Conservatives may have talk radio...

Tribune papers ^ | January 7, 2003 | Dennis Prager

[Madcelt]

The New York Times just published one of its most revealing articles in memory: "Outflanked Democrats Wonder How to Catch Up in Media Wars." Apparently, the Democratic Party is gravely concerned that its liberal message is not being heard. And the reason Democrats give is that conservatives dominate talk radio, Fox News, and the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times. Because of talk radio, two editorial pages and one cable news channel, liberals just cannot get their message across to Americans. Full disclosure demands that I acknowledge a vested interest here. I have been a radio talk show host for 20 years -- 16 in Los Angeles and the last four in national syndication (through the Salem Radio Network). So I read with a big smile how influential my profession is perceived to be. But all this begs two questions: why is talk radio so powerful, and why is it dominated by conservatives? The first question is particularly fascinating. That Democrats chafe at conservative dominance in talk radio is almost incredible -- because liberals dominate everything else. Liberals dominate television: Aside from some Fox News shows (remember the conservative Sean Hannity is paired with the liberal Alan Colmes), the liberals dominate everything on TV (with the exception of John Stossel's specials on ABC). They dominate CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC and CNN news broadcasts, and they dominate all television entertainment.

Liberals dominate the education of our young: The ratio of Democrats to Republicans among liberal arts professors at universities is routinely 20 to one. And the deans, the presidents, the curricula, the speech codes and the campus newspapers are all liberal. Liberals also run the schools of education, the law schools, the high schools and the elementary schools. Liberals dominate Hollywood: Are the Democrats unfamiliar with Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Julia Roberts, and almost every other star who speaks out on political issues? Do Democrats not attend movies, which with almost no exception are liberal, if not radical, in their messages? Have you seen any movies recently with a businessman hero?

Any with an affirmation of Judaism or Christianity? Liberals dominate the public airwaves: National Public Radio has been dubbed National Palestinian Radio for good reason. And PBS has just produced and aired what even The New York Times called "an Islamic infomercial" in its special on Islam. Juxtapose that with its skeptical inquiries into the beliefs of Christian or Jewish believers. Liberals dominate the biggest foundations: such as the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations.

Liberals dominate almost every major newspaper both in news coverage and editorial page positions: The Wall Street Journal editorial page is conservative as are the editorial and news pages of The Washington Times. But the liberals have the rest, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, and the Chicago Tribune. Liberals dominate virtually every professional organization: the American Bar Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Library Association, American Nurses Association, National Education Association, American Political Science Association, the Trial Lawyers Association, and, of course, every big labor union.

Liberals dominate much of organized religion: the mainstream Protestant churches and Reform and Conservative Judaism; while the liberal social message (with the exception of abortion rights) dominates much of the Roman Catholic Church. Liberals dominate activist groups: the feminist, civil rights and civil liberties organizations as well as black, Hispanic, gay and Jewish organizations. But according to Democrats, this domination of virtually all of American public life is not enough to get their message to the American people. Something must be done about the one TV news network, the two editorial pages and the radio shows they do not control. Which raises the question -- why is it that liberals cannot dominate talk radio as they do virtually everything else? I will answer this at length in a subsequent column, but the answer can be easily summarized -- liberals dominate where they cannot be intellectually challenged.

It is effortless for a college professor to spout leftist rhetoric to naive young people who just graduated from high school. Let them have to defend their radical views in public and they wilt. That is why many leftist professors refuse to come on my radio show -- they are unused to intellectual debate. They live with, work among, and relate to, fellow leftists. They almost never have to engage conservative ideas. We in talk radio, on the other hand, immerse ourselves in liberal newspapers, debate liberal guests and take liberal callers. In short, the reason the liberal message is not being heard, despite liberal control of almost all public organs of communication, is that it is incoherent. The message, not a lack of messengers, is the contemporary liberal problem.

[T Lady]

I can definitely relate to that. I nearly ended fellowship with a Liberal friend of mine at church over the issues of Reparations and being Black and conservative.

...Truth is like krytonite to a Lefty.

-Regards, T.

[Tamzee]

Yep, the bias I detest the most is what you see on campuses. And I am petrified personally!! I am taking online classes from Penn State working toward a higher degree and one of the required classes is called "The Mass Media and Society"... I start it this week :( I checked it out with someone who already took it, the Professor is not only an intellectual snob, but he is extremely liberal... or is that redundant?? LOL Plus, I find that one of the required materials is a 12 week subscription to the "New York Times" as the world's "newspaper of record" as he calls it....

I am scared to death! Here we are going to be using the NYT to discuss how newspapers effect public opinion and if I breathe a word of how I feel I lose the 4.0 GPA I've maintained for years...

Help, anyone??
Tammy

[T Lady]

I rest my case.

...My heart goes out to you, especially having to actually PAY for the SLIMES-even for twelve weeks.

Hopefully the Prof will go easy on you. I'll keep you in my prayers.

-Regards, T.

[Spirited]

"The problem the liberals are having is the fact that their message is being heard."

Yes, and a great deal of the message that is coming through at last is contained in the fine appendage which friend "Madcelt" uses, "A liberal is a man who will give away everything he doesn't own."

Perhaps after all this time the so-called "little guy" can understand that it is what he earns that is at risk if he and his wife can both work and put together as much as an income of $90,000 a year. According to tax happy Demopublicans that dumps him into the "rich" column and makes him live prey.

If we didn't have all the hidden taxes the nation would revolt.

[Savage Beast]

The Democrat Party's "Liberal" message has been heard. That's the problem.

[sweetliberty]

"Apparently, the Democratic Party is gravely concerned that its liberal message is not being heard"

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Hey morons! Your message is being heard loud and clear. Did you ever think that maybe AMERICANS don't like your message? Did you ever think that maybe we're sick of all your lies. Did you consider the possibility that we don't want to slaves of socialism under the wicked witch of Chappaqua?? Instead of taking all that campaign money and dumping it into sleazy, lying ads to "get your worthless message out" why don't you buy yourselves a clue? A one way ticket to the marxist paradise of your choice would be a good idea too! You people have become a cancer and a curse upon this country.

[sweetliberty]

They aren't mad because their message isn't being heard. They are mad because ours IS.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Great post BTW, Thanks.

[sweetliberty]

I am reminded of the scripture that says "the light came into the world and men preferred the darkness because their deeds were evil." The liberal "message" is dependent on darkness...the darkness of lies and deception and ignorance, and though darkness may cover all the land, all it takes to dispel darkness is the light of a single flame. That is why they hate Rush and Fox and the editorial pages. That is why they hate Free Republic. We are flames of light and those who seek truth are drawn to it, abandoning the darkness and those who dwell in it.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Dennis is absolutely brilliant when he debates those on the left.

I’ve never heard him but we have so very few conservatives that can keep up with the Forehead, Serpenthead, Estridge, et al, and their demoguogery. The Great one, Walter E. Williams, Bill Bennett, Ann Coulter are the very few that can. I love Rush but he, Sean, G. Gordon are not really in the same league. IMHO

Tucker Carlson is an absolute embarrassment.

[sweetliberty]

"This is only because the proffessor did not agree with my viewpoint, which of course was (and still is) the conservative view."

That was my experience in college as well. Thankfully, I had really not started taking much of a political view at the time. I framed my beliefs in the context of right and wrong. I had to work three times as hard and produce a much better product than my liberal, and I might add, often less studious, classmates. I was challenged by many professors for believing that there are moral absolutes and I spent all my years in college locked in a war of ideology with them. I stood my ground though, and challenged them constantly. In retrospect, I think I was something of a curiosity. I eventually graduated magna cum laude, but I think I put more into each year of my education than some students put into their entire college career.

[Tamzee]

Yes, the paying part galls me, too LOL Thank you for the prayers, I think I will be needing them!

Tammy

[sweetliberty]

What helped me through some of the murky, mushy liberal infested courses and assignments I had in college was to find a way to personalize the material. I have often said that the most important thing I learned in college was why I believe the things I do. I was challenged a lot, but by no one as much as myself. Sometimes I would respond to a question or an issue based on a gut reaction, but would not really be able to explain my position. So I would find a way to focus on that particular question and would then apply it to a research paper or to framing questions to address in the next class discussion. I'm sure most of my professors hated it when I raised my hand in class. I had at least one who couldn't talk to me without getting red in the face. But I never backed down; not once. I may not have gained popularity with the professors, but in every case I did earn their respect.

The best advice I can offer is to say, don't allow yourself to be intimidated, stand on your own principles, take the opportunity to firm them up and don't be afraid of challenging the professor. He/she might learn a thing or two from you.

[Jeff Chandler]

I wish I had the time to go back to college. It would be so much fun. My favorite technique when dealing with liberal elitists is sandbagging. I was a liberal for much of my life, so I am intimately familiar with their thought processes. My wife thinks it's cruel when I do it, but it feels so good!

[Tamzee]

Thanks for the advice, it really sounds like the only avenue I can take and be able to live with myself LOL That was somewhat the route I took last semester with an "Ethics in America" course... never worked so hard at a course in my life :-)

I adored that ethics course, BTW, only problem was that it made me even more conservative than ever!! I wonder why that was.... hmmmm.... ;-)

Thanks again for the support!
Tammy

[sweetliberty]

Hope it helps. Best of luck With it. I got more conservative in college too.

[Tamzee]

Could you tell me exactly the right way to use your sandbagging procedure???? There is a far-far-almost-off-the-edge-leftie in the only other forum I belong to (it's for our community association and is supposed to be about local affairs). The guy who "volunteers" to run the board for the association is constantly posting radical editorial pieces PROVING BUSH LIED... or so he screams :-( He absolutely detests Bush/Republicans and doesn't care what kind of uncredible poison he posts as long as it supports what he wants to believe. What makes matters worse is that most of the other "old guard" in this association are Dem's also (I live close to NYC, tell you something?). I complained one time that political posts are inappropriate in a local affairs group forum only to get blasted by many of the members about "free speech", "we like what he posts", "we learn a lot from him "(YECH)

He also insists the media is biased towards Republicans.... arggg... The more I have tried to reply to his posts with documentation, etc, the more he dances around backing up "unnamed experts" with just yet more smoke-and-mirror poison.

How would you handle this guy?? I'd be most appreciative of any insight...

Tammy

[Tamzee]

You and I both became more conservative despite their evil intentions?? HAHHH.... we spoiled their nefarious plot LOL

I like your nick very much, BTW. Liberty IS sweet, and to be cherished and treated with dignity by all of us blessed to have it. Hoping someday...

Peace,
Tammy

[sweetliberty]

Well, I'm off to bed. Not good to be all FReep and no sleep. LOL!

[Tamzee]

Night and sweet dreams :-)