Originally Posted By DlandDug <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/13/news/companies/air_america.reut/?postversion=2006101314" target="_blank">http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/1 3/news/companies/air_america.reut/?postversion=2006101314</a> In a development that surprised absolutely no one, Air America finally actually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today.To the vast relief of both its listeners, the progressive talk radio network will remain on the air as it seeks reorganization. Of interest to some is the $3 million advanced by an entity called Democracy Allies LLC to keep Air America afloat for now. To learn more about Democracy Allies LLC, click on the following link: <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/search?h l=en&q=</a>%22democracy+allies+llc%22&btnG=Google+Search
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I had the razor blade poised at my wrist, but then I decided to not do it.
Originally Posted By woody It took you this long to get frustrated? Their broadcast was dying for a long long time.
Originally Posted By cmpaley Wow...how...expected. Conservatives crowing about this. The truth is, they don't like the idea of an opposing voice, so they mock it. Truth is, two of the best "progressive" talk shows aren't on Air America but they are played on the local Air American affiliate here in Los Angeles.
Originally Posted By cmpaley Actually, I should apologize. Real conservatives wouldn't really care about this, so I'm sorry to all the real conservatives out there who I just mixed in with Bushista loyalist neoconservatives. I need to be more careful.
Originally Posted By woody I mock the concept. It wasn't about freedom of speech, because there's nothing wrong about giving a liberal opinion. It's the liberals who have a problem with free speech especially from conservatives. If there is a market for liberal talk show hosts, then where are they?
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>I mock the concept. It wasn't about freedom of speech, because there's nothing wrong about giving a liberal opinion.<< Just as long as that liberal opinion is drowned out by the shouting of three "conservatives" and their talking points. >>It's the liberals who have a problem with free speech especially from conservatives.<< I don't know any who do. I know that many have a problem with people who repeat blatant lies. On the other hand, we have had people who claimed to be conservative RIGHT HERE on this board say that anyone who criticized Bush is a traitor to the United States and wants the terrorists to win and other slanderous garbage such as that. >>If there is a market for liberal talk show hosts, then where are they?<< The problem is how Air America tried to do it. There are some very good people on Air America and some lame-o people on Air America. There are other people who are also very good who aren't on Air America (Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz, for example). The problem for me is that right-wing talk radio is always the same-old same-old. You listen to Rush, then turn to Prager, then to Savage, then to Elder, then to Hannity, etc. ad nauseum and it's always the same talking-points, almost word-for-word. It gets OLD. Now, I don't agree with most liberal talk hosts on some stances (like abortion and gay "marriage)), but I hear more interesting things on their shows. They don't all agree on everything and that makes things interesting. They also are more likely to have callers who disagree with them than right-wing hosts are (who happen to screen their calls VERY tightly). Now, in San Francisco, there is a station that runs that gamit in terms of political opinion. They have some lefties and some righties. Here in LA, until we got an Air American affiliate, it was nothing BUT extreme right-wing hate-talk 24/7. Well, maybe not Sunday morning when they were talking about gardening or answering legal questions (booooooring).
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Wow...how...expected. Conservatives crowing about this.<< Who's crowing? I'm interested in finding out who this "Democracy Allies LLC" is. >>>>It's the liberals who have a problem with free speech especially from conservatives.<< I don't know any who do.<< Then you haven't been following the news lately. Case in point: Columbia University students shout down Jim Gilchrist at a University sponsored forum.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip There is no big mystery to this. Unlike conservatives, liberals don't get any real kick out of listening to a big windbag make mindless jabs at the competition.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>...liberals don't get any real kick out of listening to a big windbag make mindless jabs at the competition.<< Oh please. This is the basis of Michael Moore's fortune.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Oh please. This is the basis of Michael Moore's fortune.>> No one listens to him anymore. Even the Hollywood Libs booed him. Moore's only audience these days is conservatives who want to watch his stuff so they can talk about how bad it is.
Originally Posted By ecdc Yeah, the thought of liberals nodding along mindlessly a la Rush's fans was disturbing enough. I admire Franken for trying it, but the demand isn't there. It's encouraging, too. Rush and Hannity's listeners aren't there to think or learn anything; they're there to have their feelings validated so they can feel right about themselves. These are the only folks who tune into these kinds of shows. Thoughtful liberals (and conservatives) most likely listen to NPR and other news roundtable discussions to genuinely get different perspectives.
Originally Posted By ecdc "Who's crowing? I'm interested in finding out who this "Democracy Allies LLC" is." Backpeddle much? I think comments like "world shrugs" and "both its listeners" demonstrate you, like other conservatives, are getting plenty of sarcastic mileage out of this.
Originally Posted By ecdc ^^^^I'd add, with more looming failure in Iraq, Speaker Hastert under fire, a Republican candidate's wife filing for divorce because of his obsession with pornography, and news of yet another Republican involved with pages, I guess conservatives need something to tout. Somehow, I think the failure of Air America doesn't quite equal the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the sheer incompetence we see everyday in the Bush adminstration. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/13/people.evans.ap/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBI Z/Music/10/13/people.evans.ap/index.html</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/13/kolbe.inquiry/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITI CS/10/13/kolbe.inquiry/index.html</a> (Sorry, my links aren't from Rush's website - hope they'll do)
Originally Posted By woody >>Just as long as that liberal opinion is drowned out by the shouting of three "conservatives" and their talking points.<< Are you talking about FOX? You still have plenty of outlets like CNN/ABC/CBS/NBC. >>I don't know any who do. I know that many have a problem with people who repeat blatant lies. On the other hand, we have had people who claimed to be conservative RIGHT HERE on this board say that anyone who criticized Bush is a traitor to the United States and wants the terrorists to win and other slanderous garbage such as that.<< Even if you don't like the debate, you have no right to stop it. The freedom of speech includes speech that you don't agree with. Again, Columbia University is where liberals run amok and stop conservative speech.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Backpeddle much? I think comments like "world shrugs" and "both its listeners" demonstrate you, like other conservatives, are getting plenty of sarcastic mileage out of this.<< Sarcastic mileage? Absolutely. Crowing? Naah. No dancing in the streets here. (Which is exactly what I meant with the comment "world shrugs.") >>I guess conservatives need something to tout.<< Believe me, the inevitable failure of AirAmerica is pretty low on the list of toutable conservative material. As long as all the Dems have to offer is their fairly lame "Republicans-Are-All-Corrupt" message, I'm not worried. There's enough manure to spread around on both sides of the aisle. (Fun fact: Harry Reid has FOUR SONS who are all lobbyists.) >>Sorry, my links aren't from Rush's website - hope they'll do<< I have never seen Rush's website, nor do I plan to. (Unless you link something salient, that is.) Do bear in mind that, just as Mr. Moore doesn't speak for all liberals, anyone who calls themselves a conservative doesn't necessarily speak for me. (That goes for Rush and my fellow posters!)
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>Then you haven't been following the news lately. Case in point: Columbia University students shout down Jim Gilchrist at a University sponsored forum.<< Gilchrist is a white supremacist who denies his hateful ideology. That's a lie, so if he's being called out on that, then it's fair.
Originally Posted By cmpaley >>Even if you don't like the debate, you have no right to stop it. The freedom of speech includes speech that you don't agree with.<< No one wants to shut people up for their opinions. Calling out liars is something completely different. Much of the current right-wing ideology is based on lies and is certainly NOT conservatism. >>Again, Columbia University is where liberals run amok and stop conservative speech.<< As in calling out a liar for what he is, a racist lying bigot?
Originally Posted By DlandDug Um... "calling out a liar" is quite different from what happened. Frankly, I am surprised Columbia invited Gilchrist to speak. But having done so, it doesn't give the enlightened students of Columbia free license to shout him down. This was in no way even remotely an exchange of ideas. This whole line of reasoning is frankly dangerous. Any opinion can be labeled an offensive lie by someone else. If protesters enter a church to drown out a sermon, can they claim they were "calling out a lie?" ("You call it preaching against sin; we call hate speech.") I find the actions of these students against an invited guest just as egregious.
