blargblog

Kevin,
I listened to a couple hours of Randy Rhodes yesterday, and agree with your assessment.

Two particular things struck me:

One listener called in to complain that Kerry was rapidly moving rightward after he had sown up the nomination and was dismissed with, "Ah, you're just repeating Ralph Nader's talking points." Now, you might disagree with Ralph running (I don't think I'm voting for him this time around), but Kerry's rightward trajectory is undeniable.

I also caught part of an interview (if that's the right word) between Rhodes and Madeleine Albright and it was a ridiculous love fest. Rhodes finished the interview with something like "I worship that woman." (!)

Is the answer to slavishly following the line of Karl Rove on every issue and news story going to be slavishly following the line of the DLC on every issue and news story?

So far, I am not impressed, but I've only heard Rhodes so far.

On a side tangent, I also couldn't get the image of Ozzy Osbourne's ex-guitarist flying into a mansion out of my head the entire time. You know how everybody always talk about how they remember where they were when Kennedy died? Well, when that Rhodes died, I was a 12-year-old rabid Ozzy fan, and I'll never forget the moment I heard the news over the radio.

Unfortunately, some otherwise sensible people are eating her schtick up.

I listened to portions of all the shows yesterday - I think Franken's show is the weakest one of the four I listened to (Franken, Ed Schultz, Rhodes, and Garofalo).

Franken's still not used to being a radio commentator, where you have to fill the air more than on TV - I think he's still writing for TV, where you don't have to say as much. (The opposite problem that radio announcers have when they go to TV.)

Ed Schultz has the Rush mannerisms down, but is a liberal. That schtick doesn't grab me, but it may be attractive to more he-man Dems.

Randi Rhodes interrupts and talks over callers and guests, but she's from *Florida*. You don't get anywhere in Florida being polite. She's had to deal with Miami Cubans, for Lisa's sake. And Nader had it coming. I'm sorry, but he's been playing coy for too long - he has to have some kind of agenda for his campaign to get issues in to the Dems.

Again, I lurve Janeane Garofalo, so much I ended up with a bespectacled, sarcastic Jersey Girl. :)

Rojo: Randy lives!

PDP: One thing I noticed among the comments to Kos' post was this idea that being a populist somehow necessitates behaving like an overbearing blowhard. To insist upon some sort of civility, or to say one ought to give your debating adversary some time to make his or her point is to invite charges of "elitism." Gee, sorry. I thought in a democracy the whole point was the competition of diverse points of view given the freedom of speech to exercise themselves. But then we live in an age where the public forum is continually hemmed in by less interactive forms of communication and the totalitarianism of the shopping mall.

Oh, and: So far, I like Franken's show. He's at least taking time to develop an idea and explore nuances of an issue. Breath of fresh air insofar as talk radio goes.

What's the deal with them not airing the Lizz Winstead / Chuck D show in Portland? Is it on too early in the morning Pacific time?

Jeremy: yep. It's on 11pm - 2am, and they wanted to air Franken live (which is 9-noon PT).

Haven't heard it yet, but I'll be moving to NY next week and I'll at least be tuning in to one of the few affiliates. Very glad there's now a voice from the left, but again, when talking to people, when reading this blog, when looking at poling data, all I keep hearing is that people are "tired of partisan politics". Who are these people, and when will they actually get out and vote?

I wonder if Janeane has given up on her film career or if she will get bored with this after the election and leave the show. I don't think I would be interested in listening to her show with that other guy on there and not her...

Question:

How's the reception for the rest of you Portlanders? I'm over in the area of SE Gladstone in the 30s and am getting major static and some other station's interference. I've only been listening on the Web so far. I don't get in the car until Monday, so I guess I'll see about car reception then.

Kevin,
Yes, the state of debate in the U.S. is sad, sad, sad on nearly every level. There's an anti-intellectualism that runs through this country that is truly disheartening. I'm not saying we all need to be deconstructing the da-sein of being in the house of language, etc. etc. etc., but is it so much to ask that we to try to address each other's points and ideas?

My reception is pretty poor on my house radio (but listenable), while much better in my car.

My reception is pretty awful in my house out in Foster/Lents, It was OK in my car.

J., you gots to move.

My own reaction to Air America was pretty mixed -- I've listened to a few hours of O'Franken (the name itself puts me off, since it's falling into the trap of defining the left as a reaction to the right), and bits of Rhodes and Schultz.

Al and his co-host had a lot of great guests, and they brought of a lot of good points, but I kind of wish Al would clown about a little less, including gags like pretending to luck Ann Coulter in the green room. It gave me a real "sinking to their level" feeling.

The arrogant ranting of Schultz and Rhodes made me thinking that the right had somehow hijacked the station, or cleverly leased the rest of the day on that station.

Sigh. I kinda miss rational discourse.

If Rhodes doesn't watch it, I'll end up voting for Nader just to piss people like her off. I wonder if she's pointed out to Kerry that trying to suck up to the Rightie Cuban faction in Miami by dissing Hugo Chavez is going to be every bit as futile as Gore's efforts along similar lines were four years ago ? Gevalt. I figured that out and I've never even been to fucking Miami.

Better Rhodes et al should be telling Kerry to raid Nader's platform instead harassing him and his fans. The Deja Vu is overwhelming. I'm trying to hold my nose for Kerry, but every time he opens his mouth, I can't seem to avoid the stench of his breath.

As for a Populist who holds his ground w/o being an asshole, what's wrong w/Jim Hightower ? Oh, right. He pissed off ABC/Disney by calling them on their shitty treatment of workers. I doubt he'd be gentle with the Pharma companies that seem to run plenty of Viagra ads on the ABC affiliate in Portland that hosts Air America's shows in Portland, either.

Those fucking ads give me a headache, and so does the thought of a radio station as a wholly-owned subsidiary of moderate Democrats.

I think I'll stick with KBOO for the most part, Thanks.

I really like the Schultz Show, not a comedian, still has some funny bits.

Call me cynical, but the other night, when Rhodes carried on as if she didn't know what IRV was, I didn't believe her.

I know. Surely by now everybody is well aware that Ignacious Rawlins Vespertine is the real name of Seattle rock singer Eddie Vedder.

Who the hell is Eddie Vedder ?!?!

An ankle-biting intransigent.

Kurt Cobain's understudy.

(I'm adopting Al Jaffee's Stupid Answers to Smart-Alecky Questions format!)

Who the hell is Kurt Cobain ?!?!