Fox News Channel is on "suicide watch" following the poor showing by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at Saturday's Republican debate, says Jason Easley on the liberal news site
PoliticusUSA.
Easley contends in the column that the "depression and gloom over the Fox News anchors could not be contained."
Brit Hume, he says, "sounded like he might cry," while panelist A.B. Stoddard of The Hill "sounded glum" and The Weekly Standard's Steve Hayes "was almost wailing."
David Gregory, the former "Meet the Press" moderator, "accused Rubio of trying to look like a general election candidate."
"There can be no doubt who Fox News is supporting in the Republican primary," Easley said. "Fox will do anything to get rid of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. The fact that the on-air talent on Fox sounded massively depressed after Rubio fell apart made it clear that Fox is far from neutral in this election."
Fox News "desperately wants a sane nominee" who can beat the Democratic nominee, and believes Rubio to be that person, Easley wrote. "Republicans are admitting that their party has no hope of winning if they nominate Trump or Cruz."
Rubio himself admitted after a fifth-place showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday that his performance in the debate hurt him and vowed not to repeat it. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie accused him of repeating the same line against President Barack Obama, and Rubio continued to repeat it two more times even after that.
Conservatives also have accused Fox News of rooting for Rubio, with
Cruz himself asking whether the network will give him all the air time it gave Rubio after his good showing in Iowa.
Political analyst
Dick Morris told Newsmax TV that Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch is pushing Rubio on his channel.
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