Talk Radio’s America : How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States

**The cocreator of the __Washington Post__’s “Made by History” blog reveals how the rise of conservative talk radio gave us a Republican Party incapable of governing and paved the way for Donald Trump.** America’s long road to the Trump presidency began on August 1, 1988, when, desperate for content to save AM radio, top media executives stumbled on a new format that would turn the political world upside down. They little imagined that in the coming years their brainchild would polarize the country and make it nearly impossible to govern. Rush Limbaugh, an enormously talented former disc jockey―opinionated, brash, and unapologetically conservative―pioneered a pathbreaking infotainment program that captured the hearts of an audience no media executive knew existed. Limbaugh’s listeners yearned for a champion to punch back against those maligning their values. Within a decade, this format would grow from fifty-nine stations to over one thousand, keeping millions of Americans company as they commuted, worked, and shouted back at their radios. The concept pioneered by Limbaugh was quickly copied by cable news and digital media. Radio hosts form a deep bond with their audience, which gives them enormous political power. Unlike elected representatives, however, they must entertain their audience or watch their ratings fall. Talk radio boosted the Republican agenda in the 1990s, but two decades later, escalation in the battle for the airwaves pushed hosts toward ever more conservative, outrageous, and hyperbolic content. Donald Trump borrowed conservative radio hosts’ playbook and gave Republican base voters the kind of pugnacious candidate they had been demanding for decades. By 2016, a political force no one intended to create had completely transformed American politics. The cocreator of the Washington Post ’s “Made by History” blog reveals how the rise of conservative talk radio gave us a Republican Party incapable of governing and paved the way for Donald Trump. America’s long road to the Trump presidency began on August 1, 1988, when, desperate for content to save AM radio, top media executives stumbled on a new format that would turn the political world upside down. They little imagined that in the coming years their brainchild would polarize the country and make it nearly impossible to govern. Rush Limbaugh, an enormously talented former disc jockey―opinionated, brash, and unapologetically conservative―pioneered a pathbreaking infotainment program that captured the hearts of an audience no media executive knew existed. Limbaugh’s listeners yearned for a champion to punch back against those maligning their values. Within a decade, this format would grow from fifty-nine stations to over one thousand, keeping millions of Americans company as they commuted, worked, and shouted back at their radios. The concept pioneered by Limbaugh was quickly copied by cable news and digital media. Radio hosts form a deep bond with their audience, which gives them enormous political power. Unlike elected representatives, however, they must entertain their audience or watch their ratings fall. Talk radio boosted the Republican agenda in the 1990s, but two decades later, escalation in the battle for the airwaves pushed hosts toward ever more conservative, outrageous, and hyperbolic content. Donald Trump borrowed conservative radio hosts’ playbook and gave Republican base voters the kind of pugnacious candidate they had been demanding for decades. By 2016, a political force no one intended to create had completely transformed American politics. The March To The Trump Presidency Began In 1988, When Rush Limbaugh Went National. Brian Rosenwald Charts The Transformation Of Am Radio Entertainers Into Political Kingmakers. By Giving Voice To The Conservative Base, They Reshaped The Republican Party And Fostered Demand For A President Who Sounded As Combative And Hyperbolic As A Talk Show Host.-- The Colossus Rises -- With Talent On Loan From God -- Media That Sounds Like Us -- Necessity, Mother Of Invention -- The New Republican King -- Bill Clinton, Talk Radio Innovator -- Stopping Legislation In Its Tracks -- The Political Earthquake -- Everything Changes -- The Democrats Wake Up -- Talk Radio Takes Over Television-and Tries To Impeach A President -- Money Propels Talk Radio To The Right -- Talk Radio In The 2000s: Big Changes For The Medium And For Politics -- The Parties Go Their Own Ways -- Disgruntled But Still Loyal - Unless You're A Moderate -- The Titans Of Talk, 1-bipartisanship, 0 -- Never A Republican Puppet -- The Conservative Media Empire -- I Hope He Fails -- The Relationship Sours -- Hunting Rinos -- Trying (and Failing) To Govern -- Turning The Power Structure Upside Down -- The President That Talk Radio Made -- The Big Picture. Brian Rosenwald. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Introduction 12 1. The Colossus Rises 22 2. With Talent on Loan from God 32 3. Media That Sounds Like Us 42 4. Necessity, Mother of Invention 50 5. The New Republican King 62 6. Bill Clinton, Talk Radio Innovator 68 7. Stopping Legislation in Its Tracks 72 8. The Political Earthquake 82 9. Everything Changes 90 10. The Democrats Wake Up 102 11. Talk Radio Takes Over Television—and Tries to Impeach a President 112 12. Money Propels Talk Radio to the Right 120 13. Talk Radio in the 2000s: Big Changes for the Medium and for Politics 124 14. The Parties Go Their Own Ways 132 15. Disgruntled but Still Loyal—Unless You’re a Moderate 148 16. The Titans of Talk 1 - Bipartisanship 0 162 17. Never a Republican Puppet 172 18. The Conservative Media Empire 182 19. I Hope He Fails 188 20. The Relationship Sours 194 21. Hunting RINOs 204 22. Trying (and Failing) to Govern 212 23. Turning the Power Structure Upside Down 230 24. The President That Talk Radio Made 238 25. The Big Picture 266 Notes 282 Acknowledgments 356 Index 360