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Fox & Friends "shockwaves" graphic misses the mark

November 04, 2009 10:33 am ET — 26 Comments

During a Fox & Friends discussion about the outcome of the November 3 elections, an on-screen graphic stated, "Republicans' hope rekindled; Wins send shockwaves thru Congress." In fact, only two races -- in New York and California -- had a congressional seat at stake, and Democrats won both.

Fox & Friends graphic says, "Republicans' hope rekindled; Wins send shockwaves thru Congress"

From the November 4 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

ffshockwaves

In fact, Democrats won the nation's only two congressional races

NY-23: Democrat Bill Owens defeated Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. According to statistician Nate Silver, "Democrat Bill Owens prevails in a result that will be regarded as surprising; the final tally isn't in yet but it appears as though it will be something on the order of 50-45 over Conservative Doug Hoffman." [FiveThirtyEight.com, 11/4/09]

CA-10: Democrat John Garamendi defeated Republican David Harmer. Silver also wrote of the California results: "CA-10: California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi has been declared the winner. His lead as of this writing is 10 points, almost exactly matching the margin in the only poll of the race, but smaller than the margins by which retiring incumbent Ellen Tauscher had grown accustomed to winning." [FiveThirtyEight.com, 11/4/09]

Other Fox & Friends graphics declare GOP victories the "winds of change," a "Republican revival," and a "blueprint for success"

Fox & Friends decides: GOP victories the "winds of change," a "Republican revival," and a "blueprint for success." As Media Matters for America noted, other on-screen graphics read: "A GOP sweep; Republicans take VA, NJ gov races"; "The future of the GOP; Party poised to make a comeback"; "A blueprint for success? Races may determine GOP's future"; "A Republican revival; Races pave the way for 2010 wins"; and "Winds of change; Contests prompt a political shift."

— D.C.P.
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    • Author by neon desert (November 04, 2009 11:09 am ET)
      11  
      Hey, MMfA - could you kind of keep it down about the Dems gaining two house seats? It's putting a damper on the Republican victory party.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 11:20 am ET)
      6 1
      This election cycle is meh. But if you program a cable news outlet, or most anything else in the media where this is being discussed (a one day story at most), you can't have pundits sitting around saying it didn't mean anything or it's no big deal. So of course they will ratchet up the "shockwaves" or whatever other hyperbolic description they can.

      Obama did not lose anything yesterday, this is about states that are hurting with bad economies and people vote for something different, so the GOP gains a couple governor seats, so what?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Appleboy (November 04, 2009 11:39 am ET)
        3  
        I agree. The media must always invent/hype stories to keep their audiences attention.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by carlileb5935 (November 04, 2009 5:46 pm ET)
          1  
          But why do their stories always benefit Republicans?
          Report Abuse
          • Author by steeve (November 04, 2009 6:04 pm ET)
            1  
            Score. I'm not much for those "the media wants money" analyses because democrats have money.

            The media is owned by money, and it wants policy.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 6:08 pm ET)
                1
              But if Democrats control policy, why wouldn't the media want in on that?
              Report Abuse
      • Author by dexteritas0071418 (November 04, 2009 12:46 pm ET)
        2 1
        Don't take all the blame away from the politicos either; they're philosophical turncoats themselves. GOP strategists dismissed the gains Dems made in the 2001 elections, as MMfA also pointed out in another post.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 12:50 pm ET)
          4 1
          Agree. It happens with every election. People invested in these political parties will downplay their losses as meaningless and pooh-pooh their opponents wins the same way, and vice versa.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by clams casino (November 04, 2009 1:58 pm ET)
        3  
        But this wasn't a choice between saying that it doesn't mean anything and saying that shockwaves have been felt in Congress. The Democratic wins in the two congressional races are significant for Congress, just in the opposite way that Fox is reporting.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 2:02 pm ET)
          1 2
          How so? I think the NY race was significant in that particular district because it's the first time a Democrat has won in over a century. But the two seat gains were not significant for Congress, the Democrats already had a clear majority.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by Jen7 (November 04, 2009 5:36 pm ET)
            2  
            It's significant because Fox promoted Hoffman and he lost. Now that he lost, it's not a big deal. But when two states go with republican govenors, it's 'shockwaves'. Yeah, right.

            The fact that you don't see that, isn't surprising...at all.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 5:42 pm ET)
                2
              Apparently you can't read or comprehend. I said the loss in NY was significant, but it changed nothing in Congress. The Democrats were in the clear majority before, and now, so there is nothing significant that happened whether it would have been a loss or a win.
              Report Abuse
              • Author by Jen7 (November 04, 2009 6:17 pm ET)
                1  
                Okay, then I'll give you another one. It doesn't matter whether the dems had majority anyway, it's significant because the media have been asking for weeks if these elections will effect dems in 2010. And when you have two seats won by Democrats, that's a significant answer.
                Report Abuse
                • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 6:24 pm ET)
                    1
                  Huh? Well, we aren't in 2010 yet, the elections are a year away. And it is absolutely insignificant that the Democratic House majority went from like 257-178 to 259-176. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.
                  Report Abuse
                  • Author by Jen7 (November 04, 2009 6:49 pm ET)
                    1  
                    What do you mean, huh? They've been saying these elections could possibly effect dems in 2010. Google 'tuesday's election effect dems in 2010'.

                    You're saying it's insignificant because they already have a majority. I'm saying it IS significant because of the news media hype that these elections could effect dems in 2010.

                    Hope that clears it up.
                    Report Abuse
                    • Author by right ON (November 04, 2009 6:51 pm ET)
                        1
                      Hello, the elections in 2010 and what happens is nothing more than a guess. You act as though they are already decided or something.
                      Report Abuse
                      • Author by Jen7 (November 04, 2009 10:43 pm ET)
                        2  
                        Nevermind, you don't get it.
                        Report Abuse
                        • Author by DellDolly (November 05, 2009 12:52 am ET)
                          1  
                          Parsing words and purposefully misunderstanding what someone says are two of his specialties. Acting ignorant and acting like he doesn't get it is another one.
                          Report Abuse
              • Author by DellDolly (November 05, 2009 6:52 am ET)
                1  
                But adding two more members in Congress is significant in some ways. There are quite a few Blue Dog Democrats that are not expected to vote for the Healthcare bill that eventually is crafted, and there's been some concern about gettting enough votes.

                With two extra Dems, that gives Nancy Pelosi two potential extra votes!

                In addition, incumbents have a better track record of winning, and so with the bad taste in their mouths that the Repubicans have left, I wouldn't be surprised if the Dem elected this year wins again in 2010. After that, the district will be subdivided into other districts - NY State is likely to lose at least one seat in the US House, if not two, due to population growth in the Southwest, Texas and Florida.
                Report Abuse
    • Author by MickD (November 04, 2009 3:09 pm ET)
      1  
      How doe the chyron writer live with himself..."your paycheck, sir"
      Report Abuse
      • Author by TheSavage (November 04, 2009 6:35 pm ET)
           
        Kudos for actually knowing what Chyron is... I used to run one, and I just wrote what the producers dun telled me to wrote.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by National_Insecurity (November 04, 2009 11:36 pm ET)
        1  
        Interns.

        In the old days we had people who could spell and think, even though they were usually production assistants getting a promotion.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by mrbailey478303 (November 05, 2009 10:53 am ET)
      1  
      What many folks are missing is that the issue for Obama is how the "four" elections are going to affect his agenda ... and there were only two. NY and CA. Though what's his name above said that an increase of "only" two is not noteworthy, it is. Assuming that there will be some backlash about the economy and the angst of the health care debate and Dems do lose some seats we need all the extras we can get. THAT is the significance. People care very much about what is going on nationally in DC and that agenda.

      The gubernatorial races were LOCAL/STATE issues and a referrendum on what is happening there and a different issue than the HoR races. VA has always been a swing(ing) state. [Remember its motto from few years back? VA is for Lovers?] and neither Dems or Reps can count on the voters there for any thing.

      NJ is now and has always been corrupt in so many ways (how bout those Sopranos reruns?). Corzine was stricken and stained by the scandal that happened a few months ago and, really, nothing more. Had I lived there I may not have voted for him either. Somewhere else on MM4A I read that Rush said NJ was the bluest of the blue states. .... Give me a break. Live in either Massachusetts (where my fiancee is from) or in Maryland (where I lived for 25 years) and you'll see all the blue you can handle.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by Slobahonnis (November 05, 2009 2:26 pm ET)
         
      Someone convince me that Dookie, or whatever his name is, is not gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that...
      Report Abuse

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