Posted on 10/20/2001 5:27:51 PM PDT by RonDog
In recent weeks, some here have expressed concern about the large number of posts on this forum aggressively promoting nationally syndicated talk radio host Hugh Hewitt, asking:
1 - Who **IS** this guy?
2 - Why is he getting so much attention here?
3 - Is this a good thing? (or proper, ethical, in our best interest, etc.?)
Since I have started (and contributed to) MANY of these threads, I now intend to address these concerns, and encourage vigorous debate among all who care to join in. ALL opinions are welcome, but INFORMED opinions are preferred.
If you do not yet know about Hugh Hewitt and his enormous positive, dynamic, long-term relationship with Free Republic, you are ignorant. This is not an insult; it is a definition:
"Everybody is ignorant. Only on different subjects." Will Rogers
Fortunately, that ignorance is 100% curable. If in the past you did NOT know about Hugh Hewitt and his relationship to Free Republic, after reading this thread you WILL. At least enough to make a constuctive contribution to the question:
Here are the areas about which I propose to encourage SERIOUS discussion:
1 - Documented HISTORY of the relationship which has developed between Hugh Hewitt and Free Republic:My intention is to start this discussion with "testimonials" about Hugh that have been posted here by OTHER FReepers, then provide links to other threads about Hugh, and finally, add biographical information and personal commentary.
a - Hugh lurks here. He OFTEN promotes FR on his radio program, in VERY positive terms - sometimes referring to us as the "Coast-watchers over at Free Republic." Doug from Upland, ALOHA RONNIE, DLfromthedesert, PatiPie and many other FReepers are regular callers.2 - Short-term TACTICS to promote maximum exposure of "Hugh Hewitt" threads on Free Republic:
Hugh responds to suggestions that we make, and credits this forum as the source for MUCH of his news. He has promoted FReeper causes on MULTIPLE occasions, cited the screen names of MANY FReepers on the air, and OFTEN includes links from his "Message of the Day" page to specific threads here, in addition to maintaining a PERMANENT link to FR on his homepage.b - He is a kindred spirit. He champions many of our core values, and wants to share the magic of Free Republic with his radio listeners and editorial readers across the USA. He is reaching out to help us achieve many of our common goals. He is a California-based (south of Los Angeles) evangelical Christian (elder in the Presbyterian church) who still teaches Constitutional Law (at Chapman College). He aggressively supports the military, vigorously defends people of faith, regularly attacks incompetance in government, and frequently exposes bias in the media.
c - He is an activist. Hugh has been a believer in the power of FReeping - even before he knew what it was! When the television networks tried to throw the Presidential election in 2000 by calling a winner before the polls closed, he set up a website (www.TheFloridaEffect.com) to document lost Republican votes. He understands the tremendous value of early financial support (even in very small amounts) for such worthy causes as the taking back the Senate in 2002.
a - Search for "Hugh Hewitt": Since newbies that Hugh sends to Free Republic for the first time (and even a few old-timers here!) do not know very much about finding articles on this forum, JohnHuang2, Doug from Upland and I have been adding the name "Hugh Hewitt" to the title of articles about him that we post here, to make them easier to find. We also post his editorials in the "Editorial" sidebar, and other important information as "Extended News" for maximum exposure.b - Search for Articles+Replies to:"Hugh Hewitt" - John Robinson's new "Bump List" Register provides an excellent PASSIVE mechanism for marking threads for easy retrieval at a later date. This new tool allows each of us to contribute to a "Hugh Hewitt clipping service" - by posting a reply to "Hugh Hewitt" on any thread which may be of interest to Hugh and his listeners. (Hugh is NOT registered to post here, but his NAME is on the "Free Republic Bump List Register".) The best part about THIS tool is that it can be used to mark MANY threads - even those which may be of only peripheral interst to Hugh and his listeners - since only those FReepers who actually search for these threads will find them. (They will NOT appear in a "Self-Search.")
c - "Hugh Hewitt PING list" - One of John Robinson's OTHER great new recent improvements to this forum is the virtually "unlimited PING list" feature which allows any registered FReeper to ACTIVELY summon all members of an certain "interest group" to a particular thread. This tool should be used sparingly - only for articles written by Hugh or specifically about Hugh - as it will force the "flagged" thread to show up in a "Self-Search" of everyone on the PING list. (In the next few days, I intend to post a RonDog's "Hugh Hewitt PING list" thread, with a complete list of all the screen names that I have gathered from the many previous Hugh Hewitt threads. After it is posted, please let me know if you want to get ON - or OFF - MY list. Thanks.)
3 - Long-term STRATEGY to plan and direct the benefits for Free Republic from this relationship:
a - Hugh is an EDITOR. In his "first anniversary" editorial for WorldNetDaily, Hugh identified "news judgment" as his primary strength. This is probably our MOST important area for influence: target selection. Assuming that we DO promote Hugh on this forum, what is our objective? What do we do with the power that we have to influence his opinions, his programming and his priorities? Personally, I like the idea of moving Hugh out of his "center-right" comfort zone - as far to the right as he can reasonably be enticed to go without losing market share. We can do this by appealling to his "Voice of Reason" - with logic, documentation, and well-reasoned argument.He has expressed interest in the "big picture" of environmental law issues represented by the Federal government in the Klamath Basin Crisis. He has spoken on his radio show about the Second Amendment aspects of the recent Emerson decision in the Fifth District court. Other areas of possible influence are reforming immigration policy, limiting the power of the UN, protecting individual rights, restraining the growth of the federal government. What else?
b - Hugh likes "JOINT VENTURES" with Free Republic. One of the classic "combined projects" is The word 'rapist' censored from George Will's column, where Hugh found the original story on Free Republic, reported it on the air, and then asked FReepers to post side-by-side versions. Other such examples of radio-Internet synergy are HUGH HEWITT ASKS FREEPERS FOR FEINSTEIN TRANSCRIPT and Hugh Hewitt asks for Free Republic help to pressure Gore to concede. What OTHER "joint ventures" could we (or SHOULD we) attempt to do with this "good FRiend" who happens to broadcast into 40+ radio markets across the USA? Any ideas?
c - Hugh likes to INTERVIEW authorities. Like Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force, Hugh believes that "a man's got to know his limitations." He often defers to the specialized expertise of regular guests like "Fred Barnes and Morton Kondracke... ...Terry Eastland, Erwin Chemerinsky and John Eastman..." There is no good reason that MANY more FReepers could not join the team of "experts" that contribute by calling his show on a regular basis. (800) 520-1234
I intend to continue promoting Hugh's weekly WorldNetDaily column. In addition, I feel that we should expand upon Doug from Upland's HUGH HEWITT SHOW threads, and that we should maintain an active "running commentary" thread for Hugh's radio show - EVERY day.
If your words are quoted, please feel free to modify, enhance, clarify, retract, recant or disavow anything attributed to you.
All others, chime in whenever the spirit moves you. (Regular listeners to Hugh are particularly encouraged to contribute.)
Too bad I can't put the colonistas on his.
Cheers.
As a poster of long-standing in this forum, I heartily give my endorsement to The Hugh Hewitt Show. Hewitt may be a bit moderate for some of the conservatives and libertarians in this forum...but he beats the heck out of lots of conservative commentators.
And... Hugh Hewitt promotes Free Republic BIG TIME!
More than any other media figure, I think that he has tapped into the possibilities of this forum.
I posted this thread to document that fact.
Now, it is time to address my initial question:
Too bad I can't put the colonistas on his.
All is not yet lost. ;)
Perhaps in time we can bring him around. The EXTRAORDINARY PASSION aroused by illegal immigration in MANY of my conservative friends is difficult to communicate.
After we resolve our immediate concerns with the war effort, we need to prepare the case for Professor Hewitt:
What PRECISELY would we like for him to say and do?
It wins big across every racial demographic by 2 to 1 or more, the lone exception being Hispanics when they're propagandized into believing that anti-illegal means anti-immigrant or anti-Latino. Then they split about 50/50. Look at Prop 187.
Hugh needs to ditch the Kemp/Bennet wing on the illegals. It's a big LOSER.
If a Republican makes an issue of illegal immigration, and paints a Democrat into a soft corner over it, they can break the the Democrat stranglehold on the black vote. Underclass blacks are hurt more by the colonistas than anyone else, and they know it. Ask one.
The case needs to be made that the pro-illegal Democrats are stabbing underclass blacks in the back with bilingual ballots, no ID to register, and no residence inquiries at the motor-voter DMV.
They will listen.
Get Terry Anderson on... He used to be a regular on George Putnam's show. He rocks.
You listening, generalissimo?
But heck, RonDog asked, so I answered.
I also caught him 'ribbing' you about not calling or, at least, getting through in a long time.
Don't particularly like having to 'choose' between Duffy and Hugh from 4-6 though, and I'm about done with Gallagher in the morning. OK, just not my 'cup o'tea', as they say. Apparently, the schedulers felt they needed a more caustic challenge to Handel. Wrong!!!! IMHO. I'll be returning to either 95.9(KFSH) or 99.5(KKLA) for my morning drive.
...Truly funny "Stuffies".. are comin' our way.
...No Way ...WAY...!
As always, we remain extremists to anyone on the left, as they will always be extremists, at the opposite pole, to us.
Go, Hugh!
...Please RonDog's Post #96 ...of this HUGH HEWITT Thread for -RICK RESCORLA- / IA DRANG-1965 Links...
Signed:..A Witness-Vet/Battle of IA DRANG-1965 www.lzxray.com
GARRY OWEN (U.S. 7th Cavalry Salute)
...see today's Miami Herald on thread titled...
...Morgan Stanley Security Chief feared dead (Notable Vietnam Vet)
Thanks, Ronnie, for the heads up on "We Were Soldiers Once" and LZX-Ray! A great read for us all.
God bless and protect America!!!
Mahalo,
PatiPie
This is so sad. What a wonderful man he was and a hero.
God be with his family.
...Thanks for a chuckle. Reminds me of "Hogans Heros" Gestapo agent, Major Hocksteader, that used the line to Col. Klink when Hogan was present, "Who iss thiss maann?"
Well, since I haven't run across too many of his posts, and if I did, I might not remember they were his anyway... I would like to actually *listen* to the guy for a while to see what I think.
Now is your opportunity: It's SHOW time!! 3pm to 6pm - California time- Monday through Friday.
You can LISTEN LIVE over the Internet at KRLA 870-AM in Los Angeles.
Prove how responsive he is. Spell out N-U-C-L-E-A-R to him. Tell him it's pronounced "new-clee-ar," and not "new-kew-lar." I associate that pronunciation with gappy education, which he DOES NOT otherwise seem to have. But it makes him SOUND bumpkinish.
O.K., BibChr - Your wish has been granted!
Moments ago, Hugh must have pronounced nuclear correctly at least a DOZEN times!
(I imagine that he had to dig around quite a bit to get a relevent story to demonstrate his new-found erudition: Potassium Iodide shortages.) LOL! NEXT project, please.
Thanks, RonDog. Used to listen to Hugh all the time, even called in a couple of times and talked to him. Really miss listening to his show. Keep me on the ping list--I'd like to keep up with Hugh.
Will do. Check out Hugh's NEW thread at:
We need judges now!
Posted on 10/22/2001 23:37:46 PDT by JohnHuang2
Remember that you can LISTEN LIVE over the Internet at KRLA 870-AM in Los Angeles
(There is still about 15 minutes left in TODAY's show.)
Maybe I'll find another station that will work out with my schedule. Thanks.
Could be. In what part of the country do you live?
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