Politico.com: "Birther coverage hits fever pitch."

[bushmeister0]

"John Reiss, executive producer for 'Hardball' and executive producer for MSNBC political programming, acknowledged the potential problem in giving too much coverage to conspiracy theories. But he said it was appropriate for Chris Matthews to spend so much time trying to shoot down the rumors.

Reiss said the birther issue has become 'part of the American conversation.' He pointed to the viral video of a birther woman shouting at Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) during a Delaware town hall and at a recent Daily Kos/ Research2000 poll in which 58 percent of Republicans expressed doubts over whether Obama was born in the United States.

'At that point,' Reiss said, 'you realize it's not just a fringe movement.'"

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25933.html#ixzz0Notb2MTH

Really?

Isn't the republican party pretty much a fringe movement nowadays? And regional one at that? 58% of a party consisting of birthers, teabaggers, turfers, endtimers and other assorted wackos isn't really that important of a demographic, is it?

Is this really the ideal audience advertisers are looking for?

[Robb]

1. Indeed. Half of a minority is by definition at most 25%.

That said, 20% think the moon landing was faked. And they're the fringe. :shrug:

[Wapsie B]

2. AM talk radio stations have managers who owe their careers to the likes of Rush

and his wannabees. Fortunes have been made catering to the dark side. The Left is too diverse, too squishy a market to try and target. But with rwingers it's so easy. Appeal to their inner rage and you've got 'em hooked.

[bushmeister0]

3. Yeah, but do they buy anything?

Maybe, at Radio Shack, but you think this bunch would go to the Olive Garden, for instance? Too ethnic! Or stay at a Marriott hotel? Way too expensive for this demographic. They do all their shopping at Wal-Mart and they don't travel . . . unless they're being bused somewhere to act like idiots.

It's like the advertisers and their clients are subsidizing these shows for some reason. They can'tbe making any money.