Since I’ve been doing a blog talk show I’ve essentially been teaching myself as I go by listening to talk radio – notably the people mentioned in this piece, which indicates some trouble for Right wing talk radio. The analysis of why rating are down a bit is off in my estimation. The simple answer is missed by the writer. Ratings have slipped for right-wing talkers because they always do when the GOP is ascendant. Rush has a better time finding a crowd when Dems are completely in charge, a recent political moment that ended about 12 days after it began.
Additionally, the conservatives on the air now are sheep-dipped in social right wingery – and the movement that emerged in 2010 was – and remains – largely about fiscal conservatism, not verbaling impaling ‘the gay agenda’ and ‘feminazis’ – both of which represent impulses on the wane. Even when they don’t talk about it, it’s unavoidable – the market for that clap trap is still substantial but it is not – and will not be – growing anytime soon. Gen X ers and certainly Millennials don’t play that room to the extent their parents did. The issue is economic security now, not gays secretly taking over the public schools to recruit – and other bullshit distractions a rich society can indulge in.
Finally, the BIG LIE that Obama is a socialist has not stuck. The obsession with this lie has worn thin and is easily refuted with one pass of CNN.com. The right wing’s insane focus on ‘socialism’ is foolish, limiting, and self-destructive. That war is over and the Right lost. We are all ‘socialists’ to one degree or another. It’s not government itself that bothers many – it’s the extent of government that is concerning. Americans expect the federal government to have relatively broad reach. Obama’s expansion of it is problematic, but it is not Stalinism – which is what the Hannitys of this world want to call it but are to chickenshit to say out loud. The lie would then be all to apparent.
To my surprise I find Hannity unbearable. Not because I dislike much of his politics – that’s the surprise, his politics are not so hard to listen to, they are just ridiculous. He’s hard to take on the radio because he’s a whiner. The entire show is a man whining. Ditto for Mark Levin – just add in a dollop of creepy. Levin seems to be covering his deep desire to ball like a baby with the psychological defense mechanism of intoning dark secrets – which he’s largely made up. Rush is the best of the lot. His problem is that he hasn’t broken any new ground since “Femi-nazis”. Episodes of Matlock are more unpredictable. In the end Rush is just whining too. He is better at making it sound like he’s not whining for 3 hours. But listen deeply. That’s all his show is.
The person I’d like to learn to emulate in style if not content is sports talker Colin Cowherd. He’s direct, entertaining, and manages his show smoothly and with humor.
Speaking of radio shows: On tonight’s show at 6pm pacific – another in my personal ‘learning curve’ series – actress and director Valerie Landsburg will be on to talk about business and art and career and buddhism and whatever else comes up. Many know her as Doris on the TV show Fame (How old am I?!?) but she’s been a working actress, and raising kids, and directing TV and films all along the way. The regulars and I will also rip up the carpet with some opinions on current events. Listen! Or else!
With the exception of The John Smart show, I don’t listen to talk radio anymore, except for Sports Talk.
It seems to me that political talk, radio or tv, that doesn’t address issues and is strictly focused on brow beating and creating false narratives become old quickly for all but the zealots. It’s easy to find and point to specific positions and/or actions of Barack Obama and criticize those things specifically, but the ongoing drone that “Barack is a Socialist”, mixed with the “he’s a covert muslim who wants to convert the U.S. to Islam” is old, tired and nonsensical.
I don’t think Barack is a Muslim, I think he’s an opportunist as demonstrated by his religious dalliance with Jeremiah Wright. In retrospect that religious pool-dip appears to have been less about ideology and more about elbow rubbing with those who could assist him. I think most of his ridiculous high profile pre-presidency associations were about elevating his own career instead of his true ideological feelings. At this point I’m not sure Barack Obama has a commitment to any ideology.
Just looking around the blogosphere and talking TV & radio heads, I think it’s obvious that the effort to paint Barack Obama as Lucifer is fading fast as we see that in fact he’s not much different than his predecessor. Meanwhile, the talking heads of the right, Beck, Hannity, Palin, Malkin, like the faux TP they co-opted and bled dry, are becoming more irrelevant with every passing day. Now they are being confronted by prominent members of their own party and Beck is crying that the GOP is attempting to politcally assassinate him, Palin and Malkin, when it seems to me they’ve fallen on their own petard.
I’m not sure Barack Obama has a commitment to any ideology.
I agree but I’ll go a step further and comment that I also don’t think Obama has any principles; he is a man without a conscience.
I’ll agree as well with both Anon and Duck- and add that imo the only thing he is committed to is his own image.
I work at home and listen to bits and pieces of talk radio most days. I think the reason that conservative talk is having a bit of a hard time is that they have an almost impossible task now: They have to keep convincing their listeners that Obama is some kind of scary out-of-control liberal in order to keep the R vs D theme going, when in reality Obama’s actions are pretty much in line with the conservative agenda.
Likewise, it is quite painful to listen to Ed Schultz try to boost Obama as a progressive champion. Schultz is usually reduced to railing about “rightwing nutjobs” that somehow are able to thwart all of the good things Obama would do if he could. (Schultz is at his best when he throws out the partisan schtick and talks about the economy, jobs, etc.)
In short, our corporatist state is now so unified that is getting harder and harder for the paid cheerleaders of either stripe to show that the two “sides” of our political system are much different at all. Thus, they are reduced to whining and name-calling.
I agree. Obama is a moderate republican, he’s to the right of people like lincoln chaffee, yet the right wing talkers keep going on and on about socialism
“In short, our corporatist state is now so unified that is getting harder and harder for the paid cheerleaders of either stripe to show that the two “sides” of our political system are much different at all. Thus, they are reduced to whining and name-calling.”
I would agree, but there is a new phenomena on the right that we’re not acknowledging here and that is the attempt at cannibalization of the right by the extreme right. What happened to the old republican doctrine of don’t be mean to your own? This clip is a perfect example of the extreme neo-con right and the traditional conservative right going at each other. Notice the traditional conservative right is trying to keep the crticism clean, while the extreme neo-con right is getting down and dirty. I can remember when that level of meanness was reserved for us Dangerous Liberals.
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201102090056
Yes, extremes are sprouting up all around us. On the ground level, I think it’s a result of a feeling of frustration and helplessness. On the national “stage”, I think it’s just more floundering about in search of political advantage in a time of significant change.
I watched the clip you provided and wasn’t much alarmed. It just seemed silly.
I agree on Shultz. I find him and Matthews, the Obama cheerleaders, very hard to take. The propaganda on the Left–Obama is a progressive liberal–is as bad [well, not quite] as it is on the Right–Obama is a marxist/socialist Muslim. I’ve read that the real crazies, Beck and Hannity, are losing TV viewership. But John, you make a good point about their numbers going down as Republicans ascend. Of course, there’s no way the GOP can hide their less than attractive agenda–cutting the budget on the back of the poor with reductions in funds for fuel and basic nutrition, singing the praises of ‘small government,’ while insisting they control the decisions of every pregnant woman in the country [if you're preggers, you're obviously not entitled to 'personal liberty'] and doing a tap dance around their big battle cry of jobs, jobs, jobs. Exactly, what is their plan beyond stuffing more money into corporate coffers and taking their share off the top?
That’s not to let Obama off the hook. He’s as weak and indecisive as he always was. But cripes, the GOP is nothing short of deranged.
The one thing that made me smile yesterday? The Tea Party/Dem block of the Patriot Act. Finally!
Many of these radio stations are corporate owned like Clear Channel for one. They give voice to the Right who instill a sense of fear into their listeners by suggesting that there is a terrorist lurking in every schoolyard and the Left is nothing more than an evil enterprise out to bring down the government.
In the meantime, their nefarious aims are covered up by this constant drumbeating of “subversion” as they go about demanding deregulation of every industry and pretending that tax exemption for the rich is the only way to ensure a strong America. It’s all bullsh*t but when the listening market has been reduced to just those same voices the American psyche is being formed in their favor.
The monopolization of the radio market is what is driving the GOP forward. Throw in the distaste for Obama and suggesting that he is an evil tool of the Muslim Brotherhood whose birth certificate is in doubt, and you have paved the road for the GOP to achieve their goals.
I live in a small NE city with a population of less than 160,00 people and there are 3 local radio stations all considered Right Wing. Listen to just this stuff 24 hours a day and it is no wonder that the “message” has found its target. A delivery of slanted topics for an otherwise uninformed public and you’re home free.
good read:
http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_7c809e20-2e48-11e0-9ddb-001cc4c002e0.html
Breaking News……………………………..Mubarak Stepping down and being replaced by his VP. Ummmmmmmmmm! Not sure that is going to fly with the protesters. The movement has spread across Egypt and is playing out in confrontation against local goverments agencies too, not to mention the Strikes that will soon hobble the country. This looks like more of the too little, too late stuff that we’ve already seen from the ruling class in Egypt.
Apparently the Military has chosen sides and they’ve chosen the PEOPLE of Egypt. About time. Now let’s hope this moves in the direction of the people instead of being recaptured by the power elite disguised as reformers.
I’m watching Aljazeera English. It’s THRILLING. And I hope we Americans are paying attention — this could be a primer.
It is quite a sight to behold.
Suleiman is a known torturer, ran Mubrak’s security/intelligence apparatus, and has had close ties with America’s rendition program. I’m not sure this is the “change” that the Egyptians were looking for. This could possibly make matters worse. But maybe revolution fatigue has set in…
o/t breaking news — a republican caught lying!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110210/ap_on_go_co/us_new_york_congressman_quits
Married, 46 year-old congressman tells woman on Craigslist he’s a divorced, 39 year-old lobbyist. Posts grody pic of his pecs. Resigns in shame, but still hopes to meet the 34 year-old babe for a NSA.
Oh, surprise!!!!!!!!!!! What a hypocrite. Opponent of the Repeal of DADT, Anti-choicer and fighter against federal funding to abortion who has no trouble moralizing, except when it comes to himself. This is an all too familar theme with the bible thumpers.
It’s not his fault — the sanctity of his marriage had already been undermined by all those gay marriages!
lol!
“the sanctity of his marriage had already been undermined by all those gay marriages!”
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting, it was the gay devil that made him do it.
My new policy is to only listen to radio shows that have me on as a regular guest, and Cowherd never takes my calls.
yes. aljeezia english is the best coverage.
you know what i mean.
Al Jazeera has done a very impressive job on the Egyptian revolution. Do they have a slant? I’m sure they do but they have done excellent on-the-ground reporting during this event. I hope to God this plays out for the Egyptian people, that they have time to nurture and grow democratic institutions with the right people in the right places.
If they pull this off? It will be absolutely stunning for them and for the world. Hearts on fire!
I never heard of him, and I never listen to talk radio (except JWS), but this excerpt from an interview with Deborah Solomon in the NY Times Magazine’s telling: Questions for Eugene Jarecki:
DS: As a filmmaker whose documentaries include “Why We Fight” and “The Trials of Henry Kissinger,” you are known for being evenhanded, which makes you something of an anomaly. Who ever imagined that editorial neutrality would one day be seen as a challenge to the status quo?
EJ: It’s funny, I think that all the time. We’ve reached the point of such hysteria and the stupidification of the American discourse that to simply approach a subject in a measured fashion is to totally jam the circuits that currently exist for that kind of communication. There are just so few channels for moderation. There are only channels for the radio-static noise of hyperbole on all sides.
DS: That sentence itself strikes me as pure hyperbole. The media is not a monolith, and some would say its primary mission is to preserve the machinery of democracy.
EJ: Far too often what is said in the mainstream media is designed to be simplistic, because the elites who program our lives have their interests served by oversimplification. It captures box office, it captures ratings.