Boston Globe: Could Stern's anti-Bush rants shock the vote?

[Killarney]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/03/18/could_sterns_anti_bush_rants_shock_the_vote/

Harrison calls Stern's's recent crusade "historic." "Anytime you have somebody suddenly igniting political interest with an audience who has the kind of loyalty factor Stern has, it could turn an election." A large percentage of Stern's listeners -- some 8 1/2 million a week -- were leaning in favor of Bush, Harrison says. "If Stern could turn several million Bush supporters away from Bush, that has even more impact than Rush Limbaugh, who's preaching to the choir. So this is pivotal to what is shaping up to be a close election."

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. Let's hope Stern sways his audience

I think Howard is an opportunist-he sees that the tide is turning-but it's great to have a voice on the Dems side that reaches the white male demographic.

[Peachhead22]

2. Stern fans formerly pro-Bush?

Now that I don't buy. It's nice to have anyone with an audience being anti-Bush. But I don't think many Stern fans were going to vote for Bush in the first place, so I think Stern's position is of little consequence.

However, if there is a significant number of Stern fans who typically wouldn't have voted at all (nothing against Stern fans, it's all too common in most segments of society), and now those people are energized, registering and voting against Bush that can only be a good thing.

[ecstatic]

6. hmm

They are probably pro-Bush in the sense that they are not politically aware, and, by default, support our current pResident. People like that can be swayed easily because their positions are not really grounded in anything substantial.

[Beetwasher]

10. White Males 18-50

is Sterns key demographic...That's Bush's base. Any dent in that base is going to be bad for the Chimp.

[Jane Austin]

3. WooHoo!

If it does nothing else, it could plant just that little seed of doubt that there may actually be another side to the story.

[0007]

4. Go Howard go

[Room101]

5. Howard just said" Bushes NAZI like regime" /nt

.

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. how odd, both Stern and Imus have turned on Bush

Too bad a majority of their listeners live in a state that's already going to vote for Kerry - New York.

[ecstatic]

8. Does his show air in GA?

Does anyone know? Thanks

[iqpriapus]

9. Years from now

...In a bush bio, someone staffer is going to report that he said,"I've lost stern, I've lost the country." Strange times indeed.

[sendero]

11. The impact...

... here is undenyable. Whether you like Stern or not, he could literally deliver Kerry the election.

I'm sure there are plenty of Repugs out there already crying "no fair". To them I say - you've been dishing it (Rush, O-Really, Hannity, Boortz, Savage, I could go on and on) for years and years, now get a taste of your own medicine and stop whining.

[RandomKoolzip]

12. So apathetic = Pro-Bush?

I doubt most Stern listeners could name their state representatives, and I doubt most of them voted in 2000. They may have been tacitly pro-Bush in that they "supported the troops" (whatever the fuck that means) and made fun of France post-9/11, simply because it was the "in" thing to do at the time. Now the trend seems to be knocking Bush (I hope it's not JUST a trend) and Stern is riding it like a cheap hooker.

Stern's fans don't seem to be very political, but if he can light a fire under their asses, then I say, fuckin' A Howard.....

[Enraged_Ape]

13. Howard's demographic skews young, I'll bet many have never voted

And he is just influential enough in their minds to bring them into the voting booth for the first time...against Bush.

The Republicans, knowing what a mess they've made of things, are trying hard to shore up their core of idiots who would vote for Bush if he promised to send their grandmas to Iraq. We, on the other hand, NEED to enlist new Democratic voters. Howard is doing just that. More power to him.