An MSNBC Shocker From Left Field (Donahue one of FEW truly leftist commentators)

Newsday ^ | April 16, 2002 | Noel Holston

[syriacus]

LET'S HEAR it for free enterprise. Under what other system would a big corporation give a communist a nightly national talk show because its executives believe he can make them richer?

Not that MSNBC pundit-to-be Phil Donahue is really a communist, or even a socialist. He's never advocated the overthrow of the government, unless stumping for a Ralph Nader presidency counts as a coup attempt. No matter how pink his designated prime-time opponent, Fox News Channel star Bill O'Reilly, might paint him before their faceoff begins later this year, Donahue is nothing but old-fashioned, unapologetic, card-carrying liberal. But that in itself is so rare nowadays in the electronic media that serious leftists are in a state of shock and disbelief.

[syriacus]

Holston is so clueless, or deceptive, that he can write this column saying that most of the liberal commentators on TV aren't really liberals or aren't really commentators.

leftists are in a state of shock and disbelief.
The leftists had better recover from their "shock" in time to tune into Donahue's show, otherwise it will die.

FAIR is founded in part on the notion that the left typically gets the short end of the media stick.
I wonder what other warped notions FAIR has.

Begala and Carville are guys who got Bill Clinton elected," Hart said. "They're centrists
Hart is Clueless. Begala and Carville are not centrists...they're smearers and deceivers who will say anything to get a few votes.

Which is why Phil Donahue, 66, is suddenly, bizarrely the Great White-Haired Hope.
I think Donahue's been bizarre for at least a few years now.

[LurkedLongEnough]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Thanks, this is so funny it really made my morning.

[Ann Archy]

The only people that are more VILE than Carvile and Bugala are Joe Conason and Eric Alterman....maybe they will get a show too!! Oh, and David Corn and David Brock would be swell also!!

[Brett66]

Donaspew is the liberal's great white hope. HaHaHa! This is great news.

[thucydides]

Earth to MSNBC: there is no mass market out there for leftism repeat there is no mass market out there for leftism. To the parent company GE: why do you support loser networks against the shareholders' interests? Or do you justify it as an under the table, in-kind illegal contribution to the democrat party shakedown artists, who after all could cause you big trouble.

[Commiewatcher]

"Not that MSNBC pundit-to-be Phil Donahue is really a communist, or even a socialist. He's never advocated the overthrow of the government, unless stumping for a Ralph Nader presidency counts as a coup attempt."

Donahue may not advocate the "violent overthrow of the government" or the mandatory atheism required by true communism but he sure embraces most of THE REST of it, as do most of today's so-called 'liberals'.

"He mentioned former Texas agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower, whose syndicated radio show never caught on, and filmmaker-provocateur-author Michael Moore ("Roger & Me," "Stupid White Men"), as possible candidates, but it's hard to imagine either of them doing a nightly show."

Oh, and how can we forget Mario Cuomo's attempt to topple Rush - the show lasted only a few months until Mario eventually wound up on NPR sucking off the government teats once again.

[Timesink]

He mentioned former Texas agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower, whose syndicated radio show never caught on...

Wow. This is the first time I've ever seen a leftist admit that Hightower's show simply wasn't getting the ratings; EVERY other leftist I've ever seen mention Hightower has claimed it was a Grand Corporate Conspiracy to throw him off the air.

[KC_Conspirator]

If anything, this is proof that FAIR are a bunch of lying communists. Just watch FOX News and see Jeff Cohen of FAIR spew his vitriol each week on "FOX News Watch".

[Aquinasfan]

To the parent company GE: why do you support loser networks against the shareholders' interests? Or do you justify it as an under the table, in-kind illegal contribution to the democrat party shakedown artists, who after all could cause you big trouble.

Ah, now I get it!

[conserve-it]

Donahue is dumber than dirt.

[DouglasKC]

Why there are so few truly leftist commentators on TV - people who might challenge fundamental assumptions of our economic system and our lifestyle and broaden the national conversation - is hard to pinpoint. It's not as though liberals have dwindled to a tiny minority -

lol..it's easy to pinpoint. Leftists don't prosper in a real debate because they have no intellectual gravitas. Their ideas are lacking in substance. It's all emotionalism. That's why they can only survive in the fiction of hollywood or in 30 minute slapped together news segments where there's no chance at refutation.

[Lazamataz]

Donahue is dumber than dirt.

And FAIR is the dirt that Donawhore is dumber than.

[hgro]

Donahue has an agenda, he is the son-in-law of an Arabic Lebanese, Danny Thomas. His wife is a very radical left wing feminist. Can any one doubt that she pushed the pandering husband of hers to spout the Arab line?

[Cable225]

"Begala and Carville are guys who got Bill Clinton elected," Hart said. "They're centrists. They're even further from the Left than [their predecessor] Bill Press."

Does that mean you can get even further left than Bill Press? I didn't think this was possible.

He absolutely sickens me. I can't imagine my reaction to someone further left than him.

[Paleo Conservative]

Can any one doubt that she pushed the pandering husband of hers to spout the Arab line?

I doubt it took much persuasion.

[conserve-it]

I think it is possible that when Marlo dresses Phil in the morning, she gives her "pro Arab talking points" to Phil, along with his cookies and baby rattle.

[conserve-it]

Don't miss my new sociology book entitled " Cohen is From Mars, Donahue is From Uranus."

[weegee]

I too was surprised to see an admission that FAIR is searching for Right-Wing bias. I've known that their name is a misnomer but had never seen an admission in print. I did a quick search and did find this description of FAIR by one of its founders:

FAIR was launched in mid-1986 at a time when the major media were bending distinctly rightward. Big media businesses were being absorbed by even bigger ones, with dangerous implications for those viewpoints already underrepresented. Well-financed right-wing groups like the misnamed Accuracy In Media (AIM) were harassing journalists who uncovered unpleasant truths about poverty, inequality, government corruption or U.S. military and nuclear policy.

I don't see why they even rate a mention from credible news sources (at least without a description of their bias). Also notice how their name is a swipe at another media review group that they claim as "right wing".

I guess that FAIR can safely be added to the scrapheap of leftwing doublespeak agencies and news programs:
People for the American Way
All Things Considered
We The People
Democracy Now

[Lost Highway]

It's funny. In order to keep up with fox the other cable networks have to change. They can go one of two ways. Go to the center or left. Which way do you think they are going? (Hint: It's not center.) Which is really quite funny because being left is what got them behind fox in the first place.

[weegee]

"Begala and Carville are guys who got Bill Clinton elected," Hart said. "They're centrists.

Shows just how extreme the looney left really is.

What's more, the leftist commentators did not take Bill Clinton to task during his administration (if he was really so centrist, there would have been no harm in pursuing him). Instead, their wrath was directed at Newt Gingrich, Ken Starr, judges on the Supreme Court, Tom Delay, Phil Graham, etc...