US liberals look to airwaves to combat right-wing shock jocks

The Independent (U.K.) ^ | 12/03/03 | Rupert Cornwell

[Pokey78]

For years they have been taking it on the chin, from motor-mouth talk-show hosts, take-no-prisoner conservative authors and all-knowing Republican pundits. Now liberal Democrats are fighting back, with best-selling books, a new Washington think-tank and probably their own radio network.

The network idea has failed before. But in today's acutely polarised US political climate, and the "love him or loathe him" public attitude to President George Bush, the prospects are brighter than in a long while. Progress Media, the company behind it, has bought radio stations in New York, Los Angeles and other major centres. It hopes to be operating early next year, as the 2004 election campaign moves into gear.

Among hosts being lined up are the former Disney executive, Martin Kaplan, the comedienne, Janeane Garofalo and the comedian and author-activist, Al Franken. Mr Franken is negotiating for his own daily talk-show and has also spearheaded another liberal counter-offensive, into the non-fiction best-seller lists where the hottest polemics had long come from the right. The liberal anti-Bush camp has been making the running with best-sellers, among them Mr Franken's critique of right-wing politicians and media called Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country?, and The Great Unraveling, by Paul Krugman, the Princeton economist turned New York Times columnist who has emerged as a liberal lion of the op-ed pages. If Mr Franken lands his show, he will be as outspoken as Rush Limbaugh, the doyen of the conservative hosts, and a good deal less pompous. As Mr Kaplan put it: "The self-righteousness of the right is now their greatest weakness. We need to put those people on a whoopee cushion."

And the rarefied world of think-tanks has felt the new liberal tide. The centre-left still has august strongholds such as the Brookings Institution. But conservative organisations such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, home of many of the neo-conservatives prominent in the Bush administration, make the most noise. They now have a rival in the liberal Centre for American Progress, headed by John Podesta, a White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton, part-funded by George Soros, the financier who has already given $12m (£7m) to Democratic causes to further his mission of toppling Mr Bush. More than $2m of Soros money has gone to MoveOn.Org, the fast-growing Web-based political group marshalling its forces against Mr Bush. Nor is it a coincidence that internet-mobilised activists are a key element in the success of Howard Dean, the liberal standard-bearer and frontrunner for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.

A talk-radio network could be another powerful Democratic weapon. Liberal radio had not worked, for reasons including the alleged indifference of liberals to having their views repeated, and a penchant for high-minded worthiness which makes for much political correctness, but dreary radio.

But the "stolen election" of 2000 rankles. Mr Bush inspires a hatred in their ranks that more than matches the loathing conservatives felt for Mr Clinton. And Democrats are outraged by ruthless Republican behaviour. They watched, frustrated, as Texas Republicans railroaded through a state districting plan that may guarantee the party control of Congress for decades. They watched, powerlessly, as the Republican majority on Capitol Hill twisted House rules to secure passage of Mr Bush's Medicare reform.

There is one problem. Only 20 per cent of Americans consider themselves liberal, 36 per cent call themselves conservative and 40 per cent say they are moderate. The activism might back-fire, galvanising true believers but antagonising the centrists Democrats must attract to prevail.

[OpusatFR]

The other problem is they will be preaching to the choir. Liberal radio rants, disseminates talking points, and doesn't discuss. The same screaming face-clones on tv will populate the air.

The second problem is that their choir doesn't read books, and I wouldn't read the simplistic garbage simply because I'm an Indy.

[The Old Hoosier]

Shock jocks?

[Steve_Seattle]

"If Mr Franken lands his show, he will be as outspoken as Rush Limbaugh, the doyen of the conservative hosts, and a good deal less pompous. As Mr Kaplan put it: "The self-righteousness of the right is now their greatest weakness. We need to put those people on a whoopee cushion."

"a good deal less pompous" - Rush isn't pompous; these people can't understand Rush's self-mocking humor when they hear it, because it is utterly foreign to them. Peter Jennings and Howard Dean have more pomposity in their little fingers than Rush does in his whole body. And I'm not a huge Rush fan, by the way.

"the self-righteousness of the right is their greatest weakness" - And the lack of self-knowledge, blinding them to their own self-righteousness, is one of the most frightening things about liberals.

[You Gotta Be Kidding Me]

What? CBS, NBC, and ABC aren't good enough for leftists? No matter, they will go belly-up, anyway.

[Burkeman1]

Been tried before, more than once and liberals fail miserably on the radio. Remember Dershowits? Remember Cuomo? Boh touted as the liberal answer and solution to Rush and other right of center talk show hosts. They were off the air in a matter of months. Why? Because liberals are stupid and don't read newspapers or follow the news that closely. They are morons who are so delusional that they think they are smart and don't have to read or learn about anything. In fact- I would wager thar Dershowitz and Cuomo had more conservatives listening to them than they did liberals!

But I can't wait to hear Franken on the air deal with conservative callers almost all of whom will be far better informed than him. He will end up screening his calls quite carefully. Too bad his show will only be on a few weeks at best before the plug is pulled. I could use the laughs. Is it possible to go short on this venture?

[moyden2000]

Desperate people doing desperate things.

Ho-hum.

[demlosers]

Now liberal Democrats are fighting back, with best-selling books, a new Washington think-tank and probably their own radio network.

Yeah LOL!

They get to put their splended ideas to the airwaves. I wonder if those goof-balls will let caller challenge them? They better heavily screen their caller hehehehe...

[Calvin Locke]

IIRC, Howard Stern dared to vocalize the obvious about the Clintons and their acts.

[demlosers]

caller = callers

[BossLady]

Exactly! Aren't there enough 'liberal outlets'?

[kevao]

A talk-radio network could be another powerful Democratic weapon.

Unless Howard Dean breaks it up after destroying the Fox network. But maybe Dean would view the two networks differently.

[Dutch Boy]

Every dollar the libs dump into this loser project is a dollar not given to fun a candidate. Sure the will be pushing the lefts agenda but it takes listeners to do get it out. I'm betting it will flop in a few years. Better yet, need to add Rush and Dr. Laura to get ratings and advertisers.

[Burkeman1]

LOL! But seriously - those were some of the scariest comments coming from an American politicians mouth that I have ever heard. I thank Mathews for dragging those remarks out him. Truly revealing of what is really behind "liberalism".

[JoJo Gunn]

You were right the first time.

[gaijin]

Liberal radio had not worked, for reasons including the alleged indifference of liberals to having their views repeated,

Ha! Does anyone here belive this?

Let me give you the complete details of the liberal agenda; "Conservatives are evil --here's your free stuff!"

Of course that gets boring pretty quickly; it doesn't need any logic, and it doesn't need any argument...!

[Political Junkie Too]

Democrats are outraged by ruthless Republican behaviour. They watched, frustrated, as Texas Republicans railroaded through a state districting plan that may guarantee the party control of Congress for decades.

Blah, blah, blah...

Republicans were outraged at how the Democrats took the New Jersey Senate seat away from Doug Forrester, at how they still haven't confirmed 95 of Bush's executive branch nominees, at how they are blocking up-or-down votes on his judicial nominees...

-PJ

[VOYAGER]

You beat me to it, OpusatFR about preaching to the choir but more than that who in hell or on the earth with any self respect would watch it except to be entertained by their MAD MAD MAD MAD stupidity and idiotic blabbering antics?

[Bars4Bill]

The Problem With Liberal Talk Radio

[Wheee The People]

Bring it on.