POLITICAL TALK RADIO - THE LIMBAUGH EFFECT ON PRIMARY VOTERS

Recent studies suggest that what the political talk radio hosts say on the air can shape the political orientations of their audiences. Draw ing on data from a panel survey conducted in 1996, I examined the ''Li mbaugh effect'' during the COP presidential nomination campaign. My fi ndings cast doubt on popular assumptions about the power of Limbaugh's words. Despite weeks of listening to Limbaugh criticize Pat Buchanan, members of the audience were no more likely to harbor negative feelin gs toward the candidate than were nonlisteners.