"I listened to thousands of hours of talk radio, and he (Trump) was getting reports from me,"

[certainot]

The only reason people like Bush, Palin, and Trump even got close to the White House is the monumental mistake by Democrats, liberals and the ‘left’, of ignoring talk radio for the last 30 years.

This mistake has to be fixed before the next elections. Americans cannot have democracy AND the luxury of ignoring RW talk radio.

Barring some real victory for America, control of the talk radio PSYOPS will soon be back in the White House, like it was during the Bush administration.

Talk radio will do the groundwork repetition for everything the Trump administration does. It will be used in advance to create constituencies to support what they want to do and it will be used retroactively to excuse their failures, cover for their crimes, and attack their critics. In emergencies they will decide the national response, like they did for 911.

Like in 2014 with ebola and diseased brown kids streaming across the border, something will happen in 2018 they can turn into a major scare to distract from the real problem and Trump will look like a king, full of certainty and power, and save the day. And we can’t put it past this bunch to create their own emergencies. We know Bush/Cheney/Rove created the Iraq disaster.

With their coordinated messaging dominance in 40 red states, with 80 senators, they can have it both ways all the time. Everything will be blamed on the Democrats.

From New York Magazine, Operation Trump, by Gabriel Sherman April 3, 2016:

Throughout 2014, the three (Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, and Sam Nunberg) fed Trump strategy memos and political intelligence. “I listened to thousands of hours of talk radio, and he was getting reports from me,” Nunberg recalled. What those reports said was that the GOP base was frothing over a handful of issues including immigration, Obamacare, and Common Core. While Jeb Bush talked about crossing the border as an “act of love,” Trump was thinking about how high to build his wall.

How can any analysis of Trump political success ignore that? It was probably Putin’s gang that figured out Trump could piggyback 30 years of unchallenged Republican talk radio.

All he did was repeat talking points and memes that have been prechewed by a few hundred professional liars for 25 years. That’s how he won.

From: Conservative Talk Radio Sees Golden Opportunity in Trump Administration Daily Beast Tim Mak 11/25/16

Come January 2017, the first in the presidential line of succession will be Vice President Mike Pence, who was a radio host before his election to Congress. Trump will be staffed by former SiriusXM radio host Steve Bannon, who will act as his senior strategist. And rumors have swirled that Laura Ingraham, another conservative talk radio host, is under consideration to be a White House spokesperson.
“The fact that these [talk radio hosts] are talked about in the general news, in the same level as politicians are, means their influence is growing… and people are used to having talk radio,” said Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers, a trade magazine for talk radio. “I safely believe that talk radio is more influential today than it ever was.”

Whatever happens in the next month, Democrats have to win the House and Senate in 2 years.

We can improve GOTV, donation drives, messaging, and recruit more progressive candidates, but all of those factors are minimized by ignoring talk radio.

The weakness of Trump’s messaging advantage is its dependence on pro and college sports to help stations attract advertisers. At least 43% of Limbaugh’s 600 stations depend on the 88 major universities in 40 states. Many of those are the loudest radio stations in the Republican propaganda network.

Whatever the outcome, pushing and protesting those universities until they stop supporting RW radio directly effects Trumputin messaging.

Students, faculty, and communities associated with those universities need to ask what happens when the Gulf Stream stops and Europe starts freezing. Or a station goes to all KKK programming.

Those schools must tell major licensing companies like Learfield Sports to find radio stations that aren’t dedicated to global warming denial and excusing racism. The sooner the better.

Until liberals/Dems/the left stop ignoring RW radio most of the analysis of this election and future elections will be practically worthless, and maybe worse than worthless in that it distracts Dems with symptoms while missing the major cause.

Here are those deplorable universities. Look at North Carolina. Look at WI, MI, PA, OH, Fla and tell me those states wouldn't have voted differently without nearly 80 Limbaugh stations creating an alternative reality the last 30 years and telling tens of millions that a private email server is more important than global warming.

ALABAMA 8  Auburn 3, Alabama 2, Southern Alabama 2, Troy 1
ARIZONA 2 Arizona St. 1, Arizona 1
ARKANSAS 3 Arkansas 3
CALIFORNIA 5 San Jose State 2, USC 2, Fresno St. 1
COLORADO 4 Air Force 2, Colorado 1, Colorado State 1
CONNECTICUT 1 Connecticut 1
FLORIDA 20 Florida 10, Florida St. 4 Miami 2, South Florida 2, Central Florida 2
GEORGIA 14 Georgia 7, Georgia Tech 5, Georgia Southern 2
IDAHO 7  Boise St. 4, Idaho 3
ILLINOIS 7 Illinois 7
INDIANA 11 Notre Dame 6, Purdue 4, Indiana 1
IOWA 5 Iowa 4, Iowa St. 1
KANSAS 4 Kansas St. 2, Kansas 1, Wichita St. 1
KENTUCKY 3 Louisville 2, Kentucky 1
LOUSIANA 3 LSU 2, La.-Monroe 1
MARYLAND 2 Maryland 2
MASSACHUSETTS 1 Boston College 1
MICHIGAN 19 Michigan St. 11, Michigan 7, Western Michigan 1
MINNESOTA 4 Minnesota 4
MISSISSIPPI 6 Mississippi St. 3, Mississippi 2, Southern Miss 1
MISSOURI 6 Missouri 6
NEBRASKA 6 Nebraska 6
NEVADA 1 Nevada 1
NEW JERSEY 2 Rutgers 1, Seton Hall 1
NEW MEXICO 3 New Mexico 2, New Mexico St. 1
NEW YORK 7 Syracuse 6, Army 1
NORTH CAROLINA 16 North Carolina 8, North Carolina State 3, Duke 3, East Carolina 2
OHIO 10 Ohio St. 6, Toledo 1, Dayton 1, Bowling Green 1, Xavier 1
OKLAHOMA 5 Oklahoma St. 3, Oklahoma 1, Oral Roberts 1
OREGON 12 Oregon St. 7, Oregon 5
PENNSYLVANIA 14 Penn St. 11, Pittsburgh 2, Temple 1
SOUTH CAROLINA 4 South Carolina 2, Clemson 2
TENNESSEE 7 Tennessee 4, Memphis 3
TEXAS 16 Texas A&M 9, Texas Tech 4, Texas 1, Texas Christian 1, Baylor 1
UTAH 1 Utah St. 1
VIRGINIA 6 Virginia Tech 5, Virginia 1
WASHINGTON 6 Washington 5, Washington St. 1
WEST VIRGINIA 2 West Virginia 1, Marshall 1
WISCONSIN 5 Wisconsin 5

[TheDebbieDee]

1. I don't think Dems have been ignoring talk radio....

They have just been unable to compete. Even with Air America (Which I subscribed to and listened to everyday, ALL DAY LONG) there were many markets that they just could not enter.

You could listen to Air America over radio livestream in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington DC - but almost no where else.

Progressives and Dems have been so maligned by 30 years of right-wing talk that local stations are afraid to carry progressive programing or these stations are owned by right-wing corps that are waiting for the chance to air right-wing talk.

[certainot]

3. there is NO organized opposition outside of the limited and underestimated

stoprush and flushrush efforts.

nothing. 30 years.

it's not about competing- that's a red herring they use to excuse their monopoly. it's mom and pop vs wall mart. liberals compete well and win on an even playing field.

it's an insult to americans to suggest 95% of americans who would listen to political talk radio prefer limbaugh and hannity over truth and comedy not based on belittling the less fortunate, those who care, and racism.

Progressives and Dems have been so maligned by 30 years of right-wing talk that local stations are afraid to carry progressive programing or these stations are owned by right-wing corps that are waiting for the chance to air right-wing talk.

stations will open up when liberals stop ignoring it - they can't handle the competition or the scrutiny.

[mopinko]

14. and not a single dem candidate took out a single ad that i know of.

not even john fucking kerry parted w a damn dime to support the station.
something i'll never forgive the asshole for.

this is exactly the problem we need to fix.

[TheDebbieDee]

15. Talking $ and cents, why should Dems advertise on progressive talk radio outside of primary season?

That's too much like preaching to the choir. Dems running for office need to have their message heard by people whose votes they want to win. Outside of the primary season, if you advertise exclusively on progressive talk radio, you're not as likely to get your message heard by the people who can make the difference - namely, the people who might vote for your opponent...

[mopinko]

16. tell it to the people who keep hate radio afloat.

that's how it works. its how politicians reward the voices that support them. they all know how that works at nbc.

[certainot]

19. it might help to use ads on rw stations to debunk the lies

particularly they might help if they point out that limbaugh is lying about this or that, for instance, to undermine his credibility and at the same time the local blowhards parroting limbaugh

the whole alternate reality depends on the lack of challenge in real time.

[coco22]

2. That is why Franken,Baldwin and others tried to have Air America...

Limburger started in the eighties when Regean was in office,rightwingers bought up most of the stations and when the left calls in they don't get on air and when they do the rightwing host talks over them or puts them on silence as they ramble on until it is time for another commercial, which sells their bullshit and lies.,

[karmaqueen]

4. I agree with you 100%

I have witnessed the progression Hate radio and it is bad... For the last 45 years, I have listened for at least a little while and it has taken over everything. I listen so I know what the other side is lying about. There are always talking points and they all follow it and never back down. Anyone who does not see what has been happening with this slow and deliberate brainwashing has never listened. What really makes me angry is that Limbaugh is played on Armed Forces Radio on every military base world wide. I can remember when Bill Clinton brought up the dangers of talk radio he was ridiculed so everyone shut up about it. It is propaganda broadcast 24/7 and it is getting worse. Try to find a station in the car that is not Hate Radio or a religious station. NPR is about the only thing left that I can listen to and they are reporting the truth which is not exciting like the hate radio stations and only one little number on the dial. We are losing the information war and there is little we can do about it now. The only thing we seem to have are the comedy shows that are actually telling the truth.

[certainot]

5. thanks. and that's one of the worst part about this

when a dem does speak up about it the radio gods go nuts and dems even join in with "it's an old medium" "we have to ignore them" etc, or the reaction is limited to limbaugh or a particular offender based on one particular hate message, etc.

I can remember when Bill Clinton brought up the dangers of talk radio he was ridiculed so everyone shut up about it.

[enough]

6. Great post, certainot. I had no idea about the connection to university

radio stations.

[certainot]

11. they're actually regular commercial stations

i've seen two versions - a licensing co pays the uni for the licensing rights and then either takes money or pays the station to broadcast

[JI7]

7. it's not all one sided. there is also the thing of them WANTING to believe that crap

There needs to be shame and ridicule in believing that crap also.

[certainot]

9. i think that's a minority and always will be. imo the problem is that in

most states, especially the 40 or so red states with 80 senators, there are no free easy alts for politics while driving or working.

i think a lot of those people would prefer less lies and hate and more truth and comedy not based on hate and truth - but they exclude head to head competition with their monopoly.

there are a lot of voters too busy or lazy to pay attention and they get the secondary and tertiary buzz

if it reduced to it's true 'market' value there might be 50 of those stations in the swamps somewhere.

[JI7]

10. i might have agreed before Trump

[global1]

8. I Posted This A While Ago & Thought It Was Worth Re-Posting Here Again...

Check out this link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028326954

Your comment would be appreciated.

[mtnsnake]

12. Right wing hate radio is a crisis we really need to address better than we have in the past

We either have to figure out how to convince the masses that right wing radio is nothing but bullshit, or we have to hit them head-on with more effective talk radio ourselves.

I agree that talk radio has been a major thorn in our sides for decades. One of the problems is money. The right wing talk shows get a lot more funding on their behalf from rich republican billionaires and corporations than what the liberal talk shows get, which makes it a little harder for us to compete with the right wingers on the airwaves.

[certainot]

13. they have a well protected monopoly and the notion of competing

with it is a red herring/distraction

it's mom and pop vs wall mart and it survives because liberals ignore it

liberals just have to boycott and protest those universities until it can't survive and liberals and some of those stations open up for liberals.

[mcar]

17. Boycott their advertisers

[certainot]

18. every advertiser on every rw radio station

it can be fun to listen to a few ads, get phone numbers and emails, and ask them if they mean to support trump

because they are