Peter Thiel, the Facebook board member and billionaire who famously backed Hulk Hogan in his successful lawsuit against pop news website Gawker, is now seriously exploring the potential for a cable news network that is focused on the conservative viewpoint.
According to sources close to the mogul, Thiel has been exploring the idea for quite some time. He even looked at the possibility of creating a competitor to Fox News with Roger Ailes, the late co-founder of the network.
Journalist and author Michael Wolff had planned to write a book that included Thiel and his efforts with the late Ailes, who died in May 2017. Wolff writes that Thiel had planned to meet with Ailes in Palm Beach, Florida, to seriously discuss the possibility.
As is the case with most earth-shattering business deals, no one involved is discussing anything directly. The most that anyone will be able to get from a first party source is a “no comment” until the ink on the contracts is dry and the cameras are rolling. However, it can be rather important for those of us who will be affected down the chain to speculate. If these rumors are true, what could this mean for the conservative movement, politicians and the viewpoint in general?
Before 2017, Fox News was definitely the hub for the conservative narrative. It was more like an oasis in a sea of liberal mainstream crud. Although there were many networks that claimed to represent unbiased, centralized viewpoints, the smallest investigation unearthed an agenda that was seriously left-wing. Whether you are talking about the decidedly liberal MSNBC or the supposedly “centrist” CNN, everything except Fox was generally aligned against salt of the earth Middle Americans and the values that have built this country. On those networks, there is no such thing as personal responsibility, self-reliance or true capitalism.
2017 saw Fox virtually implode with accusations of sexual misconduct that forced leaders of the organization to step down in disgrace. Not only Ailes, but seminal host Bill O’Reilly was taken forcibly from his seat as top nightly news anchor even before any charges were proven. As with most accusations that come from liberal sources, the accusation itself is enough. The accused is guilty until proven innocent.
Needless to say, the Fox network has taken some hits in the ratings since then. Although hosts Tucker Carlson and others have tried to pick up the slack left by O’Reilly, the other networks are not exactly playing fair. MSNBC hired away many staunchly conservative news anchors and launched a huge marketing campaign geared at bridging the gap between the network’s stated views and conservatives. As soon as Trump won the election, MSNBC started airing commercials saying, “Let’s work it out together,” almost as if they had inside information as to the results!
The time is ripe for a right-of-center network that actually adheres to a true notion of conservatism instead of just hiring talking heads who are looking for a paycheck. Thiel at the head of such a network is just about the best situation that conservatives could hope for. Thiel was an open supporter of candidate Trump even before it became apparent that he was a serious candidate. His former association with Ailes would certainly help him attract top talent with much less trouble than a new jack.
Thiel also has connections with the extremely deep pockets of the Mercer family, another staunchly conservative family that may be looking to cement its mark in modern American politics. The Mercer family is a backer of the Breitbart website; their credentials in the movement are more than solid. This kind of financial clout is necessary to ensure that the conservative viewpoint has just as much juice as the highly funded liberal viewpoint.
~ Conservative Zone
