Populist Talk Radio

[Griff]

So I've got a little vacation to burn up and some building projects to do so I figure I'll sample left wing talk radio to see where they stand.

Al Franken despite all his good work of tv absolutely sucks on radio. Dead air, lost train of thoughts, flying by the seat of his pants when he should have a plan etc... There are a couple female talkers who are not bad. They're as mean as Rush and as funny. They misrepresent their party as effectively as Hannity et al. I would like to welcome the Democratic Party to the anti-war side, too bad they waited for 1800 dead and a drop in Bushes poll numbers to climb on board. The bottom line: talk radio needs unaffiliated voices more than it needs party hacks. To quote another idiot, "What say you?"

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Griff

I would like to welcome the Democratic Party to the anti-war side, too bad they waited for 1800 dead and a drop in Bushes poll numbers to climb on board.

What do you mean by "Democratic Party"? Progressive radio has been against the war pretty much the whole time. It's the DLC-types who were mealy-mouthed about it, and most of them still are. But, thanks to stuff like progressive rado and blogs, I'm hopeful that progressives will regain control of the Democratic Party, and the politicians who sway with the wind will sway in the right direction again.

As for the actual radio, I agree pretty much with what you said. I haven't listened to Franken in a while, but he is not a polished radio voice. Republicans have mastered the art of repeating propaganda over and over, but Franken repeats lengthy anecdotes over and over. His cohost tries to help him out, but as he's gained confidence he seems to overrule her advice a bit too much. Franken gets the best guests, though, and I enjoy his bit with his Dittohead friend.

Stephanie Miller is fun to listen to, but she's pretty fluffy - not too much substance.

Randi Rhodes is abrasive. You can get used to it, but every once in a while she'll say something unjustified.

Ed Schultz isn't with Air America, but he's carried on many of their stations. He's closest to unaffiliated. IIRC, he was Republican until Bush.

In the DC area, or on the web, WJFK has a new guy after Don and Mike, Peter Rosenberg 7-11pm, who is interesting. He's not too polished, this being his first radio gig, but he seems pretty thoughtful and open to opposing views.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

What do you mean by "Democratic Party"? Progressive radio has been against the war pretty much the whole time.

I hadn't had a chance to listen before this week so I'll take your word for pop radios stance against the war. Good luck shaking up the party. I know a lot of Democrats who regret the party line last election.

[Happy Monkey]

Ask and ye shall receive!

Here's hoping.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

And then there are those of us who look at what these "progressives" have wrought, and what they are still trying to do -- I am sick of these people trying to lose us the war! -- and conclude that the "progressives" are exactly what is wrong with the Democratic Party.

It won't get its soul back until it dumps these Mommy-Statists.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

And then there are those of us who look at what these "progressives" have wrought, and what they are still trying to do -- I am sick of these people trying to lose us the war! -- and conclude that the "progressives" are exactly what is wrong with the Democratic Party.

It won't get its soul back until it dumps these Mommy-Statists.

And rabid neo-con hawks who want to beat the whole world with a stick are what's wrong with the Republican Party, along with hardline religious dogmatists who won't truly acknowledge the First Amendment applying to anyone but themselves.

...and your point is?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Ed Schultz isn't with Air America, but he's carried on many of their stations.

Speaking of Ed . . . His second very controversial interaction in about 2 weeks. First he told the voters of Massachusetts he'd cheat to win
and now . . .

MSNBC's Ed Schultz had some choice words for White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during a recent off-air conversation -- an extension of their contentious televised exchanges.

"I told him he was full of sh*t is what I told him. I mean I did." Schultz told an audience in Minnesota over the weekend. "And then he gave me the Dick Cheney f-bomb the same way Senator Leahy got it on the Senate floor."

Schultz continued: "I told Robert Gibbs, I said 'And I'm sorry you're swearing at me, but I'm just trying to help you out. I'm telling you you're losing your base. Do you understand that you're losing your base?'"

The MSNBC host sparred with Gibbs on his cable news program last week, and has repeatedly accused the Obama administration of giving up too much ground to moderate and conservative Democrats as well as Republicans on health care reform.

"We have to get these people who have infiltrated the Democratic progressive movement, and get them the hell out," Schultz said.

Link

nice, real nice.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Why is this controversial, because Schultz told Gibbs he was full of shit? Because Gibbs told Schultz, fuck you?

[gvidas]

David Foster Wallace did a really great profile of a conservative talk show host, John Ziegler. He managed to make the point, very delicately and coherently, that talk radio is never about politics. It's about entertainment and money. And the reason why most talk radio tends towards conservative politics is that it is easier to make more entertaining.

Another one of those funny points where seeing it (entertainment) as what it's not (journalism) just leads people horribly, horribly astray.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sure, when nobody that talks politics takes your hate seriously, the only thing left is to listen to the entertainers on talk radio.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by Griff

The bottom line: talk radio needs unaffiliated voices more than it needs party hacks.

A voice of reason.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Why is this controversial, because Schultz told Gibbs he was full of shit? Because Gibbs told Schultz, fuck you?

I never said it was controversial. I did however find it refreshing that someone from the media said what they thought and mr. glib err gibbs said "Fuck you". That seems way out of character for him, from what I've seen.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by classicman

Speaking of Ed . . . His second very controversial interaction in about 2 weeks.

Originally Posted by classicman

I never said it was controversial.

[classicman]

lol - sorry - I make every excuse for posting after 10:00pm. I really shouldn't.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I think most, if not all, the people we see on camera/hear on the air, are playing a roll. They would most likely act differently in real life, except Cheney. who is always a dick.