Feb 08 2008
Talk Radio Back In The Box
Glenn Reynolds linked to a very good observation about talk radio and its role in American politics – which is not as leaders for the cause:
Polls didn’t look good for Romney going into that primary anyhow, and when he did lose it to McCain, it was evident that Hewitt & Co. had failed.
I wonder, though, if they’ll come out of this with any humility? Look, talk radio does two things very well: It whips up rage about issues that are already disturbing the GOP base, and it ensures that stories favorable to the right, or damaging to the left percolate up into the traditional media. That’s it. No one ever anointed these talkers leaders of anyone, or anything…they simply assumed that mantle for themselves, and were shocked, shocked I tell you when CPAC rolled around, and they saw in the mirror that the mantle didn’t exist: They were naked.
Indeed, what the Republican establishment considered an unbeatable alliance, talk radio combined with National Review, was unable to save them from what they perceive as the horror of a John McCain nomination. Still, the predominant narrative you see among that crew since Tuesday is that McCain must come to them to reassure them of his stalwart conservatism. That’s hubris all over again, isn’t it?
How true.
I think that there were two institutions that took a hit in the last few weeks:
polls and pundits.
Today the AP is all breathless to tell us that Bush and Congress have record sitting down numbers. But Rasmussen has Bush’s numbers up and so does NPR. In the primaries, we had polls giving Romney a tie in California, and 8 point advantage in California, but none of them predicted the 8 point vote lead. Everyone had written Huckabee off in the South, but he did much better there than he was supposed to.
Meanwhile talk radio keeps on going just like they speak for the People. The truth is McCain does not really owe these people anything. But there he was at CPAC anyway.
I think it is also obvious that the internet is not the big deal they thought it was in terms of getting out the vote.
I have wondered however, whether Congress or the President will ever have high numbers again. With all the noise out there all the time with cable TV news and the internet and talk radio, it seems these folks are good at putting people in a bad and unhappy mood.
Other than that….
I should have said none of the polls predicted an 8 point vote lead for McCain.
Not sure who put these talking heads in charge of thinking for the rest of the country but remember they are media mercenaries first and Americans second. Their usefulness is in keeping the other crooks on their toes to at least not be so blatant in their screwing of the American people.
He’s wrong. The primary conservative talkers (Rush the most prominent) are not leaders, nor do they make that claim. They’re spokespersons – bullhorns – but not leaders. Rush makes this point continuously.
Do we have to go over this again? Talk radio does have influence and it did impact some races, but (obviously) not enough to stop McCain. When Fred entered but proved a big disappointment as a candidate (Krauthammer decribes it well today), the field was void of a compelling conservative in the race. The last remaining option was Romney, but voters (or enough of them) did not warm up to him. His johhny-come-lately tag to across-the-board conservatism didn’t help and his technocrat speak did not connect emotionally. It is a huge leap, and incorrect, to claim that talk radio is waning or has no influence because McCain will be the nominee. Reynolds and others who think this are wrong, again.
As for the matter of demanding or expecting McCain to come to them — as I said on another thread, this is a 2-way street. Better believe McCain needs to reach out if he has any hope of winning in Nov. “Get out the vote” will be more important than ever with the way dems, and especially young voters, are fired up this year.
On the flip side, conservatives need to get with the reality and understand the lasting damage (Iraq retreat, GWOT setbacks, high taxes, govt-run healthcare, liberal & activist judges, etc.) that may be inflicted if McCain loses. Yes, the GOP will have changed, lurching left, but in the big picture this is preferrable to the other outcome. So conservatives need to show respect and make it easier for McCain to work with them. They/we need each other.