The Domesticated Primate

I used to listen to talk radio - a lot of it. Since I've started listening to podcasts, I don't listen quite so much. There are a lot of things I've noticed about political talk radio in general, but one thing I've noticed about conservative talk radio in particular: they always decry "activism". The image you are supposed to have in your head, of course, is ugly angry feminazis or godless heathen dirty hippies who have too much time on their hands and just refuse to Get With the Program. So when they don't actually say the word in front of activism, it's implied: liberal activism. Oh, the horror. People trying to get things changed in a constitutional representative republic. Can't they just shut up, go to work, consume, and watch mindless TV like the rest of us "real merrikans"? Yes, it's just awful.

The ironic part of all this is that I would contend that there is much more "activism" on the part of conservatives. At least it's better funded. Rarely do they have to stand out on the street. Here's a short list of groups that place op-ed pieces in corporate papers, who help shape opinion, etc:

Media Research Council, Focus on the Family, Christian Coalition, Christian Broadcast Network, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute. I'm sure there are many more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. Then there are PR groups, and one that even, oh, I don't know, sold us a war. But that's not activism. That's, uh, well...well, this stuff isn't even discussed in right wing radio. The facts rarely matter to a partisan. Well, at least certain facts. Certain facts are even "un-American".