SAVAGE TALK: A former herbalist has remade himself into the vitriol-spewing king...

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/6/2003 | Dan Fost, Chronicle Staff Writer

[SunStar]

Michael Savage is egotistical, opinionated and profane. He yells at callers to his radio show, "The Savage Nation," and hangs up on them -- even some who agree with him.

He's the son of an immigrant who bashes immigrants, a former academic who rips academia, a well-heeled professional who strikes a chord with the common people.

[hchutch]

I heard that show - he was speaking quite highly of Powell - and sticking it to the UN, too.

Dubya needs to go on Howard's show.

Mr. President - CALL HOWARD!!!

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"Instead of dismissing him as a blowhard."

Savage says himself that most women find his rough style and lack of respect for callers disgusting. I listen when I get home from work and my wife says she hates him but generally agrees with everything he says.

I think that one of the liberal tendencies is to feminize men and masculine-ize women. This is one reasons liberals don't like him he is a macho man.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"I can't stand Savage's endless self-promotion. "

True, but his book has reached #1 and it was with no help from the media. The main-stream media is in denial! On the other hand Al Gore just published a goofy book and everyone in the media was promoting it -- it didn't sell.

I'm sure if Savage was more main-stream he would stop the self promoting but someone has to do it.

[lewislynn]

I don't think I've ever heard Morgan and Rodgers even mention his name.

Who's doing morning shtick (with what sounds like canned laughter) and who has the best (local) ratings, then gone national?

If I'm not mistaken Melanie Morgan is the wife of Swanson, a self-described "ACLU liberal"

[Petronski]

Call the Wahhh-mbulance.

[philosofy123]

The phenomenon of right wing talk radio is getting bigger every day. I dare to say some of these talk show host on the radio may not be real conservative, but simply neocons who are cashing-in on the popularity of talk radio that was pioneered by Rush.

Our society was living under monolithic PC news. The indoctrination of the human mind at school and work gets reinforced further by the media, and no where to turn to get rational views or simply different views from "the party line" of the liberals!

It is certainly a good market for opportunists to fill the thirst of our public; however, there is fear of whipping the public into frenzy. Some people may get overexposed to this bravado chest pounding stuff. I certainly as a right wing Republican can find it very distasteful at times. Rush, Hanity, Savage, Bortz,...All have good points, and provide different angle on current events; however, be careful not to get sucked into a foaming at the mouth state.

[GSWarrior]

If I'm not mistaken Melanie Morgan is the wife of Swanson, a self-described "ACLU liberal"

Your point is?

[SunStar]

BUMP

[WSGilcrest]

Thanks, AP

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"I certainly as a right wing Republican can find it very distasteful at times. "

And the liberals are using our good nature and tolerence to make most people believe the liberal lies that most people are liberal and believe the lies.

Last night Savage said that we need to go to the streets like the liberals have done. So yes, he is whipping up some action and maybe calling us to "WAKE UP" -- but America maybe un-salvagable!

My wife is a teacher and every year the schools turn out a more politically correct (read socialist) product.

[SunStar]

The host that is on before him is the guy who has the fake guests (who's voices he provides). The whole point of that show is to outrage the audience at what they mistakenly believe is some idiot taking some odd position. Again, a lot of outrage and shock without getting anywhere.

Aah yes, Phil Hendrie. Theatre of the mind at it's best!

[Rummyfan]

Big Savage listener here in the DC area.... Savage is a distinct taste, but I find in the present circumstances (we ARE at war after all) his bombast is fitting. He doesn't take any guff from any of his callers and he calls things like he sees them.

In other words...... SAVAGE ROCKS! Visit the Paul Revere Society if you get a chance.

[lewislynn]

Your point is?

Just a point to ponder when you listen to them go on about liberals.

[philosofy123]

The schools, the work, the media are orchestrating a social engineering on the unsuspecting Americans!

[TheMole]

Amazingly, this was not a hit piece.

It's not only not a hit piece, it's close to being a fan letter. Consider the following passage:

He quickly earned detractors.

Peter Laufer of Sebastopol, author of "Inside Talk Radio: America's Voice or Just Hot Air" (Birch Lane, 1995), says in an e-mail, "He is vile, one of the worst of the worst. I still follow (talk radio), too often with the disgust that comes from hearing the predatory behavior of clownish performers like Michael Savage, a perversion of the radio art, as he panders to the corporate greed that currently grips radio in America."

Savage dismissed Laufer: "He's a schmuck . . . a real loser. . . . He's a crank. He hates conservatives."

Thomas Leavitt of Santa Cruz, an unemployed tech worker, maintains a Web site at www.savagestupidity.com. "He's a frothing right-wing nut case," Leavitt says. "All you have to do is listen to him for one show and there's an amazing wealth of lunatic absurdities."

In the face of criticism, Savage points to his success.

"I'm the only breakout show in the history of San Francisco," Savage boasts.

Walter Sabo, chairman of Sabo Media, an international radio consulting company in New York, says, "I think his success is just starting. His show is just reaching a critical mass of stations."

The writer of this is presenting Savage about as positively as he could. What's he doing on the SF Chronicle? There's not a single negative message in the story - even the anecdote about the police and film crew doesn't actually reflect badly on Savage IMO - in fact it tends to establish him and his wife as sincere and committed in their beliefs. It's indeed amazing that this story ran in that newspaper.

[jragan2001]

No matter which angle the SF Chronicle wrote about Savage,
I am glad at least someone in the print media did a piece
on him. The liberal print media for the most part has
all but ignored him, yet his book has risen to #1 in spite
of the liberal media's turning their back on him. However,
I personally rather him stay off TV (other than general
TV interviews) because he does so well on radio.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"It's indeed amazing that this story ran in that newspaper."

The Chronicle is irrelevant. Where I live in Alameda county they actually give it away at a convince store on Saturdays because it doesn't sell. My wife says it is good for coupons and starting fires in the fireplace.

The Crum-A-nicle is not a serious paper but a Stalinist propaganda source for the California Democrat Party

[PhilDragoo]

If you want a good book that's a quick read. Get the one that Barbra Olson wrote right before she died on 9/11. It'll make you wonder if we were all asleep for 8 years.

Barbara Olson, THE FINAL DAYS: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House, Regnery, 2001.

I've got it right here, and she's the most effective critic the Clintons ever faced--and she's dead.

The Clinton co-presidency was the only thoroughly treasonous administration of the Republic--and its return is just a coup away.

[PhilDragoo]

Just a question, was Laura Ingraham's book on Hillary in the "Woman's issues" section of your bookstore?

Actually, we got it from Amazon.com.

Last time we went to the bookstore in the mall, the jerk at the counter bragged how he was still registered "back in New York" and was "going back to vote for Hillary".

I know how Mike Tyson felt, but I think liberal ears are like Lays Potato Chips: "You can't eat just one"--so, we left, and never looked back.