Fox and the Debates Without Trump

Much has been said about the fact that Trump did not show up for the recent Republican debate. A couple things people should remember. Firstly, the last debate was supposed to be the last debate before the caucus in Iowa as it was the sixth debate. It matches how many the Democrats have held. Secondly, debates are not a requirement for anyone running for office.

I wrote a little about this not long ago; but, I want to be a little more specific. There is absolutely no reason for the federal governments or states to hold primaries for national office, it is not required by the Constitution. The primaries are held for the benefit of the parties and political parties are not recognized by the Constitution. In fact many of the founding fathers thought that political parties were a bad idea. Political parties are private non-profit companies. Political parties used to have their "leaders" (the rich and powerful in their party) pick their candidates in smoky backrooms where deals were cut by old white men. After the progressive movement people started looking for the selection of party candidates to reflect the voters rather than the elites. The rift this year is between the voters and the party elites, this is occurring in both parties and both parties are using their organizations to benefit the candidate that they believe will best represent the wealthy and powerful interests within their parties.

Donald Trump chose not to attend the Republican debate on Fox News. He didn't ask his parties permission because he doesn't. He doesn't need to ask Fox News permission because he doesn't. The man is running for office and should do whatever he things will best help him win that office and he did. It was a brilliant move because it was. Talking heads on television were putting out reports saying it was a big risk and that he might lose votes for not doing the debate. That was just silly and he gained in the polls. It used to be a big thing when presidential candidates held one debate.

So Trump didn't go to the debate and the next day Fox News posted this article - GOP debate second highest rated show in FOX News history.  They said they had 12.5 million people watch the debate and that it was their second highest rating in history. CNN posted this article - Who won the ratings race: Fox News or Donald Trump? They point out that the first debate on Fox with Trump garnered 25 million viewers. Double the number of viewers. Fox didn't mention that in their article, they didn't mention what had beat out the last debate in ratings on their own network. When Fox Business News channel held the Republican debates it only drew 11 million viewers and Trump was at that. What they have left out in their analysis is that the debate was probably the highest rated show in the history of Fox Business News channel. The fact is that without Trump 12 million viewers cared about the debates. The bigger issue is why did Fox care if more or less people watched when Trump was gone and why discuss it at all? Do you really believe that they don't know that shows get ratings based on who is there? When the President is on the Tonight Show ratings go up, when some unknown congressional candidate goes on the ratings do not go up.

Why was and is there so much press over whether or not Trump should attend the debates or what the ratings were. Trump knows he didn't need to attend a seventh debate. Heck, he didn't have to attend the first six. I doubt the media is seriously attempting to convince Trump that he needs them at this point, he has demonstrated he doesn't care and that he does not need them. Sanders has proven this too as they attempt to report on him not at all. The people these reports are aimed at are you and me. The media is attempting to manipulate you and me into believing that they can determine who we elect, that without their permission we will not vote for candidates that they do not like. And the media is owned by six companies. My conservative friends are beginning to see this. While most liberals are just laughing at the Republican primaries and their candidates, it is the Republican voters that are figuring out how their party and the conservative media has taken them for granted and doesn't think their opinion matters. That is why they are ridiculing Trump supporters as stupid and refer to Trump as populist and nationalist as if those were bad things in a democracy or a nation. Most of the people who die in wars for this country are nationalists. Ask them if they are fighting for globalism or nationalism, I know the answer. Americans do not go to war for the right of Billionaires to outsource jobs to Communist China. They do not go to war for the right of the wealthy to get tax breaks. The people who died during World War II did not fight so that American companies could build manufacturing plants in China and sell the cars here in the United States of America. Why can't wealthy Americans fight for the prosperity of the people of the nation that fought for them?