Tear Down This Wall!

Has conservative talk radio been good for the Republican Party? For five long presidential election cycles, Republicans have offered America presidential candidates who have proved to be verbally challenged. At the same time, the stars of conservative talk radio have climbed from success to success, reaching a daily audience that any political leader would envy to have and creating an impression that conservatism is a force to be contended with in America. We know conservative talk radio has been wildly successful, but it is less clear what it has meant politically. Could the rise of one be linked to the decline of the other?

Conventional wisdom would suggest that Rush, Sean and many other talk show pundits have aided the conservative cause, but there may be a darker side to the phenomenal success of the talkers. Perhaps Republican candidates have steadily declined in power and effectiveness because talk radio has inadvertently separated the messenger from the message. Can you imagine Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy or Ronald Reagan allowing the media to do all their talking for them? Can you imagine, Winston Churchill stepping aside while a radio commentator communicated his inspiring messages to the British people? It would never have happened.

Democratic operatives have gone to some length to proclaim Rush Limbaugh the titular head of the Republican Party. They have a point. While Rush Limbaugh addresses an audience for 15 hours every week, conservative politicians slink around the outer edges of the Beltway avoiding the limelight if at all possible. Being sheepish is safe. It sadly seems that Republicans are afflicted by CAS (Controversy Avoidance Syndrome).

Only when the Republican Party recovers its voice will it have any chance to change the direction of America. It is not enough to become Obama’s Greek chorus. You need political leadership to bring genuine reform. And political leadership needs more than position or title to motivate the greater population for the need for real change. And you cannot divorce the message from the political messenger. Rush Limbaugh could not have said with any authority, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Only Ronald Reagan could.