Well, He Is A Leading GOP Official After All

FOX News president Roger Ailes may be exploring getting into the ring in 2012 for Obama's job.

Friends and associates are encouraging Fox News chief Roger Ailes to jump into the political arena for real by running for president in 2012, top sources tell POLITICO.

"Ailes knows how to frame an issue better than anybody, and that's what we need now," says one Ailes friend who is encouraging the Fox founder, chairman and CEO to seek the Republican nomination to run against President Barack Obama.

Ailes, 69, has an aggessive, winning personality that made Fox News a huge success — and a huge target for liberal critics.

Frank Luntz, the well-known Republican pollster, said Ailes could be a force if he makes the run.

"I have known Roger Ailes for 29 years," says Luntz. “No one knows how to win better than Roger."

Talk of an Ailes run, which informed sources said is based on more than mere speculation, could escalate the White House war with Fox war in wildly unpredictable – and fun – ways.

It was Ailes who recently held a private meeting with top White House adviser David Axelrod to ease tensions. The meeting was not a success.

Shortly after, the White House stepped up its attack on Fox – and Fox has proudly fired back.

Fox executives are relishing the public spat – so much so that virtually every on-air personality talks about it, and Sean Hannity has made it a central part of his show’s promo.

The biggest reason: ratings at Fox are through the roof.

That loud slamming sound you just heard is a good three-quarters of the Village and all of the Wingers vigorously shutting their bedroom doors for some quality alone time.

The way I see it, the Wingers want the entire country run like FOX News, and they are dreaming of cabinet positions while they, ahem, tend to business back there.

Ailes is just removing the middleman. By all means, let Ailes do this. Unleash the full, horrifyingly brilliant power of FOX News all over America.

Only then will Americans roll up their sleeves and get rid of these assholes. You thought Obama Derangement Syndrome was a GOP platform plank before?

You have no idea.

[UPDATE 4:43 PM] Ailes is smarter than I thought and has decided not to run, saying in part "he can't take the pay cut."