When did the rise of the political hacks begin?

[DaveSZ]

How did we get to this point?

How did we get Rush, Dennis Miller, Hannity, Ann Coulter, and all these hacks?

How did we end up with all these left-wing hacks to balance out the rw hacks?

Why do we need hacks to give us thought instructions?

When did all this bullshit start?

Was it when Raygun got rid of the fairness doctrine?

:argh:

[JayS]

1. I know hacks have been around every since the start of...

...publishing since some of their work survives. I'm willing to bet they were around long before that also.

Hacks can be entertaining enough to bring in ad dollars and also develop a following of people that want someone to digest the information for them. It beats going out and doing it on your own.

When they are honest they provide a valuable service; when not, they are nothing but a problem, no matter what their political persuasion.

[I thought so.]

4. Yes indeed.

Politics and media have never been anything but self interest. That goes for all human endeavors too. That is why "idealism" is such a fraud. People are not now or have ever been ideal.
Politics work when people think they have a shot at power to decide what will be the future.

[JI7]

2. cable news, around the time of clinton impeachment especially

[I thought so.]

8. Cable news.

They have such a pathetically small audience as to be unimportant.
The Clarke interview on 60 mins. had 11.9 million viewers. That's important. Cable "news" can't get 3 million altogether and that includes people here that waste their time and money hoping that the B.S. will change.

[opihimoimoi]

3. 27 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days ago.

Pat Robertson and his Band of Holy guys Ralph Reed, Paul Weyrich, Terry Donlon(died), among others, started the ball rolling. These are the visible ones. Hidden are the mega rich Pub Masters who influence the Far Right.

[WilliamPitt]

5. No idea

:)

[VolcanoJen]

6. Limbaugh started his "Clinton: America Under Siege" countdown...

... the day after Clinton was inaugurated, 1993. At the time, Rush had a nationally syndicated television program, which ran in my neck of the woods every Saturday, just after "Saturday Night Live."

I would just watch that show in horror. "America Under Siege."

[Sirveri]

7. I saw that too!

I was still in middle school! Pissed my left leaning mom off to no end that I was watching that shit. But even at the age of 12/13 I could see thru the crap he was selling.

[DaveSZ]

9. I remember that show

Rush's audience reminded me of Jerry Springer when he had the Klan on.