It's Called a Movement for a Reason

Dean Barnett talks about the body politic and conservative talk radio:

Mort [Krondacke]’s a great guy, but he has the immigration bill debacle completely bass-ackwards. Talk radio didn’t lead the charge so much as it gave voice to the angered conservative base. The Republican Party’s problem wasn’t that it angered a handful of professional talkers (myself included). Its problem was that it outraged virtually its entire base with the content of the immigration bill and the downright un-American way the Senate and the administration attempted to shove the bill down the throat of the American body politic.

The conservative movement allowed Congress and other leaders to lead when the leaders and the movement were in agreement, but when their paths diverged the conservative movement let Congress and the President know. Conservative talk radio wouldn't have talked about the issue for so long and so vociferously if their audience wasn't there. In most cases, Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingraham and others would have mentioned the immigration bill regularly, but would not have devoted whole shows to the issue if the conservative movement wasn't so riled up.

I may have delusions of granduer about this blog, but in reality, the few hundred poeple who read this blog regularly will probably be the biggest reach I can make. I know that Hannity and Rush will always command massive audiences, bigger than any blogger can reach. But politicians of both parties would do well to pay attention to the blogs and talk radio:

As far as the blogosphere is concerned, both the left and right blogopsheres have readerships that are puny parts of the electorate. Rush’s and Sean’s audiences are each nearly 50 times the size of the most-read center right blog. But the blogs provide an even earlier alarm system. If we’re going berserk in the blogosphere, the smart politician should take note.


BLAMING TALK RADIO AND THE BLOGOSPHERE for the Republican Party’s difficulties? That’s just killing the messenger. The political class would be well advised to remember that the message that so distresses them comes from the people.

The movement, on both sides of the aisle, do a pretty good job of letting their leaders know where they stand.