Republicans Will Win in 2012 With or Without the Niall Ferguson Anti Obama Newsweek Cover

This week, Republicans are in a frenzy about the cover of Newsweek which features a story on President Obama. The Republicans are up in arms, but this time their arms are thrown up in joyous celebration as the cover article calls for the replacement of Obama this election. Conservatives think the mainstream media is finally getting it, and is now seeing the president for who he really is. Republicans would be fooling themselves into thinking this is anything to celebrate. They should find a way to ignore the mainstream media and their perceived love affair with President Obama and simply do their job - finding ways to defeat the Democrats at the ballot box.

Republicans are right to be cautious, but they have no reason to fear some mass organized media plan to destroy Republican candidates. Yes, it is true that there are plenty of examples which highlight ways in which conservatives and Republicans may have been unfairly covered in the news. And naturally, Republicans will hold a defensive attitude towards news agencies they perceive to be dishonest. This explains why Fox News still maintains such high ratings, as they are perceived to be the only source for conservative news on television. However, even given these anecdotes, evidence is available that shows systematic coverage of the 2012 presidential elections is not so flattering to President Obama either. 

This is not to say Republicans should simply accept the news at face value. Rachel Maddow is condescending in every sense of the word, and Chris Matthews is boorish and uncontrolled in his style. Republicans have no reason to get their news from these types of folk if their individual biases bother them that much. Bias can never be completely eliminated from reporting, and since agencies are funded primarily through advertising sales, it’s not in their best interest to be completely unbiased anyways. Controversy increases viewership, viewership increases advertising rates, increased advertising rates means better profits and product -- it’s a business plan so simple even Southpark's Underpants Gnomes can do it. 

If Republicans are extremely worried that the media is doing a better job of earning votes for Democratic candidates, then Republicans should spend more time pounding the pavement and talking to voters directly instead of relying on news agencies to do the heavy lifting. Republicans have the better product, but  winning elections is never easy, and waiting for news agencies to get out of your way and make it easier isn’t a sound strategy. Republicans have to engage the electorate directly if they want to win elections. The Tea Party Movement, for all the criticisms that come its way from media sources, has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that it is an electoral force. This is simply because Tea Party members get out and work. 

Similarly, when Republicans work, they win. Leave all the complaining about media bias to the Democrats and their ridiculous obsession with Fox News. Republicans will be out winning the Oval Office back in November, with or without the help of this Newsweek cover.