REPORT: Fox donates at least $40 million in airtime to potential GOP presidential candidates

[spanone]

Between January 1 and October 31 of this year, five potential Republican presidential candidates -- Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, John Bolton, and Rick Santorum -- who also serve as Fox News contributors or hosts have appeared on the network for a combined total of nearly 66 hours. Media Matters for America estimates this time to be worth at least $40 million in advertising costs.


Sarah Palin. An article to be published in the November 21 New York Times Magazine reports that Palin is "weighing a run for president," and quotes her saying: "I'm engaged in the internal deliberations candidly."

Newt Gingrich. The Des Moines Register reported on November 17 that Gingrich "said Tuesday he is making personal arrangements that would allow him to launch a campaign for president early next year, which his closest political adviser expects him to do."

Mike Huckabee. Huckabee appeared on Fox News Radio's The Alan Colmes Show on November 15 and talked about how his media presence would impact a potential 2012 run: "The one nice thing, whether I should decide to run or not, is that more people at least would know me by what I actually believe and say, as opposed to what some opponent has defined me to be, and that's kind of encouraging."

http://mediamatters.org/research/201011180031

[flvegan]

1. Fair and balanced, dontcha know.

[saigon68]

2. Ahhh Sarah the Douche

[Omaha Steve]

3. What happened to the equal time law?

When was it gutted?

[spanone]

6. imagine if m$nbc employed all or most of the possible democratic candidates

they would be crucified

[MrModerate]

4. When she said "candidly" I think she meant "as a candidate."

Unraveling Sarahspeak is still entertaining.

[Orrex]

5. It's much more likely that she was talking about Voltaire.

[MrModerate]

9. Sarah Palin . . . reading Voltaire . . .

I realize that scientists succeeded in creating antimatter for (essentially) the first time this week, but I didn't know that their feat had slipped -- by analogy -- into popular political culture.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Or Tony Orlando.

[onehandle]

7. Now how much in airtime do they donate to tear down Democratic Presidential candidates?

I bet what they contribute in attacking President Obama makes that number look pitiful.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

8. Hmmm. Was this Interviews or outright comercials?

If it was an opinion piece, or a talking head piece there's nothing anyone can do. These things are simply not covered under the law.


Two years out, I really don't care. Even paid commercial time used now means nothing.
Faux News is only ONE channel, and I know of NO ONE who watches it. Apart from political nuts like me, no one is watching the sideshow in DC. People with lives are getting ready for the Holiday season. The unemployed are worried about food and work. People are more concerned about what stores are banning the Salvation Army then who's on O'Reily tonight.

There are a lot of things to get upset about, and seeing a conservative network act like a conservative network isn't really news anymore.

Call me when Olberman gets suspended for buying Girl Scout cookies.

[SoCalDem]

10. Kasich was helped immeasurably too.

Having your own show that all your faithful supporters can watch is worth way more than anything your campaign staffers can do..



from wikipedia:

John Richard Kasich (pronounced /ˈkeɪsɨk/; born May 13, 1952, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania) is a former Republican United States Representative, former Chairman of the United States House Committee on the Budget and the Governor-Elect of the State of Ohio. He formerly hosted Heartland with John Kasich on the Fox News Channel and also guest hosted The O'Reilly Factor, filling in for Bill O'Reilly as needed. Kasich also frequently appeared as a guest host and analyst on Hannity & Colmes and now Hannity.

On June 1, 2009, Kasich announced his candidacy for Governor of Ohio. On May 4, 2010, he won the Republican nomination for governor, having run unopposed. On November 2, 2010, Kasich won the election for the governor of Ohio by defeating incumbent Democratic Governor Ted Strickland.

snip

In 2001, Kasich took a job as managing director of the Columbus investment banking division of Lehman Brothers.<25> He remained at the company until its collapse in September 2008. During 2008, Lehman Brothers paid Kasich $587,175 in salary, bonuses, and other benefits.<26> Over $400,000 of that bonus is credited to Kasich using his political connections to facilitate investment of $480 Million from the state pension fund with Lehman Brothers. That money was lost to the state.

Kasich has said that he was not a high-level decision maker at the now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers: "Blaming me for Lehman Brothers is like blaming a car dealer in Zanesville for the collapse of General Motors."<27> It has not been shown how the $480 Million lost to Lehman Brothers will be recovered.

Kasich is the author of three books. Courage is Contagious was published in 1998 and made the New York Times bestseller list.<28> His second book, Stand for Something: The Battle for America's Soul was published in 2006. Kasich's most recent book, Every Other Monday, was also a New York Times bestseller.<29>

snip

[xchrom]

11. Recommend