Rupert's game plan
by digby
Gabriel Sherman gives us the low down on Murdoch's conversion to Trump. Basically, he's good for business which, by the way, most businessmen will believe and they will likely be wrong. Trump will destabilize the world in ways these people can't imagine.
Anyway, Murdoch's rationale will likely be the same one the rest of the media will share:
That Murdoch flip-flopped on Trump shouldn’t be all that surprising. Yes, Trump’s stances on immigration and trade clash with Murdoch’s more moderate views (he's for comprehensive reform and trade deals). But throughout Murdoch’s career, he’s sacrificed core principles to forge political alliances that advance his media empire’s interests (after all, he backed both Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair in the U.K.).
And it’s clear Trump is good for business. According to one Fox News producer, the channel's ratings dip whenever an anti-Trump segment airs. A Fox anchor told me that the message from Roger Ailes's executives is they need to go easy on Trump. “It’s, ‘Make sure we don't go after Trump,’” the anchor said. “We’ve thrown in the towel.” Similarly, the New York Post has staked out a pro-Trump position in the marketplace while its rival the Daily News remains one of Trump’s loudest critics. The Post endorsed Trump last month and dubbed him “King Don!” after he won the New York primary. (The outlier among Murdoch’s properties is The Wall Street Journal. “They’re stupid people,” Trump told me back in March).
Sherman points out that this is a good bet for Murdoch who will benefit no matter who wins. If it's Trump he'll be a trusted advisor if it's Clinton they'll just crank up the lucrative hate machine. It's all good for the media corporations.
