In my daily email of all things communist on Daily Koz, there was a post about this story http://www.robertfeder.com/2015/03/05/wls-plans-to-drop-rush-limbaugh/ This happened once before and Rush was reupped by the station while they dropped Hannity, who later popped on a station that is TRULY right wing. When I lived in Chicago, I listened to WLS a lot. Prior to when W Bush was elected, the station had Rush, who has been there for 25 years now, but they also had largely local show hosts who covered a lot of issues in Chicago. Strangely, at a time when I was chest deep in Ayn Rand and also listening to Rush at times, I also listened to a host named Jay Marvin who could not have been more left leaning in comparison. Marvin is Jewish and liberal, and managed to piss off just about everyone at some point or another. Aside from Marvin and Limbaugh, I never really considered the programming there to be politically slanted one way or the other. Once W was elected, however, the programming became decidedly more political, particularly right leaning.
Bit by bit, the local shows were cancelled and the remaining shows, IMO, started to have a pretty homogenous feel. Most of the callers said the same stuff and there were more syndicated shows like Limbaugh, Hannity, Drudge, Savage and others that came and went. Marvin came and went several times. Sometimes on his own accord, other times against his wishes. On his last stint, he was paired with a very conservative woman, and IMO, I think she came to really like Jay personally despite the fact she could not bring herself to let go of bigger stereotypes of the left. After Jay left the last time, the station seemed to go unabashedly to the right. Considering all else that was going on, I felt like it simply reflected the feelings of the nation. After 9/11, I think most of the nation was ready to start kicking ass anywhere and with Bush getting re-elected, it simply fit that the station would go the way it did.
In another article, Limbaugh was said to have posted this on his facebook, "Now that I've outgrown the 25-54 demographic, I'm no longer confident that the way I see the world is the way everybody else does. I've gotten old enough now that there are younger people, generationally younger, who have an entirely different view, and entirely different experience" While I don't expect Rush to disappear overnight, I think this pretty well sums up reality. While I was interested in the possibility of the station dumping rush, what I found interesting was the rest of the changes the station was making. Most of the people being replaced there are right leaning and at some point, whether all liberal or all conservative, the shows become a matter of preaching to the choir. I think Rush staying or leaving on WLS is much less of a weather vane than the rest of the hosts. Likely, this will be dismissed as just a reaction of the communist state of Chicago, but the reality is that for quite awhile from probably 2001 until now, there was enough support to keep shows like Limbaugh, Hannity and Drudge on. I don't see the last gasp here of boomer conservatism, but perhaps it's closer to the end of the beginning of the end.
On radio or reading a book you have to think about what is being said or has been written. Whereas on TV a pretty face or body can influence or shade the message being conveyed.
ReplyDeleteOur sound bite culture, followers of "dancing with the stars" "Oprah" or similar shows, is made up largely of the left. These are the same people that can't name the Vice President during a man on the street interview or don't know which side won the civil war. Rush and talk radio are mostly listened to by those on the right who extend the effort to think for themselves.
For every dancing with the stars, there is a duck dynasty. I can't deny some agreement regarding what passes for entertainment in left leaning circles. Then again, that's why they call it entertainment. Believe it or not, William, I listened to a fair amount of Rush when feminazi and envirowhacko were actually new terms. More, William, I read his book "The way things oughta be" and I also watched some of his short lived TV show. For a time, arguably, he was actually a counter voice to a political correctness that even I found obnoxious. But, like that comment above shows that he made, the world has moved on and he is becoming the voice of pretty much only people who look like him.
ReplyDeleteYour opening sentence is pretty on the mark. Your last, however, is incongruous with the first (Didn't Ayn Rand say something about contradictions?). If I listen to Rush, Hannity, Ed Schultz, or some other left leaning radio person, I am almost guaranteed to not hear anything objective. Air America was fun to listen to for a little while, but the bottom line is that the majority of people who call in are completely devoid of any sort of independent thought. For awhile, WLS had some amazing talk radio shows where the hosts had guests from all ends of the political spectrum and the callers actually had some divergent thoughts. Heck, part of why I come here instead of someplace like Huffpo is to get opposing opinions. Although I suppose most of us are predictable at this point.
Demos don't tell the whole story, but they tell a lot of it. It might be easy to tell yourself (and I think most of us do) that the disinterest of the youth in what we find important portends badly for the future. The harder thing to do is look in the mirror once in awhile and ask yourself if maybe you are resisting a change that needs to happen
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ReplyDelete“The harder thing to do is look in the mirror once in a while and ask yourself if maybe you are resisting a change that needs to happen.”
ReplyDeleteI was going to throw myself into this conversation…. Sometimes I still have the desire but we keep going around and around the general points and name calling without ever talking about the specifics… I find it maddening and therefore choose not to participate. So for this one brief moment, I will just ask….
What are those changes than need to happen that you feel are being obstructed by those who are apparently more than couple of cans short of a six pack of enlightenment? Bullet points are more than enough.
As a follow up thought, I'm not trying to be vague and dodge the question. My chief gripe is that I believe there is consensus to be reached on immigration. There is consensus to be reached on healthcare. I think there is even consensus to be reached on what should be cut and what shouldn't. What there isn't, is debate on anything. I dont' have a list of bullet points, rather I want the system to work like it did prior to the mid 90's through present. Some people want a government solution to everything, some want utter and complete gridlock so that not a damn thing can get done. I believe these are both extremes that do not represent a majority view.
DeleteCan we have a consensus on healthcare?
DeleteAbsolutely right after the people blocking agreement permanently retire from government service.
1. Barack Obama
2. Mitch McConnell
3. Harry Reid
3. John Boehner
4. Nancy Peolsi
The leaders with many more just like them.
Builds a serious case for term limits.
Curious as far as immigration, how can you issue amnesty to 11-30 million illegals in the US when so many American remain long term unemployed? So many teens cannot get work?
DeleteYou do it the same way its been done before, you bring a bill to the floor, it's gets voted on with constituational rules of simple majority, and it gets passed. However, we don't get to pass anything with simple majorities. Like I said before, the two children in the senate keep snapping each other in the ass with a towel, and Boehner won't pass anything with Democrat support unless it means avoiding a shutdown. Democrats and Republicans at one time used to bring bills, debate them and vote on them.
DeleteI know immigration and the debt are big issues for you, and I'm not mocking that. Objectively, immigration, at this point in time, is not keeping teens from working, IMO. I saw a story on MW the other day about how Boomers are not going to give jobs up until they are pried from their cold dead hands. To me, we are still in a decades long correction of wringing every last ounce of benefit from workers. Someday, labor will get expensive again. But not for another 10-15 years. it is what it is.
Supply and demand is every thing. The more people competing, the less business pays.
DeleteIt's not a matter of what I personally think needs to change. Rather, it's a matter that I believe any large group of individuals have the right to decide what is important to them. Whether that's considered enlightenment or desecration of the sacred constitution is irrelevant to me. What is being obstructed? The ability for people to have legislation that generally reflects a majority view.
ReplyDeleteSimple enough?
"What is being obstructed? The ability for people to have legislation that generally reflects a majority view."
DeleteThe majority of representatives in Congress are Republican. The House has been since 2010.
And Boehnor still can't get legislation passed without help from Democrats.
DeleteFor all intensive purposes, Boehner is a democrat.........
Delete