The Art of Politics

The Hindenberg

Another tragic bag of air crashes to Earth...

Air America wanted to be the voice of the American left in America, the voice of American liberalism. As it crashes to earth missing payrolls, losing stations, and hemhorraging executives and investors, the voice of the left seems ready for another rebuke from the marketplace.

But what is the true voice of the left these days?

Frankly, it is somewhat ill-suited to radio. The left is virulently anti-War, anti-business, and anti-establishment. This works at rallys on the Washington Mall for abortion rights, with signs that suggest Barbara Bush should have had an abortion, and it works at anti-war rallys where the left shows up in Che Guevara shirts and condemns the US and Israel while lionizing Castro and Arafat. But it doesn't have any crossover appeal. The left is defined by it's fringe. Air America isn't the radio show of Evan Bayh or Joe Lieberman, it's the station of Michael Moore and Al Gore. The screeching, shrill dissonance that wins applause at rallys isn't going to get you market share, even in media markets that usually vote Democrat.

Conservative talk radio has easier crossover appeal on issues and message. But most importantly, unlike Air America, conservative talk radio is unflinchingly pro-America.

America is the greatest nation on earth, America has unique responsibilities in the world, the American people are the most generous and resourceful people around, America is the beacon for freedom and liberty - this is what people want to believe about their country. They tune in.

America has inherent biases, the American economy is unfair to the disadvantaged, America is too smug and acts like a bully, Americans use more than their fair share of the worlds resources - this is not what people want to hear about their own country. They tune out.

This isn't confined to radio. Television is the same way. Precisely where did Phil Donahue's show go? When it comes to their country, most audience members would rather listen to someone talk from a prospective of what's right with it, than what's wrong.

America sells - you'd think a network called Air America would be aware of this.

Posted by MEC2 at May 8, 2004 11:43 PM