They do it for the money:

Over at Politico, there is an article, The pro-Fox Democrats, which is about Democrats that show up on the Fox "News" Channel. Here are some excerpts: (emp add)

Democratic pundit Bob Beckel has been under contract with Fox News for six years. And in the midst of the White House war against the cable network, some of his liberal friends think that’s six years too many.

“It sucks,” says Democratic direct-mail consultant Liz Chadderdon, a regular on the network. “It is very, very tough to be a Democrat on Fox.”   ...   So why does she keep doing it? For pretty much the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks. Fox is where the viewers are ...   [Sutton said "That's where the money is"]

Susan Estrich is perhaps the most identifiable Democratic pundit on the network. She’s been on the payroll for more than a decade ...

Chadderdon is skeptical that her Fox hits do much to advance the progressive cause. But she says they’re good for business.

In the article there are cases where these Democrats have an unpleasant experience while on Fox, yet they keep coming back. While they defend themselves by saying Fox has higher ratings and "therefore" they can get the message out, their real function is to be a punching bag and to make Democrats look like idiots. E.g.

More recently, Chadderdon has been invited to talk business with Fox’s Neil Cavuto — on the main network and on the two-year-old Fox Business Network — even though she readily admits that she has no background in economics.

“Speaking about those issues is not my forte,” said Chadderdon. “And I’m getting the tar kicked out of me.”

Another data point in the Fox "News" isn't a news organization: bringing on someone obviously unqualified to discuss economics. But that's Fox. It's all scripted.

Re Chadderdon: she may be getting the tar kicked out, but she's also receiving checks from Rupert Murdoch, so she'll be okay.


posted by Quiddity at 11/02/2009 07:18:00 AM