Fox’s midterm ‘tell’

With Democrats feeling “nauseously optimistic” about making big gains next week, Fox’s ratings are down, and its defenses are up. The country’s dominant conservative network is a reflection of Republican malaise amid a midterm season that has given the party little to cheer about.

Remarkably, Fox is no longer treating President Trump’s rallies like must-see TV. Trump, in turn, is signaling that he might scapegoat Fox for Republican losses next week.

And some fans have literally tuned it all out. Normally cable news ratings surge during an election season, but Fox’s total audience fell about 27% in October compared with the same month a year ago, as Oliver Darcy first reported earlier this week.

THR’s Rick Porter crunched the numbers and said Fox has suffered the steepest decline of any cable newser in the run-up to an election in the past decade. “This is probably more revealing of GOP enthusiasm than every poll released thus far,” The Bulwark’s culture editor Sonny Bunch said in response.

Fox still commands a huge audience, to be sure, including many voters who identify as independents and liberals. That’s partly why Democrats like Abdul El-Sayed have popped up on Fox’s newscasts in recent weeks, courting voters who are disappointed by Trump and willing to consider a Democrat.

Meanwhile, some of Fox’s opinion hosts sound downright desperate to juice GOP turnout. They’re relying on “fear porn,” which Jesse Watters recently said is necessary to motivate voters. For the full quote, and a whole lot more, here’s our new CNN analysis…