Secrets of the conservative media machine [FR and yours truly mention]

Salon ^ | April 23, 2013 | By Lee Fang

[Jim Robinson]

To borrow a Sarah Palin aphorism, after their election defeat in 2008, conservatives didn’t retreat, they “reloaded.” Instead of finding new solutions to public policy problems or seriously reevaluating Bush’s failures, conservatives focused almost solely on new ways to communicate their old ideas. To do so, they looked to their natural allies in corporate marketing for inspiration — and they looked to the Left for imitation. The result has been a recent and profound turnaround that has allowed the Right the bury Obama’s message and dominate the political debate.

Historical right-wing domination of the media

Traditionally, conservatives have almost always dominated direct mail solicitations, retained the best pollsters money could buy and paid for the most celebrated advertising makers. Message discipline is the first lesson for any Republican politician. Talk radio? unquestionably controlled by conservatives.

Cable news? Fox News couldn’t be more right-wing and popular. The Right had also dominated the Internet for most of the Internet’s fledging history. Throughout the 1990s and for much of President George W. Bush’s first term, conservatives easily ruled online news. And much of that initial sucess stemmed from foundations and entrepreneurial pioneers such as Matt Drudge, creator of the wildly popular headline-aggregating site Drudge Report, and Jim Robinson of the news message board Free Republic. The pair formed a symbiotic relationship. Drudge, who played a role in breaking the Monica Lewinsky story, made waves in the media with scoops on the latest Clinton scandals, and Free Republic provided a platform for conservatives to share conspiratorial perspectives and to organize their own rallies and events. Many of the angry mobs hounding Clinton at public events were mobilized by Free Republic. The impeachment rally that was organized by the Free Republic, “Treason Is the Reason,” featured Republican lawmakers and writer Christopher Hitchens...

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much, blackie!!

[Jim Robinson]

thank you very much, jazusamo!!

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much, wattsgnu!!

[bmwcyle]

share conspiratorial perspectives

What's the next plan Jim?

[McGruff]

Hey what about the other Jim? He doesn’t get any recognition?

[blackie]

You are very welcome, Jim.

It is my pleasure!

Be Ever Vigilant!

[Jim Robinson]

My strategy is simple, direct and time proven. Strength through superior firepower. We win, they lose!

[Lancey Howard]

The author, Lee fang, is an America-hating communist scumbag but he actually does a pretty good analysis here. If you get past the lies and sneakiness (for example, he claims Brent Bozell created the "liberal media myth", LOL) he offers some real gems about the political underworld and the consultant class. Fang was also fair with Free Republic, for the most part.

[bmwcyle]

AMEN

[Rebelbase]

"Historical right-wing domination of the media "

Surely you jest?

[freekitty]

Yes Jim does.

[BooBoo1000]

This article is complete hog wash, the idea of all of these high faulting ideas,are absolutely wrong. The thing that wins elections, is the candidate thats promises the most to the masses.if you are a single mom with five kids, do you stop to think about political polling. No. You look for the one that is going to give you more welfare, better housing, more free meals at school, and all of the ABC departments that can help you survive..Pie in the sky is great but it does not pay the rent.

[DaxtonBrown]

Count me in to share conspiratorial perspectives

[DaxtonBrown]

My brother is addicted to Korean TV, much better. Clean, upbeat. Go Kpop!

[freeangel]

“The pair formed a symbiotic relationship. Drudge, who played a role in breaking the Monica Lewinsky story, made waves in the media with scoops on the latest Clinton scandals, and Free Republic provided a platform for conservatives to share conspiratorial perspectives and to organize their own rallies and events.”

Yep. God forbid that CONSERVATIVES hold rallies that they do not have to pay people to attend.

[muawiyah]

We've noticed there's little boob work ~ and that's for a good reason.

But the sword chopping is first class!

[jeffc]

...has allowed the Right the bury Obama’s message and dominate the political debate.

What?! Am I in an alternate universe?

I am completely unaware of what this tool is talking about. The Right's message is heavily suppressed by the "media" and twisted ("spun") out of recognition even when it is reported.

Is the fantasy land liberals inhabit full of cellophane flowers and marmalade skies?

[muawiyah]

Not true ~ the candidate wins who gets out the most voters ~ and you have to work on that way long before any campaign.

We have 90 million adults in this country who never vote! There's plenty in there for both the Republicans and Democrats to organize.

[JaguarXKE]

Instead of finding new accepting failed liberal solutions to public policy problems or seriously reevaluating Bush’s Democrat failures, conservatives focused almost solely on new ways to communicate their old ideas. ideas to fix what the left has done to this country, as evidenced in places like Detroit or any other US City run predominantly by Democrats.

Fixed.

[Tijeras_Slim]

organize their own rallies and events

What we do in life echoes in eternity.