Why Conservative Talk Shows are so Popular...

[Werewolf]

And Liberal ones aren't.

Here's my hypothesis. Maybe a bit hare brained maybe not. Feel free to comment (heh... like you guys need an invitation to do that). It's how I think the hosts view and address their listeners...

Liberal Talk Show:
The attitude is one of superiority over all especially those who don't hold the same views as the host. If one disagrees with the hosts views one is made to feel like a moron, an ahole or an evil ahole who's a waste of oxygen. There is no hope for you.

Conservative Talk Show: These guys make the listeners feel as if they are superior to all others. If one doesn't agree with the views of the host one is simply misguided.  The opportunity to learn and improve oneself is offered to the listener and if the listener chooses to disregard the lesson then he is not disrespected (except for one host I can think of) instead the listener is encouraged to analyze his stand, gather more facts and learn in his or her own time.

So if you were the average Joe and Suzy American what would you listen to - the show that made you feel like you didn't deserve to belong to the human race or the one that made you feel like you were better than everyone else and if not were given the opportunity to learn to be?

Hmmmmmmmm?

[nico]

I agree with the conservative pundits more often than I agree with the liberal hosts, and I agree with your assessment overall.  People like Franken paint anyone who doesn't agree with them as heartless, a liar, etc. while people like Limbaugh seem to see the other side as wrong, but not necessarily bad people.  I think that's the main difference, but I also think more than just one (did the exception you mentioned happen to be Hannity? ) conservative host is condescending toward people who disagree with them.  The thing is, while I often disagree with conservative hosts, a lot of them are entertaining and witty, which can't be said for anything I've heard on Air America.

[Waitone]

Conservative talk radio has figured out entertainment is what draws listeners

"Progressives" haven't figured it out, yet.  

I would listen to "progresssive" talk radio if I was entertained.  Listened to Air America Once for about 5 minutes and was promptly bored to tears.

[jefnvk]

When Liberal talk show guests disagree, it seems that the host takes kinda a teacher-student realtionship, because obviously the host is right, and the guest is simply misguided.

When the conservatives disagree, usually some sort of fight breaks out.  The objective becomes to win the fight, not to teach someonew your point of view.

I like watching fights over watching someone show someone else the light, anyday.

[mtnbkr]

The attitude is one of superiority over all especially those who don't hold the same views as the host. If one disagrees with the hosts views one is made to feel like a moron, an ahole or an evil ahole who's a waste of oxygen. There is no hope for you.

Sounds exactly like Hannity to me.

Chris

[duck hunt]

Conservative Talk Show: These guys make the listeners feel as if they are superior to all others.

You hit the nail on the head.  We have a friend who is not very bright but boy does he love some Rush, Savage and Beck.  He says he likes the fact that they "sound like they know what they're talking about" and they "speak with authority."  He can repeat talking points like nobody's business and his dinner conversation is usually just a rehashing of whatever points were made on AM radio that day.  He didn't like it when I told him he would have made a swell Nazi.

[Justin]

If there's one thing I've learned from working in various forms of media, it's this:

Everyone thinks that their favorite show, book, newspaper, website, movie, set of Lincoln Logs means that they are smart and erudite.

Even the idiot who watches every episode of "According to Jim" thinks this way.

[nico]

Even the idiot who watches every episode of "According to Jim" thinks this way

haha, and the people watching the Daily Show for news:P

[RevDisk]

I get all twitchy when people listen to Rush and actually think he's intelligent or sane.  If he's such a great guy, why didn't he turn himself in and demand the max sentence for being a drug addict?   Instead, he went to rehab, whined and cried about getting in trouble.   No doubt blaming it all on the liberal media elite, etc.

Gah

[Monkeyleg]

Rush is an entertainer, first and foremost. The fact that he has opinions, just like the rest of us, is superflous. His popularity is due to the fact that a large segment of the population feels the same way he does on a number of issues.

Hannity is more of a partisan idealogue, a mouthpiece for the Republicans. He'd have more credibility if he would disagree with the party once in awhile.

Last year I caught a liberal talk show on NPR on the way home from a distant gun show. It was so boring that I had to resort to the old trucker's trick of letting the cigarette burn down until it burned my fingers to keep me awake.

[Justin]

haha, and the people watching the Daily Show for news

At least they're upfront about their bias, which is certainly more than can be said for other televised nooze programs.

Rush is an entertainer, first and foremost. The fact that he has opinions, just like the rest of us, is superflous.

Disagree. Rush is an entertainer precisely because of his opinions, hence they are not superfluous to either his success or the demographic that listens to him.  If we were talking about, say, Gary Busey or Paris Hilton, then I'd agree with you.

Last year I caught a liberal talk show on NPR on the way home from a distant gun show.

If Post-Modernism has done anything, it has made some civil discourse quite boring because you can simply equivocate everything.  It's all an equal shade of grey, after all.  

[nico]

At least they're upfront about their bias, which is certainly more than can be said for other televised nooze programs.

that's a good point, but most of the folks I've come across who watch the show as their sole source of news think it's perfectly balanced and that everyone to the right of John Stewart is a right wing whacko.

[mtnbkr]

He'd have more credibility if he would disagree with the party once in awhile.

He tapdances around Bush's handling of the illegal alien fiasco, but that's as close as he gets to criticizing a Republican.

Chris

[nico]

He tapdances around Bush's handling of the illegal alien fiasco, but that's as close as he gets to criticizing a Republican.

lol and then when anybody criticizes him for toting the party line he waves it around as if he's taken some noble stand against the administration.

[Ron]

I get all twitchy when people listen to Rush and actually think he's intelligent or sane.

He does a better job of articulating coherent stands on policy than any Democrats on the national stage.

If he's such a great guy, why didn't he turn himself in and demand the max sentence for being a drug addict?   Instead, he went to rehab, whined and cried about getting in trouble.

Actually I listened to him before and after that all went down (kinda like watching a train wreck) and I think he handled it exactly the opposite of what you said.

No doubt blaming it all on the liberal media elite, etc.

I am sure the media have covered his foibles in a fair and balanced way, LOL.

The Dems and progressives better come up with some concrete ideas and some spokesmen to push these ideas or they are destined to be the minority party permanently.

[macavada]

Conservative shows give their listeners a forum that makes them feel superior and allows them to turn a blind eye to their own selfishness and disregard for the less fortunate, while liberal shows make the better off look at themselves and feel guilty for not doing more for their fellow man.

[nico]

Conservative shows give their listeners a forum that makes them feel superior and allows them to turn a blind eye to their own selfishness and disregard for the less fortunate, while liberal shows make the better off look at themselves and feel guilty for not doing more for their fellow man.

I don't get it.  Where's the punchline?

[Ron]

Conservative shows give their listeners a forum that makes them feel superior and allows them to turn a blind eye to their own selfishness and disregard for the less fortunate, while liberal shows make the better off look at themselves and feel guilty for not doing more for their fellow man.

Wow,  that is so condescending you could have your own show on NPR.

[Justin]

I don't get it.  Where's the punchline?

It's a zen thing.  One of those jokes that's so funny it doesn't need a punchline.

[Sean Smith]

Conservative shows give their listeners a forum that makes them feel superior and allows them to turn a blind eye to their own selfishness and disregard for the less fortunate, while liberal shows make the better off look at themselves and feel guilty for not doing more for their fellow man.

Hee, hee, that's a good one!  Talk about drinking the kool-aid!  



And don't you mean, "feel guilty for not being forced at gunpoint by the government to give their money to lazy failures"?  

About the only guilt Air America can induce is guilt about the possibility that, by watching "Saturday Night Live," I may have indirectly contributed to Al Franken not starving to death in the early 1980s.

[macavada]

Sean:

I don't get it.  I've seen lately where you've parted with your party on several big issues, but still you refuse to criticize them.  Talk about kool aid.  No Kool Aid with the dems.  You hear divergent opinions all over the place because there are a lot more independent thinkers in the Democratic party.  The conservatives all agree no matter how bitter the pill, and keep on winning because of the simple message that is so consistent.  Don't talk to me about kool aid.

Oh yeah, conservatives do it with lying.  I guess fellow conservatives like being lied to.

[Ron]

there are a lot more independent thinkers in the Democratic party

What idea(s) have the Democrats come up with to solve any current issues?  The problem isn't that they haven't got their message out, it's that they have got their message out and it has been rejected by a majority of the people.

The Republicans have co-opted the big government spending that kept the Dems in office.  That is all they had going for them, they spent money (ours) like it grew on trees.  Now the Republicans have beat them at their own game.

The conservatives all agree no matter how bitter the pill, and keep on winning because of the simple message that is so consistent.

The Republicans are now the big tent party.  There are big government Republicans, libertarian republicans, pro and anti life republicans,  gay, black, hispanic, poor, rich etc.. that all identify with the republican party.

Our tent is so big that we almost don't stand for anything any more.  

The Dems are the narrow minded party now. Try speaking up in support of the traditional family or be against unfettered abortion and see how far you get in the democratic party.  How about guns?  Be in favor of conceiled carry or against gun controle and it's a death sentence for your political career.

[Sean Smith]

I don't get it.  I've seen lately where you've parted with your party on several big issues, but still you refuse to criticize them.

Who said anybody was my party, tough guy?  

And how can I disagree with them on "big issues" and be a mindless drone of theirs?  You aren't making any sense, you're just acting hysterical.

[nico]

You hear divergent opinions all over the place because there are a lot more independent thinkers in the Democratic party.  The conservatives all agree no matter how bitter the pill, and keep on winning because of the simple message that is so consistent.

proof? There are plenty of dyed in the wool Republicans on THR who are absolutely pissed with the administration's policy on illegal immigration and many who don't trust them with gun control to the point where several people have talked about voting third party in '06 and/or '08 because of these issues.  

and if you think the democrats lie less than the republicans, you ought to open your eyes.  Both national parties lie, it's just a matter of what issues they lie about.

[macavada]

I don't say that Dems don't lie, but the conservatives have elevated it to an artform.

Uh, that would be hysterically, Sean.