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Obama's First Test: the "Fairness" doctrine
Marktwain | 5 November, 2008 | Marktwain

Posted on 11/05/2008 4:06:13 AM PST by marktwain

The first test to determine how far left our new president will be is whether he reinstitutes the "Fairness Doctrine" fairly quickly. A true leftist will not be thinking about broadening his support. He will be thinking about how to tighten his control over the levers of power.

President Obama owes his win almost entirely to the MSM and their willingness to cover for him. His only real threat came from talk radio. As a leftist, he would use his executive power to shut down opposition voices. As I recall, the fairness doctrine was removed by regulation, not legislation, and an Obama administration could change the makeup of the FCC to reinstate it without any legislative approval.

I beleive this will be the first test of Obama as a member of the far left. If the "fairness doctrine" or something similar is reinstated, President Obama will have confirmed our fears that he is a politician in the same vein as Hugo Chavez.

I appreciate any comments from my fellow Freepers.


TOPICS: Government; History; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: fairnessdoctrine; msm; obama; power
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This seems to me to be the first test. If President Obama shuts down free speech in this country (He already effectively owns/owes the MSM), we are in for a very wild ride indeed.
1 posted on 11/05/2008 4:06:14 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Fingers crossed. I don’t know what I’d do without Rush, Sean, Laura, Mark Levin, etc etc!


2 posted on 11/05/2008 4:08:22 AM PST by EdnaMode
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To: marktwain

I think we’ll see a civil war withing the democrat party. Too many things promised to too many different people.


3 posted on 11/05/2008 4:09:01 AM PST by cripplecreek (Paying taxes for bank bailouts is apparently the patriotic thing to do. [/sarc])
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To: marktwain

It will be on his desk and signed by him by 1 Mar 09.


4 posted on 11/05/2008 4:09:15 AM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: marktwain

He’ll move on it immediately, as well as on amnesty with voting rights.

After all, it is best to decapitate your enemy with a devastating initial attack... and Obama’s enemy is America.


5 posted on 11/05/2008 4:09:49 AM PST by snowrip (Liberal? YOU ARE A SOCIALIST WITH NO RATIONAL ARGUMENT.)
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To: EdnaMode

How about fight back?


6 posted on 11/05/2008 4:10:22 AM PST by snowrip (Liberal? YOU ARE A SOCIALIST WITH NO RATIONAL ARGUMENT.)
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To: cripplecreek

It wouldn’t hurt to join the KOS kids and stir up the pot.


7 posted on 11/05/2008 4:10:51 AM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: marktwain

Zero complained of harsh treatment repeatedly throughout his campaign. Also he and other Dims have been increasingly vocal about the Unfairness Doctrine. He has complete control of the MSM so he has simply got to silence the opposition. He doesn’t care about how he is perceived. He will take radical steps to fundamentally change our country forever. I do not expect to see free elections in 2012. By then his takeover will be complete and we will have a Chavez on our hands.


8 posted on 11/05/2008 4:11:55 AM PST by Heartland Mom ("In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.")
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To: 17th Miss Regt

Exactly


9 posted on 11/05/2008 4:13:27 AM PST by sierrahome (Cuba got "Change" in 1959!)
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To: marktwain
The media already was corrupt to the bone and gave Obama Hussein positive press at a ratio of 8:1 to 9:1....

OBAMA: WILL THE LAST HONEST REPORTER PLEASE EXIT THE PLANE.

OBAMA: WILL THE LAST HONEST REPORTER PLEASE SHUT UP.

10 posted on 11/05/2008 4:13:41 AM PST by FreedomProtector
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To: cripplecreek
I think we’ll see a civil war withing the democrat party. Too many things promised to too many different people.

I make way under $250,000. I should see my tax cut by February 15. I will be emailing my representatives on this subject.

11 posted on 11/05/2008 4:15:15 AM PST by stevem
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To: marktwain

I think people need to be a little more educated on the Fairness Doctrine. It doesn’t take radio stations off the air, per se, it doesn’t force a conservative to have liberals on his show. What it does do, in the short run, is force radio stations to allow liberals to buy equal time, or force them to run public service type programs in place of that equal time. What that will do in the long run, is force radio stations to either go out of business, because liberal radio does not generate revenue, or change their format from 24/7 conservative talk. In my area, we have one station that plays Beck, then Rush, then a local conservative, followed by Hannity. Fairness doctrine would force them to sell time to liberals, but if it’s like the old fairness doctrine, that time wouldn’t have to be primetime...so we’ll go back to liberals in the middle of the night. All this is predicated on the Fairness Doctrine being reinstated in the form it was in the 70’s.


12 posted on 11/05/2008 4:16:37 AM PST by Dawn531
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To: EdnaMode
Fingers crossed. I don’t know what I’d do without Rush, Sean, Laura, Mark Levin, etc etc!

The time for satellite radio has come....With a stroke of the pen, Obama can shutdown the airwaves....but not satelite.

BTW...as a side issue, Sirius stock is way down...the Fairness Doctrine could be very beneficial to its future value, not that I am ready to give up the airwaves, I simply don't like the executive sword being held above my head....

13 posted on 11/05/2008 4:17:12 AM PST by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: marktwain
In the Sinclair Lewis novel, It can't Happen Here, one journalist fights back against the repressive regime in his own small way by making his pre-government editorials as lame and unconvincing as possible. Perhaps something analogous could be used against the coming "Fairness Doctrine" censorship of the broadcast media.

Conservatives could create a slate of "leftwing" programs even weaker (if that's possible) than the current ones out there and shop these out to stations being forced to broadcast leftwing fare.

14 posted on 11/05/2008 4:17:40 AM PST by Mojave (http://www.americanbacklash.com/)
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To: EdnaMode

Sadly, I expect this will be at the TOP of his “to do” list.
Do, could folks like Rush and Hannity get around it by having a liberal co-host to badger with like the Hannity and Colmes show?
While it would basically be difficult to listen to, it would be better than NO Rush at all.
It would still give us some information as to what this administration is up to.

How will Obama reign in his other nemesis, the internet?
You KNOW the MSM wants it tightly controlled as well because their viewership is rapidly dwindling thanks to us now being able to get accurate and timely information via internet.


15 posted on 11/05/2008 4:18:00 AM PST by a real Sheila (John McCain may not be able to defeat Obama on his own but GOD CAN!)
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To: Heartland Mom

This morning Jim Quinn pointed out that talk radio did not seem to have any effect this election! The hasty reinstatement of the “fairness doctrine” was unnecessary. Sure hope he’s right!


16 posted on 11/05/2008 4:18:24 AM PST by Rexann
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To: marktwain
I beleive this will be the first test of Obama as a member of the far left. If the "fairness doctrine" or something similar is reinstated, President Obama will have confirmed our fears that he is a politician in the same vein as Hugo Chavez.

What "test"? He's already stated he'll sign it.

17 posted on 11/05/2008 4:18:24 AM PST by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
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To: Heartland Mom
Check out your own tagline.

It is gonna be OK. Let's keep our heads, folks. We are optimists, not victims.

18 posted on 11/05/2008 4:18:24 AM PST by LearnsFromMistakes
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To: marktwain

All it will do is force consevitive talkradio to move to satilite, internet radio, and podcasting.


19 posted on 11/05/2008 4:19:20 AM PST by Biggirl (Throw The Bums OUT!=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
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To: EdnaMode
monday sean said if obama won the conservative underground started Wednesday!
what can we do to stop it? they are elected and can be replaced in the next election. we at times forget we still hold some power to stop or get things going. i am ready for the fight, but not sure where to begin.
20 posted on 11/05/2008 4:20:56 AM PST by CanadianMusherinMI (drill baby drill/mine baby mine!)
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