MyDD :: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the time

On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the time

by the mollusk, Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 04:49:54 PM EST

I had to travel for work today and so found myself in the car for several hours. On the way to the work site this morning, I tuned into Rush (yes, that Rush) for a few minutes. Not long, but long enough to hear him indirectly call teachers, nurses, and social workers "losers and nobodys". I wonder if he interacted with any nurses while in drug rehab? I also heard about 7-year-old girl Obama trashed America to. And then I heard about Michelle Obama. And then more Obama, and then more Obama, and then more Obama.

On the way back from work I tuned into Sean Hannity for a few minutes (yes, that Sean Hannity). Just long enough to hear about a twelve year-old girl Obama trashed America to (maybe these were two separate incidents?). And then I heard about Michelle Obama, and then more about Obama, and then more about Obama.

Interestingly, I heard almost nothing about McCain.

Now, I'm no Karl Rove or Dick Morris. But it seems that talking about Obama almost to the exclusion of anything else is not a good electoral strategy. And let's face it, Sean and Rush are primarily there to get Republicans elected. It sounds a lot like defense to me. Sure, there's the whole "define your opponent" thing. But, as we all learned in 2004, the "voting for" block has some significant advantages over the "voting against" block.

I find this re-assuring in a way. Any thoughts?

Tags: Obama, Hannity, Limbaugh, sanity (all tags)

Permalink :: 14 Comments :: Post a Comment

The ultimate swiftboat strategy... (none / 0)

is to talk about your opponent all the time !!

You need a "voting against" bloc, and a "voting for" bloc. It is a perfectly logical electoral gambit... and no, it does not smack of desperation.

If you follow history with a long enough arc, things always get better, and the truth always prevails...Gandhi

by SevenStrings on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 04:57:02 PM EST

It sounds a lot like defense to me. (none / 0)

Even conservatives aren't too stupid to read polls.

by Glaurung on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:00:15 PM EST

Re: nutjob radio (none / 0)

It's borne of necessity also: there's really not a hell of a lot you can say that's good about McCain.

We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies.

by Jess81 on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:12:49 PM EST

Re: nutjob radio (none / 0)

Yeah, this is really the subtext of the whole thing. They don't really care for McCain and can't really bring themselves to blowharding in his favor, so they just pick on Obama in the most confusing and self-contradictory ways. These people do not have an easy job right now.

by the mollusk on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:19:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the t (2.00 / 1)

No, it's a good strategy... McCain knows that if the election is about Obama, he has a chance... if it is ever all about him, he loses big...

It profits a PUMA nothing to give their soul for the whole world... but for McCain? --Sir Thomas More (if he were here now)

by LordMike on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:20:46 PM EST

Re: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the t (none / 0)

I get that part of the strategy, but that really sounds like a losing strategy to me. Without a prominent McCain branding on this election, it reads like "Obama or more Bush?" And, really, who wants more Bush?

by the mollusk on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:41:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the t (none / 0)

It's a balancing act. He needs independents to vote For John McCain, and he needs Republicans to vote Against Barack Obama. Playing to independents to vote Against Barack Obama isn't going to fly because they like him too much. Playing to Republicans to vote For John McCain isn't going to fly because they don't like him.

Hannity and Rush know they're playing to a Republican audience, so they're trying to stir up antipathy and get more people to take the effort to vote Against Barack Obama.

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 05:47:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the t (none / 0)

Yeah, I think that's well-said. But it's still a defensive move. You'd much rather be in the position of selling your candidate to your base and then selling Swiftboating to the undecideds.

This was why we had eight years of George W. Bush - the base loved him and the Democratic candidates garnered enough antipathy to put Bush over the top. Yeah, yeah, electoral irregularities and all that, but if it did nothing else, this strategy got Bush to within spitting distance and the saliva took care of the rest.

by the mollusk on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 06:00:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On nutjob talk radio, it's all Obama all the t (none / 0)

What was that AP poll, half the people are tired of hearing about Obabma, one-quarter did not think that about McCain.

People want to hear more about McCain? Karl Rove hands our fly-boy advice to McCain in the WSJ today. What was the spring bio tour all about?

by ttmiskovsky on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 07:51:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Yup, it's their only shot... (none / 0)

It IS their only shot, as folks have said.

They HAD to paint Al Gore and John Kerry as persons to vote AGAINST to beat them.

Besides, that is the steady diet their side has been feed: Yes, things are bad, but if you elect them, it WILL get worse.

"Either you're the butcher Or the lamb but even so, Everybody pays as they go-Jakob Dylan"

by WashStateBlue on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 06:13:06 PM EST

Re: On nutjob talk radio (none / 0)

The Prospect of an Obama Presidency scares the shit out of these folks...

A year from now....

The picture of a "black" man will be in government offices and schools.

Two "black" children will be playing on the South Lawn.

The World...will be looking at us in a different manner.

The 60 Democratic Senate will have already pushed through long-over due legislation..

All polls indicate we are headed in the right direction....

Just like PUMA's here..
These radio folks will become more shrill but with a smaller core...and deemed irrelevant by more. As ratings drop? ....well you know....

"harlequin speech of suicide, demanding instantaneous lobotomy"

by nogo postal on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 06:57:22 PM EST

I'm listening to (none / 0)

shon inanity on the radio. (to test your theory)

He is proving you 100% correct.
shon is an asshole except, for one thing. Assholes have a purpose (some might argue more than one) and shon is absolutely worthless.

by QTG on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 07:17:41 PM EST

Re: I'm listening to (none / 0)

He provides valuable carbon dioxide, which makes the trees grow.

We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies.

by Jess81 on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 08:59:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I'm listening to (none / 0)

It's nice to be proven correct for once. Even if it is by Sean Hannity.

by the mollusk on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 09:55:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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