I think there’s two reasons that you hear talk radio getting the shrill edge it has these days. First, there’s a significant amount of truth in it. Obama IS a stealth socialist, just look at what he’s done with Chrysler, with TARP, with bank nationalization. Look at what he’s talking about doing with cap and trade. To a conservative, this massive, sudden grab of government control over the private sector is something that needs to be shouted against at full volume.
Which leads into the second reason...we turn to “shrill” talk radio because we know that the mainstream media WILL NOT do their jobs and report on any of this. They are 100% in the bag for The One and his socialist liberal agenda and will not even give us the objective facts about what he’s doing, much less any commentary against it. They are a paid propaganda arm of the Democratic Party, for the most part, and thus we have to turn to Limbaugh, and Hannity, and Savage, and Ingraham, and Levin, and dozens of other conservative talk radio hosts, to find truth.
}:-)4
Oh, I forgot a third reason—because we conservatives are frustrated that our alleged leadership in Washington is doing NOTHING to counter Obama’s socialism. Yes, he’s got majorities in both Houses and the news media in his pocket. That’s no excuse not to fight! Instead of fighting tooth and nail for the conservative principles they mouthed to us during their election campaigns, most of them roll over and let themselves be steamrolled when the chips are down. That makes us angry, and that’s reflected in talk radio.
}:-)4
The shouting against at full volume shoud be done in the House and Senate by the opposition, where it might make a difference. I respectfully submit that some folks like me who have listened to talk radio since its inception are being turned off by the shrillness. The talk radio hosts are all about keeping their numbers up to maximize their advertising revenue, which is fine, believe me. I get to listen to Limbaugh for a few minutes and then Hannity for as much as I can stand during my commute home - usually no more than 15 minutes, which is sad. You’re correct in that we have few outlets to turn to for balanced news and reasoned discourse, which is in short supply these days. I get my news almost exclusively from Fox News and some selective websites.
Exactly. I thank the good Lord everyday for Rush, Mark, Laura etc. I would just be a mind-controlled drone like the rest, if not for them.
After 8 years of Bush-bashing, it’s too late for Paglia to whine that conservatives should be above “schoolyard tit-for-tat”. Particularly since the Left is STILL attacking Republicans. It’s on.
“stealth socialist”?
Wrong, he’s a blatant, anti-western socialist.
Michael Medved has come out on air against trying to label Obama’s policies socialist. Then again Michael Medved is a struggling recovering liberal.
It isn’t that he doesn’t see them as “Socialist”. He just thinks it turns off moderates and uninformed persons.
There is a reason that Socialism is an uncomfortable word to Americans. And they need to be made aware when the Socialist policies of the government are being expanded.