Mark Davis: Who will come out ahead in cable news saga — Fox News or Tucker Carlson? | Opinion

As reaction to Tucker Carlson’s sudden exit from Fox News spreads, there is value in examining what the event means for him, for cable news as a commodity and for the future of commentary in the public square.

Carlson’s many fans remain righteously inflamed by his unceremonious departure, many vowing to never watch Fox again. Some may ride that grudge indefinitely, but a network that still features Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Greg Gutfeld among others will still be the prominent destination for conservative viewership.

As our national attention span continues to shrink, memories will fade and this wound will largely heal. Suggestions that Fox would be sunk by its dismissal of Carlson were absurdities fueled by frustration.

But that frustration cannot be ignored. Carlson was not just another right-wing talking points show slotted in among similar offerings. The most passionate (and the most agitated) of his viewers came to him for takes not found on other Fox shows or anywhere else in the cable commentary landscape.

He would weigh in often on familiar themes of crime, border security and gender radicalism, but he would ramp up certain angles to a degree that energized some and repelled others. He did not merely lament 2020 election irregularities and push back against the narrative of Jan. 6 as a Sept. 11-caliber national trauma; he soft-pedaled the Capitol breach as errant sightseeing, devoting a recurring preoccupation to the mysterious Ray Epps as a federal law enforcement plant tasked with fomenting violence.

He did not throw simple shade at the Biden administration’s continuing funneling of billions toward the war in Ukraine; he elevated to hero status the criminal leaker whose divulgences cast doubt on the veracity of administration optimism for our efforts.

Further endearing his fans and annoying critics, Carlson would often attach a certain singular value to his analysis, as if his soapbox were the only destination for viewers thirsty for his flavor of truths. This presented itself in the video he released two days after his Fox departure, an essay filled with dismissiveness about almost every other issue covered on every other show, coupled with a lament about issues that ostensibly go uncovered but for his attention.

“War, civil liberties and emerging science” were among the supposedly neglected subjects, despite their common placement across countless shows on various networks. Two others, “corporate power and natural resources,” are arguably less ubiquitous, but if Carlson were so animated by them, one might have expected to hear them more often on the Fox show he actually hosted for more than six years.

Whatever one’s personal taste toward Carlson or his topical choices, there was no denying his show’s appeal or its impact. But those factors and the accompanying high ratings were still not sufficient for Fox to keep him.

So, what was the problem? Did management suddenly lose its taste for his material? Was this additional contrition designed to stave off further lawsuits after the massive settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over comments about its machines that Fox aired? Is the network itself fashioning a revised direction?

As the saying goes, those who know aren’t talking, and those who are talking don’t know. But we do know this: On Fox and its liberal counterparts, a given evening of opinion shows can emit a certain drone of sameness. Carlson was different, taking some unflinching risks that made his show more unpredictable, more compelling, and an adjective rarely attached to nightly cable shows — important.

He attracted what conservatives view as the right enemies — not just the usual liberals who discredit every Fox show, but also weak-willed Republicans unwilling or unable to keep pace with the bolder conservatism of the Trump era, and establishment denizens in both parties who often find common ground to maintain power and influence beyond the reach of voters.

Ratings since Carlson’s firing reveal millions have bailed on his time slot. Those viewers will flock to any subsequent show he may launch, if any other network can afford him. His two-minute Twitter video drew 80 million views in less than a week, more than 20 times his average nightly audience. That suggests to some his future may lie in a self-managed format on a platform where jittery executives can’t pull the plug.

Fox survived the banishment of Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly, who still attract audiences elsewhere, although not as vast. No one wants to be fired by a TV network, but Carlson may soon look back on this momentary setback with gratitude. With a fan base yearning for his specific content, his next exploit may be even more successful.

Mark Davis hosts a morning radio show in Dallas-Fort Worth on 660-AM and at 660amtheanswer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @markdavis.