Fox Isn't Flag-Waving, Just Angry

The conservative movement is at a crossroads, torn between its intellectuals (think David Brooks) and its shouters (think Rush Limbaugh). As TV’s main conservative voice, Fox News could tip the scales, so Isaac Chotiner of the New Republic watched as much of the channel as he could. His verdict isn’t kind. “Once the network of optimistic, flag-waving jingoism,” he writes, “Fox has become a beacon of sky-is-falling fury.”

These days, Fox isn’t so much partisan as “simply angry.” John McCain’s talking points are mostly ignored in favor of obscure talk radio obsessions like ACORN, Bill Ayers, and, especially, Fox News and media bias. Ted Stevens’ conviction was largely ignored, but Joe the Plumber’s every move was rabidly tracked. “Fox truly felt like an alternate universe,” Chotiner concludes. “The channel appeared interested only in raising conservatives’ blood pressure.” (More Fox News stories.)