"The Wizard of Beck"-The electoral ineffectiveness of Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.

[pampango]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/opinion/02brooks.html?_r=1

"Let us take a trip back into history. Not ancient history. Recent history. It is the winter of 2007. The presidential primaries are approaching. The talk jocks like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and the rest are over the moon about Fred Thompson. They’re weak at the knees at the thought of Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, they are hurling torrents of abuse at the unreliable deviationists: John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Yet the imaginary armies do not materialize. McCain wins the South Carolina primary and goes on to win the nomination. The talk jocks can’t even deliver the conservative voters who show up at Republican primaries. They can’t even deliver South Carolina!"

"So what is the theme of our history lesson? It is a story of remarkable volume and utter weakness. It is the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche — even in the Republican Party. It is a story as old as “The Wizard of Oz,” of grand illusions and small men behind the curtain."

"Over the years, I have asked many politicians what happens ...when Limbaugh and his colleagues attack. The story is always the same. Hundreds of calls come in. The receptionists are miserable. But the numbers back home do not move. There is no effect on the favorability rating or the re-election prospects. In the media world, he is a giant. In the real world, he’s not."

"But this is not merely a story of weakness. It is a story of resilience. For no matter how often their hollowness is exposed, the jocks still reweave the myth of their own power. They still ride the airwaves claiming to speak for millions. They still confuse listeners with voters. And they are aided in this endeavor by their enablers. They are enabled by cynical Democrats, who love to claim that Rush Limbaugh controls the G.O.P. They are enabled by lazy pundits who find it easier to argue with showmen than with people whose opinions are based on knowledge. They are enabled by the slightly educated snobs who believe that Glenn Beck really is the voice of Middle America."

[BumRushDaShow]

1. It's not just radio faux-bloviators

It's cable frauds tv network frauds and newsprint frauds as well. They ALL colluded to create the chaotic state of this nation by overly focusing on the illitarti and magnifying their poutrage.

[fasttense]

2. Good point.

If Fake News and Limpballs had so much power to generate votes, then we would have Palin as VP right now.

They are all talk and hot air. They get their listeners to rally but they can't get them to vote for politicians.

The people who do what the wing-nut media tells them to do are a very small minority of the vast numbers of voters.

Keep up the good work all you wing-nut media pundits. I think you actually turn off more Republicon voters than you actually bring in.

[Richardo]

3. Wow. One of the best analyses I've EVER read

:applause: + K&R

[Xipe Totec]

4. David Brooks is a Republican shill. This is a coordinated 180 by the Repugs

All of a sudden, it is fashionable for the Republicans to bash the right wing of their own party.

Look at Lindsey Graham Slamming Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly at the same time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8681170

[Richardo]

9. Your point being?

Just because he's a conservative does not mean he can't make VERY valid points.

And I don't care WHO is marginalizing the RW bloviators, as long as they ARE marginalized, and fast. In fact, criticism from the right will be a LOT more effective.

[Xipe Totec]

12. My point being watch where this is going

and don't lose track of the fact that it is a coordinated move, not a retreat in disarray.

[LTR]

5. And Brooks is a conservative

Granted, a conservative that freepers detest.

But I always like hearing Brooks' insight. It's nice to hear that perspective from someone who's obviously mature and intelligent. I may not always agree, but I respect his style. He's not a talking points robot.

[Richardo]

7. Me too.

I don't discount someone solely for their politics. I respect intelligence and disparage idiocy, regardless of party.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Make that a so-called 'conservative'

The word 'conservative' actually has nothing at all to do with modern Republiconism -- is just a word they use to disguise their radical borrow-and-spend FAIL policies -- the very same radical Republicon policies that tossed America's economy, environement and honor in the crapper.

[RamboLiberal]

13. I agree this is a good analysis - K&R

And I have to admit that I do wonder with Graham making the same point if even not coordinated that at least some conservatives see the danger and hollowness of support and power that Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. really have.

[connecticut yankee]

6. You beat me to it

I was going to post this. I think it's an excellent article.

The problem is, that Limbaugh and Beck et al, foment hatred and possible violence, and I really worry about Obama's safety.

[Berry Cool]

11. I agree, it's excellent, and it must frost freepers' buttons that a conservative wrote it.

Brooks actually supports gay marriage--in some ways, he's more of a social conservative than a political one. In that, for example, he thinks divorce is a destructive force in society and marriage is good--so why shouldn't gay people get married?

He hit this one right on the head. The wingnut media pundits no longer have blind "dittohead" followers the way they did in 1994. Not only can't they elect a president, they can't even NOMINATE one--for either party! Ever since 2007, Obama's been throwing water on them, and they've been meeelting...what a world, what a world!

Yes, there's still a danger that their rhetoric, which they have ramped up in part because of their very impotence, the way a spoiled child cries louder to get his way, may result in some misplaced loyalist trying to hurt Obama. But what I'm thinking is, there's not much likelihood of 2010 turning out like 1994, because these blowhards just don't have the capability anymore to say "Jump" and get their listeners/watchers to say "How high?" All teabaggers aside...

In fact, if anything the teabaggers prove how disorganized their movement is. They are not singularly united against any one thing. They're split up into a million grievances. They're not any more herdable anymore than your stereotypical Democratic cats--and that's just dawning on these guys. Thing is, they think all they have to do is ramp up the rhetoric and yell louder, and it will work. Like children who think screeching "I HATE YOU! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD!" at their parents will get them what they want, they think that's all they have to do. But they're wrong.

[Arugula Latte]

16. The other thing is, in 1994 the Internet was a fledgling

We didn't have this nationwide backyard fence conversation going on through the ether. I remember being MUCH more naive about the media, and more apt to swallow what they were pushing. Now I am skeptical of almost every utterance that comes out of the major networks, cable channels, and so on. We can go behind their backs and say: "Can you believe how full of crap these people are?" or "I'm so pissed off that the media is focusing on this bullshit story X while completely ignoring Y," and so on. The curtain has been pulled back, and the media overlords appear to be prevaricating little men and bimbo-y airhead women spouting corporate propaganda disguised as news.

[sharp_stick]

10. This would make sense if

and only if you can find someone in the Republican party who, as Brooks says, are people with opinions based on knowledge. The entire Republican party is kowtowing so fast to it's base of RW nutjobs and fundie dirtbags, there is nobody left in that party with the guts to call them on it.

[steven johnson]

14. Like "The Wizard of Oz," Beck is a small behind the curtain conjuring illusions

Glenn Beck is a modern day demagogue who spews right wing misinformation to frighten the faithful. He is a street hustler amusing the Fox Nation. Glenn Beck is a "dry drunk," that intermediate land between alcoholism and true sobriety: "Dry drunk" traits consist of: exaggerated self-importance and pomposity, grandiose behavior, a rigid, judgmental outlook, irrational rationalization, projection, overreaction and polarized 'all-or-nothing' thinking. George Bush was a dry drunk.

Glenn Beck Admits To Never Checking Facts

Dry Drunk

[MrScorpio]

15. The more they yap out of their pieholes, the more that the GOP goes down the crapper

Yap on, boys!