I wish Air America would replace Randi Rhodes with Bill Maher

[dolstein]

Yeah, I know there are people around here to like her. She may work for the left-wing ditto head crowd, but frankly, her total lack of subtlety and humor stuck out like a sore thumb to me. Al Franken still has a lot of work to do in terms of getting used to the format (his radio inexperience showed at times), but he's a smart and funny guy and he'll improve in time. Garofalo's a natural. I was very impressed with her show. But I'll switch over to NPR during the Rhodes slot.

[WillyBrandt]

1. I know we must look so small as you look down from Olympus

But not everyone in the world is a snobbish Feinschmecker. I personally like a hilarious firebreather who doesn't fulfill some right-wing cartoon version of a liberal.

[eleny]

11. I'm with you

Btw, don't you wonder how it must feel to sit on Mount Olympus? I ponder it from time to time. I love Randi's broadcasts. When I'm not in the mood for her, I have a unique solution - I go do something else.

[Lex]

33. Hee hee - I'm with you too, man. (eom)

,

[JohnLocke]

51. Here, here! Now THAT was funny!

:toast: :yourock: :toast: :yourock: :toast:

[BigDaddyLove]

73. I am firmly in your camp............

I like the fact that there are different facets to Air America, not just one 'liberal' variety; I think it will appeal to more people this way....it would get really boring if it was only one flavor of host 12 hours a day.

For those who like Franken's 'style', they'll listen to him, and those who groove to Rhodes' style will tune in to hear her, all the while hearing a Liberal message that up until yesterday was SORELY missing.

I couldn't be happier with the way things are going.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. Wrong!!!!! Maher is good but he is a libertarian of sorts.

He CANNOT pull the line that we want.

I do NOT want Bill Maher to replace Randi!!!!

:eyes:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

40. Well, speaking of pseudo-liberals

:eyes:

look at the original post!

[Dookus]

3. Maher's not a liberal

and Rhodes was the best thing I heard today. I'd never listened to her before, but I sure will now.

[thebigidea]

4. he's much better suited to HBO budgets & no FCC shackles

[mouse7]

5. Go listen to Yanni and make some asparagus something

You only tolerate the presence of working class Dems because you think it makes you a better person. You wouldn't hang out with us working class Dems if you could avoid it.

Working class Dems make up 80% of the Democratic Party. We're tired of getting NPR elitism shoved down our throat in order to be a member of this party by the leadership of the party. Randi Rhodes is our voice. Deal with it.

[NightTrain]

34. YES!!!

Having been born and raised working class, I agree with you 106%!

It's the effete snobbery of some liberals that turns everyday people off to the left. Hell, it's turned ME off to the left, and I'm one of them!

[cprise]

42. Oooo... A brave class warrior

Atta boy.. Go after those intellectuals. Sick 'em!

And asparagus be damned. Have some Freedom Potatoes instead!

[mouse7]

50. I didn't say there was no place for NPR... that's the difference.

I say he can have his NPR and I can have Randi. He's says he doesn't approve of Randi Rhodes, so we must have more of his NPR.

I say both are okay. Dolstein only wants more NPR. Dolstein is the one who is censoring what is proper and what isn't. That's the essence of liberal elitism. I accept that both are appropriate, and he only thinks his standard is valid.

[NightTrain]

56. Congratulations! You just proved my point.

n/t

[cprise]

59. Right

Abuse should only come from ditto-heads.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

36. Hey! I'm from da hood,

La Cumbre PR and I love me some asparagus and quiche. ;-)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

48. Amen, brother

it must be so nice sitting on a high horse!

[GOPisEvil]

6. Try Ed Schultz on the Portland station feed or XM if you don't like Randi.

Or go to a pacifica station.

NPR is getting to be a lost cause.

[neverborn]

7. Rhodes!

Rhodes was the best thing I've heard today (Couldn't get Franken, school).

[joefree1]

8. Randi Rodes is f-ing great!

Never heard her before. I'm in love. And I really really really dug her slap down of Nader.

[The Blue Knight]

10. I'd pork Randi fa sho!

(sorry im high)

[eleny]

16. you're whole post

from your avatar, posting and the shrub pic - too funny. i'm still chuckling! thanks

[Mari333]

9. Put me on . I studied for 6 years in Chicago and did stand up comedy

and theater and voice overs for years, and was a hit. I still do it.
Plus, Im smart. But alas, if one watches Comedy Central, except for Jon Stewart, most of the comics are pretty damned unfunny.
Let the show get some legs, and we shall see what happens.
In the meantime, bring the troops home now.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[Pikku]

12. I listened to Randi (for the first time) and I disagree.

Bill Maher has nothing better than what Randi would contribute.

Sorry. Maybe ADDING Bill Maher would be possible. As would adding Mike Malloy.

[Posinegativeman]

13. Come on! It can only get better!

After they rehash the material a few dozen times the masses will finally get it.

[dolstein]

21. No -- Randi's an established commodity

She's been a radio personality for years. She's perfected the left-wing equivalent of Rush's screechy belligerant persona. Again, there are people who go in for it. I don't. I found it obnoxious.

[mouse7]

28. 1) You can't please eveyone. 2) Some people are never happy.

Then tune in AA for Marty Kaplan.

The 80% of us Dems that are working class Dems listening like Randy Rhodes.

[ronnykmarshall]

46. Right ON!

Randi Rhodes kicks ass!!

[Union Thug]

14. NPR over Randi?

Oh please... Nationalist Puppet Radio over Randi Rhodes? Never! I like Randi. I like her direct approach. If anything, she needs to get more aggressive, less subtle, and more like the female Mike Malloy! Go Randi!

[The Blue Knight]

15. I happen to like NPR! (Thanks)

[Union Thug]

17. yeah, but...

you're also high (by your own admission) =) Jk!!!!

[The Blue Knight]

18. That was played out man.

[absyntheNsugar]

41. I happen to like Randi AND NPR

!

[indigo32]

79. Me Too

eom

[CoonDawg]

19. If you listen to XM...

in the first 3 hours of Randi's slot, they play Ed Schultz. I really like this guy. He has the potential to reach lots of those "on the fence". He also is unique in that he doesn't screen the calls to A) get people to tell him how astute he is and B) to get the most P.O.'d opposer. I've called the show before, so I know it's legit when he says he takes the call cold. They don't even ask what you want to tell him or any thing...they just ask if you are calling to talk to Ed.

JMO, of course...

Ern

XM Channel 167 "America Left"

[slinkerwink]

20. How dare a WOMAN stand up to Ralph Nader?

</sarcasm>

[Dookus]

22. she not only stood up...

she slapped him down. HARD! It was a thing of beauty.

[dolstein]

24. It was narcisistic self-congratulatory liberal masturbation

It's the same thing that goes on with all the right-wing talk shows.

[slinkerwink]

25. How dare a WOMAN do a smackdown?!?!?!?

[Dookus]

29. I presume you're talking about Nader, right?

;)

[mouse7]

30. Read post #5

[sangh0]

76. "narcisistic self-congratulatory liberal masturbation" works!

TMOT, my right hand could crush an SUV.

[OKNancy]

77. Yeah, ain't it great?

Where's the K-Y?

[dolstein]

23. Oh PLEASE

This has nothing to do with her being a woman. I find loudmouthed male radio hosts equally obnoxious.

And there's nothing impressive about what she did with Nader. She just kept on talking over him. Period. If you're impressed with than, then you must be impressed with O'Reilly, since he does the exact same thing with guests he disagrees with. But seriously, what's the point of inviting him to be on the show if that's all you're going to do?

What would have impressed me if she had come prepared with facts and gotten Nader to finally admit that that run for the presidency in 2000 did NOT advance the cause of liberals, or of third parties.

[slinkerwink]

26. Nader does not deserve any fucking RESPECT!

[Colin Ex]

63. Yeah, not like he spent years as a consumer advocate or anything.

What the FUCK?

[slinkerwink]

67. what he's doing now trumps his work as a consumer advocate

[Colin Ex]

78. Be that as it may

he still deserves respect for those years upon years upon years of highly successful work.

I don't care how much you hate him, or how much you dislike his plans for running -- he's still very worthy of respect for those reasons.

-C

[sangh0]

81. I disagree.

I don't think Nader deserves any respect, and I don't care how you think he does.

[jab105]

27. But she clearly said that she was mad...

that she didn't want to interview him...she says that she was a liberal...OReilly says he's fair and balanced, which is the utter bullshit of his programs...

[mouse7]

31. Go make a quiche. n/t

[WillyBrandt]

35. Ouch!

[cprise]

Anti-French now

I'm still waiting for the references to lattes and brie.

[mouse7]

53. Wrong, I alredy made references to Yanni and asparagas food

You lose. Try your ridiculous insinuations of bigotry elsewhere.

[americanstranger]

32. Randi will be AA's star, bank it.

Who do you think is going to be talked about tomorrow? Al Franken locking 'Ann Coulter' in the Green Room, or Randi handing St. Ralph his head?

After three years of reading DU and seeing post after post of how the Dems have to fight back, it makes me laugh out loud how many are squeamish about it all of a sudden.

-as

[Gothic Sponge]

39. I like Randi, but i don't love her.

I would have preferred Mike Malloy on Air America.

[mouse7]

55. At some point Garafalo, Meron , and Franken will take extended leaves

Garafalo has a very busy shooting schedule, Meron makes big money doing stand-up in big halls, not comedy clubs. Franken has a lot of projects. There will be holes to fill for extended periods. I'm sure those are the types of names you will be hearing more from.

[Gloria]

57. Mouse7, I had a similar thought....but it goes further....that Franken

is the BIG NAME to put AA on the map....and that Mike may be waiting in the wings to take over if Franken or any of them go back to what they usually do.

OR--Malloy takes over the repeat spot at night.....

As for Randi....for many,it's a shock to hear a woman like her on the air!!
But....she has all the facts down pat AND documents everything. You will learn a lot from Randi. She wants people to do their own thinking and research...and she pushes that idea all the time. It's something that's important to do.

Once things settle down, you will like Randi. She doesn't fill the show with interviews most of the time....she takes time to delve into issues deeply. And one of her favorites is what the hell happened on 911 and all the Bush ties...

As for Nader...he was ignoring the issue she was raising...that we can't afford the luxury of his taking away votes. I'm glad she hammered him. He folded his tent and hung up. If he's thinks he'd be such a great leader, why did he run away??????????????? Coward. She showed his true colors.

[knight_of_the_star]

45. So true

Some people seem to have issues with bloodshed, either literal or metaphorical. Fighting back doesn't mean keeping your voice down, it means beating the other guy into the dirt, stomping his skull flat, and cutting his balls off with a wooden spoon (ok, that last one might be a bit much). My opinion is that we MUST come back swinging and swinging hard and showing no mercy whatsoever. We have to beat these guys down and make damn sure that they know we beat them because we kicked their ponsy asses, not because we got lucky.

[mitchtv]

37. please please please, get it on another format, other

than Realplayer.

[porkrind]

61. RealPlayer Sucks. MP3s please. (n/t)

[Habibi]

38. Why replace?

Let Maher have one of the overnight slots. Get on the Great big Lib Talk Radio Train!

[jimshoes]

43. Sorry

Randi is exactly what I want to listen to. She's smart and takes no lip from holier-than-thou right wing talking point spewing punks shilling for B* or the republikkan party. Just my opinion though. Love ya Randi!
Edit to add I'd like to see Malloy on in the evenings even if it's on late.

[Cat Atomic]

44. Booooo, not me.

They need someone there who punches people the face... rhetorically speaking. Rhodes is very good at that.

Bill Maher is ok, but honestly- very often he seems more interested in ego gratification than anything else. Seems like he just plain misses the point alot of the time.

[Gothic Sponge]

47. Bill Maher is not a liberal

While i agree with Maher on many things, he is not a liberal at all.

[NewJeffCT]

72. Maher thinks Colin Powell would be a great president

When asked if he could choose anybody to be President of the US, he said Powell...

[SideshowScott]

49. No, Randi deserves to be where shes at..She did a great job

Look I'm sorry that you did not like the fact that Nader got a beatdown..While everyone else treats him with kid gloves..Right wing talking heads let him talk because they LOVE him..They know he will take votes from the Dems so they treat him nice. And Maher has been very good to him.
Bill Maher is fine where he is at.
Randi Rhodes did a great job on her first day she came out swinging. We need someone like her on our side to light the fire under the the fighting democrat. I'm getting pretty sick of people who dont like it when a democrat shows spine.
Look what part of Nader is running against the democrats don't people understand?
GOOOOO Randi!!

[seventhson]

52. No way Rene

Randi is badass!

I think she was much more interesting to listen to than anyone else. But sahe does need to listen a bit more.

[sendero]

54. To get listeners...

... you have to produce good radio. Good radio is not necessarily a bunch of know-it-alls pontificating ad nauseum.

Good radio is engaging the emotions, piquing the interest, something that the left has been woefully inept at for a long time.

I did not have the pleasure of hearing Ms. Rhodes give that washed-up prevaricator the smack-down he richly deserves, but it sounds delicious.

[LTR]

58. Randi is the most talented there

My biggest fear was that they were going to be milquetoast radio. Just bland, happy talk and all the stuff the freepers stereotype us as.

When I found out Randi was hired, I realized that soemone over there actually knows what the hell they're doing. I caught some of her today in the car (had to work most of the day). She nailed it! Awesome show!

I've heard her before, and was impressed. And i hope I can hear her more often, crummy signal from Chicago be damned!

Randi rockls!

[joe1991]

60. This is not your grandma's NPR

This is Joe Six-Pack radio.
We need to win back the office carpoolers, college kids,
wrench turners, retired people, and soccer moms.
You know who were my earliest liberal influences?
the Smothers Brothers and George Carlin.
They made me laugh and think.

[Chicago Democrat]

62. She is Low Brow, but I like her....

When Pat Buchannan was on, she didn't know the term Pax Americana... Misinterpreting it as "pox Americana". Pax of course is Latin for Peace and the term "Pax Americana" refers of course to the imperial, colonial desire of the Bush administration, comparing it to the Roman Empire whose 1000 year reign is known as "Pax Romano" or 'the peace of Rome'. A peace that was conquered with the point of the sword, and enforced with slavery. This subtle intellectual point Buchannan raised went 'whoosh' like a plane over Randi's head.

So she's an uneducated street fightin Democrat from Queens, God bless her heart's in the best place. Forgive her roughness and stupidity, we intellectuals need to be less pompous and embrace our brothers and sisters in these dark times.

[WillyBrandt]

65. That's patronizing as hell

She's far smarter than you make her out to be. So she didn't know a bit of Latin; don't blow that up into something bigger than it is.

She's very quick and witty, and usually has an impressive command of the facts.

[americanstranger]

66. No, you're wrong.

She's been talking about Pax Americana, the Unipolar Moment, the PNAC on WJNO for better than a year.

She thought he said 'pox' Americana, and made a joke about it.

There ain't much that whooshes over Randi's head. You, on the other hand, missed the joke, Mr. Intellectual.

-as

[ramblin_dave]

68. He did pronouce Pax as Pox but

that's probably his Catholic latin background. Pax should be pronounced as Pox (in Latin) but Randi and most people would say "Packs". Randi was teasing him by implying that Pax (Pox) in this context is more like a disease.

[americanstranger]

70. Right.

Which is nowhere near the assertion that she didn't know what Buchanan was talking about.

Loose paraphrase:

Buchanan: ...'Pax Americana...'
Randi: 'Did you say 'Pox Americana?'
Buchanan: 'Well, (Packs) Americana...'
Randi: 'Pox Americana would actually be a better name for it.'

-as

[snooper2]

71. And VOTING MACHINES

Don't forget that, she's all over Diebold and the likes!

[FlaGranny]

75. Don't you know what a "play on words" is?

"pox Americana" is a fabulous play on words and right on the nose.

[Kipepeo]

64. Rhodes is my FAVORITE so far

I was surprised...I enjoyed all of the programming today but I was blown away by Randi Rhodes...never heard of her until today either. LOVE HER after today.

I think she is EXACTLY what we need...notice I didn't say the only thing, but she has something to offer the listening public that Franken and Janeane and Chuck D do not. Franken is supposdly the one taking on Limbaugh (b/c of his time slot etc.) but Rhodes is TRULY the one doing so (so far) in her style and tenacity. You may be tuning into NPR during her slot but I WON'T be missing it and I guarantee there will be people tuning in specifically for her, who have never listened to NPR in their life.

Also, as a woman, I have to say I'm glad Maher's NOT on the network. I love the guy, but he is a raging sexist...probably the only raging sexist I've ever said I loved. :) But still....I think Randi is perfect in this format and Maher is no comparison: She's Made for radio and he's made for tv.

I love that woman.

[snooper2]

69. Blah Blah Blah...

Randi kicks ass and is not going anywhere. She is the queen of Air America right now. Get the stars from Hollywood like Franken and Garofalo off there and more people might listen. (I.E. my boss and others I have talked to in the office.)

Oh yeah, she kicks Rush's ass in the ratings in West Palm Beach and WJNO is second in the markets, so BLAH>!
http://www.radioandrecords.com/Subscribers/ratings/homepage.htm

[FlaGranny]

74. No, No, No, No, No!!!

You don't know what's good for you.

[IrateCitizen]

80. No, he just knows what's good for everyone else...

If dolstein wants Bill Maher instead of Randi Rhodes, maybe dolstein can start up his own radio network.

Otherwise, dolstein can simply turn the channel to his radio when RR comes on and listen to somebody else.

Dolstein's simply upset because nobody consulted him when figuring out the lineup for Air America, because dolstein is in touch with the heart and soul of the Democratic Party like no others.