Fox bullying GOP to "get over it" and support O'Donnell

From Media Matters

Following Christine O'Donnell's surprise victory in the Delaware Republican Senate primary, Fox media figures have coalesced around O'Donnell and have taken to bullying other Republicans into supporting her.

Fox tells O'Donnell's GOP detractors to "get over it"

Carlson bullies Castle to "get over it" and support O'Donnell or risk being the "ultra sore loser." On the September 17 broadcast of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson responded to reports that O'Donnell's primary opponent, Rep. Mike Castle, intends to "remain neutral" and not endorse O'Donnell's Senate race by saying, "Oh, come on. Get over it. I mean, this is the exact example of why we should have term limits. Here's a guy, who, congratulations, you had nine terms in Congress, but guess what? You lost. And now you have to support the party, or is it because you're going to run now as an Independent?" Carlson later pre-emptively attacked Castle, lest he decide to endorse the Democratic Senate candidate in the race, Chris Coons, saying: "[S]omewhere I read that Coons has a 100 percent rating of being one of the most liberal people who would then ascend to a role in Congress. So if Mike Castle is going to endorse Chris -- if there's even a thought in his brain that Mike Castle would endorse Coons, there would be something dramatically wrong here, and it would be ultra sore loser if that happened."

Hannity: Castle "[s]ounds like a big crybaby to me ... a poor sport, big crybaby." On the September 16 broadcast of Hannity (retrieved from Nexis), host Sean Hannity attacked Castle for "slander[ing] and smear[ing] and attack[ing] not only Christine O'Donnell but the voters." Hannity declared that Castle "[s]ounds like a big crybaby to me. Sounds like -- honestly, like a poor sport, big crybaby." Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich agreed, saying, "I hope that Mike calms down and thinks about it and decides he's bigger than that. The party has been very good to him for a very long time."

Tantaros: Republicans should "all rally behind her." On the September 15 Hannity (retrieved from Nexis), Fox News contributor Andrea Tantaros said that "the big disappointment" following O'Donnell's victory is "that Republicans rather than come out on TV and say, this is going to be hard. If they would all rally behind her and peg this race for what it is. This race could tip the balance of power in the Senate. They could funnel money. They could funnel earned media and they could actually win it."

Carlson: It's "suicide" for Republicans not to support O'Donnell. On the September 15 edition of Fox & Friends, Carlson criticized the idea that Republicans are considering "maybe not to even support O'Donnell. That, I don't think, is a smart move at all. If you want the Democrat to win, then go ahead and let her flounder by herself." Carlson later added, "This is suicide for the party." Later in the show, Carlson said: "You've got to wonder right now -- and I've been saying this for the last year on this show -- the Republican Party has to get together with the tea party. They have to. And for the RNC to come out now and say they're not going to fund this race? So what are they going to do, fund the Democrat?"

Many Fox News hosts, contributors endorsed, touted O'Donnell

September 2: Cavuto tells O'Donnell, "[T]he Tea Party saw something in you, galvanized its efforts and away we go." In a September 2 interview on Your World (retrieved from Nexis), host Neil Cavuto said to O'Donnell: "You know, it was sort of like you became like an overnight emerging force. And I don't know whether it had to do with what was going on, you know, in Alaska, but bottom line, the Tea Party saw something in you, galvanized its efforts and away we go."

September 8: Malkin tells Hannity, "I endorsed Christine O'Donnell." On the September 8 edition of Hannity (retrieved from Nexis), Fox News contributor Michelle Malkin said, "I endorsed Christine O'Donnell. I met her over the past couple of weeks in D.C."

September 9: Palin endorses O'Donnell on Hannity's radio show. On the September 9 edition of Hannity's radio show, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin endorsed O'Donnell, after having earlier re-tweeted a positive statement about O'Donnell from radio host Tammy Bruce.

September 13: Van Susteren airs Palin's endorsement of O'Donnell. On the September 13 edition of On the Record (retrieved from Nexis), host Greta Van Susteren said, "O'Donnell has Governor Palin in her corner," then aired the endorsement robocall Palin made for O'Donnell's campaign.

Post-election: O'Donnell credits Fox figures and movements for win as network celebrates her victory

O'Donnell cites Palin, groups with ties to Fox News during victory speech. In her victory speech, O'Donnell thanked Palin and the Tea Party Express for their support. O'Donnell also thanked the Glenn Beck inspired 9-12 movement for "laying the foundation and stirring things up." On the September 15 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, when co-host George Stephanopoulos asked her, "Did Sarah Palin make the difference here?" O'Donnell responded, "Yes, she did. ... She helped to bring it back on track."