Is Conservative Talk Radio Losing Its Influence?

WNYC ^ | March 25, 2016

[kevcol]

Ted Cruz has few friends on Capitol Hill, and the establishment is starting to line up behind him to take out Donald Trump.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham have endorsed Cruz, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida Senator Marco Rubio have hinted that they also might come along.

Cruz's base of support comes from conservative women, educated evangelicals, older voters and nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show hosts. Mark Levin and Glenn Beck have endorsed him, and he gets strong support from Rush Limbaugh.

Though Cruz has a friend in right-wing media, Donald Trump is still winning. Is conservative talk radio, once a powerful force in Republican politics, losing its influence? For answers, we turn to Darryl Parks, a media consultant and former talk radio host.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

That’s the way I see it and we are not alone.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Agreed

[magua]

Taking sides and to many commercials. Kuhner is the best of what’s becoming a bad bunch.

[oh8eleven]

Sadly, the one I have dropped most recently and the one I have listened to the longest, since 1991, is Rush.
I started listening to Rush in '91 too, and stopped listening in 2009.
   His show, which had been informative, educational, entertaining ... across a variety of subjects ... became a non-stop rant about one thing - Øbama.
Not that Øbama didn't deserve it, however, each day's show became the same, day after day after day. BORING.

[Gaffer]

I agree - at least with me. I long ago determined there was a screw loose with Beck and Levin really was never my cup of tea. I used to revere Limbaugh but I have taken to only listening to his first 15 or 30 minutes. If there is anything about “NFL” and trying to connect that with politics, I turn him off straight away.

The other thing I’m apprehensive about is what is really driving him, politically as it relates to financials. My bottom line is that I really just don’t trust him anymore.

He has long ago forgotten what it is like to be an American out here in drive by America. It is impossible to maintain that ‘connection’ with us when he lives in a Florida compound surrounded by luxury and his heart’s felt desires. In the end, he really isn’t just one of us - just another multi-millionaire who has a shtick that makes him a lot of money.

[Justa]

Rush is doing pretty good this time around.

This article is based upon the pretense that talk radio influences what people think, rather than representing what people are thinking. Rush spoke about this yesterday, that the establishment types just don’t get it. They believe everything revolves around them and their messaging. He said over and over “they just don’t get it”.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

For years they’ve told us that the GOP is out of touch and needs a change and then when Trump shows up now they scream that we need to stay with the same old pathetic losers (booger eating imbecile Cruz).

[Robert DeLong]

While it's true that people like your brother and his wife can support Trump, it is also true that many Republicans support Trump. For without Trump illegal immigration would not even be a topic of discussion in this race, period. That reason and that reason alone is why Republicans such as myself support him.

While true that he is not a staunch conservative, I think we all may be surprised at how much of a conservative Trump really is, at least I am praying for that to be the case. Hopefully my prayers will be answered.

While at one time being a staunch Cruz supporter, I began to become disillusioned with him when I saw him on the campaign trail and came to the realization that Cruz was a pretender. By that I mean he was not the person he had portrayed himself to be. He was not really a fighter for America or American values. It was like an actor playing a role, and he played it very well until he hit the campaign trail. Then it became all about himself and his quest for power. On top of that when I learned about his citizenship I became convinced that he is not eligible to hold the office because he is not a natural born citizen.

[TTFlyer]

I listen to Laura Ingraham when I get the chance. She’s smarter, more in tune with regular people, and more pleasant to listen to than rest of them. Limbaugh is a GOPe tool, Levin and Beck are insane, and I can’t stand Savage’s voice.

It’s my opinion that if by some miracle Trump is elected President(no other Republican has even the remotest chance of winning the Presidency)Limbaugh will disappear and Levin and the rest will dwindle to nothing.

[RIghtwardHo]

I’ve always hated talk radio. Rarely listen. I listen to Classical KUSC here.

[bigbob]

The more they operate as a branch of the Cruz Campaign, the more people turn to Trump. So it seems their influence is having the desired effect.

[VanDeKoik]

There are far better commentators, that are just normal everyday people on YouTube. Subscribe to enough of their channels, and you will have so many great videos, that you will forget talk radio even exists.

[Robert DeLong]

I actually left out a second reason why Republicans support Trump. He is not Republican insider, and Cruz has proven himself to be that as well.

[bravo whiskey]

I now rarely listen to national talk and even turn off local when they start talking national politics. Probably good for me. Turn on classical music and work on numerous hobbies.

[Agnes Heep]

Talk radio has never had much influence. Popular programs are simply a mirror of public sentiment, as manifest in the silent majority. The hosts give words to what, in the multitudes, are nothing more than sentiments.

[TomGuy]

It never had any.

Or else Clinton would have been a one-term president.

Or else Clinton and Obama would have been a one-term presidents.

Radio, even the talkshows, are entertainment and the hosts are entertainers*. Yutes listen to the so-called shock-jocks. The talkshows hosts are similar for an audience interested in political and newsie formats.

Example: Limbaugh did not sway his listeners to the Miers SC appointment, nor the Dubai ports deal. During that same era, Limbaugh was on the side of the open borders/amnesty pushers. He, not his listeners, changed positions. After GWBush lost both chambers of Congress in 2006, Limbaugh announced that he was 'no longer going to carry the water for the GOP.'

---

* Entertainers until they become full infomercials for certain candidates or issues. Then, they are nothing but propagandists.

[oh8eleven]

Savage was a breath of fresh air but it appears even he received the anti-Trump memo from corporate.
I couldn't disagree more. I listen to him every day and his support for Trump is over the top.

[Agnes Heep]

Savage was a breath of fresh air but it appears even he received the anti-Trump memo from corporate.

You don't suppose, do you, that there's just a teeny chance he might not like Trump's politics?

[gaijin]

I love talk radio however it is true that virtually no young people today listen to talk radio or any radio at all.

they listen to pre-recorded music on personal electronic devices, chat, vine, instagram, etc.

[CASchack]

Jeff Kuhner is the only conservative radio host I listen to now. Howie Carr is good for a few laughs, but his show is not cookie cutter conservative talk.