Persuading the Republican Base

Yesterday, at a rally in Ohio, talk-radio personality Bill Cunningham spoke to McCain supporters before McCain took the stage. Since McCain has had so much trouble getting the base to be energized, perhaps the talk-radio host could do better. We'll, Cunningham did really get the base motivated, but he angered the independent minded McCain. So, what did Cunningham say to persuade the base to get motivated?

Consider the following inflammatory comments, which are receiving an incredible amount of media attention. (I could not find an entire transcript of the remarks. So, I recommend you view them here). Here is a partial transcript:(source; source; source).

Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change... At some point in the near future the media, the stooges from the New York Times, CBS (The Clinton Broadcasting System), NBC (The Nobody But Clinton Network), The All Bill Clinton Channel (ABC), and the Clinton News Network at some point is going to peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama. That day will come. Then you'll know the truth about his business dealings with Rezko, when he got sweetheart deals in Chicago and the illegal loans that he received. At some point the media will quit taking sides in this thing and maybe start covering Barack Hussein Obama.

John McCain came out and strongly condemned these comments.

"I take responsibility. I repudiate what he said. I will not tolerate anyone that denigrates either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama." (source)

However, this only infuriated Cunningham, who lashed out at McCain (source; source; source). Cunningham said:

He's not my candidate. He is not a conservative. I'm a conservative Reagan Republican, and John McCain embarrassed himself. The local Republican Party, Alan Colmes, has received dozens — dozens of calls complaining about John Juan Pablo McCain. They're getting complaint calls. (source)

The persuasive lesson: the far-right is motivated by this type of inflammatory commentary. If you are in doubt, simply consider the number of right-wing talk show hosts that spew this stuff out daily (e.g., Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Riley, Michael Medved, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham).