Can Talk Radio Survive Obama?

Now that the election is over, conservatives are down in the dumps. And they should be. The economy tanked in spite of their tax-cutting efforts. John McCain, a candidate the right never really supported, loses to Barack Obama. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, became a national joke. President George W. Bush . . . can we move on, please?

There are silver linings for the right, however. Gay marriage has been banned in California. Michele Bachmann has been re-elected to Congress. Senator Norm Coleman still has a shot at winning the recount battle with Democrat Al Franken. Governor Tim Pawlenty is still preaching no new taxes as Minnesota plunges six million dollars into debt. And Palin's making noises about running for President in 2012.

Now there is concern that one of the right's biggest platforms--talk radio--is in for a rough time during the coming Obama years. They tell us that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others will suffer ratings declines because of the Internet and the possible re-introduction of the Fairness Doctrine, forcing stations to provide balance on controversial issues. Like having actual callers who disagree with the host?

One word: Chill!!

Conservative talk radio isn't going away. In fact, it might be bigger than ever as the opposing voice to the Obama administration--just like they were when Bill Clinton was President--and in drumming up support for Republican victories in 2010 and beyond.

It's progressive talk that needs to worry. Compared to the right, hosts like Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and others will have little to maintain their audience with now that they've succeeded in putting a Democrat in the White House. They're also at a disadvantage when it comes the type of stations they're on. Most of the 50,000-watt AM boomers carrying conservative talk formats are owned by chains such as CBS, Citadel and Clear Channel, while progressive formats must make do with dinky 1000-watters that earn less money than your average NPR affiliate.

Yes, there's Air America, the progressive network that went on the air shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But it's become more or less a programming service after bankruptcy and new owners. Their future is still in doubt.

So rest easy, conservatives. Your favorite blowhards will be yakking about God, Country and No New Taxes on radio and on Fox News for years to come, no matter who the president is. The rest of us will have moved on.