Posted on 09/18/2006 8:15:26 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
Something for the Political Suicide Club "Conservatives" to keep in mind before spewing forth any more of their "Win by Losing" nonsense.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703526/posts
When it began broadcasting back in 2004, Air America was supposed to be the great leftist hope, the radio network whose hosts would floor the dominating conservatives on political talk shows, especially Rush Limbaugh, the undisputed champion of the genre.
But things went from bad to worse as the network received low ratings in too few markets and was involved in a scandal because of borrowing money from a nonprofit organization. The network’s chief on-air personality, Al Franken, concedes that cash-flow problems have kept him from being paid.
Having seemingly failed to knock Limbaugh out in the free market, where, oh where will the liberals turn? We already have the answer. If Democrats win control of Congress, the plan of some is to legislate radio time for liberals through reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine and thereby, in all likelihood, silencing Limbaugh and conservative friends. In other words, if speech gets too free to make you happy, bring your heel down on its head.
Let’s have some history here.
The Fairness Doctrine went into effect in 1949 as a regulation of the Federal Communications Commission. It essentially said that stations had to provide opportunities for other sides to be heard if someone said something politically controversial on air. The consequence was a quietude strikingly at variance with this democracy of ours.
Then came the presidency of Ronald Reagan, with its understanding of how governmental controls so often diminish us and its trust in a free people to find their way without the instructions of know-it-all bureaucrats. His administration dropped the regulation along with many others, and guess what? Talk radio began to flower.
You would think believers in our democracy would rejoice in the burst of debate, but many liberals didn’t.
A chief reason was that the most popular hosts of these shows were conservatives. Millions of Americans happen to be conservative in at least some roughhewn way, and they didn’t see their views reflected in the mainstream media. In talk radio, they gained a voice, frequently a rambunctious one but a voice that was subject to correction in the marketplace of ideas. That’s especially true in an era of the Internet, cable TV, satellite radio and other outlets that provide a wider variety of news and opinion than available at any previous time.
The conservative cause was also helped by personalities such as Limbaugh, who comes by his 15 million listeners a week not through accident, but because of extraordinary alertness, quickness of mind and, most of all, a good humor and wit that the pompous among us miss and the leftist ideologues among us despise. He is funnier than Franken, and seriously, folks, Franken is not to be taken seriously on any level. So here come the liberals in Congress to fix things.
Democratic members of the House have already introduced legislation that would restore the Fairness Doctrine in such a way that radio stations carrying Limbaugh at great financial advantage would have to carry someone like Franken for an equal length of time at what would almost certainly be a great financial disadvantage. Hey, the stations might decide, let’s go with rock music - or whatever - because it’s easier and more profitable. If Democrats take back Congress, this anti-speech legislation could have a good chance of enactment, something to keep in mind when you enter a voting booth.
http://www.jasoncann.org/radio.htm
http://radio.findanisp.com/radio-shows-on-air.php
Sorry for the early ping but I got to rush today.
Ping and go, just ping, and go...
thanks for the ping Johnnie- great post and don't work too hard!
LOL!
;-)
bttt
Anything happen over the weekend that might be topic 1 today?
Anything happen over the weekend that might be topic 1 today?
That me, a drive by Freeper.
I expect Rush to ream the 4 Senator Stoodges.
hey there...new rant up at ec......I think you will LIKE this one....when you get a chance, dear....
;-)
There, that's better! ;)
Rush should offer to bankroll Air America .. with the promise that they continue to authentically represent the Left in general, and Democrats overall.
Good point, I was busy yesterday but did see some article on McCain ranting. It will be interesting to see what he had to say.
Not really.
Thanks for the ping, MN.
Great post. I smelt this one coming for sometime, wonder what took them so long?
Yhello!
Born and raised in California - I now live in South Carolina. My Lindsey Graham observation.
In the south I have observed what I call “the Ashley Wilkes male”. There is a population of men in the south who, while 100% heterosexual in their lives, are very, very feminine in their personal attributes. They are exactly what Ashley Wilkes was in the movie Gone with the Wind.
Lindsey Graham is a perfect example.
I’m a little uncomfortable writing this - I find myself wanting to be careful with what I say.
Anyway, this type of “southern man” are all over the place down here in the south. To this southern Californian, they are creepy. From what I can tell, most of them are not gay - but they might as well be. They can talk tough, but it comes out weak. They can be the man of the house - but it’s clear their wives rule the day. Hopefully you get what I’m saying.
Lindsey Graham is today’s Ashley Wilkes. He’s creepy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.