Squawking About Talk Radio

Back from the studio, and back to work. In a nice case of symmetry, my Milwaukee Insight column centers on talk radio.

The power of talk radio does not rest in the hands of the hosts. It rests in the minds of the listeners.

Do these shows generate calls into legislative offices? No doubt. Yet, these calls are the result of constituents exercising their democratic right to choose to voice their opinion. Isn't this something to celebrate?

Does the Wisconsin State Journal want legislators to discern the motivation behind every letter, phone call, fax or e-mail they receive?

Say it was even possible. A teacher calls at the behest of her union. A husband sends an e-mail at the urging of his wife. A college student is motivated to show up to a town hall meeting after a discussion in his dorm. A business owner meets at the Capitol at the urging of his professional association. Are any of these contacts more or less significant than ones motivated by a half-hour call-in segment on a talk radio show?

As an aside, it's beyond me how anyone can bemoan both low voter turnout on Election Day and also be disgusted when thousands upon thousands of people are motivated to contact their government representatives.

Elected officials who are upset over receiving swarms of constituent contacts should consider another line of work--one where the will of the people is not so important. I wouldn't suggest talk radio, though. Because, unlike politicians who can turn a deaf ear to the voices of constituents for years before having to be judged, for those in talk radio, every day is Election Day.

Every day, the squawkers' constituents vote on whether or not to tune in.

Read it in its entirety, here.