Posted on 12/16/2004 5:02:52 AM PST by johnny7
WASHINGTON — Right-wing talk radio is badly in need of a new demon, or, more accurately, a new person to demonize.
I am an AM-radio addict — good show, bad show, it doesn't matter because you're going to be out of range in 45 minutes anyway — and this fall I had occasion to do lots of long-distance driving. Sadly, local AM-radio shows are disappearing. You can still find ample religion and country-and-western on AM, but that's a little too much sin and adultery for my tastes. That leaves your reliable right-wing hosts — Rush, Laura, G. Gordon, Michael and the gang.
In retrospect, the golden age of right-wing radio talk was the Clinton years. Something about Bill and Hillary tapped deep reservoirs of venom and outrage. And when calm and civility threatened to break out, the Clintons always seemed ready with a fresh scandal, even, as they exited the White House for the last time, thoughtfully issuing wholesale pardons to a colorful collection of rogues and scoundrels. Truly, demons walked the Earth in those days.
Alas for the vibrancy of the right-wing talkers, their man George W. Bush was elected president and their party, the Republicans, controlled Congress. They went through the motions, but the old flash and fire weren't there. I began to realize how dire the lack of demons was early in the Bush administration when, in response to political columns, I would get e-mails asking if I were aware of the threat to civilization posed by one Tom Daschle. The common phrasing of many of the e-mails was a tip-off to their origin in right-wing talk radio. Now I'm all in favor of people taking an interest in current events and public affairs, but, really, there's no reason a person with a reasonable life has to know the name of the minority leader of the U.S. Senate. This was going fairly deep into the bench in search of demons. Bill Clinton was still on the loose, but he was writing a book, mourning his dead dog, opening a library and having heart surgery, all stuff that's hard to attack. Hillary, of course, became the junior senator from New York. The talkers, and the right generally, pray that Hillary will run for president in 2008. But she'll run for re-election first in 2006 and, unless your pulse quickens to dairy price supports, mass transit funding and Upstate economic development, there's not much there by way of red meat. Four years is too far off; heck, in radio, six minutes is too far off.
Mercifully, the Democratic primaries came around again, and a fine collection of targets they made, and the best target of all, John Kerry, got nominated. The more he explained his positions, the more impenetrable they became, and he had a puzzling inability to hit back. You could say pretty much anything about him with impunity, and the talkers did. His wife, the charming and intelligent Teresa Heinz Kerry, somehow became a cross between Madame Defarge and the Dragon Lady. His running mate, John Edwards, was a little harder to work with since the talkers had to explain to their audiences who he was before they attacked him. Laura Ingraham called Edwards "pretty pony" and "show pony." And then on Nov. 3, it was all over. The two Johns and Teresa, all the demons, were gone. It was like the saloon brawl in a Western movie when the good guys look around and all the bad guys are out cold or gone; that sort of "Now what do we do?" moment.
The right-wing talkers have been flailing in a demon-free environment ever since. Not too long ago I heard Rush Limbaugh tell his audience, "Don't be fooled, my friends, by this Harry Reid." (Ital) Harry Reid? (endital) Of course his listeners weren't fooled; most of them probably had no idea who Harry Reid is.
Harry Reid is a Democratic senator from Nevada and next month he will become the new minority leader of the U.S. Senate. The demon situation is that desperate.
And with that statement, Reid opens a new can of whoop-ass on himself. He has no clue as to the meaning of his new t-shirt message: Blog Me. Lead on brave new minority leader. Ye will soon regret thy foolish musings.
Oh yes, I remember! "Born Free" with background noise of machine guns etc. It used to drive PETA wild. Does he still do that? I haven't listened in quite a while; far too busy during the day.
-ccm
This article is satire, right? I mean, Teresa Heinz Kerry "charming and intelligent"?? What a hoot!
I have to agree that Rush was far more entertaining during the Clinton years. Don't get me wrong though, I do NOT want to repeat the Clinton years! I'll gladly settle for mediocre talk radio.
Neal Boortz has managed to stay fresh and entertaining.
Lacking a sense of humor, the MSM cannot undertand why we listen to Rush. (PSST! He's entertaining!) Lousy socialist bastids!
Prolly! Just like the O'Donnell twins.
Pill-popper or not(I got my demons too), Limbaugh knows the socialist left better than anyone out there... except for maybe... Coulter.
Buckley was the best in-his-time, but today, Limbaugh is THE MAN!
"Charming and intellegent," ? Oh, please...
As as they lose more and more elections they get nuttier and nuttier which only increases the amount of material available.
SHOVE IT Dale!
bump
Oh, I don't know Dale. The demons are out there more than ever - such are the times. And the talkers talk about what the callers want to talk about, except for Rush who talks himself. If they see demons, or bad public policy, or wish to support this nominee or that, or this policy or that - who are you . . . oh, wait, you can just phone up your lib talker of preference. Give Al a call, Dale. You might find more satisfaction in that than having to come up with such a long-winded column.
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