Been thinking on #mayorpete’s super powers as a Fox News disruptor. I think he recognizes that Fox News traffics in emotions & peripheral cues, not logical argumentation. This means that HOW you say what you say can open up the possibility of introducing belief-discordant info https://twitter.com/sgadarian/status/1314535490494881792

Like with open face and lifted eyebrows: He’s like “I get it! You have tied your wagon to a master grifter who has wreaked unspeakable havoc upon your party and your communities ... but it seems like voters are ready to... consider other options... “

Viewers (and hosts) are processing cues that signal allegiance and amicability: Seems like a nice dude. Positive tone. Non verbals that signal openness.

This is bound to at least mitigate some of the reflexive counter-argumentation that accompanies “angry liberal guests” on fox

And because he’s very quick and sharp, he talks FAST which is a classic Right wing media trope that, for peripheral/emotional processors in the audience signals “super smart & confident” regardless of what’s being said. See how Don Junior and Jared K talk at every appearance.

My prosecutor husband calls Lawyers that communicate like this during trials “BEFUDDLERS.”

Overwhelming the info environment with bluster and moxie, but saying NOTHING.

If you’re interested in understanding How the psychological profiles of liberals and conservatives contribute to distinct aesthetic preferences, including for media genres, my book Irony and Outrage (2019) is for you: https://www.amazon.com/Irony-Outrage-Polarized-Landscape-Laughter/dp/0190913088