Counting the dittoheads, what does it mean?

 How many dittoheads are there, really?

With Rush Limbaugh leading conservatives and heading up the Republican Party, radio ratings have entered the national political conversation.

Radio ratings, done mainly by Arbitron, are, unlike their teevee counterparts, notoriously secretive, and intentionally mysterious, if not misleading. The meaningful numbers and demos are privileged information that can be spun any ol' way subscribers (stations and syndicators) need to use them.

Arbitron ratings are not for the public, anyway, they're for advertisers. They're a selling tool for advertising. Drawing political conclusions from these purely commercial surveys is a fool's errand. (another example of the folly of conflating entertainment, and entertainers into the politic realm as the Republican Party has with Limbaugh, and talk radio.

The Washington Post: "... the number varies wildly. Is it 30 million (Pat Buchanan on MSNBC), 20 million (Time magazine, ABC News), 19 million (Fox News), 14 million (CNN), or "14.2 million to about 25 million" (The Washington Post)?"

"[It] is an art, not a science," says Michael Harrison, Talkers magazine editor. "It's very hard to come up with an exact answer. It really reveals the embarrassing state of radio ratings."

Nobody questions that Rush is the most popular and successful radio host in history. He signed, after all, a $400 million, eight-year contract with Premier in July, a record by any measure.

But estimates of Limbaugh's nationwide (and overseas) audience are exercises in guesswork, slippery methodology and suspect data. Limbaugh himself has muddied the water with the claim that he reaches 20 million people a week, although there's no independent support for that figure.

Arbitron, who surveys audiences for the radio industry, says that trying to figure out how big Rush's (or anyone else's) audiences nationwide is too "complicated, expensive, and time-consuming" to bother with.

The difficulty comes from the vast patchwork that is Limbaugh's radio empire. His three-hour daily program is carried on more than 600 domestic stations, but these stations don't all carry the show at the same time or even for the same duration. Most air all three hours of Limbaugh's broadcast each weekday, but some carry only two hours. Arbitron has never attempted to aggregate all of this audience data for this many stations and times. "There is no economic motivation for any objective third party to do that kind of analysis," says Thom Mocarsky, an Arbitron spokesman.

Rush hogged, basked, strutted, and oom-pahed in the spotlight that the White House and the DCCC beamed his way, enjoying an uptick in listeners -- reportedly up to 25 million, although there's no actual survey data to support such a figure.

Nonetheless, Big Pants has avid dittohead loyalty and more listeners than anyone else. But the fact  remains that the public at large clearly dislikes him and wildly loves their new prez.

Obama's popularity, and approval for his programs have trended upward as Rush spouts negative headlines. The American public have no difficulty separating his amusing bluster from serious criticism.

The President''s political fate lies, of course, in how the American people will view the outcomes of his policies; so far Rush Limbaugh has lent only a positive spin to those potentials.

Comments

[joanie]

Ah, but lesser people are vulnerable to his propaganda. People like - shall we say - Michael Steele?

the GOP - the second coming of the Keystone Cops. I'm loving it.

[Coiler]

It's good to see them step in the bucket of paint with Steele et al.

[sparky]

The answer to the question is : Far too many, but probably not as many as he would like you to believe.

[AuthenticAndrew]

I have to once again congratulate Team Obama for validating Rush Limbaugh and effectively turning him into the go-to guy for Republican policy making. At the time everyone was saying Obama had made a mistake by singling out a radio host but in hindsight that was a brilliant strategy and I'm sure they will be using this trick the next time Republicans try block something that's good for America. Sean Hannity is waiting in anticipation.

[Rick]

Michael wrote "The American public have no difficulty separating his amusing bluster from serious criticism."
Huh, yeah they do. Thats the problem.
I worked with a guy who bought dittohead t-shirts and a dittohead coffee mug, and was proud of it. He never realized he was the brunt of caustic humor, and this was a sawmill, quite conservative and blue collar. He was also an evangelical christian. Go figure.

[mrogi]

Q. How many dittoheads are there?

A. Enough to make Rush Limbaugh an extremely rich man.

[KS]

Yes, the number of dittoheads are making Rush rich, especially since the White House has drawn attention to him - they perceive him as a threat to implementing their Dimocrat control-freak agenda.

It will be interesting to see if they are able to show some tolerance and spar with him off and on for the next four years or if they try an end-run to work behind the scenes to try and have White House minions force out and diminish Limbaugh and others who dissent with them through threatening the sponsors or through the FCC. I have a belief that it will be the later - but again I hope I am wrong.

[KS]

As for Michael Steele, maybe the Dems will try pelting him with Oreos- and display their racism, like they did a few years ago when he ran for Governor of Maryland. That would be another opportunity to propagate the demise of what they perceive to be the Republican party.

[Sarge]

They should pelt Steele w/Oreos, the Stepanfetchit that he is. There are still plenty of southern R's gunning for him after the nasty chairmanship election, too. There's no small amount of racism left down in the deep south country clubs who are the "grassroots" of the GOP. A graft investigation is ongoing in Maryland because of a fony contract between a fat-cat and his sister's catering company. Seems the check was written but the canapes never arrived. This is more likely to get him fired (or indicted) than playing bum-boy to Rush.

[Puget Sound]

Love him or hate him, he delivers a prime demographic. Advertisers don't like to waste their money sooooo it would seem clear that Rush delivers what the sponsors want: customers.

[artb]

In all this talk about Rush, we never hear about Weissbach. Did they cancel his show already?

"This is the show with no false gods and no sacred cows. It's the show that looks behind the facade; pricks the pretensions; and questions the veil that we're told is reality.
It's the show that encourages you to think - and once having thought - stand up and speak out."
Don't be bashful - voice your opinions on the show and in the Forum located in this site. Remember, in order to have freedom - you must be prepared to give it away."

[bartb]

in all this talk we never hear about joanie and the gay guy..how are they..hhmm..???

[dave (not dave ross)]

Obama continues to enjoy alot of popularity in the polls, at the same time americans see the government throwing trillions of dollars at a problem that is only getting worse. They dont trust government, each other or see an answer to a broken banking system that has repercussions across the world. Using rush as a diversion because he cannot fix the problems will more likely blow up in his face over the long run than it will damage rush or the republicans.

[dave (not dave ross)]

While it is true obama enjoys popularity in the polls, americans see trillions being thrown at our economic problems and the banks are still broken with likel worldwide repercussions, they dont trust each other and they see things getting worse. Using rush as a diversion will be more of an embarassment to the democrats in the long run than to the republicans.

[dave (not dave ross)]

its a parallel universe

[nevets]

I like that picture of Rush on the top. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[sparky]

Speaking of dittoheads...Stephanie Miller and crew did a hilarious job of mocking Dori Monson this morning, because he said some things about Stephanie on his show last week..Jim Ward was SPOT ON on imitating Dori's voice, but the best part was when Chris Lavoie mentioned Dori's name--Stephanie thought it was a girl. hehe

[GS]

I immediately turn off the radio or TV or I change channels.

He is the most negative and hurtful voice the country (as well as the Republican Party) has.
If he were the least bit positive he might develop a serious audience.
It’s time we ALL work together and help our president pull us ALL out of the mire we are in...Obama was elected by the people of the US. Does that tell Limbaugh something?

Oh, and by the way Rush, President Obama has been on the job for a whole 6 weeks......how about showing some respect as he grapples with the toughest issues a president has ever had to deal with.

[Mungo]

"As for Michael Steele, maybe the Dems will try pelting him with Oreos- and display their racism, like they did a few years ago when he ran for Governor of Maryland."

Funny thing about that...none of the news accounts from media that were there mentioned anything about it...wasn't brought up til 5 days later, and then it was the oreos 'were passed around'...even Steele himself later denied they were thrown at him. Oh well, makes for a good victim story, right KS?

[KS]

If that's the case, it was the Republican's bad. Are you sure you are talking straight or do you speak with fork-ed tongue ?

[joanie]

You're an idiot, Klueless.

[KS]

That post to Mungo was none of your damn business. Oh yes, you are a brown shirt and a whack job, Ph(Jo)anie.

[Habu]

I see zero is going to appear on Leno.

If you libs had any faith in that empty suit you would be encouraging him to accept Rush's offer and bury Rush.

You dont because you know what the outcome would be.