When I look at Obama, I see a man who is trying very hard to do right by the people

[certainot]

154. IMO left has ignored the right's best weapon- talk radio- while it has dominated US politics last 20

years.

politics in a democracy means compromise, which depends on the relative strengths of, in this case, two sides. the RW radio monopoly allowed the karl roves to take lee atwater to national levels. the think tanks are full of them now and in RW radio they have the biggest megaphone by far, and can dominate messaging nationally and locally with it. the left has ignore RW radio, it is invisible to liberals, and while they blame fox (a tick on limbaugh's ass) radio continues to dominate.

so the left evaluates in a radio vacuum while it kicks their ass and they wonder why and blame their reps for not having balls while allowing the limbaughs and local wannabes to take free pot shots at them and threaten them daily from the same stations that broadcast local uni and pro sports along with the weather and traffic as if they're responsible community members.

the left has had NO coordinated response to the right's best weapon and that is largely why the center has moved right and why the MSM presents it as even farther right than it is. and why dems compromise- whether they want to or not.

below are a couple of recent responses i made that relate.

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we allow team limbaugh to create made-to-order constituencies to enable the 1%'s politicians

re public option/single payer that americans do want, there is NO organized opposition to the think tanks using public airwaves from radio stations licensed to operate in the public interest, endorsed and advertised by universities and pro teams that broadcast sports on them, to create armies of misinformed teabaggers/dittoheads or whatever you want to call them- enough to enable and intimidate the entire corrupt talk radio GOP and a bunch of blue dogs and a corporate MSM to doing what they want.

RW radio dominates most or all rural states with too many senators, and to a large degree local races in alll states, and it's because the left allows it to, and in 20 years has hardly put up a whimper of complaint.

for 20 years it happened with health care from our radio stations. the teabagers screaming in town halls intimidating pols and media were dittoheads and the left should have called them that but had no clue. they're the same bunch that shouted down the protestors and critics of the wars, and enabled the 2010 elections and idiots in congress to create teh debt ceiling 'crisis'- ---- all this obstruction would go nowhere without their talk radio base/monopoly. it's fucking ridiculous the left spends so much time chasing their tails and playing catchup because of it.

xxxxx
obama does not have the bully pulpit-
RW radio is louder. it is a coordinated repeated message from the think tanks reaching 50 mil a week.

obama has it while he's talking and a maybe a short time after. he reaches the mainstream as is and people looking for it. much of america hears the RW analysis and overmessaging. delivered by blowhards who can say anything they want because call screeners prevent them from being challenged. prompted and reinforced and stroked by paid callers from those same think tanks.

the talk radio monopoly can create a buzz that madison avenue would kill for. it can turn a molehill into a mountain in a day.

if obama or any dem or any event makes headway the PR pros at the think tanks will come up with a campaign to message over it and feed it first through the radio to make it acceptable and ubiquitous. the GOP politicians and media operatives will repeat on other media knowing team limbaugh is already pounding the same thing into tens of millions of earholes who live in areas where there are no free alternatives for political talk while driving or working.

OWS is one of the few that has been louder than RW talk radio- for now.

obama and liberals have to rely on common sense and truth and for 20 years 1000 coordinated radio stations have been able to use unchallenged volume and repetition to short circuit the normal feedback mechanisms democracies depend on.

the GOP politicians don't have to listen to 'the people' because they have that talk radio made-to-order base at their back.

when the left finally challenges talk radio the modern GOP will finally die and much of the obstruction will fall apart.