The last couple of weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time watching conservative television (the Fox talk line-up) and listening to conservative radio. <\/p>\n
Both are booming in popularity, building historically large audiences. And they’re doing so at a time when the Republican Party is perched at the edge of yet another cliff. (They’ve already fallen off a couple…)<\/p>\n
One problem for the GOP is the dichotomy between ratings success and electoral success. Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are seen as titans when they pull in 3 million viewers or listeners.<\/p>\n
But that number represents only about 4% of the number of people you need to win a presidential election. <\/p>\n
And there is evidence that these right-wing talkers are actually alienating the larger pool of American voters — the centrists, the independents — who tip close elections.<\/p>\n
Only 37% of women hold a positive view of Rush Limbaugh, according to Public Policy Poll. Fully 49% have an unfavorable view of him.<\/p>\n
But those women cast more than half of the ballots in most elections. <\/p>\n
As the GOP brand falters, these high-volume talkers become the new face of the conservative movement. <\/p>\n
There simply isn’t a Republican politician with the charisma and stature to compete with Limbaugh, or O’Reilly, or Beck, or Coulter, or Ingraham.<\/p>\n
So the next time they say something outrageous, divisive and caustic (I heard some CRAZY things during my week of tuning in to the Right’s media culture) that wacko-stuff becomes the daily message for the conservative movement.<\/p>\n
The solution? I don’t know. But the first thing Republicans have to do is acknowledge that there’s a fat, shaggy tail wagging the dog of their movement. <\/p>\n
They can’t control the right-wing media, they can’t direct it, and it does at least as much harm as good to their cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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