'Hannitized'

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 2/18/2006 | Bill Steigerwald

[serendepitylives]

'Hannitized'

By Bill Steigerwald TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, February 18, 2006

Q: Have we seen the end of the Dick Cheney shooting-spree story?

A: No. I don't think so, only because it's got to make it through the Sunday news cycle. I think after that it'll probably go away. From all that we've seen, it just seems like a terrible accident ... . I thought he came across as very sincere in Brit Hume's interview.

[P-40]

This whole flack is merely because Cheney went around the White House press and gave the report to a local news source.


That was what was so funny. It was no longer breaking news where I live by the time the national press got it; what was news to me was that it was not news everywhere else. If the Big Boys monitored some of the less national sites...they would have had it soon enough.

It was just Cheney politely finding a way to tell the MSM to go F themselves.

[Señor Zorro]

Wow. I thought I was the only one on FreeRepublic who couldn't stand Sean Hannity. I guess not.

[Millee]

LOL! You're a hoot!

[beyond the sea]

Now Rush is pure teacher, entertainer and comforter and man of wisdom as to how critical a current happening is.

I knew El Rushbo here in Pittsburgh when he was Jeff Christie. Myself and Chuck Brinkman used to kid him about his sloppy appearance back then.

My, how he was changed.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

I have a list of at least a hundred who feel the same way.

;-)

But Sean still will grow.

[ClancyJ]

Are you proud of your list?

So, you can't stand Sean. So what?

Go find another talk show host you like but please do not try and destroy the man.

We cannot afford to eat our own and it is grossly unfair to Sean. No one can be liked by everyone.

But - I will say one thing for Sean - he uses his talents and IS doing something. He would not have the shows he has and the ratings if there were no viewers out there.

[B.O. Plenty]

This is directed at all who snipe at the people who are informing us on a dialy basis....Rush, Hannity, Savage et al:

I would ask you to think about what you are doing. The fact that they claim to be "entertainers" and making money doing it is irrelevent...they are the people who keep us up on what's happening in our government and in the world....it is their job, if you will. We "pay" them by listening and sometimes buying the products they advertise. In return, they maintain a staff of researchers who scan the media, and report and comment on what they find out.

I realize it is your opinions...and for some reason feel a need to trash a host here. I do think, however, that all the "conservative" talk show people mostly stand up for the right thing....and if you have an issue with them, or don't like something they do, or just don't like the way they talk or look...

Don't listen

...but please don't poison their message for somebody who seldom listens or has never listened to them before.

Individual Freepers have a powerful voice here......a new, or old, conservative who passes by may read your post and be persuaded not listen to someone who may sway him.

Conservativism is not helped nor spread by trashing the people who have the means and the platform to spread the word.

[planetpatrol]

Oddly enough thanks to my schedule Hannity is my least favorite yet most listened to talk radio entertainer. At least I can say he beats putting up with modern rock radio. I'm wary of people who take these guys too seriously as political sages, they are first and foremost ratings driven entertainers, the Howard Sterns of another demographic. What gets me most about Hannity, and it grows once you become aware of it, is how stupid he assumes everyone else is. You see a lot of his real personality in the "man on the street" segments, its also there when he leads callers along, its condescending.

Remember, no matter what the host says, the audience's true face is best reflected in the advertising. Aside from Sean's voiceover ads (shaper image, 1800flowers, ruth's chris, sleep number...) there are lots of ads about being bald, in debt, needing "male enhancements" and having cold sores.

[Mr Cobol]

But Sean still will grow.

Sean has peaked as far as debate skills and his talking points are always predictable.

He needs guests to enable him to spew his talking points and make it sound like it's new. I would love to see him do a show without guests like Rush and Levin and make it interesting. This is not a Sean Bash, just the way I see it.

[P-40]

they are the people who keep us up on what's happening in our government and in the world.


To a large extent that is true...however, it is still an entertainment venue and the host, and his researchers, only put together what will draw in the listeners and only present that angle that keeps the listeners there. It is a "filtered" event and should be seen as such. That is not to say that they don't also provide a valuable service though. They also can fall flat on stories that *should* be reported on, such as the Able Danger issue.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Sean is doing a great job for us. Try and fill four hours of air time a day and see how hard it is. "

That's pretty much how I feel about Sean.

I agree he comes across too smarty-pants brat sometimes, but I try and imagine how it would be to be down in the gutter battling liberals everyday, and I'm darn glad there's SOMEONE with the stomach to do it at all, albeit imperfectly.

[Poser]

How many moa must die Mister Speakah? How many moa?

Let's get it right.

[B.O. Plenty]

Never said they are perfect...and never said that they didn't "entertain". I really like Paul Shanklin and Rush parodies. As Rush always says, all humor is rooted somewhere in the truth.

I agree that the shows may be filtered somewhat, but I shudder to think of the U.S. without the "filters" of conservative talk radio and lately the blogs. There is no longer any question which way the MSM leans...and if they were still in charge like 30 years ago, we possibly could be under muslim law by now....and we certainly would still be standing around, fretting over 9-11, frustrated and angry that the U.S. would not do anything about it.

As it is...shiria law ain't gonna happen here...not as long as we can get somewhere near the truth about what's happening right now and listening to the sounds of distant thunder.

BTW...I didn't say either that we here at FR should not criticize talk radio when it is needed and warranted. I know for sure that Hannity, Rush, Tony Snow and our own David Gold all monitor FR on while they are on the air. So if they go off the reservation, it is our obligation to at least say something....who knows, we just may present them with a perspective that they haven't thought of.

Also, FreeRepublic has some of the greatest researchers that exist anywhere. They feed conservative talkers with all kinds of data.

If the talkers get something wrong...they get it wrong...but they do not deserve to be trashed by their own people.

[P-40]

I agree that the shows may be filtered somewhat, but I shudder to think of the U.S. without the "filters" of conservative talk radio and lately the blogs.


It is necessarily bad to filter what goes on the air, intentionally or not, as it has to be done to an extent or you would not have much of a show. The MSM filters in their own way too and without the conservative shows much of what is left out would stay that way.

And I do hope these shows read this site and listen to the criticism as we are their market. And one thing I find truly disturbing is how the Able Danger story is going unreported by them. I was also surprised when a Secret Service memo reporting an actual video of the explosion and additional suspect turned up at the recent OK City bombing trial and, even though it was reported on NPR of all places, they never touched it. Something is seriously wrong when that is the case.

[Mr Cobol]

And I do hope these shows read this site and listen to the criticism as we are their market. And one thing I find truly disturbing is how the Able Danger story is going unreported by them. I was also surprised when a Secret Service memo reporting an actual video of the explosion and additional suspect turned up at the recent OK City bombing trial and, even though it was reported on NPR of all places, they never touched it. Something is seriously wrong when that is the case.

You said a lot and you're right, talkies have a talent for looking the other way. The talkies don't expose anything, they just react.

Talk radio has turned into selling books and low level shouting matches plus guests with an agenda.

[beyond the sea]

Are you proud of your list? --- foolish question

Go find another talk show host you like --- save your commands for those in your home.

do not try and destroy the man -- no one here is trying to destroy anyone. You're quite the melodramatic type aren't you?

We cannot afford to eat our own and it is grossly unfair to Sean. -- not happening, no one's eating anything. Again you are wrong, but at least you are consistent.

*****

Now that you have been correctly rebuked ........ read what I wrote earlier in this thread about Sean, something you must have conveniently missed:

"Sean is sincere, good-hearted and well-intentioned; and he is enthusiastic - to say the least - about what he believes. He does have a message to communicate and he does not over-intellectualize; so his message is on-target for many who are in the throws of Liberal-induced pain and do not know the antidote; and they don't have time for a philosophy lesson to figure it out."

So, save your ill-informed words for someone else. My sentiments concerning Sean are merely an attempt at having him be even more effective than he already is. If you don't like it, tough.

By the way, perhaps the theater awaits you, you are quite the emotional drama queen.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

Don't listen -- thanks for the advise. I usually don't listen.

...but please don't poison their message for somebody who seldom listens or has never listened to them before. -- more drama.

Individual Freepers have a powerful voice here......a new, or old, conservative who passes by may read your post and be persuaded not listen to someone who may sway him. -- if that's true, they're not too intelligent.

Conservativism is not helped nor spread by trashing the people who have the means and the platform to spread the word. --- more melodrama from you. No trashing here....... what a lame word, "trash". By the way as an aside, do you realize that that word (trash) was seldom if ever used as a verb before just about a decade or so ago?

****

A relatively thoughtful post by you, but still wrong-headed.

As I quoted earlier on this thread and you possibly conveniently missed:

"Sean is sincere, good-hearted and well-intentioned; and he is enthusiastic - to say the least - about what he believes. He does have a message to communicate and he does not over-intellectualize; so his message is on-target for many who are in the throws of Liberal-induced pain and do not know the antidote; and they don't have time for a philosophy lesson to figure it out."

So, save your ill-informed and unnecessary words for someone else. My sentiments concerning Sean are merely an attempt at having him be even more effective than he already is. If you don't appreciate my approach, that's just unfortunate. Some people take well-intentioned advice and others do not. That's life.

****

If Sean were real wise, imo, he would cut back on the sanctimonious tone. That is my only wish concerning him. It is inappropriate from a relatively young man of his age and accomplishment. In fact, sanctimony is not attractive in anyone!

[beyond the sea]

What gets me most about Hannity, and it grows once you become aware of it, is how stupid he assumes everyone else is. You see a lot of his real personality in the "man on the street" segments, its also there when he leads callers along, its condescending. --- right on.

Remember, no matter what the host says, the audience's true face is best reflected in the advertising. Aside from Sean's voiceover ads (shaper image, 1800flowers, ruth's chris, sleep number...) there are lots of ads about being bald, in debt, needing "male enhancements" and having cold sores. --- LOL.

Here in Pittsburgh with few young people and a large senior citizen base, most of the ads on our radio shows are for health aids, funeral services, estate planning, mortuary plots, foreclosure sales, and arthritis remedies.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

Sean has peaked as far as debate skills and his talking points are always predictable. ---

He does seem somewhat limited. I really wish that F. Lee Levin had his audience. ;-)

I would love to see him do a show without guests like Rush and Levin and make it interesting. ---

I don't think that would be possible. Sean only has about six or seven things to say ............. it would get way too repetitive. He's a nice enough guy, but he's basically a broken record.

;-)

[beyond the sea]

but I try and imagine how it would be to be down in the gutter battling liberals everyday, and I'm darn glad there's SOMEONE with the stomach to do it at all

very true