Great thread here from Parker. One point I'll add -- Fox News has an unrivaled hold on the Republican Party, from agenda-setting to candidate selection. That moves the GOP away from a majoritarian message -- but sometimes it wins anyway.
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/1316045777500860420
Donald Trump spent much of the 2016 campaign in a similar Fox feedback loop. And his message did not command the support of a majority of voters. But he got enough to win in the Electoral College despite getting three million fewer votes.
Once he was in office, Fox had more power over his administration than any media outlet has had in recent history. Here are 15 examples from the last two years, they influenced everything from personnel to a government shutdown. mediamatters.org/donald-trump/1…
But most elections are not national! Republicans who represent safe districts climbed the ranks in the House by virtue of appealing to Fox and its audience. They will likely hold senior positions when the GOP eventually takes back the House. mediamatters.org/fox-news/its-n…
Likewise, the Republican Senate majority is built on an overall minority of voters due to the way the states are skewed in favor of rural areas.
And of course, the network is working hard to bolster Republican efforts to suppress Democratic voters, ensuring they can win elections without having majority support.
tldr; influence over one party matters a lot in our system, even if that influence pulls the party away from majority opibion.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
