The main reason Republicans have kept on getting re-elected despite lousy policies is simple. Conservative oligarchs and corporations have bought up much of the news media, both radio and TV. And that news media keeps on spewing hate and lies. Such as Ann Coulter on Fox News, heard saying such things as "Democrats are traitors".
Up till 1987 there was a "fairness doctrine" in broadcasting that prevented this kind of nonsense.
If one side is free to speak and the other side is gagged, we do not have true freedom of speech. And this is what has happened increasingly on television and on talk radio, as conservative oligarchs and corporations have bought up radio and television stations.
Under the title “FCC fairness doctrine” Wikipedia describes numerous past efforts at legislating a new fairness doctrine but all failed due to lack of simplicity.
Here is a proposal for a simple new law: Any program containing any political discussion or comment must have equal numbers of persons and equal air time for any political party receiving more than 10 per cent of the vote in the previous presidential election. Persons to be chosen by the political party.
This certainly takes away the right of broadcasters to determine what they broadcast. And it is high time this right is taken away from them, in relation to political discussion, as they have been abusing it for many years.
“Free speech” where only side has a voice and the other side is prevented from speaking is not free speech at all. It is the voice of tyranny.