Paul Brandus Opinion columnist Left, right, left, right: The political pendulum swings back and forth in America. George H.W. Bush gave way to Bill Clinton, who gave way to George W. Bush. Bush was succeeded by Barack Obama, who was succeeded by Donald Trump. If this kind of past is prologue, then Donald Trump will be replaced — in either 2021 or 2025 — by someone on the left. And you can’t get much further left than Bernie Sanders, the feisty, white-haired septuagenarian and democratic socialist who ventured into enemy territory, aka Fox News, for a town hall Monday night in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “Not everybody thought I should come on this show,” the Vermont senator told hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. No kidding. The Democratic Party is refusing to hold any of its 12 primary debates on the network. Kudos to Fox for inviting him and kudos to Sanders for accepting. It’s unlikely that any Fox viewers will ditch Trump for the Sanders camp. Sanders, after all, said he disagrees with pretty much everything the president stands for. He called Trump “dangerous,” adding that “I don’t think the American people are proud that we have a president who is a pathological liar.” I’m betting that clip won’t show up on “Fox & Friends,” which regularly serves up Trump’s morning nourishment of sycophancy and bootlicking. Read more commentary: You don't have to be 37 like Pete Buttigieg, but age should matter in the 2020 campaign If you don't want Trump to win in 2020, make sure he faces a serious primary challenge Sanders & Lee: Congress just told Trump to get US out of Yemen. Next, Afghanistan? But Sanders and Trump actually do have some things in common. As a congressman nearly 30 years ago, Sanders voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement, that Trump campaigned against and said he'd fix (he tweaked it and renamed it the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and Sanders says it's not good enough). Sanders also opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership from which Trump withdrew, and he opposed normalizing trade ties with China. In 2016, Trump proved that trade is an issue with traction, particularly in the Rust Belt. Sanders thinks he can do even better. A health care surprise in a Fox News setting Sanders also got traction — and dealt his Fox hosts a surprise — on health care. Baier asked the audience, which he said was politically diverse, if they would be willing to give up their private insurance for government health care. Lots of hands went up, and the room erupted in cheers. That probably wasn’t what Baier figured would happen. Sanders pressed his advantage, asking a member of the audience why anyone should be satisfied with the U.S. spending so much more per capita on health care than other advanced nations — yet getting so little in return. “Thirty million people have zero health insurance,” he pointed out. He forgot to mention that Republicans have spent a decade whining about Obamacare, while failing to come up with anything better. Republicans even controlled the House, Senate and White House between 2017 and 2019, a golden opportunity, but did nothing. Anyone who thinks they’ll come up with something in 2021, as Trump now vows, well, keep sipping that orange Kool-Aid. The reaction was more predictable when Sanders refused to condemn abortions that occur right up to the moment of birth. He said they’re rare (which really isn’t the point), and should be between “a woman and her physician, and not the government.” For that he got a few jeers. No apologies for being rich Hours before his Fox appearance, Sanders tweaked Trump by releasing 10 years of tax returns. Trump has famously stonewalled on releasing any of his, claiming (falsely as usual) that he can’t release them while under audit. Sanders’s adjusted gross income last year was $561,293, after raking in more than $1 million in both 2016 and 2017 — pretty good for a democratic socialist — and, when pressed about the fact that he was wealthy, he sounded just like the rich guys he likes to attack: "This year, we had $560,000 in income," Sanders said. "In my and my wife's case, I wrote a pretty good book. It was a bestseller, sold all over the world, and we made money. If anyone thinks I should apologize for writing a bestselling book, I'm sorry, I'm not gonna do it.” Then he turned the tables: “Why don't you get Donald Trump up here and ask him how much he pays in taxes? President Trump watches your network a little bit, right? Hey President Trump, my wife and I just released 10 years. Please do the same.” Too old? 'Follow me around' MacCallum seemed to toss everything but the kitchen sink at Sanders, trying again and again to nail him for something, anything, just one slip, pretty please? He swatted her away like a gnat on a hot summer night. In fact, for a guy born three months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor (that’s 1941 for the history-challenged), Sanders seemed as mentally agile as any other candidate. Questions about his age — he would be 79 on Inauguration Day 2021 — are legitimate. Asked if he was up to the job, Sanders said simply, “follow me around the campaign trail." That was a good answer, but I’m not sure Americans would really elect someone about to enter his ninth decade of life, no matter how spry he appears to be. On the other end of the age range, I’m not sure they’d elect a guy who looks like he still gets carded buying booze, either. No disrespect to either Sanders or the latest entrant into the Democratic free-for-all, 37-year-old Pete Buttigieg, but perhaps a Goldilocks candidate — not too old, not too young — would be just right. Paul Brandus, founder and White House bureau chief of West Wing Reports, is the author of "Under This Roof: The White House and the Presidency" and is a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter: @WestWingReport<doc-sep>The audience at a Fox News town hall erupted in cheers and applause when asked by moderator Bret Baier if they would support Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate competitiveness bill includes B authorization for Bezos space company Sanders wants government to get 'piece' of US semiconductor companies in exchange for aid Poll: 51 percent oppose Sanders-led resolution to block weapons sales to Israel MORE's (I-Vt.) "Medicare for All" proposal. "I want to ask the audience a question here. ... How many are willing to transition to what the senator says, a government-run system?" Baier asked before the crowd burst into cheers. Bret Baier just polled the Bernie Town Hall audience who would be willing to switch to #MedicareForAll. It backfired spectacularly. pic.twitter.com/dQJ9gfQ137 — jordan (@JordanUhl) April 15, 2019 The question comes a week after Sanders introduced updated Medicare for All legislation in the Senate. His proposed bill would largely eliminate private insurance and institute a single-payer system managed by the government. The updated version would also include coverage for long-term care, such as nursing homes, which is not covered by Medicare currently. Home- and community-based care would also be covered. A number of other 2020 Democratic candidates, including Sens. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisBiden, Bass press for police reform after meeting Floyd family Biden, Harris condemn surge in antisemitic incidents Mexican president: FAA safety downgrade meant to benefit US carriers MORE (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden administration launches trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry | Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles Warren urges Biden to replace Fed's Quarles in testy exchange Warren offers bill to increase IRS budget to .5 billion MORE (D-Mass. ), have endorsed Sanders's legislation. ADVERTISEMENT The White House blasted Sanders's proposal, however, adding to its past criticism of single-payer plans. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sarah SandersTrump expected to resume rallies in June Andrew Giuliani planning run for New York governor Trump appears at Sarah Huckabee Sanders campaign event MORE Sanders called the plan a "total government takeover of health care that would actually hurt seniors, eliminate private health insurance for 180 million Americans, and cripple our economy and future generations with unprecedented debt." Republican leaders have also blasted the bill, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSchumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission GOP leaders face new calls to boot Greene MORE (R-Ky.) saying it won't happen under a GOP-controlled Senate. Despite criticism, a number of polls have shown both Democratic and Republican voters support Medicare for All. One such poll conducted by The Hill in October showed a majority of Republicans supported single-payer health care. Another poll conducted in January showed that 56 percent of American voters supported such an insurance system. The video of Sanders on Fox quickly gained attention online Monday, with many pointing to the applause and past polling as examples of support among even conservatives for Medicare for All. Sanders agreed to a Tax Day town hall on the network, moderated by the "Special Report" anchor Baier and "The Story" anchor Martha MacCallum. In March, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez announced that the network would be barred from hosting any of the party's primary debates. Democratic presidential candidates are not precluded from appearing on Fox News for interviews or town halls, however.<doc-sep>Moment or Movement: the impact of cameras on changes in policing (CNN Business) — A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. Oliver Darcy writes: Trump raised eyebrows on Tuesday morning when he tweeted another complaint about Fox’s news division. “So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on @FoxNews,” he wrote. “Not surprisingly, @BretBaier and the ‘audience’ was so smiley and nice. Very strange, and now we have @donnabrazile?” Notice the “we?” Journalists were quick to point that Trump was suggesting that he and Fox are the same entity. Talk about a Freudian slip… Bret Baier’s response The Fox anchor tweeted: “Thanks for watching Mr. President — we’d love to have you on a town hall soon — or even an interview on @SpecialReport —it’s been awhile. We cover all sides.” As Politico Playbook noted, Baier has been seeking an interview with Trump for years… The president’s interviews on Fox are “almost always with friendly commentators like Sean Hannity or Jeanine Pirro.” Trump’s criticism continued on Tuesday night: He claimed that “many Trump fans & signs” were outside the town hall, and there were “big complaints about not being let in – stuffed with Bernie supporters. What’s with @FoxNews?” According to the local paper, however, “Fox reached out to various political and local groups in the area and mined requests to attend after it publicly announced the event.” Trump supporters were in the audience. All of this just shows how Fox’s viewer-in-chief reacts – angrily – when the network makes space for critical voices. Meanwhile, WaPo’s Philip Bump wrote about how “fleeting” the Sanders moment was – Sean Hannity and many, many others criticized Sanders after the town hall ended… Other Dems are open to Fox As The Daily Beast’s Scott Bixby wrote, “Sanders’ successful appearance last night may have cracked the wall in candidates’ opposition to appearances on the network.” Fox is certainly pointing to the ratings to persuade other 2020 contenders. Bernie drew 2.55 million total viewers, making it the “top-rated such event in the 2020 election so far,” Mediaite wrote. For comparisons’ sake, the same time slot averaged 1.88 million viewers the previous Monday. So, with all that in mind, Pete Buttgieg might be the next Dem to participate. On Tuesday, his campaign confirmed that it is in talks with Fox about a town hall. Oliver Darcy has the details here. Campaign spokesperson Lis Smith said last month on “Reliable” that the South Bend mayor’s media strategy is “talking to everyone…” → Per the Beast’s Gideon Resnick, three other candidates — Eric Swalwell, Tim Ryan, and Julián Castro — are also interested in the Fox town hall format… → CNN’s next town hall event has five candidates back to back next Monday night… Lowry’s take Brian Lowry writes: In the last few days both Bill Hemmer and Bret Baier have chafed at on-air criticism of Fox News from Tom Perez and Bernie Sanders, respectively. But it’s self-serving at best — and a little disingenuous — for those anchors to downplay the concerns expressed about Fox News as an organization or its primetime hosts. If Fox is serious about hosting Democrats through the election cycle, its anchors are going to have be a bit less snowflake-y about such criticism… James Murdoch is doing WHAT! ? “What’s Next for James Murdoch?” THR asked on Monday. The story had lots of answers… And even more came out on Tuesday. With his brother Lachlan Murdoch running FOX, James is doing his own thing… The WSJ’s Ben Mullin wrote Tuesday about Murdoch’s plans to invest in a comic book publisher called Artists, Writers and Artisans. “The value of storytelling is only going up, and AWA is uniquely positioned to create a tremendous platform for writers and artists,” Murdoch said. Then, later in the day, a team at the FT dangled this info: Murdoch’s “new portfolio” of media companies “could include a liberal-leaning news outlet.”The paper, citing “people with direct knowledge of his plans,” said Murdoch “wanted to distance himself from the conservative media outlets controlled for decades by his father but had yet to decide how exactly he would invest in the news media. His options range from a liberal news website to a digital magazine focused on culture, society and lifestyle.” Murdoch lieutenant says NYT story was a ‘rancid hatchet job’ Murdochland was quiet when the NYT published its three-part investigation of “Planet Fox” two weeks ago. But one of Rupert’s top execs, News Corp CEORobert Thomson, has something to say. In a Tuesday evening speech, he “dismissed the NYT’s investigation as a ‘rancid hatchet job’ that was ‘distant from the truth,’” according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Thomson called it “multi-generational muck-spreading in which the facts were incidental, if not accidental, and the journalistic jaundice and corporate self-interest were fundamental.” Hmmm, which facts? I don’t see any corrections on the story! Notre Dame, the day after Wednesday’s cover of Libération shows the charred inside of the cathedral. Despite all the damage, the fire is out; “it’s amazing that so much was spared;” and “all of Paris is united in the effort to rebuild,” Chris Cuomo said on “Prime Time.” A few notes: – “The most egregious examples of misinformation” about the fire – attempting to blame “racial or religious minorities for the outbreak” – originated “in the darker corners of the internet, but many found bigger audiences on social media,” CNN’s Gianluca Mezzofiore wrote Tuesday… – Charlie Warzel made this point about the crazy conspiracy theories: “The first rule of this internet hellscape is that everything is mined in support of the broader narrative. Doesn’t really matter what’s happening…it’s all just ammunition for the info war.” – Donie O’Sullivan’s latest: YouTube’s algorithmic suggestion that the fire was linked to the 9/11 attacks shows, once again, that tech companies have a major “live” problem… – Per Taylor Nicole Rogers, “Victor Hugo’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’ has become the best-selling book on Amazon France…” The long wait… This week is one awfully long “stand by for news” until the redacted Robert Mueller report is released on Thursday morning… All the major TV networks have made plans for special coverage… – Here is Joe Pompeo’s look at journalists handicapping “Mueller’s moment of truth…” (VF) – Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins’ latest: “Trump anticipates Mueller’s vindication but aides fret about his temper…” (CNN) Twenty years since the Columbine school shooting… A credible threat was lodged against Columbine High School and other schools in the area on Tuesday, days ahead of the 20-year anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. It is yet another demonstration of how the country has changed since then. On Wednesday, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin will be sharing a special segment that brings survivors from Columbine and Parkland together. Wayne Drash is authoring the companion story for CNN.com — a continuation of “The Loneliest Club.” Baldwin told me: “The idea was to have bookends of two terrible tragedies in our nation’s history. What have we learned, what’s changed.” FOR THE RECORD – Twitter chief Jack Dorsey’s “mea culpa tour” continued at TED 2019…Emily Dreyfuss has an excellent recap of his vague comments here… (WIRED) – Dreyfuss tweeted later: “It’s hard for me to express how frustrating it was to watch @Jack’s talk at TED today. I was frustrated, the audience was frustrated, he was frustrated, the people he was talking to were frustrated. It was a whole frustrating thing!” (Twitter) – Read more of Tuesday’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter… And subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox… – Via Claire Atkinson: “After decades of HBO sponsorship, looks like Netflix is taking over Bryant Park movie night.” With HBO moving from Bryant Park to Hudson Yards, this makes sense… (Twitter)<doc-sep>
How do you get a Fox News audience to enthusiastically cheer for "Medicare For All?" If you’re Bernie Sanders, the answer is simple — go there. Sanders stepped onto the cable channel for a town hall on Monday and worlds, for a moment, collided. More importantly, though, everyone walked away just fine. During his recent media tour earlier this year, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey talked to podcast host and Ringer CEO Bill Simmons about how the platform can leave many users with “filter bubbles and echo chambers.” Said Dorsey, "If you follow only the perspectives you want to hear, it constantly emboldens your own view." We exercise physically — put our body through physical discomfort, so we can better ourselves physically. In that same way, intellectual exercise, through intellectual discomfort, can lead to bettering ourselves intellectually. The April 15 event was a win-win for Sanders and for the cable news network — both from an intellectual and a strategic perspective. This is what happened on Monday, when Sen. Bernie Sanders became the first Democratic presidential candidate this election cycle to participate in a town hall on Fox News. The April 15 event was a win-win for Sanders and for the cable news network — both from an intellectual and a strategic perspective. For Sanders, the intellectual exercise of fielding questions from Fox anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum — in exchanges which were both fair and occasionally combative — allowed him to craft his policy positions in a more challenging environment. Healthy, nuanced debate is important, and a great test for a candidate who, if he succeeds in the primary, will have a far more unwieldy sparring partner in the general election. But there is another reason why this was a win for Sanders, and it’s a strategic one — Fox News’ audience is not monolithic in its conservative beliefs. Sanders knows this. When he was asked recently on “The Daily Show” about why he agreed to go on Fox News, Sanders said: “It is important to distinguish Fox News from the many millions of people who watch Fox News.” . @BernieSanders is doing a Fox News town hall. But why? Full interview: https://t.co/aS7j3DmNQh pic.twitter.com/EIwTgEGh6I — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 5, 2019 So — who watches Fox News? While it’s true that Fox News over-indexes as a go-to media outlet for Republicans, there are certainly Democrats and Independents tuning in as well. According to a 2017 Pew survey, while 43 percent of Fox News’ audience identify as conservative or lean Republican, 10 percent identify as liberal or lean Democrat. A 2018 Suffolk University poll found that while 67 percent of respondents said they were Republicans, that left one in three that leaned Independent or Democratic. And these are big numbers. Yes, Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers in its total day numbers during the first quarter of 2019 — but this is just based on Nielsen’s data, and as I’ve written before, the actual number of cumulative viewers is significantly higher. That means the town hall was seen by millions of voters Sanders had the chance to appeal to. And appeal to them he did, as evidenced by this viral moment when Bret Baier asked the audience how many people would be willing to switch to a health care system more inline with Sanders' Medicare For All proposal. The response was clear. Raise your hand if you're sick and tired of your private health insurance company. We need Medicare for All. #BernieTownHall pic.twitter.com/3euHRCjqn9 — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 15, 2019 But the other side of this is the benefit to Fox News. Yes, it’s smart strategically for Fox News, which knew there would be a guaranteed amount of interest due to the inherent entertainment value. But the event’s more important benefit was as an intellectual exercise for its viewers. By exposing its viewers to a perspective they may not see or hear very often — by inviting discomfort — Fox was doing a massive service for its audience. (Although, it should be noted, Tucker Carlson’s viral segment from January railing against the ruling class was Sander-esque at times.) For once, Fox News viewers weren't hearing about Sanders’ positions from a primetime host or a three-minute segment; they were hearing about his positions from him, unfiltered. And they may have bristled at what they heard. But that sort of healthy intellectual discomfort is far too rare on both traditional and social media platforms.