The fact that talk radio operates as a successful business model does not mean ANYTHING in the context of its value. The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater turned a profit. Would you rule out everything Goldwater wrote in that book because it sold well? It’s a goofy argument that actually encompasses some liberal dementia, the leftie conspiracist notion that “profit” automatically usurps legitimacy.
Talk radio has a vital place in the broad effort to move America back to the center-right position its citizenry largely reflects. As for you disagreeing with Limbaugh about illegal aliens, so be it. When you find a candidate or voice you agree with 100 percent of the time you will have thrown your own hat into the ring—until then...
No. All I am saying is that it is not Rush Limbaugh's job to change anyone's mind, and in fact he usually doesn't. Rush Limbaugh's job is to sell radio advertising time. He does that better than anyone working in the industry in this country.
Talk radio has a vital place in the broad effort to move America back to the center-right position its citizenry largely reflects.
Talk radio will not move anyone from one position to another. I grant that it has value ...even significant value ... in energizing its dedicated audience by validating their beliefs.
This is an unprovable point from either side of the discussion, however, as it seems to me that Conservative Talk Radio was utterly unable to get the people needed to beat back Obama to even get off the couch and vote.
Not one talk radio host took and ran with the (to me) shocking story of Obama' and Dick Morris' raising $2 million for Raile Odinga, and then campaigning, right along side the church-burning Muslim SOB, in Kenya. Not only was this a violation of the Logan Act, but when Odinga lost, Christians were burned alive, hundreds of thousands displaced, and Odinga threatened all-out civil war. He was backed up 100% by Obama, who politicked ferociously to have him given the post of Prime Minister.
Where were these conservative talkers; these paragons of constitutional government when this was going on? Well, they were doing their jobs, which is selling radio time to advertisers who want to reach their audience. Have you not noticed that very little political advertising runs on these shows? That's because if they are Republican, the political advertisers know they already have that audience. If the advertisers are democrats, they know they have no chance of convincing anyone and ought to save their money!
As for you disagreeing with Limbaugh about illegal aliens, so be it ...
When Rush was pushing illegal immigration as the "sign of a healthy economy, " he was doing his job. Selling radio time to the major corporations who wanted to reach his audience and who needed cheap labor and to keep more expensive labor quiet about it.
There is not a damn thing wrong with radio talkers selling radio time. What is wrong is the confusion amongst their fans. Yes it validates their closest held beliefs, and usually mine, but it has absolutely nothing to do with changing the minds of those who are outside the demo- and psychographics of the audience they already have.
The very good news is that for Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck, that audience is growing rapidly; albeit largely within the demo and psychographic parameters already established. I.E., more people of a similar kind are listening. I am watching this very closely ... for my business.
In short, if radio talkers, whom I happen to admire, wanted to show me something, they would stop ranting on about global concerns and concentrate on getting conservatives into office in local contests. And so far, not one of them .... nary a one ... has picked up on the need to re-think the 17th Amendment. Not one ... despite hours of ranting about BIG GOVERNMENT ... has bothered to explain that the most crucial check and balance in our constitution is the one between Federal and state power.
thrown your own hat into the ring—until then...
I have run for and won local office. And, I have run and lost, too. So I have put my (and others') money where my mouth is. But I think you expect too much of talk radio conservatives whose primary purpose is to build an audience and sell what they say to advertisers. By all means, take all the good we can out of their efforts, just take it with a grain of salt.