Why does Glenn Beck beat his boycott? ColorofChange and so many at DKos have succeded in getting sponsors to divest from his show. His current ad roster cannot possibly be covering the expenses for the show, so why isn't he pulled?
I realized that the answer is that by packaging right-wing propaganda in a "fun" and "entertaining" format, Beck performs an important service to the oligarchy that is slowly taking over our country. It doesn't matter to Murdoch how much money Beck's show loses. The point is that he reaches millions of people and persuades poor shlubs to vote against their economic interests. Every month, my local newspaper, the Bergen Record, publishes a letter to the editor that is simply a regurgitation of Beck's right-wing points.
In addition to directly advancing a right-wing agenda, Beck helps lower the bar. That is, by constantly publicizing the most off-the-charts right-wing drivel, he thereby legitimizes less crazy right-wing drivel. So, for example, by pushing the health care line about fascist-socialist-commie conspiracies, he helps legitimate Sen. Grassly's contention that a public option will contain death panels and ration care to seniors. He is so crazy that right-wing craziness doesn't sound so crazy anymore.
Despite the DKos community's great work on getting Beck's sponsors to leave, I wonder if Beck is too useful to get the boot.