Re: Michael Savage

[Garrett Wollman <wollman@lcs.mit.edu>]

<<On Fri, 27 Dec 2002 07:00:26 -0500, Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com> said:

> That is a point that I have wondered about now and again especially while
> I was at WCAP.  How is it that in a region that is supposed to be
> liberal, conservative talk show hosts do so well, is it the liberals want
> to hear what the dark side is saying?

I don't think so.  I think the notion of ``liberal Massachusetts'' is
something of a fantasy, which comes about as a result of the
well-known left leanings of the ``opinion leaders'' -- people on the
national stage like Sens. Kerry and Kennedy, Rep. Frank, Marty Peretz
and Alan Dershowitz.  The rank-and-file Democrats are frequently only
``liberal'' in the sense of ``aligned with trade unions'' -- i.e., not
at all.  (As witness shadow-Governor Finneran.)  The working-class
population is quite religious and very conservative, socially; this is
the target audience of most conservative talk radio.

Of the educated classes, many do not listen to talk radio at all
(indeed, many do not listen to radio at all), and many of the rest get
all the talk they want at the left end of the dial.  Even in
Massachusetts, educated people are not a majority of the population --
which is how Republicans can win statewide races, if they choose to
contest them, but Libertarians can't no matter how hard they try.

-GAWollman