REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Not all Righty Hate-mongers are really hate-filled mongers

POSTED BY: RIPWASH
UPDATED: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 15:25
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:41 AM

RIPWASH


Okay . . . I know those of you to the left will perhaps find this a bit hypocritical or even a bold faced lie on his part, but I saw this article in Parade Magazine by Bill O'Reilly and I was quite surprised.

http://www.parade.com/news/2009/08/09-what-obama-can-teach-americas-ki
ds.html


It's actually a glowing article on Obama's rise above his difficult background to become the most powerful man in the free world and what kids can constructively learn from it. I found not one nasty comment or mean-spirited remark from O'Reilly and for that I give him kudos.

Add to this, I was listening to Hannity the other day and he was railing about the people bringing guns to the townhall meetings. AGAINST them, mind you. He went to some length detailing how even though he disagrees with Obama politically, he felt Obama was a good father and family man, that Obama seemed like an over-all decent guy and deserved every single protection against possible agressors as any other President.

So . . . just as an FYI, I guess . We're not all that radically against Obama or want to see him and his family harmed in any way shape or form.

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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:48 AM

BYTEMITE


They're covering their asses. They're looking around, realizing how mad they've gotten their listeners, and are saying "oh SHIT."

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:51 AM

RIPWASH


I'll take it that you don't normally listen to these guys, so I'll just say that I don't really think that's the case. I know that Hannity really can separate politics from the rest of his life and he has many close liberal friends who come on his show. They laugh and joke around before and after debating the issues of the day. And sometimes those debates do get heated on both sides, but they remain friends and that's the improtant thing.

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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:53 AM

DREAMTROVE


That's not really a change. They were never that looney. It's just that the loons are so further into looney land that Hannity and O'Reilly look sane.

I think these loons were always there, there were people who were this looney against Bush, but the media seems to hate Obama, something about "Hussein," and so they play up this Obama-hate. (To be fair, they played up the Bush-hate a bit too.)

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:56 AM

BYTEMITE


I listen to Beck... And I hear how angry his listeners are. In June I listened to Hannity while we were driving down to Zion NP for my birthday, because there was nothing else on, and he had NOTHING good to say about Michelle Obama or her kids. Remember, this was right after the Sarah Palin Bristol Dave Letterman A-Rod thing.

Believe me, this is an ass-covering move. This is ALL in response to seeing that they've potentially incited mobs to violence. This Parade magazine article wasn't posted a few months ago, it was posted LAST WEEK.

And do you mean Colmes? Colmes isn't exactly liberal. Hannity may have friends who CALL themselves liberal, but they're about as liberal as Arlen Specter.

And none of them actually want a CHANGE in government. Liberal in the whitehouse (which Obama is not either)? Good for listeners! Would they prefer a Republican? Probably, because then they enjoy a bit of authority backing them up. But actual change, actual decrease-in-government, or decrease in spending, or any of the things liberals do to set them off?

Nope. Because these guys are liars. And hate-mongerers, as you rightly called them the first time.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:03 AM

RIPWASH


One thing you gotta remember, though, is that not all of their listeners have the same belief systems they do. A fair number listen to get "the other side of the story" and then call to say how outraged they are at what Beck or Hannity are saying. And quite honestly, they're not on the air to please everyone and they state that quite plainly on several occasions. It's their show and their point of view and I don't think they're really in the habit of "covering their asses." I could be wrong, mind you.

I really do hear them actually say nice things about Obama and I've heard them say not-so-nice things about Bush and McCain (though I will admit they were enamoured with Palin). Beck and Hannity railed against Bush's policy on border control. Beck was really against Bush's second stimulus.

I'm just saying that they don't always have bad, mean and hateful things to say about those they disagree with.

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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:11 AM

BYTEMITE


Have you heard how they respond to listeners who disagree with them? I doubt the way they treat those listeners encourages them to even keep listening, let alone call again, and that goes for other people with similar beliefs. They're not marketing to listeners from the other side, nor do they care about retaining such listeners. If they were, that's a marketing strategy that pretty much is destined to fail, because why would you keep tuning in to someone who insults you and people like you?

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:14 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT


Quote:

Originally posted by RIPWash:

Add to this, I was listening to Hannity the other day and he was railing about the people bringing guns to the townhall meetings. AGAINST them, mind you.


There was another guy with an assault rifle and handgun at the Obama meeting in Arizona. Not arrested, or charged or weapons confiscated.

THOSE FOLKS ARE WITHIN THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS.

I don't like it, I think it's dangerous and stupid, but it's legal. There's a line from Armaggadeon, " Sure, it's all fun and games, right up 'till somebody gets shot." Must give the Secret Service nightmares, and it will continue until there's actually an incident. After some nut shoots up the crowd, or foul-mouths a cop,or actually tries for Obama, then watch how fast the NRA and the right wingers run away from the issue. Be interesting to see if the right-wing sh*t-stirrers are willing to take any personal responsibility for how much their rhetoric inflamed the situation.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:19 AM

RIPWASH


They're still on the air aren't they?

I'm not defending everything they do. There are times when I cringe at the way Beck handles his callers and I'm talking about the ones who AGREE with him. One guy stayed on hold for three hours and finally Glenn took his call. He then proceeded to pretty much ridicule the guy for holding that long. I was pretty mad at him that day for doing that. He can be a real jerk at times, but he's the third most listened to radio show in America. Rush is first followed by Hannity, I think.

Lemme tell YOU that I've heard some of the folks that call in to "debate" Hannity and they start calling him names and a liar. When he calls then on it to state specifically when he lied, they can't do it. So he lays into them. Serves them right for not being prepared. Some call in and start making statements that he asks for clarification on and they either ignore him or run around his question. Much like some folk in RWED, that doesn't sit well with him and he let's them know it.

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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:31 AM

BYTEMITE


Beck is bad.

But the few times I've caught Hannity and he's had an opposing viewpoint caller, I've heard him make snide remarks. Maybe you haven't noticed them because you're focusing on other issues, but I've heard them. Using the term "liberal" as an insult, mocking liberal policy and beliefs...

There are ways to call someone stupid without actually saying they're stupid. Hannity is guilty of that, of not respecting, even demonizing other viewpoints. And he's also guilty of shouting over people's arguments and cutting off the phone line without letting the other person address his demands for information.

Quote:

Lemme tell YOU


*wince* Yeah, I came on a little strong there. The thing that's nice about the internet, is that right after you hit that post button, you can say "oops!" But sometimes still you can be too late.

I do try to be more neutral than that, and I didn't mean to come across like such a jerk.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:41 AM

RIPWASH


I think you lean left, Byte (if I'm mistaken, let me know and I apologize in advance for making assumptions), but could it be that you are focusing on how he's treating someone who thinks as you do? I think it could go both ways. Yes, I've heard instances from Hannity like those you speak of and I do cringe once in a while with him also, but as I have the same ideologies as him, I'm more often rooting for him. Yes, I admit it I don't know how often you listen to Hannity, so again I'll make an assumption and hope you don't take it the wrong way. There are segments of his show in which he challenges liberals to call him. Callers, more often than not, call him and let the call screeners know they're a liberal (and I think they go into it knowing full well how they'll be treated). I can honestly say, however, that I do hear him treating serveral callers who claim to be liberals in a very kind and respectful matter, so I guess it all depends on when you're listening. It boils down to this, IMHO: much like in RWED, if he's treated in a civil manner, he will respond in kind. But if he's called names or someone questions his character or that of his friends, then he feels the need to defend himself on his own show.

I do appreciate your thoughts and your questions, Byte.



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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:43 AM

RIPWASH


Quote:

Originally posted by Bytemite:
Quote:

Lemme tell YOU


*wince* Yeah, I came on a little strong there. The thing that's nice about the internet, is that right after you hit that post button, you can say "oops!" But sometimes still you can be too late.

I do try to be more neutral than that, and I didn't mean to come across like such a jerk.



No need to apologize. That's why I had the winkie thingie on there. I didn't take it as you being a jerk. Not in the least. We're having a nice, friendly discussion here

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"It's okay! I'm a leaf on the wind!!!"
"What does that mean?!?!?!"

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 6:04 AM

BYTEMITE


Hmm, leaning left. I used to? But now I kind of don't really identify left or right.

I used to really dislike conservatives, I used to think it was all about pushing religious perspective and unethical business practices and exploiting people and the environment.

I also used to think that there were some things that both individuals and corporations just could not be trusted with, so yeah, I used to believe in government regulation.

And I still am an environmentalist, and animal rights activist, and a pacifist, and believe there are oppressed minorities. Sure do love hugging my trees. Do you know that Ponderosa Pine have a delicious cinnamon vanilla scent? Mmm. :)

On the issues of government, I have become far, FAR less trusting than I was. And I am now willing to see that both sides have good intentions. Liberals want to make things better, and conservatives are looking at the HOW and going whoa whoa whoa, bad idea! Both are valid.

It's the PARTIES now who I don't like. They all have this scary authoritarian bent to them. And I see Hannity, Limbaugh, and Beck as far too close to the Republican party for me to really trust them. They're businessmen, not journalists. And they know that what keeps people tuned into politics is what they're mad about. So to keep people tuned into their show, it's in the best interest of these radio hosts to keep people angry.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:29 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Byte, again I agree with virtually every word of your last post. And neat; I'm "an environmentalist, and animal rights activist, and a pacifist (buddhist in my case), and believe there are oppressed minorities" too, AND decry both the power of and most of what both "parties" do...it's a joke these days.

Something I haven't seen noticed in the back-and-forth about Fox Noise, etc. Yes, they're businessmen...it's their JOB to keep their base interested and to rile them up. But also; lefties call into right-wing radio and righties call into left-wing shows to holler and scream at the host and tell him how stupid they think he is. It's the nature of the game.

Did someone REALLY say "the loons are so further into looney land that Hannity and O'Reilly look sane"??? (I notice they didn't list Limbaugh) I've yet to see much of anything any wing-nutter than all of those guys; they can get away with pretty much anything they want, and whether they BELIEVE it or not, what they broadcast is definitely in wing-nut territory!

And yes, I, too, believe that anyone on the hard right who is now "decrying" stuff that's happening is doing it to cover their ass. I hear Beck has lost twenty advertisers for calling Obama a racist...pretty big names like Walmart, too. While it's their paycheck to inflame their base, going too far can hurt that paycheck, too. Tho' from what I've seen and heard, "too far" is pretty damned far!

Anyone who calls into a show on the "other side" of whatever he believes and tries to talk sense is silly, IMHO. They probably only let those calls in so they can diss 'em and make their base happy, none of "those" shows are open to actual debate. It's not what they're paid for.

If there are reasoned, unbiased RADIO talk shows, I've never run into them. I'm sure there are, I just don't listen to radio talk anymore. But the same holds true for anyone on Faux News as far as I'm concerned...it's long been a joke that they're shills for the right and I expect nothing else.

I was taken to task mightily elsewhere because of my prejudice against same and told that Fox NEWS actually is good...which I checked out and agree with, to a degree. Unfortunately, around here I discovered they only broadcast NEWS in the morning...the rest of the time it's all the guys mentioned in this thread, with each show being played over and over again in succession until midnight. Shees!

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:25 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:


And yes, I, too, believe that anyone on the hard right who is now "decrying" stuff that's happening is doing it to cover their ass. I hear Beck has lost twenty advertisers for calling Obama a racist...pretty big names like Walmart, too. While it's their paycheck to inflame their base, going too far can hurt that paycheck, too. Tho' from what I've seen and heard, "too far" is pretty damned far!



And CVS, and Best Buy, and General Motors, and Apple, and 15 others...

Here's the petition for those who are interested:

http://colorofchange.org/beck/

Hey, you're just exercising your free speech rights to let Beck's and FauxNews's advertisers know that you will no longer be buying their products as long as they support this kind of garbage by paying for it to be put on the air!

And, of course, it's much worse than you think. They're not just trying to cover their asses for saying stuff like that and inflaming and inciting their loyal mobs, they're actually trying to distance themselves from their own followers, because at this point I think the talking heads have become convinced that one of their nutbag followers is going to try to take a shot at the President of the United States, and they want to be able to say, afterwards, "I never wanted anything like THIS to happen when I joked about lynchings and Nazis and poisoning political figures."



Mike


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