On the October 18 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, Fox News host Sean Hannity encouraged Democratic voters to “stay home on Election Day,” adding that, “your vote doesn't matter anyway.” He added that Democrats should not turn out to vote “for the sake of the nation” because Democrats' votes “won't change who occupies the White House” and Democratic “candidates have absolutely no idea how to win the war on terrorism.” Hannity also appeared to predict he would be criticized for his remarks, stating: “This is how the press is going to report this: 'Hannity says Democrats should stay home on Election Day.' ” He did not explain how that would be a mischaracterization of his comments.

Also during the program, Hannity misrepresented the Democratic Party platform, stating: “I don't think abandoning our troops on the battlefield or closing your eyes to enemy communications or listening to enemy communications in our country, or killing the economy, or supporting illegal immigration, I don't think that's something to run on.”

From the October 18 edition of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:

HANNITY: Now, one other thing here. You know what? I think some of you need to stay home on Election Day. What? That's right. I think -- I know it sounds terrible. I don't want everybody to vote; I want well-informed people to vote. You know what we're gonna do on our man-on-the-street segment tomorrow, man-on-the-street Thursday? I'm gonna have three pictures -- Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Hastert, and Harry Reid -- and I'm gonna ask people if they know who they are. And you know what I bet? I bet you nobody knows. But I think -- look, I think for some, I think you've gotta accept -- and I want you to stay home on Election Day because you must accept the fact that your party has abandoned you. You've gotta accept the fact that your vote doesn't matter anyway. So all you Democrats, stay home. So, you know, why don't you stay home on Election Day? This is how the press is going to report this: “Hannity says Democrats should stay home on Election Day.” After all, your vote won't change who occupies the White House. Your candidates have absolutely no ideas how to win the war on terrorism. The only ideas that they espouse are ways to undermine the troops in harm's way and undermine their commander in chief while they're at war. Your candidates have no idea how to keep this economy strong.

[...]

They have no ideas except more tax-and-spend policies and rescinding the tax cuts that every American family has benefited from. They have no idea how to protect the border -- only solution they have there is to give us amnesty. They support open borders. In other words, the Democrats, if you listen to them beyond [former Rep.] Mark Foley [R-FL], beyond amnesty, beyond tax raising, beyond bashing Bush, they have literally not a single solitary policy or idea that's going to benefit this country, keep you safe, and make the country stronger. I don't think abandoning our troops on the battlefield or closing your eyes to enemy communications or listening to enemy communications in our country, or killing the economy, or supporting illegal immigration, I don't think that's something to run on. So I'm saying, for the sake of the nation, I think you Democrats should stay home. For you there's no reason to vote. But you Republicans out there, the ones -- there's enough people in this audience to make a real, significant difference in really key important states.