Posted on 01/21/2013 5:44:58 AM PST by servo1969
During the past week, whenever I found myself alone in the car during good drive-time talk radio (i.e., Rush), I did something unusual: I didn’t listen. Instead, I turned to mindless pop music. I was thinking about this peculiar behavior on my part, because I truly love Rush. I think he’s a radio genius, someone who understands perfectly the lines between entertainment, news, and analysis. He’s also one of the sharpest political thinkers out there. No wonder the Left hates him.
But still…. I didn’t want to listen.
Analyzing my bizarre retreat from Rush, I realized that my problem is that the things that used to energize me during Obama’s first term — conservatives reporting on the faults and foibles of the administration, even as the MSM ignored them — no longer stir me up. I’ve had four years to learn that Obama is not the “hope” promised, unless your hope was for a jobless stock market recovery, endless welfare rolls, increased racial tension, a simmering Middle East that constantly threatens to explode, negative pressure on core Constitutional rights, and all the other practical and ideological changes Obama’s presidency has brought to America. The problem is that, while you and I were riled by these stories, none of this data penetrated the minds of less engaged American voters, all of whom who listened to the media’s siren song and reelected Obama.
Having accomplished its job, the media is suddenly discovering that there are some problems with Obama’s first term, everything from violently antisemitic and anti-American “friends” in Egypt, to the coming economic and medical disaster that is ObamaCare, to the corruption that’s always swirled around his administration. As I told my mother when she pointed to such stories, this isn’t just a case of too little, too late. It’s nastier than that. The media is doing these stories as cover: when the second Obama term brings badness to America (although Obama may still escape unscathed), the media has provided itself with some plausible deniability. It can point to these articles and say “We told you so” — the big con being that they only told the American people so after they’d ensured that Obama locked up a second term in office.
The fact is that four years of conservative media pointing out what Obama and the Dem Progressives are doing made no difference to the ultimate outcome in 2012. To be sure, there was a ton of criticism from the Right, but it wasn’t constructive, because those who needed it (Obama and the Dem Progs) weren’t listening and wouldn’t have changed anyway. It was criticism in a vacuum. It made the minority party feel better, but ultimately had no effect.
I want marching orders, not whining mourners. I want to hear ideas about how to change the body politic, not another story about what weasels Obama and his buddies are. I already know that stuff — and the media, for reasons of its own, is finally doing a little heavy lifting and is starting to report on a few foibles in the Obama administration. The fact is that Obama will not run again. He’s already old news. What conservatives need know is to disengage from the war with Obama and begin, instead to plot a strategy for 2014 and beyond, one that ignores this little man and, instead, focuses on shaping ideological issues in ways that excite the man on the street. Talk radio, with its vast reach, should be a source of inspiration, rather than relentless, mis-focused anger.
I’m with you. I suggested as much on a e-mail (I belong to 24/7) but who knows if it was ever read?
We focus too muuch (I guess I mean talk radio focuses too much) on the ‘superstars’ or the ones at the top, like Boehner, and the little guys toiling away in the ranks are ignored, like peasants.
We aren’t that kind of people. Ordinary people are and can be heroes. We need to bring attention to the smaller contests. That’s what’s going to matter.
Or lures them into complacency.
Given that Rush had a theme lasting few years that O was toast in 2012 it shouldnt be a surprise that when posters posted vanities here in OCTober demanding that Romney go hard on Bengazi that many here jumped in pointing out that Romney was winning and shouldn't take risks. It was in the bag Rush assured us. O didnt even want to win.
That is just one example.
His slut comments worked just great in Dems strategy to get out the Dem woman vote for Obama(as with Akin and CO.) .
But in his imaginary world the election was in the ‘bag’ and those folks were demoralized so why worry?
OK, so he made you feel great for a few years.
How about the day after election when reality set in ?
I am surprised there were not more suicides.
If he is right in any predictions I am sure his reasoning is wrong.
Except for the Tea Party showing up, on the ground, weird looking hats and all, what have WE been doing since? Leaders emerge from movement, but there is none.
Pretty hard for Rush and other conservative programmers to carry our lethargic behinds over the line, three hours a day, musing on that.
The Tea Party won their first battle and it all came from US, not the conservative talkers who speak and report on our themes.
Seems to me, we’ve lost our nerves, making excuses that some RINO will take over our movement, so let’s not try.
There are plenty of organizations out there, and the NRA is only one. There is one other with nerve— the Libertarians, and most southern churches. The black 2A defenders just marched. Has anybody gotten in touch with them?
We may not like each other’s views, but look at all the single issues that bring us together in the blink of an eye, and there is no vehicle for a disparate group of Americans to come together and carry that single issue.
Freedom of Religion and Speech and the Right to Bear Arms is has a silent majority out there, still. Churches are going to have to get in on some of this, lest they get silenced themselves, or taxed out of their own solvency.
I can relate to this author - I was demoralized after the election and have had a bit of “what’s the use/may as well focus on matters close to home” attitude - mostly because the Republicans are so spineless.
I also can relate to Rush - he, Barone, others, including a lot here were just shellshocked at how what we thought was just a White Guilt, moment-in-time fluke in 2008 has been really revealed to be a sad state of culture/pop-culture stupidity. It’s still hard to believe that the backbone based on True and Godly principles is now routinely mocked and portrayed as the exception - not the fiber.
I agree with many of the comments posted here. I don’t listen very often anymore but I wouldn’t be too hard on Rush. There is room for criticism but let’s make it constructive. Most of us know that talk radio or other media isn’t going to win the day for conservatives. Our problems are deeper than the sphere talk radio deals with. Our problems are moral and, let’s face it, no one wants to go there. Even here on Free Republic the occasional articles addressing the moral abyss that is America don’t usually get too many replies - a few, but it’s like people are tiptoeing around them. We stink like a bloated cesspool and we all know it. The line in the sand has been drawn. We have two claims for absolute truth competing head to head and our side it losing. I do agree with ClearCase_guy that our focus and energy politically might be better spent at the local level. It will probably never rise to the point where talk radio will deal with it - but who knows. I think Christian Americans need to prepare for real persecution and I wish all Americans would spend more time on their knees praying for their country and taking stock of their own heart and relationship with their Creator. Another post of today is worth reading if you haven’t already - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2980294/posts
I was a pretty enthusastic Rush fan exactly 20 years ago Jan 1993 but much has happened in 20 years.
In fact I couldnt listen to his radio show at work so I time taped every single TV show of his and watched them.
In fact his TV was much better than his radio shew because in 21 minutes he had to make sure he wasnt just showing boring crap. I really enjoyed it and saved many excerpts of it on tape, it was really the cream of his material with videos of Dems talking..
On his radio show he can just ramble enlessly.
At best, talk radio is preaching to the (shrinking) choir. At worst, its job is to keep that choir content that someone is out there who shares their beliefs. Opinon-making is being increasingly done on the Internet and the Comedy Channel. Conservatives don't have to like these facts, but they have to recognize them and change tactics.
[I realize that most persons have moved on by the time I finish writing long comments, but I’m going to post what I wrote anyway.]
>”...none of this data penetrated the minds of less engaged American voters, all of whom who listened to the media’s siren song and reelected Obama.” [Bookworm]<
Yes, as others have said, the left has greater access to the people who are only casually interested in politics (and I like the term “low-information voter”). That’s a major handicap. We on the right fulminate against the left on talk radio and at sites such as this one, and against RINOs or less conservative Republicans (such as McCain and Romney), yet we don’t even manage to win in the primaries in large turnout elections such as the presidential ones.
With a little luck, and a slightly better candidate, we might get a few more percentage points in the elections and get somebody elected who’s preferable to the likes of Obama. We’re underdogs in any major contest with the left, though, because they control the schools, the entertainment industry, and the mainstream news media.
I don’t see an easy or quick way to remedy this (and I’m rather pessimistic about whether it can be remedied). I don’t oppose internal criticism (though I dislike continually hearing people swear that they’ll never vote for this person or that — against any alternative). Just raging against what we think is wrong here, though, won’t give us access to the low information voter.
I think we need to make more inroads into the mainstream media. Attempt to reduce their bias at least in the ways that are open to us. For instance, lately I’ve been editing some Wikipedia articles, mostly for non-political purposes (merely because I’m interested in the topics). I’ve also tried to reduce leftist political bias when I see it, though. Not in dramatic confrontational ways (not yet anyway), or by substituting bias of my own, but by honestly trying to make the articles more objective.
My trivial efforts are just a drop in the bucket, but if millions of persons on the right did something to reduce the bias of the pop media, that might help. We still need rightwing talk radio and internet sites that promote the right — if for nothing else, as places of refuge, and to bolster our spirits — but just winning battles there won’t win elections. One way or another we need to influence the so-called “objective” media too, both by modifying what’s there and by helping less biased competitors.
I’ve been listening to Rush ever since he was in Sacramento, but don’t listen for three hours at a time. I just tune in for a while, mostly at the beginning of the show. I confess that since the election I’ve listening less than usual, because I’ve been trying to distract myself from politics. Still, I won’t give up completely.
Maybe you should look at the treatment Orly Taiz received here, or for that matter anyone that brings it up. It is not to be discussed, not here, not anywhere.
Would those be the same voters that work so hard to steal the election? The ones we don't want to mention here, because Fraud is a fixable problem? Those Low Information Voters that carry precincts with 100% voter participation?
We will never win another election as long as we accept electronic voting and tabulation. The state I now live in is 100% mail in and I will never know if my vote was tabulated correctly, since there is no human I can go to in my precinct to hold accountable.
It isn't the low information voter that is the problem, it is the shadow voter that we have allowed to be created.
I am tired of the anger.
Rush is better than most. But I barely listen to talk radio any more.
I understand things make us angry.
But anger is not helpful. Marching orders, as this author mentions, are. I am interested in making things better, not stewing in angry juice.
“I gave up on all of the conservative talking bobbleheads when they failed to address the BC issue in any manner”
Oh yes, I’d forgotten about that. What a weird world we live in. How could this be a non-starter with EVERYONE on the radio?
today it is the Tea Party that the RNC hates.
Rockefeller speech 1964 Convention.
Remarks on Extremism at the 1964 Republican National Convention by NEW YORK GOVERNOR NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA JULY 14, 1964
Rockefeller, Scranton, Romney, et al wanted a plank in the Party 1964 election platform condemning.. well, Goldwater and his supporters.
The Republican Party fully respects . . . responsible criticism, and . . . the right of dissent . . . But we repudiate . . . irresponsible, extremist groups . . . [that] discredit our Party by their efforts to infiltrate positions of responsibility in the Party, or to attach themselves to its candidates.The time has come for the Republican party . . . [to] take decisive action [against groups] which would subvert this party to purposes alien to the very basic tenets which gave this party birth . . . "The Republican party is in real danger of subversion by a radical, well-financed and highly disciplined minority . . . [the purpose of this minority is] "wholly alien to the . . . honest conservatism [of] the Republican party . . ., wholly alien to the sound and honest Republican liberalism . . . , wholly alien to . . . the mainstream of Republican principles."
. . . During this year, I have criss-crossed this nation . . . warning of the extremist threat, its danger to the party and its danger to the nation . . . These extremists feed on fear, hate and terror. They have no program for America - no program for the Republican party . . . These extremists have no plan and no program to keep the peace and bring freedom to the world. On the contrary - they spread distrust. They engender suspicion. They encourage disunity. And they operate from the dark shadows of secrecy . . .
There is no place in this Republican party for such hawkers of hate, such purveyors of prejudice, such fabricators of fear . . . There is no place in this Republican party for those who would infiltrate its ranks, distort its aims, and convert it into a cloak of apparent respectability for a dangerous extremism. . . These people have nothing in common with Republicanism. These people have nothing in common with Americans. The Republican party must repudiate these people.
Republicans have wanted to control talk radio just as much as the Left does and in those days there was control.
I don't want to see that again. I've heard several talk radio hosts say the consultants are advising the people are tired of the criticism of Obama, et al. I wonder about those consultants.
“Maybe you should look at the treatment Orly Taiz received here, or for that matter anyone that brings it up. It is not to be discussed, not here, not anywhere.”
Actually there was a lot of information posted here and a dedicated search word, those who fought us were New World Order republican fascists, out of the same mold as the democrat fascists.
“but the Republicans are quickly throwing away their defining principles “
Now that is funny, you assume they have defining principles to begin with when the facts are the republican leadership is in bed with and part of the New World Order fascist government.
And there name was Bush, the real pretend conservative family.
The real enemy of these New World Order thugs is Jesus Christ.
Islam is coming here and it will not be the religion of peace that GW told us they were. No one here wants to look into the strong ties between the Bush family and Saudi Arabia the money bag for Wahhabism.
Did you read the attacks by the lawyer types, that always followed her posts, they were disgusting.
“Oh yes, I’d forgotten about that. What a weird world we live in. How could this be a non-starter with EVERYONE on the radio?”
Simple, they are following the orders of their masters, no doubt!
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