Why? (a word to the average Joe conservative)

"My state representative, my federal senator, my county government, my mayor and my governor are all socialists.  I own an 800 square foot home, yet have to set aside more money for property taxes than I do for food!" -- a caller named "Wes" on the Jayne Carroll show, KUIK, Hillsboro.
 

Steve and Wes are upset, and who can blame them?  They have the sinking feeling associated with being betrayed. Their army is losing the battle. Is it because they are outnumbered or because they have bad generals?   Since neither fellow is what you would call a player in the hierarchy of the Oregon Republican Party, and so neither has access to discussions in the once-smoky inner sanctum sanctorum, they have been left standing there wondering why they put the money in the machine but no soft drink can dropped into the slot.

So, this is for Steve and Wes.  It is an explanation of what happened, and why it happens -- and will happen again. 

Do you remember Rob Kremer?  The man  who ran for the office of Superintendent of Public Schools? A fine candidate, a smart fellow.  He had a great vision for our schools, and the experience and educational credentials to pull off a revolution.  Where the hell is he? 

Gone with the political winds.

The reason he was slamdunked by an amateur was that the only thing that can overcome certain kinds of special interest endorsements in Oregon is massive support by the general media. If you contact them -- the newspapers in the towns, large and small -- and ask them who they endorsed for that office, you'll discover that most of them didn't back him.  Same with most of the TV stations.   Kremer thought that Oregon's schools could turn out a much better product, and that pouring good money after bad into the schools was not the answer.  Perhaps he was shocked to discover that even newspapers east of the Cascades stood foursquare with the teachers unions -- which means with the status quo. 

The reason why supposed conservatives like Lake Oswego's (technically, Cedar Mill, according to his website)  Bill Witt can turn left the way he just did in the recent special session of the legislature  -- and not only fail to suffer harm for jumping on the higher taxes bandwagon, but actually benefit from it! -- is exactly the same.  Think back to the early days of the Korean War.  Having 50,000 of the best trained, best equipped soldiers in the world is just great until 50 million Chinese troops charge your position.  With an army that size, they can take you down armed only with Q-tips and harsh comments. 

It's pure numbers, lads.  The size of the opposition press corps. And, get ready.  It will determine the outcome of the statewide November election.  (In our opinion, an event that will contain some major results that Oregon conservatives will not like.)  Here is how this works:.

Most folks learn what they generally need to know to make a life, and trust the specialty work to others.  They trust religion to their pastor (priest, rabbi, etc.), medicine to their doctor and politics to their home town paper.  Thus, if their pastor (priest, rabbi, etc.) has the wrong take on things they'll go to hell, if their doctor has the wrong take on things they'll get there quicker and if their home town paper has the wrong take on things, they'll pay through the nose while they're waiting to go.

Considering the makeup of the press in Oregon, it's no wonder things work the way they do.  Voters don't know any better.  How could they?  Is there a single major publication in the tri-county area that has questioned Bill Witt's credibility?  Hell no!  Willamette Week just ran an editorial praising him for his courage!  Since David Reinhard, also supposed to be at least a faintly conservative voice at the Oregonian, wrote an editorial (click on Reinhard's name) suggesting that Republicans do exactly what Witt did, Bill will be on that paper's plaudit list, as well.

Why in the world should conservatives expect people to think anything but well of Witt?  Every TV station, the largest paper in the state and Portland's tribute to Pravda, Willy Week, is telling them that he's a hero!

Recently, some Oregon Democrats have talked about re-introducing the "fairness doctrine" in broadcasting.  Because that process requires equal time for opposing political viewpoints, it would kill conservative talk radio.  The liberals aren't too happy about conservative talk radio, and would dearly love to shut down that kind of free speech.  It's a bit selfish on their part, however.  Here's why.

Oregon's media are to a surprisingly large degree mildly left of center to far out, man.   Proof of that is easy.  Study any race that includes a conservative.  Count the number of newspapers that endorse the conservative.  Then count the number of newspapers that endorse the liberal.  If you passed the fourth grade, you can do the math.

Here's another.  Which newspapers frequently support tax increases to pay for the growth of government?  The Oregonian (circ daily 340,000, sun 430,000), the Salem Statesman-Journal (circ daily 60,000) , the Albany Democrat-Herald (22,000 circ.) and the Eugene Register Guard (circ 78,000) are in that list.  What is the combined daily circulation of these newspapers?  Almost half a million.  .(Add in the newspapers in Oregon which support tax increases and are not included in the list above, and the number rises to three-quarters of a million people.  Add in the television news departments, all of which support tax increases, and the number goes over a million.)

In the words of General Kremer at the recent Battle of the Little Big Election, "Where in the hell did all those liberal newspapers come from?"

Is there anything constitutionally wrong with newspapers, magazines and broadcast stations taking a liberal point of view?  Of course not.  Their right to do so should be protected against any assault.  The founding fathers understood the importance of a free press to such a degree that it is the only business mentioned in their constitution.

Yet, the above mentioned Democrats' wish to use the "fairness doctrine" to destroy conservative talk radio is absolute proof that those who wish to control public views on issues need to crush the opposition press.  (The first thing Marxist revolutionaries go for is the press.  Watch any coup attempt by them.  The radio and TV stations, and the newspapers, are immediate targets for takeovers.)

God Bless the Oregonian, Willy Week, and the Eugene Register-Guard. Progressive publications all, their voice stands up for what they believe in.  It might be higher taxes, massive subsidies, centralized control of schools, the closing down of oil reserves in Alaska's Anwar region or supra-constitutional rights for liberal special interest groups, just to name a few examples.  It's a big shopping list because they don't have to pay the bulk of the cost.  You pay the bulk of the cost.

And, that's one of the ways you tell the difference.

Which media oppose tax increases?  All the conservative radio programs that originate in Oregon oppose tax increases. How many listeners do they have?  The number one program that covers local issues (Rush Limbaugh doesn't talk about Oregon races or issues all that often) is probably Lars Larson, on KXL.  His message goes out on a small syndication network made up of local radio stations around the state and up I-5 a ways.  Radio audience numbers are much harder to nail down than paid print circulation statistics, but  a good ad agency media buyer might guestimate that Lars, whose audience numbers are rated in the 60,000 range, reaches between 25,000 and 40,000 individuals over the age of 21 on the average weekday.. 

But, give him the big number if you wish. The Oregonian, as mentioned earlier, reaches 340,000 individuals on that same day.  More if you count what's known as "passaround circulation," which in the simplest form consists of a husband and a wife.

Add all the conservative talk shows together and, factor in the fact that dedicated fans will monitor as many as four or five different shows a day, and you are forced to admit that it is quite possible that the total number of individuals reached by the whole bunch combined is 200,000 less than the Sunday edition of that one paper.

The story for conservatives, after the radio numbers,  gets really skinny.  Throw in the odd small conservative weekly newspaper, circulation 1,600, one or two small daily sheets in the 12-14,000 reader range, one larger paper with 20,000 readers, Jim Pasero’s up and coming Brainstorm Magazine, circulation 30,000,  and the conservative message from these, combined with the talk show audience, may reach perhaps a fifth the number of Oregon citizens that are reached by the liberal media combine.

Is it surprising that a populace educated in liberal public schools and universities, and whose source of daily, weekly and monthly information and analysis is all from the left, should hold liberal viewpoints?  Do you think that without ever hearing an opposing view it is likely that they will ever hold one?

A view in opposition to the standard Oregon fare is what we offer.

In August, Oregon Magazine had 28,000 readers.  It's one of the state's largest general interest magazines -- particularly if you're looking for publications with a conservative editorial page. Perhaps six of Oregon's newspapers have more readers. It is only available on the internet, however.  Most of the potential audience (possibly a quarter of a million people) has never  heard about us. The reason is simple.  It costs a great deal of money to buy advertising to tell them we’re here.   (We have many times been asked by readers of this internet version, "Why don't you bring Oregon Magazine out in print, so people who aren't on the net can read it?"  The answer is, once more, money.  When we have some, it'll happen.) 

You might think that this inability to purchase exposure could be overcome by enthusiastic support from the conservative broadcast media, but in Oregon it isn't that simple. Some tell their listeners about us, and some don't.  The self-imposed gag rule on Lars Larson is a good example of one version of the problem.  Since his  paycheck comes from a media congolomerate which includes KATU, channel 2, the ABC affiliate in Portland and a liberal media outlet we frequently take to the woodshed in our pages, he is not allowed to "promote" Oregon Magazine -- talk about what we do, like Limbaugh talks about the Drudge Report and the Washington Times.

(While some have said that Lars considers Oregon Magazine a possible future threat to his star status as Oregon's premier conservative media voice, we don't buy that. As Mark Antony said, "He is an honorable man."  His virtual on-air blackout concerning Oregon Magazine is no matter of vanity.  We've had our issue differences in the past, but that's not the problem, either.  He has issue differences with publications like the Oregonian and the Eugene Register Guard all the time, and frequently refers to them on the air.  His company does not like Oregon Magazine. Out of a simple, decent loyalty to the folks who pay his salary, he respects their position.)

So, to sum up, people vote the way they do because of the way the world is presented to them. A liberal media controls the shape of that portrait in Oregon.   Radio talk shows make up most of the opposition, but even when added to the rest of the conservative media in these parts, are a drop in the bucket in terms of circulation. Finally, If you start a new statewide conservative publication in an attempt to deal with the imbalance, you better have lots of lovely money.  It's going to take a lot of money to make it, and a lot of money to build an audience.  (With few exceptions the media silence about you will be deafening.) 

So, why don't these rich conservatives we hear so much about do something?    Why don't they individually or in a group simply purchase some newspapers and television stations and fix the problem?  FOX has proven that a conservative (read: accurate and truthful journalism) approach generates a growing broadcast audience and advertising revenues. While NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS show declining audience shares and declining revenues, FOX grows.  News fans love journalists who blast both sides instead of throwing hardballs to one team and softballs to the other.  I'll ask it, again.  Why don't conservatives stop griping about the media viewpoint imbalance and get off their butts and do something about it? 

God only knows. Perhaps they enjoy their permanent underdog status -- preferring to remain minority victims rather than taking action by investing in , and so enlarging, their media base.  It’s ironic when you think about it.  Conservatives are supposed to be the folks who have all the money.  But, there is an advantage to being an underdog.  You always have an excuse when you lose.

Until Oregon's top dog conservatives get it, they will continue to look around and wince as they get hammered.  As the years go by, they will see the media barrage against everything in which they believe, and watch that media barrage shape the elections in ways they hate.  Now and again, they'll wring their hands and cry out in frustration:  “Why?” 

Our suggestion will be that they look in the mirror. 

And, to Steve and Wes, for whom this essay was created, I say, "Yes, the most irritating part of this is that it doesn't take an IQ of 190 to see it.  Any average Joe can look at the situation and figure out the solution in ten minutes.  If you're being shot at, and the troops aren't there to help you, don't just stand there like a dummy.  Get a gun and shoot back!"

LL

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