Good points, all. However, in my post, I said nothing about education level whatsoever. I separated the watchers and readers of news from the non-watchers, non-readers. And all the liberals I know hold at least one advanced degree. You are also correct in that a number of conservatives I know do not hold advanced degrees, but they do read and watch news and are very “up” on current events that have nothing to do with a couple with two sets of multiples capitalizing on their divorce while the whole world watches. (As you may have guessed, I am that rare bird who has entirely too much time on my hands, so I catch all the news- gossipy and serious :))

That’s some trash there, Baldmongoose!

My favorite part:

“stain on my shirt from a porkchop the night before.”

Mmm.

Lawyers.

2 wings 1 bird 1 beak! There is really no diffrence between CNN, and FOX, they try to get you to argue over Republican or Demacrat but we really only have one party to pick from, the WAR party! CSPAN is the only Channel that I can stand to watch, and only because of the call in viewers on the show Washington Journal. How ever Freedom whach on Fox does show a little promise.

Except the majority of people with college degress, especially graduate degrees, vote Democratic. This is not based on some people I know, but extensive polling data.

Here is the headline of a Gallup poll:

“Obama Education Gap Extends to General Election
McCain leads Obama among those with a high school education or less”

http://www.gallup.com/poll/106381/obama-education-gap-extends-general-election.aspx

There are also studies that show people who listen to talk radio are least informed on policy. They also tended to see themselves as the most informed. You have to love the juxtaposition of arrogance and ignorance. But hey, it’s almost definitional at this point.

The notion that book readership represents some broad indicator of the entire population’s political affinity and/or general interests denotes a seriously misinformed view of demographics and the socio-cultural realities they represent. Pat’s point about Air America is well-taken and illustrative on this point: the fact that Air America failed so miserably certainly doesn’t mean that no like-minded audience existed for their material. The format just didn’t match the desires of that demographic. Culturally and socially, a certain conservative demographic just seems to dig listening to Rush, Hannity, and their ilk all day long (I’m conservative, but I can’t do it and don’t get it).

Book sales are not only a snapshot of time, but represent a narrow slice of the overall MSM even then (the “MSM” is obviously not a single, monolithic entity). When considered in the context of print journalism (especially America’s dailies) and general broadcast journalism, the contention that the “slant” is conservative is nutty. This isn’t the venue, but do a little checking on the academic research attendant to the self-ascribed political leanings of journalists from across the MSM spectrum.

The MSM is a big beast and represents more than just a few media outlets in certain time slots (remember too, Hollywood, the arts, and the music scene). Even within the journalism piece, however, Fox’s primacy in one area and the occasional blip of conservative titles on bestseller lists do not conservative bias make.

(Before all you liberals get your panties bunched up, please bear in mind I am not speaking about all liberals. I am sure there are plenty that are well-read and well-informed. Oddly enough, however, the ones I know (and that is a number far higher than the number of conservatives I know) just aren’t that interested in real news. Also, this is not a condemnation of any liberal at all- just a recognition that different people are interested in different things, and that drives TV ratings and book sales.)

Fox News is unstoppable on the upper end of the cable dial, the same channels that have infomercials, documentaries on Big Foot and reruns of Matlock, but gets clobbered by the ABC, NBC and CBC evening news broadcasts.

Mande,

The right has manged to create an entire cottage industry of “news.” I mean, why bothering reading real news when you can have your existing opinions validated by Fox News and NRO? It’s much easier that being burdened with using your brain. That’s why Air America failed, people like me found a bunch of liberal pundits railing against “The man” inane and insufferable. There’s better ways to spend my time than fortifying my opinions with baseless talking points.