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Pious Perverts See other Pious Perverts Articles Title: Talk Traitors Meet with the Dick-tater (see pic) http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1161096893.shtml You have to ask yourself: who ever would have thought 30 years ago that talk radio would evolve into where three hour "shows" would essentially become propaganda strips for political parties — and if the hosts wavered from the party line the President would meet with them to get them back "on message?" But that is the case now: On an overcast Friday morning last month, White House aides ushered an influential group of conservative radio hosts into the Oval Office for a private audience with the president. For an hour and a half, Mr. Bush discussed his case for the war in Iraq, his immigration proposals and even the personality of his Scottish terrier Barney, who scratched on the door during the session until the president relented and let him into the office, according to several hosts who attended. The meeting, which was not announced on the president’s public schedule, was part of an intensive Republican Party campaign to reclaim and re-energize a crucial army of supporters that is not as likely to walk in lockstep with the White House as it has in the past. Conservative radio hosts are breaking with the Republican leadership in ways not seen in at least a decade, and certainly not since Rush Limbaugh’s forceful advocacy of the party in 1994 spawned a new generation of stars, said Michael Harrison, publisher of the industry’s lead trade publication, Talkers. You then have to ask some self-evident questions such as: why wouldn't the President also meet and make his best case to more centrist radio talk show hosts (if they exist)? Or talk show hosts identified as progressives? Answer: because they don't already largely agree with him, and might ask questions he and his advisers don't like or take something unflattering from the meeting and mention it on the air. Talk radio has become The World Wrestling Federation of politics: the good guys, versus the bad guys. Even the lingo on most talk radio shows is "us" versus "them." The problem for the White House is that "us" is increasingly upset by "us" on some shows (but not the shows hosted by Rush and Sean). The Times piece notes that Bush and the White House have been raked over the coals on immigration policy and other issues by not only "the more flamboyant" Michael Savage but also by "more mainstream hosts, like Laura Ingraham, who told her listeners in the wake of the scandal involving former Representative Mark Foley and under-age Congressional pages, 'You have to ask yourself, the people who are in positions of power now in the Republican Party, are they able to credibly articulate the conservative agenda to the American people — to rally the base, to rally the country?'" It's a problem for the GOP and the White House, which is trying to rally its base. And herein — again — we see the nature of what talk radio show broadcasting has become in this country: Strategists on both sides agree that the party’s greatest hope for holding control of Congress now rests with its ability to get core Republicans to vote, and that talk radio, which reaches millions of them, is crucial to the task. Talk radio is by its nature tightly controlled. Although some programs on the right and left authentically let a voice that doesn't agree with the host slip through, most of the time opposing voices are ridiculed, cut off or squelched in a stacked-deck pile on. If you strip it away you get this: many (but not all) talk radio shows on the right and their emulators on the left have become political party propaganda and rant programs — a way to get a message out unfettered by such pesky things as world-view confusing "nuance," mushy "on the other hands" or perhaps a concession that a someone from an opposing political party actually doesn't have horns, hold a pitchfork and have "THIS IS THE ANTICHRIST!" written on him (or her, if she may become Speaker of the House). MORE: Democratic strategists say talk radio remains a fearsome Republican advocacy force for which they have little direct answer. (Air America, which features liberal hosts, including Al Franken, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.) The top two rated conservative hosts, Mr. Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, have done more than their part to rally their listeners this year, especially during the Foley scandal, to the great relief of Republican Party officials. And even those critical of Mr. Bush or the party on specific issues still consider themselves major supporters in general, with perhaps the exception of Mr. Savage. Indeed, Limbaugh and Hannity provide a vital role for the GOP: they have become talk show hosts who can be relied upon on most issues to broadcast The Party's and The Leader's talking points so that no scandal is deemed too outrageous, no change in previous position is seem as dismaying, and the discarding of a conservative value held dear years before is not seen as at variance with deeply held principles. As the Times story notes, the Democrats don't have the same kind of structure yet, not that they haven't tried. But it underscores the fact: We're in an age where partisans can be mentally programmed to look approvingly on events, job performances and position changes that they would not normally accept and to look away at some untidy matters that may occur, or openly rationalize them away. They wouldn't normally do so except their friend the mega-partisan talk show host gives them confident assurances that its legitimate and even noble to do so. This truth adjustment always works. But perhaps — just perhaps — it won't work as well this year... White House photo from New York Times shows Bush with Mike Gallagher, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Michael Medved.
Poster Comment: I'm not computer savvy enough to post the picture of these fascist propagandists, so go to the web page if you haven't seen it.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 5.
#5. To: noone222 (#0)
It's so blatant that these Reich Wing talk shows are just propaganda for Bushco. That's all they are. If there was ever any doubt, it should be removed by now.
#8. To: mehitable (#5)
Hitleresque to say the very least. Doing some reading about the murder of the Czar of Russia I found it interesting that the man that fired the shot into the Czar's head was named Mikhail (Michael) Medvedev (Medved) ... Even those of us that think we're somewhat enlightened about these ghouls underestimate their penchant for extreme evil.
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