What Are We Listening To?

Written : July 27, 2010

I thought it would be interesting to compare what liberal and conservative talk stations were covering - on the same day. All occurred in 2010. Yes, this is a random sampling, and I did not choose or edit any of these to prove a point.

May 13: Lib: David Sirota – Animal rights – Should pets fly on a plane in a special cabin for pets? Con: Mike Gallagher – Mike explained the details of his new fundraiser for those ruined in the Nashville flood.

May 19: Con: The Arlen Specter situation (switching parties just to win an election) is an example of abandoning your principles, and selling out. Lib: There’s a system of racism in America.

May 21: Lib: Should everyone have a national ID card? Con: The self-esteem movement has made Americans less happy.

May 25: Con: Mike Gallagher – No more ‘blame game’ for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Lib: David Sirota – Legal and illegal immigration actually drives the crime rate down. Con: Hugh Hewitt – The oil spill - President Obama’s indecision/inaction. Lib: Mario Solis Marich – The oil spill – America’s angry with everyone because nothing’s getting done.

May 28: Con: Mike Gallagher - The November elections – How many seats are up for grabs? Lib: David Sirota – Ultrasounds prior to abortions – Do women really think through having an abortion, or do they just have them?

June 3: Lib: David Sirota – America's southern border is one of the safest places in the U.S. Con: Mike Gallagher – Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga’s almost perfect game was a teachable moment.

June 7: Lib: David Sirota – Should the city of Denver increase the amount of camera surveillance and would it be a violation of our privacy? Con: Mike Gallagher – Discussed Helen Thomas’ ‘Jews should get out of Palestine and go back to wherever they came from’ comment.

June 9: Con: The fall elections. Lib: Campaign finance reform.

June 10: Lib: David Sirota – Alcohol companies are marketing to children. This is harmful to America. Con: Mike Gallagher - Nurses are choosing to not treat patients over a one to two percent pay increase. This union mindset is destroying America.

Draw your own conclusion, but it is interesting, isn’t it?

Talk Radio

Written : July 14-15, 2009

Do you listen to talk radio in your car or elsewhere? If you're a regular reader, you'll know I do. I listen to both sides and enjoy the debate.

On progressive talk on July 10, 2009, I heard a tirade by Ed Schultz which was more intolerant than most I'd heard before. He said he hated bipartisanship! Basically he claimed the Democrats won the last presidential election, and therefore they deserve to get everything they want, without opposition! Republicans should just get out of their way, because as he put it, he "don't trust 'em". Interesting what happens to some opinions when the shoe is on the other foot! For example, when the Republicans were in power Schultz among others were loud in their opposition! - Hey, Ed, there's nothing wrong with that! - Even now!

Schultz called Bill Frist, who was the Republican majority leader until he left office in 2007, "a dork". Referring to conservatives, Schultz said, "I hate them." While laying down his reasons he angrily postulated that "they" gutted the middle class. There's the popular "class warfare" argument again. Why does the left like to pit people against each other? Republicans want all people to get along. "They" listen in to our conversations. Who wants to listen into Schultz' conversations? BORING! And, the government doesn't have the resources to listen into all of our conversations! However, we do want to know if terrorists are conversing with their counterparts in hostile countries, right? Then he screamed that the Republican party should be wiped out, replaced with nothing - just wiped out. And Rush Limbaugh gets the bad press! This shows the mainstream media has got its collective hands over its collective ears.

I think Schultz is living under a blanket of anger and operates out of a set of inaccurate assumptions. Republicans are not evil. They want everyone to succeed (not just Republicans, but everyone). They think people make better decisions with their own money than government. In addition, government is full of waste - among other things. It's not true that half of us want to be taxed at a higher rate, but it is true that half of us want someone else to be taxed at a higher rate! - Ask yourself if that's fair. You're right, it's not! Who'll want to succeed if success means one's money will someday go to support some Joe who won't match your level of effort? More working people will get ahead if we allow them to keep more of their own money. It's such a simple idea: I don't understand why more people don't see it that way.

On The Ed Schultz Show on the same day, a caller from Manhattan stated, "People have been making money on the internet since… Clinton [so] they have to be taxed!" What a silly idea! Why tax use of the Internet to simply increase the size of the bureaucracy of our government? Why be jealous of others who succeed? Be happy for them! Let business people on the Internet keep their income. It's common sense that those who make larger profits and want to increase their business will hire more help. Job growth equals a bigger economy. Hmmm…

We need more open-mindedness and tolerance in this world, not less. Schultz is giving us less. What a pity.

Take a gander at this YouTube Video:

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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative, blog, politics, political, Mark Cohen, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, conservative blog, conservative blogs, Ed Schultz, Air America, bureaucracy.

Keyword Phrases: "Conservatism", "Conservative", "blog", "politics", "political", "Mark Cohen", "Mark A. Cohen", "From The Left to the Right ", "conservative blog", "conservative blogs", "Ed Schultz", "Air America", "bureaucracy"

Conservative Blog

(Tea) Party!

Written : Apr. 14, 2009

While listening to what remains of “Air America” (progressive talk) radio in my area this afternoon, I was struck at the vulgar insensitivity bleeding through their station on the subject of the upcoming “Tea Parties”, which are legitimate protests planned for tomorrow, April 15, 2009. Taking on a cavalier attitude, they reminded me of the three bizarre lizards drinking coffee, constantly cracking jokes, and smoking cigarettes in the “Men in Black” break room. Mr. Mario Solis Marich and his crew laugh off the “Tea Parties” as something they just don’t get. They infer these actions of protest are ridiculous from an elitist perch. (They have become their conception of the very Republicans they used to mock.) Their show makes hysterical fun of the idea of ‘parties with tea cups’ and conjures images of Republican men in white suits and women wearing ‘large hats’ rather than discussing the substance of the issue… Stop laughing for a minute and get it, Mario, folks are serious and many are already “fed up”. Most are against the policies of Robin Hood, the redistribution of a worker’s hard earned money. Remember, “Robin” meant “robbing”, and the word ‘hood’ referred to a person who broke the law.

People, and not just the “people on the right”, are already tiring of hearing of and becoming greatly concerned about the huge and steadily mounting deficits caused by “this administration’s” out of control spending. Instead of addressing people’s worries, the defenders of today’s spending of our children’s and grandchildren’s money often accuse President Bush of starting this. They are right, of course. However, the flow is now much faster, much more expensive, and way more out of control than it was during the end of the Bush presidency. The policy makers defend it by saying the gigantic bailouts are “necessary”. Never mind the fact that their own measures taken recently to assess the viabilities of the banks are revealing that the banks didn’t need that many dollars in the first place. Some of the banks are now preparing to return some of the billions!

It’s time for those who stand up for individuality and personal responsibility to step forward, and straighten up, Mr. Marich, this spirit is what America was founded on. In case you have forgotten, one highlight of the American Revolution took place in Boston Harbor in 1773 when people on ships, fed up with large English tariffs, dumped cases of tea overboard into the harbor. No more taxes, at least not in this much abundance. Give individuals a break. To each according to his deeds, not his needs. We simply cannot afford this president’s spending, and it is not good for us. Such staunch defenders of the “power of the people”, “speaking truth to power”, and “the right of the people to protest and criticize their leaders” should not be laughing at a "people's protest" and certainly should understand what’s going on. I hope everyone gets the message, including senators, congressmen, and presidents, and you too, Air America, get with it!

Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative, blog, politics, political, Mark Cohen, Mark A. Cohen, Air America, Mario Solis Marich,

Keyword Phrases: “conservative blog”, “liberal and conservative”, “conservative and liberal”, “republican blog”, “From the Left to the Right”, “Mark Cohen”, “Mark A. Cohen”, “Air America”, “Mario Solis Marich”