“Tin Cans and String”: Democrats’ Failed Attempts to Challenge Conservative Talk Radio from 1994 to 1996

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the mid-1990s, Democratic Party leaders attempted to counter the popularity of Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk radio hosts following the Republican sweep of the 1994 midterm elections. President Bill Clinton appeared on shows around the country, his White House began a national radio outreach initiative, party strategists proposed creating their own radio program, and some congressional Democrats visited popular shows such as Imus in the Morning. Meanwhile, former Senator Gary Hart of Colorado and former governors Mario Cuomo of New York and L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia launched their own talk radio shows, while former New York City Mayor Ed Koch continued his program. This study examines the impetus for these Democratic broadcast efforts between 1994 and 1996, the content and style of the different shows, and the reasons they failed to overcome the Republican advantage in talk radio.