Right-wing shock jocks influence Americans more than the ‘corporate media’

“TWO nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy,” is how Disraeli described the rich/poor divide in Britain, and could just as easily mean America mere days before we find out if they elect more of the corrupt corporate same, or go wildly off piste with the mad orange one, writes Suzanne Harrington.

Despite this being the loudest, lewdest, vilest political brawl in living memory, both candidates are largely symbolic: — one symbolises business as usual, the other symbolises mass disillusionment with business as usual.

Because the Deplorables can’t all be deplorable; they can’t all be swivel-eyed KKK-sympathising illiterates. There are simply too many: 40% of the [white] electorate, or 60 million Americans are so fed up with the way their country is run that they are prepared to vote for someone mad as a box of frogs. The election is “rigged”, he tells them; his opponent’s most powerful weapon is “the corporate media” who “no longer are interested in journalism” but have “a total political agenda”.

He’s talking about newspapers mostly, who have watched his ascent with the same horror as the rest of us. Grown up media from The Washington Post to The Huffington Post remains appalled, but the op-ed pages are not where most of America forms its opinions.

Twice as many Americans — around 30 million a day — listen to talk radio as read papers. This is their primary source. And 90% of talk radio hosts are ultra right wing, ever since the abolition in 1987 of the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to examine each side of a debate fairly and equally.

This means that for the past 30 years, millions and millions of Americans have been listening daily to a conspiracy-laden diet of raving hatred by angry white men. “Truth goes out the window,” Thomas Patterson, professor of government and press at Harvard, told the BBC.

“Allegations fly… without any substantiation.”

As America continues to fragment and spin apart from itself, its citizens blame their woes not on the real villain — late stage turbo capitalism continuing to direct resources towards the corporatocracy — but on Mexicans, Muslims, African Americans, Hispanics, and anyone else who isn’t white, conservative and suffering from advanced status anxiety as globalisation devours their jobs and communities.

This demographic is not white supremacist trailer trash, but middle-income, college-educated small town America who listen to talk radio and are angry and scared but not particularly well informed.

Enter the mad orange guy, fanning the flames of fear and loathing. Our saviou, thinks the half of the America that is addled from shock jocks and perceived threat from all that is ‘other’.

Untethered from any sense of self — jobs no longer secure, racial divides more aggravated than ever — almost half of America think Trump is a good idea. The other half are moving to Canada.

Right-wing shock jocks influence Americans more than the ‘corporate media’

The life and times of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in two interactive graphics

Americans will begin voting shortly to elect Barack Obama's successor as President.

The two people with any hope of victory are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

As the people decide on who will add US President to their list of achievements here's a reminder of the life and times of both candidates to date.

Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton