by Michael Kazin

Certainly, a lot of the talk about "culture wars" is overwrought and reflects only the fears and fervor of activists on both sides. But for those Americans who still listen to land-based radio stations, the division can seem pretty clear, and it's not a favorable terrain for liberals. Last night, I drove a rental car from Omaha to Lincoln, NE, for a forum on William Jennings Bryan. Flipping around the FM stations, I could find nothing besides NPR talk, classical music, jazz, and, a tiny bit of heavy metal. Since, as a good East Coast liberal, I listen to the first three offerings all the time, I switched over to AM. There, every station offered either right-wing talk (one host from Denver advised John Kerry to get down on his knees and pray every member of the military to forgive him), a sermon and/or Christian music, or previews of this weekend's football games. Of course, the AM stations on the Great Plains can reach hundreds of miles, while the FM stations all broadcast from close by. You do the math.