every time I listen to the callers on C-SPAN, I become more depressed.

[cali]

Last edited Sat Aug 15, 2015, 01:15 PM - Edit history (1)

The ignorance, stupidity and how inarticulate these people are; it's breathtaking. And these are people who pay attention to politics.
We are harvesting what we have sowed. Our long and sadly proud anti-intellectual tradition combined with our toxic obsession with celebrity, is not a good thing.

[monmouth4]

1. I cannot listen to C-SPAN because of those reasons. It's annoying and I'm embarrassed for them.n/t

[brooklynite]

42. You only want to hear people who agree with you?

pretty limited perspective on the outside world.

[monmouth4]

43. Oh, please....n/t

[jwirr]

2. Don't forget - CSpan is controlled by whatever party controls the Congress.

And they also pick the callers that get on.

[azmom]

4. The oligarchs control everything, but they

Don't control Bernie. We need to stay focused and work like hell to win this fight.

[progressoid]

12. Actually it's controlled by the cable companies.

Of course that isn't much better.

[katmondoo]

3. It has always been that way

I have never been able to listen to C-Span for that very reason, the stupidly was unbearable

[Populist_Prole]

5. Yeah, open forums like that seem to attract the ignorant loudmouths

They flock to it like a moth to a flame and they seem especially adept at dominating the soapbox even though they don't dominate in numbers. It's not just the ignorance, but also the inarticulateness, as you note. It makes me cringe in sympathy for them. I mean, you're on a public forum for chrissakes! I'd die of embarrassment if I thought I came across like that.

Newspaper online comments sections are equally awful.

[carolinayellowdog]

6. since my partner stopped listening to, and shouting at, those idiots...

mornings are a lot less stressful for me. It took a while to convince him that THEY can't hear you, but I can, and all this rage is upsetting to me and not them.

Neither of us misses it in the least.

[CTyankee]

17. We have "Voice of the people" on our local ABC affiliate station and folks call in

with the latest "outrage" for something that has been reported on locally. My husband and I love to see it (they're really just voicemails). We look forward to what I call the raspy voiced woman or the cranky old white guy. You shudda heard them on the repeal of the death penalty here in CT. That got a lotta people pissed...

[BeyondGeography]

7. An excellent place to turn

if you can't understand why we're always fighting for our lives in elections against Republicans.

[H2O Man]

8. Yep.

Although I absolutely believe in the concept of "one person, one vote," I find it frustrating that some C-SPAN callers' vote counts as much as mine.

Recommended.

[cali]

11. lol. elitest

[H2O Man]

15. Right!

I know it sounds terrible, and I feel guilty for thinking it sometimes. But I am amazed at how ignorant, misinformed, and stupid some of them are.

[LibDemAlways]

21. While out for a walk the other night

I was stopped by a man, a complete stranger, whose opening line was "Who we gonna get to beat Clinton?" He then, without provocation, launched into an anti-Obama, anti-Democratic Party rant. Some lowlights: Obama is a Muslim terrorist. Democrats only want to steal his money and give it to freeloaders. Muslim terrorists have taken over this country.

There was no way to have a reasonable discussion with him. He was a lunatic. Ignorant. Misinformed. Stupid....about sums it up.

[awoke_in_2003]

35. Try what I do when people start talking

to me uninvited- just say "I don't want to fucking talk to you". It works for me, but your mileage may vary. It helps that I really loathe people in general

[LibDemAlways]

39. I didn't engage him. I was with my brother who

told him he needs to move to some backwater place where he can be with his own kind. Then we kept on walking.

[BlueJazz]

9. Oh my God. I just went to their site and read a transcript of the call-in show.

"It's them presidents that make all the laws in this county (yes.. county.. meant country)..and they don't know how to do things" THAT was one of the better ones.
Just shoot me...

[cali]

10. yeah, it makes this elitist shudder with horror

[retrowire]

20. LMAO n/t

[sailfla]

13. To quote Churchhill

"The best argument against democracy is having a five minute conversation with average voter"

[Populist_Prole]

16. Excellent quote!

I'll never forget that.

[Recursion]

14. Gotta agree there (nt)

[Eleanors38]

18. As the MSM in all forms breaks down, the "customers" will be distilled RW ever more

Intensely. This is happening to radio, which conjurs up images of a torpedoed and listing destroyer careening in circles as it sinks. Same for the other forms. So this is no surprise.

[mdbl]

19. Watching C-SPAN was threatening my mental health

So I quit watching it by GW's second term. That was all I could stand.

[chknltl]

22. proving President Jefferson's admonishment ....

...that democracy requires an enlightened electorate.

[ellennelle]

23. DO NOT FORGET!!

these are folks whose information sources are limited to the TV, for the most part. this likely means they are not young. the entire arrangement also suggests they have way too much time on their hands.

like this format can get sometimes.....

[4lbs]

24. A good Democracy requires a properly informed and educated populace.

Otherwise, you wind up with an Idiocracy filled with mindless lemmings.

[Skidmore]

25. There was a time when DUers used to call in

to make their opinions known and advocate and educate.

[OldRedneck]

26. So you get depressed listening to the callers on C-SPAN??

You want to by REALLY, REALLY depressed???

Listen to the callers on Limbaugh.

The C-SPAN callers are moderate geniuses by comparison.

[No Vested Interest]

27. Actually, I like to hear the call-ins. I believe it helps to keep me grounded.

I realize that not all the world sees things as I do.
That way I'm not too surprised or heart-broken when elections don't go the way I had hoped - or voted.

I also keep a close watch on Letters to the Editor in newspapers or online comments.
I must admit it is comforting to come to a like-minded site like DU and trade thoughts and ideas with members here.

[RKP5637]

28. They consistently sound like blithering fools! I can't stand to listen to it ... n/t

[Vinca]

29. What's amazing is C-SPAN seems unaware of its deterioration.

It's turned into the gathering place for people who can't pick up far right wing hate radio.

[global1]

30. I Just Listened To A Series Of Call-In's To CSPAN And It Is Scary......

It's amazing how the people are so misinformed.

[Stevepol]

31. Some of the C-Span callers don't even listen

After Bernie Sanders' speech at Iowa, several callers called in to insist, several of them, that Bernie is like Santa and never tells how he will pay for all the things he says he's going to do. But Sanders in his speech, as in nearly all his speeches, was very clear how he was going to pay for it:

(1) He's very specific: He's going to RAISE TAXES ON THE RICH! It's funny that as soon as the Repubs started giving tax breaks to billionaires, suddenly it's not possible to pay for anything. Of course, we can't pay for anything anymore. We're not taxing the people who have money.

(2) For his free tuition proposal, he's very specific: He's going to re-introduce the TRANSACTIONS TAX ON WALL STREET. This if done properly will I think easily get enough money to provide free tuition to all public colleges and universities.

(3) There are many other ways he has said he's going to raise more money: (a) he's not going to have boots on the ground in the Middle East. This alone will save probably a trillion dollars over what the next Repub will cost the US for the next war they get the US into. (2) He's going to END THE SPECIAL TAX BREAKS FOR THE LARGE CORPORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS (like the proposal to end the inheritance tax) and the tax havens in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands.

How specific do you have to get to get through to these people? They pretend to listen but they only HEAR what they want to HEAR.

[ThoughtCriminal]

32. Overrepresented with cranky, mal-informed, people with too much time

Plenty of time to kill on Mom's basement. The GOP is finding out too late that keeping this base outraged and afraid every day has a price.

[JI7]

33. I also can't stand those stupid debate panels of "undecided" voters

[LiberalLovinLug]

34. This is off topic a bit but have you seen YouTube on Obama as Anti-Christ, or the Devil?

I only recently stumbled into the plethora of religious wingnut videos about Obama being the Anti-Christ. And explaining their own dreams where all is revealed. and quoting Revelations. I admit I have had a lot of fun sparring in the comment sections with those that are wide-eyed agreement with these videos. I have said for instance, "what happens when Obama quietly leaves office (they believe he will remain in power as a dictator) and retires from political life? What happens when Hillary (most likely) is the next President? Because she is a woman and the Bible clearly indicates that the Anti-Christ is a man. How will they spin that?"

[awoke_in_2003]

36. I don't have to watch to get depressed...

I live in Texas and am surrounded by these loons.

[DrDan]

37. seems W-J this morning was particularly depressing

[Liberal_Dog]

38. I Agree

Listening to them can be a real downer.

[AikidoSoul]

40. The USA has by far more people with brain injury than any other country

and the result is not just reduced IQ's but an inability to think rationally.

It's very sad.

Kick and recommend your post which I agree with. It's devastating to see and hear the comments of so many of our citizens.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. You can say the same thing about youtube comments or comments on newspaper articles.

The right wing is alive and vocal. I do believe the most disgruntled make the most noise.