Back on July 21st, I Blogged about the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" that would compel radio stations to mount the same number of hours daily for 'liberal' talkers as they do for 'conservative' talkers. This would, in the minds of the liberals in Congress, equalize the message of the two differing points of view.
On the heels of that, we saw the 'celebration' of Rush Limbaugh's twentieth anniversary as a conservative 'talker' this past Friday. There is not, to my knowledge, a liberal radio personality anywhere with anything near the run that Limbaugh has had and will continue to have according to the new $38 million contract signed that takes his nationally-syndicated program into 2016.
This drives the liberals nuts but it has nothing to do with 'unfairness', and everything to do with the difference in messages. We Americans, thankfully, are able to listen to anything we prefer. If we preferred the Air America message, it wouldn't be struggling and on its third owner in nearly the same number of years. We prefer the conservative message. Liberals fight battles using class warfare actually pitting one group against another group to create animosity that the left believes will result in votes for its candidates.
If you follow any of the national debates, you'll see this clearly. Conservatives understand the free market forces and seek more oil being drilled recognizing that this will drive prices down. Liberals still cannot tolerate the concept of the free market since they find it threatening, and, therefore see everything through the prism of taxation forcing certain behaviors. They believe that taxes on the 'egregious' profits of oil companies will result in lowered prices in the marketplace. They simply do not want to understand that oil companies don't pay taxes; the customers of oil companies pay taxes...and that is us.
That starkly displays the difference in message, and it explains why there is a Rush Limbaugh and why his popularity is probably the equal or better of all the liberal 'talkers' in combination. And it explains the extreme dislike, even hatred, with which the likes of Limbaugh are perceived by their enemies. It also explains why liberals think that legislation will cure this problem as well as all other problems.
This 'freedom of thought-freedom of speech' thing is a real problem...for those whose thoughts are not swallowed by the listening masses.
