Democrats can’t ‘message’ didley as long as they ignore talk radio.

[certainot]

It's not so much about content and technique as it is about volume and unchallenged repetition. The republicans have 1000 think-tank-coordinated radio stations pounding the earholes of 50 million Americans a week. It is a buzz machine Madison Avenue can only dream of. It is a constant all day advertisement for whatever the right likes or doesn’t like.

It doesn't matter what Obama and the Left does or says- if the think tank analysts see something working for progressives they design a response and Rush Limbaugh starts the over-messaging and distraction and distortion and diversion, followed by the rest of the blowhards piling on with their own scripted versions, protected from truth by call screeners and prompted and praised by paid callers.

Whatever Obama says on Thursday, the Right’s dominating messaging machine will be able to convert it into another attack on Obama, with the Left eventually helping out. The radio advantage has been the difference the last 20 years and unless the Left’s organizations start to take it seriously the Citizens United ruling will make that advantage overwhelming in 2012.

Many of the things the Left is criticizing Obama for are a lot of the same things Clinton was criticized for and what Gore and Kerry would have been criticized for- ineffectiveness in the face of a party that dominates media and does not believe in democracy.

RW radio did the heavy lifting for the 2010 elections, gave the Tea Party their alternate reality, beat back the Public Option, forced us to the edge of default, and made it political suicide for Boehner to allow the president to speak on Wednesday.

Progressive organizations have to take the lead or they will continue to waste volunteer time and donations. Someone has to provide a searchable transcript database of the main local and national talkers. That way the readers on the Left will have fewer surprises and the media and politicians will have to become more aware of using radio-prechewed talking points and framing as if it was truth.

Obama and prominent Democrats and progressives need to formally elevate Rush Limbaugh to head of the GOP and repeatedly point out its dependence on the talk radio monopoly that he is point man for. Obama should start that in the Thursday speech.

Ignoring right wing talk radio is the biggest blunder in political history. There is NO organized opposition to it from the left, while it kicks their/our internet ass all over the rapidly warming countryside.