Bush*s Campaign Finds Platform on Local Radio

[kskiska]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — President Bush's campaign officials mostly avoid television programs like "Hardball With Chris Matthews," "Inside Politics" or "Face the Nation."

There will be a time for politics, they say.

But on one recent Thursday, Terry Holt, Mr. Bush's campaign press secretary, called in to "The Marc Bernier Show," at 1150 and 1490 on the AM dial here, to talk extensively about how the president wanted to help orange growers and would not be satisfied until "every American who wants a job can have a job."

It was one of several telephone visits Mr. Holt made to radio stations in the past few weeks, though he has not appeared on a national television program since he started his job in early November.

While the Bush campaign maintains a low profile on the national campaign stage — content for now to watch the Democrats beat on one another — it is aggressively working the expansive hustings of Republican-friendly talk radio, priming the grass roots faithful for battle next year.

(snip)

It is a network that the Democrats do not have — though they are trying to cultivate one — and one that Mr. Bush's campaign strategists believe will give him an edge in an election that could go to whichever side best mobilizes its core voters.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/politics/campaigns/29RADI.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Gee they need to mobiize the base NOW

AM Crowd not too sophisticated, but they VOTE

[karnac]

2. AM is too entrenched

I live in San Francisco and we have ,countem, TWO conservative AM stations and only ONE balanced one. WTF are they doing here? Who listens to them HERE? They are taking the battle to us!

The problem with the present plans for liberal radio(GORE) is that they only plan to air where liberals have control already. Need to take the battle to the repugs! So it changes minds.

Of course that takes time. it took the repugs 15 years to get where they are today. Can we do the same in ONE year?

Grok

[KharmaTrain]

3. Be Grateful You Have KGO

Most cities are just non-stop hatefests.

I don't criticize * for this tactic...it's a time-worn one...and every candidate does it. Local talk shows love a NAME any name and if it's a call from "The White House", that's super bonus points.

I worked this circus for years and had the "opportunity" to interview Prescott Bush (George HW's brother), but passed...someone else at the station jumped at it.

Most local talk shows can be Death Valley...a few callers and not much else, so loading up on free guests is very welcome and something I hope the Democratic candidates are doing...if not, they better and fast.

We would regularly interview the local Congressman...he loved doing the show and he'd win the election by 30% or more. His sucessor stopped doing the radio show and his margins (this is very Repugnican turf) is under 10%...co-incidence, I think not. The GOOP, for the most part, has used free media very effectively.

[JPace]

4. One balanced radio station?

Lucky you! all we have in Western N.C.
are right wing radio stations with
Rush Limpballs and Limpball wannabees...
they blast the democrats day and night
and night and day.

The democratic party has failed us in
this area big time. The people who listen
to all this brainwashing have become
obsessed with hating the dem party and
not trusting it even when right wing
policies are hurting them. They also
never fail to vote.

The art of persuasion has been lost
in the dem party and become a fine
art in the repug party. When repugs
can take away a mans living, destroy
opportunities for his children and
give him no support for medical
problems yet still get that man to
vote repug!!!! well all I can say
is right wing radio works big time.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

8. hey, i am in asheville

i listen to tony dale for fun on my way home. just curious, are you in the area?

[Code_Name_D]

5. This is a nesesity.

The problem with the present plans for liberal radio(GORE) is that they only plan to air where liberals have control already. Need to take the battle to the repugs! So it changes minds.

Running radio brawdcasting is NOT CHEEP! And powering an AM station is even more power hungrey than an FM station. So they have no choise here but start the operation in areas where they has come secuirty with advertising revinue.

But what is needed as a meconisem to secuire advertising over the internet. A freind of mine is (or should be, any way) working on just such software. The rest of us will have to listen off the net.

[karnac]

7. Cost doesn't seem to bother repugs here

We have two such stations. KSFO and KNEW. KSFO is powerful and needs to have huge ratings and loyal BIG advertisers to make a go of it. KNEW is low powered and has low costs. Doesn't really matter since a low signal goes a LONG way in this area.

For example, Michael Savage was on KSFO not that long ago. had decent ratings. but he has a big mouth,is OVERTLY racist and homophobic. Can't help himself. So he gets himself in hot water once too often, embarasses ksfo and its BIG sponsors so he gets booted.

So he is gone right? WRONG. all he does is move to KNEW. Which has little sponsors who dont care about reputation, only ratings. Sponsors already know what they are getting. There is no such thing as bad publicity to KNEW.

Same thing with O'Rielly. Gets booted off KSFO. PRESTO! he shows up on KNEW.

Mark my words. If Limbaugh gets booted from KSFO because of his drug problems, he WILL just move to KNEW.

[goforit]

6. Where's Terry McAuliffe now???........

Where is this closet leader we have?

He's been in limbo for 3 years.

Time to kick him out!!!

Ron Brown was 1000 times better than he ever was.

[qwlauren35]

9. Okay, I'll just be ignorant now...

I thought NPR was considered to be liberal! Did something change? Isn't this a medium that the Dems can plug into successfully?

And if not, why not campus radio?

[karnac]

10. Oh no, you are right, HOWEVER.

1. NPR is only marginally liberal. It makes a fair attempt to show both sides. It doesn't have an overt agenda that it can marshal to go vote or take action. The point is we need OVERTLY liberal radio. To balance the other side. NPR is kewl. but it is not JUST OURS.

A simple example. Terri Gross interviewed O'Rielly a couple months ago. Well, she grilled him good and showed him up in many ways. O'Rielly went ballistic and left the set. Later, a spokesman for NPR apologized for Terri Gross not interviewing in a "balanced" way. They wouldn't HAVE to stinkin' apologize if it WAS liberal radio!

2. NPR is more attuned to the educated and those that want to learn, not just be entertained. So even though there IS a nice niche market, It has its limits in market size. Just like PBS TV.

3. RW radio on the other hand, uses it's brand of format to entertain at the same time as indoctrinating. It's a winning strategy for ratings. You don't hear facts. you hear humor/ridicule poked at the other side and opinion. And some hate. Callers are screened to support the hosts point of view. You rarely hear a liberal successfully call in and debunk the host. They only choose the poorest speaking liberal callers/guests, if at all,so they can easily walk all over them.

4 Campus radio is too small and has it's limits. Especially if taxpayer funded. All it takes is a few well-heeled RW alumni to raise havoc with it.