As Media Matters has documented, during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives. The rationale was that Republicans were “in power.”

It appears that old habits die hard. Even though President Obama and his team are in control of the executive branch and Democrats are in the majority in Congress, the cable networks are still turning more often to Republicans and allowing them to set the agenda on major issues, most recently on the debate over the economic recovery package.
…
In total, from 6 AM on Monday to 4 PM on Wednesday, the networks have hosted Republican lawmakers 51 times and Democratic lawmakers only 26 times. Surprisingly, Fox News came the closest to offering balance, hosting 8 Republicans and 6 Democrats. CNN had only two Democrats compared to 7 Republicans.

The owners of the media are right-wingers and they make sure that their point of view is well represented.

John Avlon’s Wingnut Of The Week: Ted Rall and Tom Tancredo

How many people knew who Ted Rall is prior to his being named wing-nut of the week? How many times has Rall appeared on TV vs Tancredo in the recent months? So why are we comparing the two?

Except to observe that right wingers get mass media access while left wing cartoonist get blogs.

Rush Limbaugh is not conservative. No one who supported George W. Bush can be an even moderate conservative, much less an extreme one. Limbaugh isn't even a Republican, since he wants to purge people like Arlen Specter. He is an anti-partisan, railing against Democrats while failing to build a viable Republican Party, or perhaps an anti-ideologue, who rants against liberals while failing to build a viable conservative movement. He's definitely anti-intellectual, favoring low-brow appeal to actual analysis.

But, first and foremost, he's a big blowhard. He found a niche market with the white male crowd that feels put upon by identity politics. He's the white equivalent of Al Sharpton. He's gotten rich from it, and as long as people tune in, he'll continue. Hate is dramatic, so it sells. Just as Jerry Springer.

You may disagree with Rush Limbaugh, but he serves a purpose and you would do well to listen to his program each day.

Why?

Let’s say you are going out tonight with friends. Naturally the conversation eventually turns to politics. Wanting to say something that shows you’re intelligent and well informed, you start with a derisive remark about how low Dick Cheney’s approval numbers are.

Suddenly, your friends jump up from the table and storm out of the restaurant. Why? What could you have possibly said to make them so mad?

Later, you discover that your friends thought you were making fun of Nancy Pelosi, whose Gallup Poll numbers showed her 12 less favorable than Cheney by independents (the only group that matters). Why were you so sorely uninformed? You relied on MSNBC and TMV for your news. What’s that you say? You read the NY Times too?

LOL

If you listen to Rush, you will be informed and stand less of a chance making a total ass out of yourself. George, it’s your choice to be an intelligent member of society or a buffoonish leftist with nothing to offer in conversation.

Make the change. You only have your ignorance to lose.

I listened to him for a few minutes earlier today–and was amazed.

He called MSNBC “government-controlled media”. I know plenty of people on the right don't like MSNBC, but that seemed a little extreme. A minute later he called the Associated Press “government-controlled media”. Basically, I gathered, if it ain't Limbaugh himself, the government controls it. Lots of people don't like the media (I am definitely one of them), but saying everyone else was “government-controlled” is poisonous.

Limbaugh also called for a boycott of General Motors. He said the American people want General Motors to fail. He railed against General Motors for a while, then he took a phone call from someone who actually said “Mega-dittos, Rush”, then he called Reuters “government-controlled media”.

Then he went to a commercial.

The commercial, which Limbaugh narrated himself, was for…wait for it…General Motors.

Rush Limbaugh is certainly willing to take some of that nice GM money for himself.

It would be easy to call Limbaugh a blowhard and a hypocrite. But I think there's something even more insidious about this. Limbaugh makes huge money catering to the prejudices of a small segment of the population. Certainly, he must do market research to figure out what they want him to say.

The things they want him to say are crazy. And he's audacious enough to do it.