Anecdotal evidence of Howard Stern's influence

[abcdan]

Two friends of mine who have been Republicans (but not hard-core) for the four years I've known them told me today that they're voting for Kerry. Apparently their change of heart came from listening to Stern.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Howard Stern: the Anti-Rush . . .

n/t

[TinaTyson]

5. Hardly.

Stern didn't seem to mind so much. Encouraged the Iraq non-sense right along with all the rest. Now he is the rebel. Yeah right!

[keithyboy]

8. Stern is still really a neocon. Just angry about being slapped in the face

He never thought it would happen to him but it shows you just how rotten the opposition is. I hope that Rush is next.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I think Howard's pretty libertarian

He's strongly for gay marriage & is also strongly pro choice and is probably for the legalization of marijuana.

[Grown2Hate]

9. But you have to realize...

...he supported this war the same way MOST Americans supported this war (who were COMPLETELY unaware of, or uneducated about, the REAL issues at the heart of it). He honestly wasn't doing it to promote a political agenda (I've listened to Howard for YEARS). The fact is, with this slap in the face type wake up call from the right, he's now doing research and fighting back... learning the FACTS about the Bush Regime that we all knew long ago, but that the general public is only just NOW waking up to. I don't excuse his war-hawking, but at least now he's doing actual reading and research and "waking up" a bit, taking a lot of his listeners with him to the right side.

[salin]

12. what seems to be interesting about his process

(at least reading about it - as he doesn't play in this area)... is that he seems to be taking his listeners along for the ride of his 'educational' journey... so as he started reading - he was talking about it... as he came to an "aha" - he shared it. So vicariously, it sounds, many of his listeners are accompanying Howard on this bit of political self-education.

He starte the journey before the CC incident - so it isn't just a... "now I am fighting back" thing. Though the experience might make him angrier and more committed to pushing it further and further than might have happened otherwise.

[Cat Atomic]

2. Same here.

I have a friend who's a big Stern fan. Bush could do no wrong in his mind, until a couple of weeks ago. Now he's voting for Kerry.

[redqueen]

3. Sad

Many people (such as Howard) don't really think much about other people's problems anymore. It's only after something bites YOU personally that it becomes an issue.

Should we teach empathy in school? I think yes.

[K-W]

4. a friend of mine wrote a paper about empathy

Talking about how programs aimed at reducing rape on college campuses teach empathy to men, and how we need to teach empathy to the Bush administration so they will stop raping everyone.

[Grown2Hate]

7. Well, to be fair to Howard...

...he's LONG been an advocate of gay rights (and has been HEAVILY behind gay marriage, which, along with his heavy criticism of Bush, sparked the right wing heist of his show in 6 markets). And not just gay rights for the lesbians that frequent his show, but for ALL. So he does pay attention to issues that don't necessarily affect him directly, and he's been rather vocal about it. I do understand your point though, and applaud your suggestion for "empathy classes". :)

[Room101]

6. Great news Howard is reaching people /nt

.

[SoCalDem]

11. He should designate a "register to vote" or "change party" day

It would be interesting if he issued a public challenge to his listeners, and set a specific date so they could "show their numbers".. say March 31.. He could talk about it.. and the media would cover it.. That would be funny if registrar's office all over were inundated by young "formerly non-voting" people going out and registering AGAINST Bush :)

[Jane Austin]

13. Whew . . . .

I had no idea Stern had that kind of influence.