/rage vision that day.
"Hannity told his viewers that he could tolerate Trump signing a bipartisan spending bill that lacked funding for “the wall,” so long as the president simultaneously used an emergency order to unilaterally finance his signature policy. Three days later, Trump did exactly that."
Source: Trump Declared a National Emergency Because He’s a Fox News Addict nymag.com/intelligencer/… via @intelligencer
Most of us get a high from sunny day hiking, laughing children, seeing couples in love or helping others. 45's base needs FOX and other right wing media outlets due to having their brain rewired over time to need hate, racism and rage as a type of high.
I wanted to shed light on the fact that this is not as simple as people are watching the wrong news channel or listening to the wrong radio station. This can actually be an addiction to hate and or rewiring/reprogramming of the brain over time. We are fighting an addiction.
This is a tough battle especially for those of us with family, friends or loved ones that are addicted to FOX. Converting Cult 45 members is no picnic either. All we can do is try to "unplug" them from the constant stream of hate and racism with facts, compassion and civility.
I know some are a lost cause, let them go and put your time and energy into those that can be saved and brought back to the light. Take breaks and avoid falling into the abyss of hate despair, we need to stay healthy mentally and physically to win this battle for our country.
I addition to FOX we also have Sinclair run stations throughout the country reinforcing FOX through local news stations.
