October 05, 2004
We Got Ed
Note: I’m writing this today on the US Airways Shuttle to Boston where Michael Silberman and I are going to speak to Joe Trippi’s Study Group at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. It should be a lot of fun, and certainly a neat little honor for me—having been tangentially involved in the IOP during my senior spring last year. More on this later.
Last night, Carey and I attended a Democracy Radio reception on Capitol Hill, celebrating the release of Ed Schultz’s new book, Straight Talk from the Heartland. Up until just about a year ago, Ed was one of the most powerful talk radio hosts in the upper west—broadcasting everyday from Fargo, North Dakota. I first became aware of his show last summer while booking Governor Dean on major regional talk radio shows. (I still have a bottle of Idaho Reisling given to me by a Dean staffer as thanks for getting the gov on Schultz’s show.) I’ve been a fan ever since.
“Big Ed,” as he’s aptly nicknamed, has a great life story, especially about how he came to be America’s biggest progressive talk radio host. He was a life-long Republican until a visit with his wife to a local homeless shelter began to change his mind about the direction of the country under GOP rule. He’s no softie, dovish, pansy ass liberal either. He describes himself as a radio host for the guys who take a shower after work, and his hunting trips are a frequent topic on his show. His appeal to working Americans, particularly those in rural areas, is evident. Standing last night with a senior official from a major construction union, I heard him mutter, “Amen,” as Ed gave his spiel. Ed’s like some of the soft-spoken but fiery farmers I knew in the Legislature back in Vermont.
Ed was Democracy Radio’s first project—and he’s been a rocking success. This week, he tied Rush Limbaugh’s first year record of being syndicated on 57 stations—and Ed has three months more to go in the first year. The reason is simple: Radio is all about ratings, and Ed’s show is kicking conservative talk radio butt in nearly every market where they compete. Specifically, and proudly for Ed, he’s the top show not just in his hometown of Fargo, but also in Portland, Oregon—beating out Rush, Hannity, Coulter and all the other hate mongers. Now, Ed Schultz pointed out that Limbaugh appeals mostly to the same audience: “meat-eating, gun-toting, drug-free liberals”—well, except Limbaugh can’t really speak to the last two.
Most exciting for us, perhaps, other than the chance to meet one of the men who will play an influential role in shaping the progressive agenda over coming years, Ed and the Democracy Radio Executive Director Tom Athans also announced the launch of one of our latest projects, www.RadioForTheTroops.com, a petition drive to force Armed Forces Radio to carry a more balanced political talk radio program. They certainly deserve better than they’re currently getting: right now, soldiers overseas can only listen to Rush.
