“Maybe if so called conservative pundits started to show some backbone and spoke out against the commie/socialist takeover of the country, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
From the founding of the nation to the late 1960’s the US had a vigorous and independent press acting as a check on government. From the 1970’s to today, independent local newspapers have been gobbled up by huge media chains and broadcast media has become dominated by huge media conglomerates. To one degree or another these mega companies are dependent on government for favorable tax treatment, licenses of air spectrum, local broadcast licenses, etc. When a political party is in power that will use regulatory power to drive policy, any company or organization that benefits from the government purse or can be hurt by the IRS and the application of regulatory power is going to act in its best interests.
Cal Thomas and Charles Krauthammer are creatures of big media companies. Their columns in newspapers and appearances in broadcast media last only as long as their employer determines they add value to the company. If they become too strident in opposing the tyranny of government, the company may feel threatened and decide to terminate the employment relationship. Hence, instead of being consistently aggressive and loud spokespeople for liberty they frequently soft pedal ideas, qualify statements, or occasionally take the opportunity to curry favor with big government and the administration.
Since the election of Obama in 2008 Fox News has slowly moderated its “fair and balanced” approach. With the 2012 elections over we see Fox moving center left. Certainly, if Krauthammer, Thomas, Bill Kristol and other pundits desire to continue as Fox contributors they will tailor their comments accordingly. Failing to adapt to change results in loss of job and income as Sarah Palin and Dick Morris have learned.
The aggregation of the press into large media companies dependent on government is something the founding fathers could not have predicted. This aggregation was enabled by technology changes and the invention of the modern corporate structure which occurred long after most of the founders were dead and buried. They expected a free, independent and vocal press to act as a check on the inclination of government to infringe on liberty. Today, media companies, seeking to act in a world in which government scrutiny and control of business operations, must curry favor with the bureaucracy and politicians in power.
With the heavy handed intrusion of government into every dimension of modern life a few spokespeople for conservatism (Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck) have the courage to continue speaking out and the independent resources to truly speak freely. Likely this limited freedom is only temporary, Rush’s age suggests he has only about 10 years left on the air and there is no heir apparent. Before that time is up, if the Democrats regain control of Congress under a Democrat president, it is likely strict rules restricting talk radio and the internet will be enacted. By that time the progressives will have the opportunity to replace at least one conservative Supreme Court justice with one of their own.
My conclusion. Conservative pundits are adapting to the new reality in order to preserve their “status” and incomes in the brave new world. These men and women are not fearless spokespeople with a passion for liberty, they are employees of large corporations. Just as the German press in the 1930’s was silent as Hitler slowly increased his control over the German state, we see the mainstream press in America controlling the news for the benefit of the regime. Even talk radio is slowly being squeezed as we see local stations dropping nationally syndicated conservative talk radio and shifting to music or other formats. The internet is the last bastion for free speech today. The bloggers are today’s equivalent of the local 18th century printer issuing a pamphlet and distributing it on the street. Don’t expect Krauthammer, Thomas, Kristol and other conservative pundits on Fox to risk life, liberty, and their sacred honor opposing the progressive juggernaut.
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