Everyone knows that Fox News', catch phrase is: "Fox News, Fair and Balanced." However, if anyone has paid attention to Iowa Caucus Vote and the Republican Primary, it is very obvious from the beginning, as a whole, the network has been for Mitt Romney, from the very beginning. There have been countless debates, Fox held two, and in the two debates and after coverage of the others, Fox News always began running down, all the candidates except Mitt Romney.
First, Newt Gingrich, a man who has had some "personal" mistakes and he was not the most affable person, as the Speaker of the House, in the 1990's. There are some Republicans, like Daryl Issa (R-Head of the Judiciary Committee) and some others, even came out on Fox News (not MSNBC, or CNN, that I saw), to bash Mr. Gingrich. After the complete bashing of the "speaker", came $3.5 million dollars in "JUST IOWA", ran against him, mostly by "PACS" (Political Action Committees, who have no laws for them to stop, hold them back, they can say anything, and if they are a "Romney PAC, Ron Paul PAC", the candidates can come off free of "negative ads." Yet, everyone knows they are from the candidates, as a rule. Even with all of those ads and negative words, Gingrich did not ever go negative against others (Reagan's "11th Commandment" Thou shall not speak ill of other Republicans), no negative ads, and kept his campaign on big ideas and policy.
Ron Paul is second, in the Iowa polling, or within the margin of error, to be first. However, to here Fox News (which I actually agree with this), smashed Paul for his foreign policy stance. Paul believes all bases, troops, and wars should come home and/or stop. He believes the United States has become the "policeman of the world," but what is always highlighted on Fox, is WWII, and forcing the Nazi's back, or the "end of the Cold War." Stating, if we would have not done those things, we would "all be fascists now." A statement Bill O'Reilly made, Sean Hannity made, and others have made, in prime time, on Fox News.
Then, Rick Santorum, who by all rights has been out of the race, until the last week of polling, has not even been on the Fox News Channel (though on Monday, O'Reilly invited him to be on his show, which benefits him, because Santorum will do well in Iowa, after all). The most conservative, in the family/social issues, Santorum is the one (other than Bachman, Perry, or any of the other candidates) highlighted here, because he is the only one with a shot to be close to the top, and is also in second place in the polling, as of now. However, if one looks at the last 3-4 days of polling, he is in a statistical/in the margin of error tie for first, with Romney. Yet, he has been all, but dragged down as just a "Catholic, good guy, who has some good values", not a Presidential Candidate.
For the full disclosure, I like Fox News, as a rule. I watch it more than I do the other News Channels and I am a political "Wonk" Junkie, watching the channel quite a bit (like 4-5 hours a day, then splitting that time up, flipping to CNN, as MSNBC is a complete waste, or a Democratic shill, just look at last year's election). However, they have missed the boat on this. They have not been "fair and balanced", when 41% of the Iowa electorate "could change their minds at the caucuses." Then, you have all of the Mitt Romney flip flops: 1. For abortion before against it, then for, and now against. 2. He made Massachusetts an "ObamaCare" state, and actually made the diagram for "ObamaCare" (as per, the Obama Administration in '08). 3. He was a DEMOCRAT, when he ran in the beginning of his career.
No one knows who will win, and become the Republican Primary, overall. However, the biggest news channel, most watched, and most influential has thrown this completely, the Iowa Primary (when he will already win the New Hampshire primary, with no help), propelling him to a big lead against those who are just as viable. This is not fair and balanced, this is swaying people's minds, by bending the details, omitting things, and just reporting the negatives on other candidates. The American people deserve better coverage (with the exception of Bret Baier, who has done an outstanding job of making all the coverage fair, and everyone getting time, including interviews with ALL the candidates, who wished to come). As, there is not any show, TV star/program, who should try to sway, by omition, ever, while hammering other networks for the same. Why cover all the garbage, when nobody knows "Romneys 51 point plan," "Newt's Tax Plan," and/or "All of Paul's positions (except the negative ones)". Why?
