Leftist Fantasy Influence and the Glenn Beck Boycott

Below are the Nielsen cable news ratings, for September 8, 2009, following the long Labor Day weekend. Glenn Beck's program performed roughly three times better in total viewers for the 5pm timeslot, in both demographic categories:

5PM – P2+ (25-54) (35-64)

Glenn Beck– 2,610,000 viewers (704,000) (1,140,000)
Situation Room—761,000 viewers (143,000) (255,000)
Hardball w/ C. Matthews —548,000 viewers (142,000) (267,000)
Fast Money—151,000 viewers (a scratch w/32,000) (70,000)
Prime News–237,000 viewers (75,000) (100,000)

The numbers are striking. Bill O'Reilly often boasts on air about Fox's ratings dominance, but the data flash on screen so quickly that one might miss the significance of Fox's pummeling of the competition.

I note this now as I've just finished reading a fantasy essay at Firedoglake, "A Line in the Sand Against Beck":

Watching the Glenn Beck show this past month, one might have assumed that Van Jones had assaulted Beck, insulted his wife, and stolen his kids' lunch money. Beck devoted time on a whopping 16 shows to crafting a distorted, despicable portrait of Van that few who know him would recognize. As political smears go, it was as serious as it gets.

But make no mistake: this attack was not about Van Jones. Beck, in league with big business groups, is seeking to derail the President's progressive agenda, and taking out Van became the vehicle for undermining clean energy and green jobs.

Whoa! That's crack analysis! You think Beck really wants to derail Obama's progressive agenda? I'm shocked!

But check this out:

There is no doubt that Glenn Beck has a big platform. But what supports his platform is advertising dollars, and that support is crumbling. To date, 62 companies have pulled their ads from Beck's show, including six new companies announced yesterday -- Aegon, Ashley Furniture, Humana, Luxottica Retail (parent of LensCrafters and Pearle Vision), United States Postal Service and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. These aren't liberal activists wringing their hands over Beck's distortions. These are the bastions of American capitalism saying they don't want their brands associated with Glenn Beck's extremism. The only companies left are direct marketers (think Egg Genie and gold coins) and a handful of private companies headed by right-wingers.

The exodus of major advertisers makes a powerful statement about how far Beck lies from the mainstream. Which is why it's so important to keep the heat on. Advertisers walking away for a week or two is one thing. But as weeks turn to months, and Beck becomes increasingly isolated, it renders his rants permanently fringe. Why would anyone (the White House or otherwise) respond to someone whose views are too toxic for any respectable corporation?

These numbers are being touted on the left as some kind of powerhouse indicator of progressive influence to shape the structure of cable news advertising. But the fact remains, not even the most socially progressive business concern will long forego a lucative advertising market. Glenn Beck's program is sheer dominance. And contrary to Firedoglake's fantasy that Beck's heading over to the "permanent fringe," the reality is that Van Jones' resignation was a major defeat for the administration; and with Congress back in session, political conflict is swinging back to full battle-stations mode. I'm betting Beck's numbers get even better as things move forward. Just today Obama-flunky Yosi Sergent was removed as communications director at the National Endowment of the Arts, and this is being chalked up as another win for Glenn Beck.

I hardly see how these developments indicate that Beck's "trying to change the subject." On Tuesday's show, Beck expressed humility: "'Don't Congratulate Me for Van Jones' Resignation'." Big wins combined with big modesty. Classy.

Plus, don't miss the piece from earlier this week, "Glenn Beck, The New Edward R. Murrow Of Fox News: Who’s The Next Target?"

The folks at Firedoglake and elsewhere are high if they think they're going to bring Glenn Beck down. The realities of the cable news market favor those programs putting up the big numbers. It's simple economics. On top of that, Beck's journalism is having an unrivaled impact on real-time politics and partisan power. Regular fans of Fox News clearly can't get enough.