More Evidence that Jonathan Klein (CNN) is Clueless

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 10 December, 2005 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Congressman Billybob]

One characteristic of a good executive is that he keeps his door and mind open to new ideas. Occasionally, I test that thesis by dropping a line to a bigwig to see first whether my missive gets through the several layers of filters that all executives have. If so, then the test is not whether the accept/respect my particular idea, but whether they demonstrate an openness to new ideas. I ran this test with Jonathan Klein, President of CNN/US. He and it failed both tests.

Here's the test letter, which received not even a pro forma "thank you for your submission" note. I guess that Klein will continue to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. Meantime, we will wear our Pajama Patrol badges with honor, and continue to pick off the more eggregious of the MSM executives and reporters.

Please forward this note to the office of Jonathan Klein, President, CNN/US

Dear Mr. Klein,

You might not read this beyond the second paragraph. I think you should, and it would be to your advantage, and that of CNN.

I am one of the handful of people you referred to as "some guy in his pajamas, sitting in front of his computer." We are the people who exposed the Bush Air National Guard documents. But we are, and I am, much more than that.

My national media efforts began on the Phil Donohue Show, 12 November, 1976. That was before Oprah became Phil, and Phil retired, twice. Since then, in addition to being a civil rights lawyer in the US Supreme Court, being a Professor of Political Science, and writing hundreds of books and articles, I have done regular national media pieces for decades. Along the way, I have become well wired in the "alternative media." I write regularly for four websites of (more or less) repute.

I'm offering to meet with you and lay out certain particulars that might be useful in your efforts to turn CNN around. It comes down to three points.

CNN needs to change its news philosophy to "follow the facts wherever they lead." It needs to embrace the alternative media, not fight them.

I cannot emphasize that second point too much. If CNN fights the alternative media, its decline will continue. But if CNN embraces and uses that media in both directions, incoming and outgoing, it will prosper.

The third point is that CNN needs to expand the news day from a mere 24 hours to about 150 hours, which is about the maximum that your existing staff could support. That trick is easy to do, using existing technology.

Even as we speak, a colleague of mine is in Seattle, invited there by the gurus at MicroSoft to discuss methods of increasing interactive media. CNN needs to jump into that subject with both feet.

I could be quite useful to you. And in the long run, the nation will be better off if CNN prospers, rather than withers on the vine.

Should we do lunch? I suggest Dante's Down the Hatch, the table at the top of the stairs. I can lay out for you the ideas I propose in an hour. And they could serve your central purpose in redirecting the destinies of CNN.

I hope this reaches you. And I hope there is a favorable response. I see that meeting as challenging, and well worthwhile. Our common ground is history at Brown, and political science at Yale.

If you wish to check my credentials, Google me. Or just go to the US Supreme Court website and read the brief I filed there in Bush v. Palm Beach Canvassing Board (December, 2000). Mine was the only brief to ask the Court to do what it did in that case in Round I, unanimously.

Cordially,

John Armor /s/

(address and phone deleted)

Post Script: I do NOT seek a job with CNN. I have three jobs right now, and enjoy them all. That's enough. I do think I could be productive for you and for CNN. That's why I took time to send this to you.

[Congressman Billybob]

This is sort of a vanity, and I won't complain if it gets moved to chat. But because Klein was the guy who referred to us as "some guy in his pajamas in front of his computer," and because he's now the top dog at CNN -- a particulary biased "news" outlet, I thought this would be of interest to the FR community.

John / Billybob

[ncountylee]

Keep us posted, please.

[woofie]

Why help CNN?

[ArtyFO]

Klein, is he the one who promoted Anderson Cooper, the one with the interesting personal pronoun who studied in North Vietnam, and canned Aaron Brown?

[adorno]

Why help CNN?

True!

CNN has low audience ratings.

While the big networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC continue to lose viewers to their news shows, they still have much larger numbers than any cable news network.

Let CNN die. Go after ABC, CBS and NBC. And, while you're at it, do the same on the print media: NYT, Washington Post, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.

[Old Sarge]

I am one of the handful of people you referred to as "some guy in his pajamas, sitting in front of his computer."

Or, some guy in camouflage, doing the same thing...

[digger48]

Wish you'd have bitch-slapped Phil Donohue 30 years ago when you had the chance.

[Congressman Billybob]

This was a test. Since there has been zero response, the test worked, and Klein/CNN flunked. As for "why help CNN?" I would consider it good if CNN became a competent and honest news network, rather than a shill for the Democrat left. The odds on that are slim. More likely, it will continue its present course and downward slide.

Furthermore, I make it a point to tell the truth as best I know it, to everyone, whether that person is a friendly or an enemy. My thinking is two-fold. First, I might just cause a few of the enemy to rethink their position. Second, if I don't lie to anyone based on who they are, I don't have the problem of trying to remember what I said to someone. LOL.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Ben Franklin's Greatest Invention"

[Paradox]

. But because Klein was the guy who referred to us as "some guy in his pajamas in front of his computer," and because he's now the top dog at CNN --

I can't believe thats the same guy. Simply incredible. The MSM is REALLY that blind. They will follow their ignorance to their own demise..

[Congressman Billybob]

Actually, Donahue was a friendly on the program I was on. I was on with my friend and client, Gene McCarthy. Donohue agreed with both of us that it was politically healthy for the country that an independent ran for President, which Gene was in the 1976 race.

On that program I predicted that another candidate would use the legal right to run that we had just established in 26 states. And that the next candidate would be taken seriously by the press. I did not expect, and did not predict, that it would happen as soon as 1980 when John Anderson ran as an independent. (I also designed Anderson's legal campaign against restrictive election laws, striking them down in 10 states.)

I went on the show because my then-wife was quite a fan of Donohue, and encouraged me to do that. She was quite pregnant at the time, and the audience was rather curious when Phil went into the cheap seats and hugged and kissed a thoroughly-pregnant lady sitting there. (She didn't wash her cheek for two weeks.)

John / Billybob

[woofie]

good answer

[digger48]

Well now you went and made me feel better about Phil. humph


Thanks for the history though!

[chgomac]

John, tv is announcing Senator McCarthy has passed away. My sympathy on the passing of your friend.

[GeronL]

Haha... you probably knew this would happrn, or not happen as the case may be

[etcetera]

Jonathan Klein will be remebered in history as the MSM guy who arrogantly gave a name to the Pajama Brigade bloggers. That he now runs CNN is no surprise - their inability to think outside the box leads to incestual replication.

That CNN is losing to the Pajama Brigade is poetic justice. Mr Klein has no clue about how to save the business he now runs, just as he has no clue about how to compete with the bloggers he insulted or even the fact that his arrogance was on full display.

[okie01]

John, you know these people even better than I do.

Consequently, you know that Klein will be vaguely insulted by your offer to help him (and, thus, CNN). That is, if he reads past the second paragraph...or it even reaches him.

Like all good liberals, they're smarter, wiser, quicker, yea, better than those who are supposed to be watching and listening -- as opposed to producing and directing. For them to listen to you would mean they had failed their class.

It's a good test. A fair test, even. But you already know the subject is going to flunk out.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

It's a good test. A fair test, even. But you already know the subject is going to flunk out.

A test? you mean like when you have a 25lbs tumor, the doctor says "we need to run more tests"

[devolve]

[potlatch]

LOL, CNN is going to come after you!

[devolve]