Savage Wars (Commentary on Savage, Coulter, O'Reilly)

RealClearPolitics.com ^ | 7/8/03 | T. Bevan

[NYC Republican]

SAVAGE WARS: Michael Savage is gone - and MSNBC is a better network without him. I watched about five minutes of his show a few weeks ago and thought he came off as supremely arrogant, uninterested in engaging in serious debate and doomed to fail. I guess it was only a matter of time before the guy self destructed.

Even though a network spokesman said the decision to fire Savage was an "easy" one, the folks in MSNBC's programming department should be taken to task for putting Savage on the air in the first place - and not just because he may be a homophobe or a bigot.

The entire cable talk show industry formula is out of whack. You can't go around the country searching out the most outrageously loud and obnoxious people, put them on air and order them to generate instant ratings by being loud and obnoxious, and then fire them when they end up being loud and obnoxious.

Yes, Savage went beyond loud and obnoxious. Actually, it sounds like he went a bit insane. But in many ways Savage's outburst was not only predictable, it was exactly what the executives at MSNBC wanted from him. They put him on air for an hour every week and expect him to tiptoe along the fine line between outrageous, shocking, yet acceptable behavior and outrageous, shocking and unacceptable behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not even remotely trying to defend what Savage said, it's just I'm not that surprised he said it, and neither should the folks at MSNBC who spent millions of dollars producing the show and signing the guy to a contract.

Bill O'Reilly is in much the same category: He's brash, boisterous and borderline rude with many of his guests. He' also smugly overconfident in his "working man of the people" routine. This combination is sometimes fun to watch if you agree with him, and absolutely unbearable to watch if you don't.

O'Reilly's already had a couple of near misses with self-immolation, once referring to Mexicans as "wetbacks" and making a joke at a gala charity dinner about some underprivileged kids stealing the hubcaps off of cars in the parking lot.

One of these days O'Reilly's going to put his foot in it but good. I suspect it will happen right about the time his ratings start to decline and he starts feeling the pressure keep the show on top.

Meanwhile, on the publishing side, Ann Coulter is taking an absolute beating over her new book, Treason: Richard Cohen, Dorothy Rabinowitz, Brendan Nyhan, Andrew Sullivan. Geez, even David Horowitz pans the book this morning over at FrongPage. I haven't seen such universally bad reviews on a single piece of work since Madonna made Swept Away.

But it's the same pattern with Coulter: conservative "bomb thrower" taps into huge, right-leaning media market and experiences phenomenal success. Bomb thrower gets bolder, Makes bigger, more elaborate bombs and throws them harder than ever at other side. Bombs explode in face.

Liberals do the same thing. It's just a fact of our current media environment and it's probably here to stay, which is too bad. We need to see and hear less from the Michael Savages and Michael Moores of the world and more from people who are interested in serious, thoughtful debate. It makes me miss the loss of another Michael (Kelly) more than ever

[NYC Republican]

Excellent piece by the awesome folks at realclearpolitics.com Definitely worthwhile reading. This, along with PoliPundit.com (and to a lesser degree, powerlineblog.com) are some of the best political web-sites around.

In addition to commentary, RealClearPolitics.com shows the latest poll numbers consolidated, recaps of the the day's major news stories from sources (papers, web sites, blogs, etc) around the world, and stories devoted strictly to presidential and congressional races. You must check it out if you haven't already done so!

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[freedomcrusader]

Richard Cohen, Dorothy Rabinowitz, Brendan Nyhan, Andrew Sullivan.

Yes, but bad reviews from three no-names and one black sheep in the conservative family don't mean much. A bad review from Horriblewitz doesn't mean much either. That guy likes to throw bombs too -- at the liberal orthodoxy on campuses. If this author's thesis is correct, Horriblewitz is one the same path as Savage and O'Reilly.

[elephantlips]

While I don't care for the "wallowing-in-the-mud" tact of which this author speaks, there is a great deal to be said about fighting in the trenches. I am not the least interested in arriving at the end with my head held high because I was so "morally superior," while I'm being loaded into a liberal paddy wagon. For the conservatives, getting our hands dirty, to some degree, is long overdue!

[Steel Wolf]

His point about Savage is exactly what I was thinking. MSNBC was either utterly negligant or absurldly naiive if they were suprised when Savage started foaming at the mouth. It's not like he's new on the scene and they were looking for a fresh face. They hired him for shock value, and he shocked.

If they fired him for this, they were hapless idiots to hire him in the first place. Regardless of how you feel about Mike Savage, you know what to expect out of him. As bold a move as it was to put him on TV, they now look ridiculous for even trying.

[clamper1797]

For a TV personality ... Savage is a good radio shock jock
as far as politics ... I wonder about his sincerity

[cousair]

The Savage firing was predictable and MSNBC probably was hoping for this so they could do what just happened. I don't believe Colter's book, TREASON, is in anyway part of the same story. She is one smart cookie and her book is absolutly driving the LIBS mad....do you wonder why?? When you back one into the corner with facts (backed up facts as Ann has done) Libs go mad and they attack. O'Reilly goes after outrageous indignities that happen daily in our diverse society and his great success has to do with this. Neither Colter or O'Reilly resort to the same words that Savage used on his public daily. Savage will be back and he has a large audience who will listen. He does hit a nerve quite often....MSNBC didn't take long to do what they planned to do all along!!

[bmwcyle]

Another middle of the road where no real conviction stands. Great moments in moderation, Ho Hum.

[mhking]

I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe that MSNBC wasn't searching for a reason to get rid of Savage as soon as possible.

When he was hired, instead of being given a plum spot where his radio audience could easily find and follow him, he was stuck in the no-man's land of Sunday afternoon where (at least in MSNBC's collective minds) anyone who would want to watch him would be out grilling red meat or watching sports or some other such pap. MSNBC just knew he would crash and burn in that slot.

But instead, the audience found him and stayed with him. Savage pulled no punches in what amounted to a television version of his radio program, "The Savage Nation." It was only a matter of time before he opened up on a caller/guest with both barrels. None of his regular viewers/listeners were surprised, and quiet as it's kept, none of his critics were either. Only the apoplectc brass at MSNBC were caught unawares, and that's because they were trying to ignore Savage and his increasing ratings.

The anemic MSNBC was pushed into hiring Savage in the first place, as an attempt to beat rival Fox News to the punch (don't be surprised if he's approached by FNC now) - and they were pushed into firing him by the politically correct left.

Ann Coulter is being attacked primarily because she is turning the established model on it's ear. Her new book, "Treason," includes chapters that provide vindication of Joseph McCarthy and his "witchhunt" hearings of the mid-1950's during the "red scare." This simply doesn't sit well with many folks on both sides of the aisle.

I'll admit that while I love Ann's columns, I've yet to read "Treason" (or her earlier tome, "Slander," for that matter). So I have to reserve any commentary I may have for a latter point. Sorry, kids, I won't jump on the bandwagon on either side until I've had a chance to read the book and judge it for myself.

[sinkspur]

The path of political moderation can be perilous

07/08/2003

By JACQUIELYNN FLOYD / The Dallas Morning News

Let me just take a sentimental moment to remember those blissful long-ago days of bipartisanship, lost now among the mists of time with sock hops and lemonade on the front porch.

If you have trouble remembering, bipartisanship is what candidates for public office used to promise they would practice to spare us the evils of political "gridlock." Well, I'm past the point of wringing my hands over gridlock – I just want them to stop all this god-awful noise.

A colleague in our Washington, D.C., bureau, Todd Gillman, provided an illuminating explanation on the front page of our Sunday paper as to why political enmity in Congress is creating a fresh outbreak of hostilities here at home: Right now, redistricting in Texas would tilt the dial on the Big Power Meter in Congress.

I understand and accept that this is how our great democracy operates. It's just the nastiness that I can't stand.

We're all, now, used to hearing the terms "conservative" and "liberal" fired off like poison-tipped arrows, depending on who's doing the firing. But sometimes there seems to be a creepy insistence that we all have to pick a side and start arming for ideological war, that the greatest shame of all is to be "moderate."

This is not good news, since I'm about the most moderate person I know. I vote for candidates of both parties, I have a tendency to see the other side of most arguments, and I can get along with just about anybody as long as they're polite and have a sense of humor.

I suspect there are a lot of us, people who lean a little left on some issues and a little right on others, but who rarely wake up in a foaming ideological rage. The things that make me really mad are pretty basic: deliberate cruelty is at the top of the list, with stuff like bad service and poor punctuation further on down.

I imagine there are plenty of moderates-like-me out there – maybe we ought to start forming secret cells – but for some reason, we seem to drive the extremists berserk. The last time I expressed frustration over the fruitless and unseemly bickering by both parties in the Texas Legislature, I got an earful from both sides:

"You greedy Republicans just don't get it, do you?" asked one writer.

Said another, "You and the rest of the Democrats just can't accept that you're no longer the majority."

Curiously, I did not disclose affiliation with either party, but the message was clear: Agree with me, or else!

On some issues, of course, there's no room for compromise: slavery, voting rights for women, the absurd anti-sodomy law that the Supreme Court wisely and inevitably struck down recently.

But we can't go to war over every political disagreement, or we'll self-destruct. Ours is an imperfect society for many reasons, and besides, we all have different definitions of perfection.

A guy wrote me a letter during the weekend bawling me out for writing last week that, all things considered, we're pretty fortunate to live in this country. He wanted to offer a counterpoint to the touching essay written by a 10-year-old Cedar Hill girl whose immigrant parents have taught her to cherish the advantages of life in the United States.

Here are some excerpts from his rather cheerless editorial, which he titled "America is Evil":

"The American government is itself an evil killer, exporting death and the machines of death and combat around the world," he said.

"The American public itself is only interested in hedonism and consumerism ... Millions of people in the so-called richest country on Earth have no food, no place to live, no health care ... All is not well in America."

Dude, take a deep breath! Maybe you're right and I'm wrong, maybe we "moderates" are spineless, dreamy-eyed fools, maybe the apocalypse really is at hand.

But I still think you'll feel better if you go out on the porch and have a lemonade.

[sinkspur]

don't be surprised if he's approached by FNC now)

Why in the world would Roger Ailes hire a psycho like Michael Savage?

I'll be damned surprised if FOXNEWS gives him the time of day.

[bmwcyle]

Savage has firm convictions but all as Savage does is talk on radio and TV. Then he is in his car to go get a pizza and a beer.

[Sloth]

Putting Savage & O'Reilly in the same class as Coulter is blasphemy.

[mhking]

Why in the world would Roger Ailes hire a psycho like Michael Savage?

Easy. Ratings. Put the same show on in the same time slot on the weekend.

Savage isn't my cup of tea on TV or radio, but people obviously watch/listen.

I'm not saying he'll show up, but don't be surprised if FNC at least talks to him seriously about it.

[mdwakeup]

Bingo! I watched the first show and thought why is he doing radio in front of a camera? The show was doomed to fail no matter what. Maybe MSNBC thought they could con people to watch the same way they seem to watch the excruciatingly boring Imus do radio on TV.

[Scenic Sounds]

Yes, Savage went beyond loud and obnoxious. Actually, it sounds like he went a bit insane.

I don't buy any of this "insane" stuff. I think that, out of desperation, he just pushed the envelope a little too hard. The best of these TV/radio talk show hosts/entertainers don't really believe much of anything they say for an audience.

[novacation]

What an awful piece.We need to hear more from people who want a 'thoughtful' debate?There is nothing to debate in much of what Savage says. Shouldn't the borders be closed? Shouldn't illegals be deported?Isn't anyone else here fed up with our money and country being given away to illegals. We're going to save Liberia with US troops and dollars rather than defend our own borders?Isn't anyone here fed up with 'gay' rights?Savage is an in your face person who shoots from the hip.We don't need more watered down conservatives like O'Reilly. We need someone who gets people fired up.

[Snuffington]

We need to see and hear less from the Michael Savages and Michael Moores of the world and more from people who are interested in serious, thoughtful debate.

Very true. One of the reasons to be frustrated with Coulter is that she is definitely capable of this. She just seems to prefer an image as a bomb-thrower and conserative pit-bull to an image as a conservative intellectual.

I'm not sure Savage or O'Reilly are truly even capable of reasoned debate. Both seem out of their depth whenever they need to debate someone who isn't made of straw.

[Snuffington]

If they fired him for this, they were hapless idiots to hire him in the first place.

Actually, I believe they fired him becase his "shock" was supposed to some with a little "awe," in the form of incredibly high ratings. They were definitely hapless idiots for expecting Savage's radio formula to automatically translate into high television ratings. The ratings never materialized, so his shock was a liability without benefit.

[Libertina]

One of these days O'Reilly's going to put his foot in it but good. I suspect it will happen right about the time his ratings start to decline and he starts feeling the pressure keep the show on top.
So here is an American who thinks jokes about hubcaps and wetbacks will (should ?) derail a person's career? See how far we've allowed our free speech to be stolen.