BS: RW talk show hosts

Subject: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: 282RA
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 10:40 PM

I was watching Joe Scarborough last night. Why is it that RW hosts always have to antagonize their guests and talk over them?

Scarborough asked a woman what all the Limbaughs on the left are expecting of their party now that they are in power. The woman said there weren't any Limbaughs on the left and Scarborough cuts her off with a big, loud, "OHH, COME ON!!!!" But he never named anyone. When Michael J. Fox spoke out in support of Arlen Specter, what leftwinger stood up and accused Fox of faking it so he could drum up a sympathy vote for a republican candidate? Nobody.

Sean Hannity and Anne Coulter are notorious for talking over people with an opposing view and shouting them down. Yet when I watch the Daily Show or the Colbert Report, their guests are always allowed to speak freely with no harrassment or antagonizing. IT might even be too tame but at least it's civil and respectful.

Apparently, the people agree since it appears that every dem and pub Colbert has inteviewed on his show has won election. Those that refused all lost. That's more than coincidence.

I think the people have had enough of the Limbaughs and the Hannity's. By next election, I think they'll be history.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 10:59 PM

Re: Colbert, though--you know his schtick is a caricature of a RW talk show host. Either people are baffled by his approach, or if they've watched the show before, they're willing to play along--sometimes quite well.

So if you know the show, you know Colbert's attitude is not meant to be taken seriously. That helps-- a lot- to keep it civil.


It's certainly true that whoever Jon Stewart has on his show, he manages to combine incisive questions with great wit--and treats all his guests well--wherever they come from on the political spectrum.

His show, especially the first 10 minutes, is the best political satire in the US in decades--do you think it's partly the juicy target the Bush regime presents? Will it be so great now that the maladministration has been defanged?

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 11:02 PM

Scarborough, at least in print, often makes a lot of sense--before the election he was slashing away at the Bushites--pointing out how they had jettisoned whatever principles they had.

Too bad he sounds like a typical loud-mouth yahoo on his show, from what you say.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 11:50 PM

I've never seen Scarborough on TV, but I do live in the district which he represented when he was in the House of Representatives. He was an asshole then, I wouldn't expect him to be anything but an asshole on his TV program.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 12:03 AM

OK BWL--I defer to your experience in actually living in the district Scarborough represented. What did he do to earn the title you cited?

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: 282RA
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 09:44 AM

What I lke about Colbert's show is that it makes these political figures human. It shows them being able to laugh at themselves and have fun. No divisiveness. But the issues are still addressed.

I think that's what the hardcore RWers hate.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 12:57 PM

It's really a lot of fun when the guest is a bit baffled at first. Case in point. Lou Dobbs comes on with a book "War on the Middle Class".

Jon Stewart: Well, maybe war on the middle class might be good for the middle class. After all, consider the war on drugs, the war on terror. Things we have declared war on have done pretty well.

Dobbs was visibly taken aback--but recovered soon.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:00 PM

But then watch some prick like O'Reilly and his firing loaded questions and as the guest attempts to answer without falling into the trap the question sets O'Reilly starts with the, "What's the matter? Can't answer the question? Trying to hide something? A simple question. What's with all the stammering? Cat got your tongue? Forget your script? Take your time, we have a half-hour to kill" and that kind of crap.

Colbert will engage in that on a limited basis but you can tell it's just to mock the way RW talk hosts behave and not to badger his guest.

Scarborough also would not accept that Limbaugh lost the Missouri race for the pubs by mocking Michael J. Fox. He would not accept the view that Rove screwed over the GOP by having Bush and Cheney mouth the statements that if you're against them then you're against America and favor the terrorists at a time when most of America was against them.

Scarborough insisted that Limbaugh put a lot of pubs in office in '94 but failed to acknowledge how the pubs could have been so badly whupped last Tuesday if Limbaugh is so great. He insisted Rove wasn't finished and that pubs would be "lining up down the block" to have him work on their campaigns. Once again, he failed to acknowledge the glaringly obvious: Then why aren't they?

There was a time when the Limbaughs, the Hannitys, the Coulters and the O'Reillys were considered entertaining and informative. Now they are seen as callous, idiotic blowhards with all the sensitivity of a discarded toilet seat. Stewart and Colbert are the new breed now and it is obvious both left and right are watching and no longer finding the others worth a shit. The more they get ignored, the worse they behave and the worse they behave, the less their own fan base finds them watchable.

Scarborough is the most palatable of them but he too leaves a lot to be desired. It's only a matter of tiem before he turns on Limbaugh just as he turned on his own president once he realized the guy was his own worst enemy.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:22 PM

That is interesting-- that Scarborough was defending Rush--I thought he had more sense than that. Maybe Rush is in a position to help or hurt Scarborough--he figures that's where his bread is buttered.

Admittedly I never listen to Scarborough-- I've just read some of his columns online. And he's usually not afraid to call a spade a digging implement.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:28 PM

That started with Katrina. Scarborough was undeniably furious with Bush's response and called on his readers not to accept any excuse that nobody could have known how bad this storm would be. The district he represented was hit so he was quite mad about it. As with most of America, Scarborough's split with Bush started with Katrina--when it became painfully obvious this administration wasn't prepared for anything despite their assurances to the contrary. It made Joe look bad and Joe ain't the kind of guy who likes looking bad.

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:30 PM

Limbaugh accused Michael J. Fox of not taking his medication so as to make his condition look worse. Since Michael wont take his medication Limbaugh knows a fat guy who will..

Subject: RE: BS: RW talk show hosts
From: Ron Davies
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 06:32 PM

Yup, the Katrina columns are the ones I first ran across.

And there certainly are some topics where he's burnished his RW Neanderthal credentials. On immigration, he's a restrictionist in good standing.