Duh. I've finally twigged on why the right-wing noise machine has such volume, and makes so much money.
It's because advertisers -- on wingnut radio, television, and Web -- want access to credulous customers.
The marketing folks know that the people who will listen, watch, and read such piffle are just perfect for them, since they're demonstrating that they'll believe whatever they're told.
These are great potential customers: People who will pay money to learn how to lose 20 pounds in two weeks, or who want a big-wang pill, or who can be convinced into refinancing yet again, or to invest in "lawyer insurance," or invest in gold and silver, or penny stocks, or come to a seminar on how to make millions in flipping foreclosed homes, or daytrade your way to currency market wealth.
They're an audience ripe for schemes and scams. This audience believes what they hear, and don't ask many questions. What a great bunch of rubes to fleece!
It's a little like the regressive tax on the mathematically-challenged that's becoming popular in so many states: the lottery.
Who do you market the lottery to?
Not the NPR-listening, DK-and MediaMatters-reading, "question authority" types. We tend to spend our money differently.
You market the lottery to the poor, who have no hope; the uneducated, who are consequently poor; the credulous, who believe "you can't win if you don't play!"
The Becks and Limbaughs have advertisers because they're popular, of course, but more to the point, popular with exactly the demographic the sharks are looking for.
Why do you rob banks? Because that's where the money is.
Why do you advertise on wingnut sites? Because that's where the credulous rubes are.
No wonder these folks make so much money.