This is a three edged sword.
On one edge we have these Right-wing crazy TV and radio hosts (please include Bill O’Reilly, Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh) working up the hopelessly stupid and armed Republican Base into purple faced frenzy of mixed hatred directed at liberals, blacks and Hispanics.
On the second edge we have those dispensing all this virulent hatred personally gaining great wealth from their foul nature. With most of them also able to push their agenda – with the help of their well funded media backers like Fox News and Clear Channel etc – through radio, television, the Internet, print and well paid speaking engagements. They also try to out provoke each other as a means of getting the most attention. Glenn Beck is winning! They have a name for that now, Coulterizing.
But on the third edge this causes not only the Daily Show and Colbert to lead off with so many Republican Base wingnut stories, but all forms of the mainstream media as well.
Tea Parties and Birther Bashes along with the over the top TV/Radio host crazyness (who sponsor these movements) certianly causes more people to jump on board and a few others grabbing up their guns and going on killing sprees. But it so soils and blackens the Republican Brand that it has become a boon for Democrats getting elected.
This is especially true for Lou Dobbs and Tom Trancedo who together moved so many Hispanics (the fastest growing block of voters in America) over to the Democratic Party that they could very well be the reason we have a Kenyan Communist White Hating N-word in the White White House.
The fly in this ointment is what I believe to be the most serious mistake we and the media make by so vastly underestimating the numbers of these purple faced armed and dangerous Republican Base wingnuts. I suppose we will not find out for 15 more months come November 2010. All things being equal.