National Hate Radio: both hosts AND callers are scripted!

[DFW]

From the American Prospect (www.prospect.org)

TALK RADIO HOSTS AND CALLERS GETTING THEIR TALKING POINTS STRAIGHT FROM GOP. This is on the light side, but it's fun and worth a quick note. If you've ever wondered why right-wing talk radio is so often devoid of any real dialogue, this might help explain why: It turns out that the hosts and the listeners who call in and speak are getting their talking points straight from the GOP.

Seriously. If you go to the Republican National Committee's Web site and click where it says "call talk radio," you'll find yourself on this page. It lists the phone numbers of many major talk show hosts, but that's not all: It also offers a list of "talking points" for callers to use when they call the shows. Among them: "Stand with President Bush on increased defense spending that better prepares and protects our military," and "stand with President Bush in his efforts to protect the homeland by controlling the borders." You can see a screen grab of the page below.

The RNC's site also offers these helpful tips for callers:

Plan What You Are Going to Say: Print or write out your talking points to help you plan what you are going to say before you are on the air...
Be Clear and Concise: When you get on the air, sound upbeat and excited to be on the program.


What about the hosts? Well, they're getting their talking points from the same place the callers are -- the Republican National Committee. From the Washington Post:

The RNC is shipping reams of information to conservative radio hosts, television commentators and bloggers. Those GOP talking points detail the Democratic connections of groups including the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and American Family Voices, which are working to turn the scandal into an issue with national implications.
And this is by no means an isolated case. So both hosts and callers are at least in some cases repeating lines fed to them by the RNC. Talk about an echo-chamber.

One reason this is interesting is that there isn't anything really comparable on the other side. Yes, Dem party officials, organizers and other liberal groups constantly urge supporters to write letters to newspapers, and even in some cases supply actual language. But the Democratic National Committee simply can't ship its talking points straight to editors of newspapers, secure in the knowledge that those talking points will faithfully and regularly be echoed in editorials and in letters to the editor.

[Ganja Ninja]

1. The GOP: "We do the thinking so you don't have to."

[BlueEyedSon]

12. I always thought it was Ze Frank!

[NC_Nurse]

2. Wow, they have them print out their talking points to refer to

even THEY know how stupid their base is. Amazing.

[wake.up.america]

3. Talking Points!!!!? I don't need no stinking "talking points". I talk...

from the heart about people being screwed.

[ClintonTyree]

4. No surprise there.

This has been common knowledge (for Progressives, anyway) for at least a decade. For Joe and Sally Sixpack......maybe not. They're duped into thinking that this is the pulse of American people and, not being ones for actually doing any research themselves, believe this to be true. This is how hate radio perpetuates itself, preying upon the ignorant and gullible.
How many people are aware that Rush Limbaugh is a comedian? Few. VERY few. They think he speaks for a majority of Americans when nothing could be further from the truth.
Of course it's difficult to get this message out to the American public because the media doesn't lend itself broadcasting the progressive message. The Reich-Wing controls the Corporate tax cuts, thus, the message.

[underpants]

5. Well they are organized but this is nothing new to the Norquist crowd

they have a big meeting every Wednesday morning to review the prior week, set the issues to be discussed this week and how to talk about them. Laura Ingraham famously erred and said something nice about Clinton and was disinvited to the meeting forever. She hasn't fallen off the earth yet but this helped move her toward the edge.

[underpants]

7. BTW - got a direct link to the article???

?

[underpants]

9. Here is a link to the 'Call talk radio' page

http://www.gop.com/GetActive/CallTalkRadio.aspx

[maine_raptor]

6. Oh, and like this is a surprise????

I would think the question should be; "Why DOESN'T the Democratic web site have the same thing?"

[farmbo]

8. GOP Freedom on the March: Freedom from Thought

eom

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. They are cheap whores for the RW. I've said that for years.

No doubt in my mind that they get marching orders straight from the RNC.

[Gman]

11. Kinda verifies the old adage

"Vote Republican - it's easier than thinking."

[DFW]

13. Here's the link:

http://www.prospect.org/horsesmouth/

[dapper]

14. No Liberals on the list

I didn't see Alex Bennett, Bill Press not even Ed Schultz. :evilgrin:

I guess this website needs to feed the fools.

Dap