Article on Rush Limbaugh & America Air Radio

[0007]

This article appeared in the America Odessa Newspaper of Odessa Texas, Easter Sunday.

http://www.oaoa.com/columns/johnk032705.htm

Talk can be a cheap tactic

Fighting fire with fire generates an awful lot of fire.
I’ve been listening to Air America, the left wing’s answer to right-wing radio, and I’m beginning to worry about the future of our country.

Some of the liberal talking heads of hate radio are proving to be as bombastic and vitriolic as their conservative counterparts.
Just like Rush and Sean and O’Reilly, the Janeane Garofalos, Randi Rhodes and Malloys have been generating far more heat than light.
They cherry pick facts that support their arguments. They ascribe evil motives to the leaders they criticize and attack their character as well as their ideas.

They agitate listeners and then fortify them with just enough smart-sounding slogans and warped reasoning to help them hold their ground when they confront the enemy — people who disagree.
They exist to dilute outrageous views, and the way they’ve chosen to do that is to fill their half of the arena of public debate with bile.
There’s a food fight going on in the marketplace of ideas, and the marketplace is a mess.

None of this is good for democracy, or even for people’s health.
I’ve been thinking a lot about talk radio since my Dad died a couple of years ago.
Before he retired in the early 1980s, he was a homicide detective in Southern California.
Det. Kerr was frequently on the front pages of the Orange County newspapers, typically for tracking down killers with only flimsy clues and strong hunches to go on. He was heralded in the media as a hero for his role in what was at the time the biggest shootout and police standoff in Orange County history. He was proud to say there were no unsolved murders in Anaheim on his watch in the homicide division.
After he retired from the police force, he built a successful hospital security consulting business with a partner and eventually retired with plenty of money to a comfortable home with a striking view of the La Plata Mountains of Colorado.

What could be better than that? A rewarding career. Good health (even in his 70s he made it to the gym three times a week). Financial security. Strong family ties and lots of good friends.
Still, in our weekend phone chats and when I’d visit him on vacations he’d sometimes launch into angry diatribes about how awful things were in politics … in culture … in society in general. It wasn’t just engaging conversation he was seeking.
He was angry. Face was red. Day was ruined.
I’d say, Dad, c’mon. You’ve got every reason in the world to be happy. Why are you letting what a bunch of fool politicians are doing half a continent away upset you so?
That was usually Mom’s cue to interrupt and say, “He’s been listening to Rush Limbaugh again.”

Rush has made a fortune rankling people who have no reason to be rankled. He riles them up with twisted interpretations of the news. And he’s done as much as any person alive to make civil discourse less civil. Worst of all, he ruined too many of my Dad’s afternoons.
Now the folks Rush Limbaugh has been attacking all these years are fighting back — and using the same unfortunate tactics.
Now, no matter where you stand on the opinion continuum, you can pick your talk-radio poison on the airwaves, Internet links and satellite beams of XM Radio and gorge on it throughout the day.

We’ve never been good at reasoning with each other, which explains why we need courts to settle our big disputes. But now we’re being coached to shun any discordant logic and reasoning even when we’re just talking politics — armed to the teeth as we are with ammo provided by talk radio.
Democracy is served.

e-maill address of John Kerr

[e-mail]

I don't agree with Mr. Kerr and would appreciate a point of view on how to answer this editorial.

[vi5]

1. He's not wrong, there's just no solution....

The problem is, if we decided to just continue being civil it's not like the LImbauaghs and Hannitys would just up and go away. They would continue to hammer with their lies and tactics. So we have to "fight fire with fire".

He's right in that it sucks but it's just an unfortunate fact that it has to be this way.

[Clark2008]

2. I would just ask him this:

Since the mainstream media is owned by large corporations who's interest almost entirely lies within the Republican Party and since there *is* such a thing as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and the like already on nearly every talk radio station across the country, how else would you propose that liberals get out their alternative viewpoints?

[montana500]

3. so now that the libs have a voice it's "truce" time?

lol.

[johncoby2]

4. my email to him

If you are just now becoming worried about our country, you must have been brain dead since 9/11.

Have you ever listened to Rush, Hannity, or any of the other hate shows of America? Where have you been?

[shoelace414]

5. He doesn't worry about it

for the firts 15 years of hate radio? just when the Liberals start fighting back?

[Kurovski]

6. I get a lot of entertainment from AAR

but I also get a lot of facts. Facts I don't much hear anywhere else.

and they are facts that can be checked .

AAR broadcasters apologise when they get something wrong.

When did Rush last do such a thing?

If people are angry over what's going on in our country, well, that's the way it goes in a Democracy. as long as they express themselves legally, What'cha gonna do?

Who was it that said "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention?"

This is my take, does it match up with anything in your experience of AAR, 0007?

[0007]

11. I think your right on and have many good points that need to be

expressed and printed in this extremely right wing community.

Do you think it would help to bring out Rush's background as a point of interest compared to Al Franken's?

[Kurovski]

13. I think if you keep it more general

and appeal to an American's desire to be informed (as well as entertained), you can keep the interest through to the end of your letter.

If your area is very RW, and you mention Franken, you run the risk of having the reader interpreting your letter through their own view of Al, and they may miss your message.

On the other hand, if you have very sharp, succinct points to make in a comparison between the two men, do it.

I would think in terms of the tone of most letters on the paper's editorial page when composing your own, if you want a better chance of being printed.

A sincere desire to communicate information, rather than an emotion, will probably better your chances of being printed in a RW paper. (If you're NOT a RWer)

Additionally, the tone of the posted article you wish to address is civil. I question the sincerity and purpose, but the tone is very civil and reasonable. Keep that in mind as well.

Use spell-check before you send it out.

"You're" is a contraction of "you are", which is different from "your"

Edit: I see you have a lot of good ideas to think about from DUers on this thread!

[0007]

14. Thank you for the input!

[Silverhair]

7. Modern media, even Rush, is really mild compared to historical vitrol.

Find and read some of the stuff that was said and happened in past times. Congressmen used to have fights on the floor of congress. Duels were fought. Newspaper attacks were beyond vicious.

Really, previous standards, Rush is a pussycat.

[GOPFighter]

8. I understand where he's coming from

Rush Limbaugh IS bad for America. What he and his fellow hatemongers do is wrong, it bad for democracy, it is bad for America. Unfortunately, it works. They have not suffered for it, in fact they have grown rich by lying about liberals and encouraging their audience to hate, I mean HATE!, us.

The only recourse we have is to fight fire with fire. Turn the political climate so hateful, so ugly that FINALLY responsible Americans will say ENOUGH! The alternative is to let them demonize us until there are no Democrats left in Congress, and the loony neo-cons and religious right make a mockery of our Constitution. This is a war. The right no longer wants constructive political conversation, they want to crush us. It's a war, and we must fight it with everything we've got and one of our best weapons is Air America. If Mr. Kerr doesn't like it, he should have tried to get his local radio station to drop Limbaugh years ago. He only seems upset now that we're fighting back.

[Bronco69]

9. Since the late 80's and early 90's talk radio was inundated with

right wing hate speech with no rebuttal from the left. Limbaugh et al would go on and on and on with their lies and there was no way to contradict them because the corporate puppet masters wouldn't let the view from the left be heard. Now we are beginning to fight back and all of a sudden "Talk is a cheap tactic." Where was this guy when all we heard was the right wing view point? Here's an example of the way Rush manipulates his audience:

Just after Clinton was elected in '92 Rush spewed some lie about Hillary. I forget which lie it was because there were so many. Anyway, he told his lie at about 11:45 am eastern time just before people were leaving to go to lunch. This way, those who listen to him would use the lie as a talking point through lunch. "Did you hear what Rush said about Hillary?" After his 12:00 news break, say 12:05 - 12:10 pm he came back on the air and made some lame excuse like, "Well, I don't know if it really happened, but it is definately something Hillary would do." Well, now he has admitted that it wasn't true, but all of the people who heard his show and spewed the talking point were still at lunch and didn't hear the "retraction" so the lie continues to spread. That's what we're dealing with from the right.

Rush and his cronies have definately learned how to manipulate the media and we better learn how to refute it or they will just continue.

[bunkerbuster1]

10. Looks like AAR is getting through

I'm glad to read an editorial like this. Of course in a perfect world we'd all be civil and treat each other like, well, if not brothers, at least good neighbors and hear each other out.

It ain't a perfect world. And harsh, hard-right radio commentary has gone mostly unanswered for nearly 20 years.

I'm glad AAR is there to fight back. Period.

Anyway, you asked for help in responding, and I'd just point out that there should've been alternative voices to counter those on the right long ago. The audience was there all along.

[sellitman]

12. I disagree.

On Air America the calls are not screened like they are on Rush's show. I have gotten through a few times and they never ask what I want talk about.

This happened last week on Ed Shultz too.
Try that on any Right wing show and you won't get past the screeners. That is the difference .

[0007]

17. Good point to bring out!

[FormerDittoHead]

15. NPR style radio isn't going to bring in ratings + revenue...

I'm sorry he doesn't like the MEDIUM, but liberals didn't invent it.

If the writer wants a quiet, long-winded, academic discussion of facts presenting both sides in a calm, unemotional manner, I couldn't think of a better way to run ratings into the GROUND!

[Kurovski]

16. One more thing, 0007

You should edit your post while you still can--we can only print part of an article in a thread, due to copyright.

[0007]

18. Great article on Janeane Garofalo and America Air Radio in the NY Times

that goes hand in hand with the John Kerr rant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/27/arts/27span.html?ex=1112590800&en=68bacd3ed4bbfa2a&ei=5070

[Judi Lynn]

27. Your link mentions there'll be a special HBO program on Air America

Thursday night. I believe today (Thursday) is their FIRST ANNIVERSARY.

It should start at 8:00 p.m., E.S.T., running until 9:45. It will be repeated at 11:00 p.m., I believe.

Viva Air America. It's just the best.

They've got actual facts. They focus on facts. Right-wing yammering simply couldn't hope to compare.

[ixion]

19. riiiiight... so OxyRush has been spewing hatred for 15 years, but

NOW there is a problem because the 'liberals' are fighting back.

Yeah, well, maybe you should have thought of that when Fat Boy started talking trash more than a decade ago. :grr:

[deacon2]

20. I'd answer with this

The money quote:
"...the Republicans are spitting blood on the bar floor. If you wanna be a pussy Democrat, you pick your opponent up and say, "Let's be friends" and buy him a beer. But if you know anything about Republicans and the political game, that fucker's gonna smash that bottle of Bud over your head. The better way to play it? Sit on his chest and pound his head on the floor until he's drowning in his own vomit."

No, it ain't very Buddhist of me to agree, but Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.

the rest here:
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

3/28/2005
Republicans Jump the Shark

[rodeodance]

21. we have gotten nowwhere fast with "lets all be friends" attitude. They

either want to convert or conquer your soul.

[bpilgrim]

22. he leaves out that AAR and the INTERNETs (blogs) are 'fighting back' with

TRUTH and LOGIC

it is FUCKED up that the so called M$MW are feigning to NOW take notice of the HATE on THEIR side :puke:


http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

[Joey Liberal]

23. What does Mr. Kerr expect us to do?

What does Mr. Kerr expect us to do? Sit back and take it from Shemp Hannity, Bill O'Really and Rush OxyContinbaugh? We did that for a long time. And this Kerr guy is going to just now start bitching and moaning? Fuck him.

[cookiebird]

24. Talk Radio is a business, not a calling

What we all have to accept is the business aspect of talk radio.
It is an industry, it functions according to the laws of the marketplace. The day rushbo starts to lose ratings and starts to lose sponsors will be the day he's outta here. None of the mega media outlets is in the business to "benefit humanity" or other such lofty goal. They are in it for the bucks, and if "conservative" talk radio makes bucks, that's what gets programmed. Sorry to sound like a cynic, but this is the way i see it. (putting on the kevlar gloves...)B-)

[0rganism]

25. So what does he propose to do to mitigate the effect of reichwing radio?

Talk nice? Be moderate and hope someone listens?

No, we tried that and it doesn't work.

The republicans have shown us the way. Be as outrageous and nasty as possible, go as far out onto the wing as you can, and use that framework to caste any later compromises with that agenda as "moderate, generous, and tolerant."

Democratic civility and moderation has made us weak and marginalized -- and that is a real shame. The rightwingers have pushed the dialog onto their terms so much that a truly moderate position can actually be marginalized as "fringe leftist."

Do you walk onto the football field expecting to play Candyland? Only if you're hungry for an ass-kicking. It's time for a different approach.

[JHB]

26. Rush has made a fortune rankling people who have no reason to be rankled.

That's one point I have to disagree with Kerr on: a lot of Rush's listerners do have reasons to be rankled.

What Rush has made a fortune on is getting people to direct that rancor at caricatured liberal bogeymen rather than in directions that might improve their situation.

[agincourt]

28. Much of the country can't even get AAR

I can't even get Ed Schultz on ONE single station here in Nebraska. Pigboy of course is everywhere, lying 24/7. Corporate control of what people hear so that elections are more "stealable". I'd say instead of less AAR stuff, we need more.