Interesting column by David Brooks, the Times’ conservative commentator. He discounts the importance of the Limbaughs, Becks and Hannitys, except in moving phone calls from their fans. They don’t move the country at large and their imagined importance is harming Republicans.


They pay more attention to Rush’s imaginary millions than to the real voters down the street. The Republican Party is unpopular because it’s more interested in pleasing Rush’s ghosts than actual people. The party is leaderless right now because nobody has the guts to step outside the rigid parameters enforced by the radio jocks and create a new party identity. The party is losing because it has adopted a radio entertainer’s niche-building strategy, while abandoning the politician’s coalition-building strategy.

The rise of Beck, Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest has correlated almost perfectly with the decline of the G.O.P. But it’s not because the talk jocks have real power. It’s because they have illusory power, because Republicans hear the media mythology and fall for it every time.


He could have said Democratic politicians aren’t immune either. Some of them actually believe Americans are sympathetic to insurance companies and like a system where millions can’t get health care.