WP: Talk-Show Hosts A Bit Tongue-Tied After GOP Gains

[kskiska]

Their guy just won reelection by 3.5 million votes. Their party strengthened its majority in the House, in the Senate and in statehouses, with the Supreme Court probably soon to follow. "Moral values" -- their kind of stuff -- are très chic.

This could be a disaster for the nation's right-wing talk-show hosts.

Election Day was a triumph for conservatism, but it may have been a mixed blessing for the people who yak about it on TV and radio. Conservative talk, by far the most popular kind on the airwaves, has always traded on an undercurrent of grievance, a sense of being the underdog against the implacable, oppressive forces of liberal "elitism." The farther conservatives were from power, the better the Us-vs.-Them model worked. The right-wing media matured and prospered under Democrat Bill Clinton, whose two terms in office were a gift that kept on giving to the Limbaughs, G. Gordons, Savages and lesser lights of the electronic right.

(snip)

But Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who now hosts MSNBC's nightly "Scarborough Country," says the challenge for conservative hosts will be to prove "that we're more than just the Pravda of the right." He adds, "I think that's going to be difficult for some people. I honestly don't know what Sean Hannity is going to be able to talk about. If you've been reading off the Republican National Committee's talking points like he has for the past four years, it's going to be hard to be critical of the status quo."



more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55425-2004Nov16.html

[Booster]

1. Ouch - you go, Joe. Body slam Hannity every chance you get.

I've always said I bet both Rush and Hannity voted for Kerry because without a liberal in the White House, what in the Hell do they to bitch about. Surely nobody listens to them because they like the sound of their whiney voices. Puke.

[rodeodance]

10. what a slam on Hannity by Joe S. -Let them eat themselves!!

But Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who now hosts MSNBC's nightly "Scarborough Country," says the challenge for conservative hosts will be to prove "that we're more than just the Pravda of the right." He adds, "I think that's going to be difficult for some people. I honestly don't know what Sean Hannity is going to be able to talk about. If you've been reading off the Republican National Committee's talking points like he has for the past four years, it's going to be hard to be critical of the status quo."

[AspenRose]

2. That's why they're focused like a laser beam on Hillary

Ah, the good old days.

[WCGreen]

3. The eating of their young shall now commence.....

Look at the old Roman Empire and see how much the men in power hated or feared those around them....

Is it any surprise that Bush Administration is now trying to weed out any form of dissent?

Imperial Hubris is something real and tangible and more than just the title of a great book.....

[Jackpine Radical]

4. They can now set about excoriating the ideologically impure.

Colin Powell & Arlen Spector will probably be the first.

[yardwork]

5. Exactly. Remember what they did to Trent Lott?

I'm not defending Lott at all, but the way they tore him to pieces when he was no longer useful is a cautionary tale for other Rethugs who might get a little too independent.

Joe Scarborough, for instance, might want to watch what he says before his show gets yanked for being "too liberal."

The purges have begun.

[muse]

7. Which is perfect because then they will marginalize themselves. A great

set up for the 2006 midterm elections.

[kskiska]

8. Joe hasn't gone liberal yet

Last Thursday he did a big tribute to the Smear Boat Vets. Four Conservatives vs one unknown lady talk show host. Never even hinted they lied. MMFT has a review:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200411160009

[Mountainman]

17. Why watch that stuff? You are only helping them get ratings.

[Chimpanzee]

19. Now I'm confused (again!)

I thought you had to have a Neilsen box in your house to count towards the TV ratings? Can anyone set me straight?

[MSgt213]

11. I agree with you now comes the time to tear apart the fake repubs

That's all they got left. Except maybe slaming every demo gov and mayor.

[muse]

6. Their livelihood depends on it. They'll find someone to chew on.

Even if it themselves. The person next to them. Whomever. I predict this won't be a problem. The fun will commence for us if they really do end up hurting their self interests.

[The Zanti Regent]

9. Will Rush bring up Lori Klasustis?

or will Hannity?

[DeepModem Mom]

12. kick

[JI7]

13. maybe the right wing whores will start fighting with each other

such as Scarborough and Hannity.

i know o'reilly and rush limbaugh don't really like each other either.

[carolinalady]

14. hahaha I hope they eat each other alive!!!!!

}(

[Raenelle]

15. They will still be agrieved that we haven't embraced them

hey'll gnash their teeth and rip their clothes over every public criicism of Herr Ducebag. Liberals still exist, therefore they are still agrieved.

[Cocoa]

16. they can rehash the swift boats

like Joe just did...

http://mediamatters.org/items/printable/200411160009

Scarborough, Buchanan, Fund and Burkman gave Swift Boat Vets royal send-off

MSNBC host and former U.S. Representative Joe Scarborough (R-FL) devoted nearly half of the November 14 edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country to lauding the achievements and rehashing the false claims of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (now Swift Vets and POWs for Truth). Media Matters for America documented the group's vicious smear campaign against Senator John Kerry throughout the presidential campaign.

The discussion featured four conservatives -- Scarborough, MSNBC political analyst and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, author and Wall Street Journal op-ed columnist John Fund, and Republican strategist Jack Burkman -- opposite a lone liberal, radio host Leslie Marshall. Scarborough, Buchanan, Fund, and Burkman heaped praise on Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and repeated the group's most frequently heard lies and distortions. Throughout the discussion, no one noted that official Navy records and other evidence contradict all of the accusations made by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about Kerry's combat decorations, as MMFA documented here and elsewhere. MMFA has also documented the group's lies about Kerry's subsequent antiwar activity.

more...

[Mountainman]

18. All liberals and Dems should refuse to go on these shows and refuse to

tune into them. A complete liberal Dems boycott of right wing media. That will help them lose ratings because they will become boring and meaningless.