Pussies at the gate
By Bob Parks
web posted February 27, 2006
I was sent the following column entitled "The Republican Talk Radio 'Big Lie'" written by Steven Crockett, co-host of Democratic Talk Radio, in which he laments the failures of liberal talk radio. As I don't wish to be accused of taking his words out of context, I will address his piece in its entirety....
"It has always been known that more people will believe a lie, the bigger the lie is and the more often the lie is repeated. Talk radio as defined by the Republican Right mindset is completely based on lies. The entire way Republican Right talk show hosts present political events and issues are based on lies designed to deceive their listeners instead of educating them."
Mr. Crockett has set the stage here that, basically, conservatives are liars. Any good writer sets the stage with a premise and goes about the business of backing that premise up.
One note: as far as people believing lies that are repeated, I would hope he would one day, for example, address the big lie that Democrats are the "Party of Civil Rights." As most liberals drool at any opportunity to call Republicans racists, I would appreciate his perspective since correctly taught (and not ideologically omitted) history will show that Democrats have an oppressive, and even murderous legacy when it comes to blacks.
But I got off point. Back to Crockett's piece....
"The Republican Right dominates talk radio entirely by using business pressure to keep Democrats, environmentalists, labor leaders, progressives and independent thinkers off the air. Arnie Arnesen in New Hampshire and Guy James in Florida are two of the most recent examples of Republican using business pressure to censor Democratic talk show programs. This writer will write more columns soon giving details on Arnie Arnesen and Guy James among other talkers forced off the air by what should be illegal actions by Republican businesses.
"Republican business leaders routinely organize advertiser boycotts to pressure the few independent radio station owners to remove local Democratic friendly talk shows off the air. Examples are everywhere for the past few decades. When the FCC removed the Equal Time Provisions and Fairness Doctrines from broadcasting, (starting under Ronald Reagan) Republican Right fanatics, with huge amounts of money, targeted radio. The removed broadcasting restrictions should immediately be returned to American broadcasting law. Station owners are using free of charge the public airwaves for private profit. They should be required to serve the public interest by promoting fairness and balance in terms of political programming."
If memory serves me correctly, liberals ran Anita Bryant out as a Florida orange juice spokeswoman after she organized a group called "Save Our Children," a campaign which was not against homosexuality per se, but on saving children from recruitment by homosexuals.
Liberals routinely boycott industries they disagree with.
They boycotted The Carlyle Group which they claim is connected to the "Bush Klan". Carlyle is involved in defense and weapon sales, and have more than 300 corporate and real estate investments in their global portfolio. Liberals boycotted Coors, as liberals claim the Coors family is known to support extreme right wing anti-gay groups and politicians. The right wing "think tank" The Heritage Foundation was founded and financed by Joseph Coors. Of course the corporation liberals love to hate:
Halliburton. By the way, Michael Moore owns Halliburton stock. Their gripe is that Halliburton and Vice President Dick Cheney are joined at the hip. They also actively boycott Kellogg Brown Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton that has done a lot of good work in the rebuilding of Iraq. Sinclair Broadcasting because they ran the anti-Kerry "documentary" in the days before the last presidential election. And the list goes on.
So it's not like liberals don't boycott.
To the lament of progressives, radio is a business. Companies pay radio stations to run advertisements of their products during shows that people listen to. Radio stations use that advertising money to pay overhead and staff. If a show is popular, businesses advertise on that show. If not, it's economically unfeasible to continue that program. I know this sounds simple, but some on the left just don't understand simple economics.
"Talk radio was seen as a way to advance their political agenda while avoiding campaign finance laws and lobbying restrictions. Corporations and Republican Right local business leaders started using their advertising budgets to achieve political goals like stopping consumers from suing them, weakening labor law enforcement, fighting increases in the minimum wage, fighting environmental protection regulations, etc.
"By gutting the monopoly ownership provisions, fewer and fewer business concerns began to own the stations and control broadcasting. The Republican Right "Big Lie" is that Democratic shows cannot gain large listening audiences. The second supporting lie is that advertisers will buy time on shows that gain large listening audiences regardless of their political content."
Talk radio was also seen by some, as an alternative source of information to counter what some believe was/is a biased mainstream media. Until the emergence of Rush Limbaugh, all news was offered through a prism presented by journalists, and being human beings, we also were consumers of their biases. Liberals can claim all day that they are straight down the middle, but there are many examples that effectively counter that perception.
Crockett mentioned Arnie Arnesen as an example of a liberal who was run out of the radio business. I've been a guest on her television program several times, and while I like her as a person, her "facts" are usually a series of liberal talking points with little to back them up, and I found her arguments easy to bat away.
Eric Scott, libertarian talk show host on WKBK radio in Keene, New Hampshire explained to me Arnie's axing this way:
"The official reason Arnie was pulled from WTPL was lack of ad sales. If you want my opinion, most liberal talk radio tends to be rather whiny as opposed to entertaining and Ms. Arnesen's show was almost 100% political, which would tend to limit its audience, which in turn would limit its ability to be sold to advertisers. There is also the perception of liberal radio listeners as Birkenstock wearing, Prius driving NIMBY's who won't be satisfied until we all sit shivering in the dark.
"Arnie was tried here on WKBK in 2004 and was pulled after less than a month due to overwhelming listener complaints.
"Most people have said things very similar to this idea, but if there was ever a liberal radio host with the talent of Rush there may be a market for it. Few people want to hear someone saying "The republicans suck" day after day after day, especially when few if any liberal hosts propose answers or solutions. That, in my opinion, is the problem... liberal hosts demonizing conservatives while not having any answers of their own."
It comes down to simple economics again, not liberal censorship as Mr. Crockett would have you believe.
"The Republican Right business community has used their political agenda funded by advertising dollars to change laws in order to make huge profits. They shifted the tax burden once carried by large corporations to individual middle class taxpayers. They advanced the "free trade" nonsense relentlessly until most Americans falsely believe that sending good paying jobs out of country and globalization is inevitable and not the result of deliberate policy choices by governments and large corporations acting together.
"They have undermined traditional American political values. They have made money the dominant force in American politics instead of the average voters. They have lowered voter turn-out by making political discussions nasty and vicious. They created a climate that tolerates corruption, "no-bid" contracts and vote rigging."
Now while I don't wish to take the time to tell Mr. Crockett how to write a persuasive argument, but should I make such accusations, I would be expected to provide proof to back them up. Also, I'm still waiting for examples of those "Republican lies"....
"The Republican Right talk radio shows have convinced many weak minded voters that Bush is essentially above the law. They convinced many that any criticism of Republican policies or Republican politicians is somehow un-Patriotic. Shockingly, they have promoted a hatred of the Poor even to some Christian listeners. They have sold government abuses as "common sense" even when those very same abuses caused our Founding Fathers to revolt against the oppressive government of King George during the American Revolution."
I've written many pieces in which I refer to the "liberal superiority complex", as evidenced by Mr. Crockett's implying that those people with whom he can't reach are "weak minded". When you have liberals like Joel Stein who claim proudly that it's dumb of fellow libs to support the troops but not the war, what is the public to think? Stein proudly wrote that he doesn't support the war, and likewise the troops. He wrote that anti-war types who do so are "pussies." That may be one area where such an anti-war and/or liberal opinion could be construed as un-Patriotic.
Speaking of the Founding Fathers, I hope Mr. Crockett isn't saying that they would be for activist liberal judges overturning voter initiatives like Proposition 187 in California. Time and time again, the judicial branch is looked upon as the last hope for the left when us dumb Americans don't vote the way they assume who should.
And I'd love to see one, ONE example of Republicans promoting "a hatred of the Poor." It's my understanding that we are the party of empowerment. Unfortunately, that would mean people standing on their own two feet, and liberals just can't allow that to happen. They feel the poor are just too damn stupid to do that on their own.
"Radio station owners should have their broadcasting licenses revoked when they fail to promote diversity in political programming. They should be required by law to publicly report all politically motivated advertiser boycotts or threats. Listeners should be able to know about these attempts so they can boycott those businesses for their attempts at political censorship."
So much for freedom of expression.
In other words (and I'll attempt to translate Mr. Crockett's words) radio stations should be forced to air programs that the free market rejects or lose their licenses. If there was a liberal who was capable of making money for a radio station, he or she would be on the air. Air America lifted money from the Boys and Girls Club, while the liberal child indoctrination tool "Rock The Vote" is down to its last two staffers. If it's not the message, what's left to blame?
The problem is, like Arnie, Mr. Crockett throws out allegations and whining, yet fails to offer proof to back up the argument.
I'm still waiting for proof of the "Republican lies" and I'm almost at the end of his piece.
"Our American freedom requires a free exchange of ideas. Those using our publicly owned airwaves should be required by law to advance that free exchange of ideas. They owe us that information in exchange for their huge private profits made from use of our airwaves. They should not be using our assets to manipulate us politically!
"I urge everyone to send this commentary to your local newspaper, radio station, Chamber of Commerce and legislators. It is time for Democrats and independents to gain a voice on local radio. Anyone is welcome to publish this article in full anywhere."
Tell you what, Mr. Crockett. When conservatives are allowed on college campii and are allowed a forum that truly embraces a "free exchange of ideas", then that statement will have merit.
As of now, liberals such as yourself routinely indoctrinate young students, who in this case we can call the "weak minded". Presentations are normally one-sided, and if a conservative is speaking, a liberal is always provided as a service, for "balance." Liberal ideas are usually defended by name-calling.
I'm still waiting for proof of the "Republican lies" that Mr. Crockett's column was based on.
That's the very problem with liberal talk radio, and their only solution to its failing is censorship, or as it's done in college, the good ol' shout down.
They can shout until they're blue in the face. Their problem is that fewer people are listening. 
Bob Parks is a former Republican congressional candidate (California 24th District), Navy veteran, single father, member/writer for the National Advisory Council of Project 21, and is a Staff Writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc.