Comment 7 by Cartomancer :

Is it a very generalised conservatism thing? That their target audience is generally of a knee-jerk pro-religion bent? Does Murdoch feel some kind of solidarity with an obscenely wealthy right-wing billionaire like the pope, or is he just convinced that any organisation spreading a don't-question-the-authority-figures attitude is good for his slimy business? Is it thought that taking a pro-catholic line is somehow controversial or brave, and therefore might sell more papers? Is it just because Robertson has left-leaning sympathies himself, and therefore must be made to seem of questionable judgement?

The conservative mind is a paranoid mind. It survives by surrounding itself with strength of numbers and unity. The 'other' is the evil bad corrupting influence that must be fought.

But the trouble is, everyone is now paranoid. The resentment of the left is exhausted thanks to its own self-destruction of the values of freedom and equality. Now the good and bad are meaningless terms for the left. All the left can do is look at the world and go oh dear.

We're all afraid and the world is in constant crisis. So we look toward some authority to make sense of the world for us. And that authority is unfortunately religion, since politics has failed.