Thursday, February 07, 2008

Since Mutt is out

I mean Mitt....

The Big Rush does not know what to do. On his show today, the stated that he may start a fundraising effort for.... Hillary Clinton. He seems concerned about her fundraising and is trying to figure out a way for Republicans to win in 2008.

2 comments:

harrogate said...

It's interesting. Harrogate wonders what your opinion is on what this means for the Talk Radio Heavyweights.

Is part of the wailing a long-overdue apprehension, at least on some level, of overbloated self-importance? Forget Mitt for a second, think about how miserably their failed to get people to care about Fred Thompson.

Soon will come the avalanche of posts putting the lie to the McCain-isn't-an-establishment-Republican meme. But for now let us bask in these blowhards scuttling for cover, much like cockroaches when the lights first come on.

solon said...

When I've listened to Rush, Hannity, and Mark Levin I have noticed that the problem with their anti-McCain message has largely been a problem of rhetorical ineptitude.I say this for a few reasons:

1.) Their tone is indignant toward McCain, which when taking this approach or relying on this style, may further distance them for their cause. For example, when showing his hostility toward McCain, Mark Levin referred to him as McLame and, no matter how much it offended people, Levin would not stop. So, the best way to beat someone is to call them names? While name calling may work with a liberal/ conservative divide, it is empty within an ideology and it will not move people. You need to possess better reasons (the Mormon Evangelical is a better one and that may be a reason why Mitt could not do better.)

2) For the past seven years, the number one message from Conservatives, especially the talk-show hosts (TSH), has been the importance of the War on Terror. McCain has the most experience for this fight; yet, the TSH are against him and favor Romney. This suggests that, for the elites, the economy is best and not the war; for the people, the war may be the most important. Hence, the people support McCain while the elites stew.

3) This means nothing for Talk Show hosts because no one will remember their support of Romney. If their listeners are ideologically pure, then they will still listen, especially during the general. If a Dem. does win, then they will use their shows to attack the Pres & Congress, while trying to find someone for 2012.

Yet, the TSH are not all powerful. They may score some victories and they will have their losses. But their products make money and they will be there. They do not have to be ideological consistent though they need to appear to be so. (I have never heard them reconcile their support of the "Death Tax" and "Individual Responsibility.") The only thing that TSH need to do is make money. And they will because they are entertainment, "Political Pornography," as Megs states.

[on a side note, John McCain just cited Edmund Burke about liberty and justice... it seemed as if that there should have been applause afterwards...but there wasn't. Now, McCain is saying the same thing as Laura Ingraham, which used her speech to bash McCain.... And he got booed when he mentioned Immigration]