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Fox News is the big loser in Republican power grab that sought to boot California governor Gavin Newsom from office.
Rupert Murdoch’s pride and joy gave excessive airtime to conservative firebrand & talk show host Larry Elder, which sucked the oxygen from other GOP hopefuls in the recall race.
Elder appeared 52 times in prime time on Fox, according to a report by Media Matters. No other GOP competitor appeared more than eight times.
Newsom’s recall was a long-shot in the Golden State in which Democrats outnumber Republicans by two-to-one.
But there were a good number of voters disenchanted with the governor’s policies on homelessness, COVID-19, wildfires, crime and his decision to dine at the swanky French Laundry during lockdown.
They never would have voted for Trump wannabe Elder but may have voted to oust Newsom in favor of a more moderate GOP candidate like ex-San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer, a former executive at NCG Porter Novelli.
Nearly two-thirds of voters supported keeping Newsom in Sacramento.
Fox-powered Elder topped the list of potential replacements, grabbing 46.9 percent of the tally. Real estate agent Kevin Paffrath, a self-described 51/49 percent Democrat-Republican, took second at 9.8 percent, and Faulconer came in third with 8.6 percent.
Newsom owes Fox. At the very least, he should invite Rupe to dinner at a restaurant that is not the French Laundry.
How about a sit-down at In-N-Out Burger?
Bospar leads the way for PR firms dealing with the fallout of the Texas abortion ban, which may trigger a flight of young PR talent from the state.
The San Francisco technology shop is offering its six Austin employees, which account for 10 percent of its total workforce, relocation money if they feel the need to exit the Lonestar Star due to its restrictive new law.
Curtis Sparrer, principal at Bospar, told O’Dwyer’s the firm is willing to spend $10K per person and paid time off to leave Texas under what he calls a relocation or evacuation program.
He expects the effort will help Bospar attract and retain talent in Texas.
Bospar announced its plan Sept. 9, a day ahead of a similar plan by Salesforce.
Sparrer hopes other PR firms will follow his agency’s lead in order to keep the abortion ban front and center in the national debate.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Real Chemistry, Edelman, Weber Shandwick, BCW and FleishmanHillard are among major firms that have multiple offices in Texas.
The ball is in their court.
Congress has debated and attacked social media but has failed miserably to address the role that platforms play in fostering political polarization.
It’s time for Joe Biden to step in, according to a report issued this month by the NYU|Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, which faults Congress for being “unable to overcome the very sort of dysfunction that is one of the consequences of extreme political division and distrust.”
Biden needs to tackle polarization in a “serious, deliberate” way.
The Report criticizes the president for oversimplifying a very serious problem when he makes flippant remarks such as saying Facebook is “killing people” by spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations.
NYU|Stern calls on the president to make one or more speeches and appoint a bipartisan blue-ribbon commission to press messaging that the malign effects of online polarization will trigger future versions of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Presidential leadership can begin to break the logjam in Congress and create a path to reform, according to the Report.
Time is running out, Joe.
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