IMUS does it again....and it's NOT an accident....

[wadestock]

There's just too many of these incidents to think that IMUS is just fishing here and there...perhaps with no real intent to show sides in the election one way or the other. This of course could be viewed as a "play it safe" tactic with the audience....keep up the overall comedy motif of the program, etc....and I wouldn't mind that if it was true.

But day after day things have been building over the last few months or so. He's been saying over and over he'd vote for Kerry, but then comes up with some way to cleverly counter whatever momentum might be going to Kerry. The interview with Kerry said it all. Entirely negative during the questioning...and after the interview I heard the negative feedback all week through the Bushco Press. This was very significant because of his growing political appeal and apparent stature. IMUS has clout because of the clientele he gets on....and he also now feeds directly to key people in the media, Russert, et al and just about every political figure.

Furthermore...after the first debate, he outspokenly announced that Bush had won, that he had better content, more appeal, etc. Of course he'd throw in the line as he always does..."well I still intend to vote for Kerry". This is all also part of an overall backdrop that he believes that Bush will in fact win. As part of that frequent announcement he will roll off and say....well, but I hope its not true. I've been a long time listener, and was willing to give him a break...but now I'm entirely skeptical...and I hope most people are getting the idea that he's probably bought into Bushco bad business.

Today, Edwards comes to NJ, needless to say...a big state Kerry has to win....and IMUS uncharacteristically took a phone call (this is infrequent) from some guy down near the docks where Edwards will speak.....he said he knows ALL about the way they do inspections of shipping containers. It all seems a bit too clearly focused a phone call...the guy is a bit too articulate....he makes his points a bit too concise....namely....it's a LIE that anything more than 5% of the shipping containers could EVER be inspected coming into port....and if anyone says otherwise....well then they are lying. The cost per X ray is $300 each and if it were to go to 15% of the total coming in...the entire shipping industry would be brought to a screeching halt.

IMUS seems very concerned (this is also rare...the only thing I can point to that comes through as any legitimate concern has been his overall belief that the war is wrong) and says something like... geeze I didn't' know that...and thanks for the phone call. The guy signs off by saying....I just wanted to the public to know the truth....and that these people are just up there lying everyone. IMUS says...well what about Cheney lying for 90% of his debate the other nite? The guy says...yeah well there's lying on both sides. IMUS says...yeah that's true and then the IMUS team generally concludes by saying it was a good phone call and thanks for this important message.

You could possibly argue that Bernard brought this in...and it was somewhat innocent...but I don't buy it. This was specifically crafted to put the kabosh to Edwards today....priming millions of people with BS. They rolled over for the guy on purpose...didn't even propose that we (the most innovative country in the world?) could fashion ANY improved inspection system. The connection to "what exists now" and extrapolating that into "they must be lying"....is mindless, and if IMUS had any credibility, he'd be above that.

One could counter argue that we do in fact have a major problem getting improved security technologies into the system....look at the airlines...still only about 5 major airports? have the latest screening devices?

But that's not the point....we obviously CAN do better...especially considering if you skimmed off a few billion of that 200B on the war to make some of this happen. This IS exactly what has to be done to prevent the next 911.

Day by day...it's events like this that give me a grim feeling about our future.

[AP]

1. Yep. That's lying propaganda. That was a set up. Total BS.

[montanacowboy]

2. Imus is a scumbag

and I believe his saying he is going to vote for Kerry is just a way to stick it to him - this guy is absolute bottom feeder material and should not be watched - turn him off.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Forget IMUS, he is a Pub Mole...IMHO

[Cocoa]

4. absolutely right to be suspicious of Imus

I think in general it's a total mistake that when Imus, Tweety, or whoever, criticizes Bush, however harshly, to suddenly forget all the very good reasons to mistrust them.

A lot of these people, their criticism of Bush smells to me like a setup. They'll endorse Bush, and then point to their previous criticisms as "proof" they're not shills, which in fact they are.

[AP]

14. They'll also say, "but he has improved so much in the last few days...

...I have to support him now. He proved to me that he can step up to the plate."

[skylarmae]

5. Don't despair - Look at the Electoral College Votes today!

[vi5]

6. Stop listening to his garbage.....he's a Howard Stern rip-off...

minus the sex and intelligence. Honestly, even though Stern says it all the time, having listened to both from before their NBC radio days back in the early 80's...if it weren't for Stern Imus would still be playing records and saying the occasional idiotic tag line like "How's your donkey Kong baby!". Having listened to Imus before and after Howard Stern was on the same station, it's almost pathetic that people don't realize this is the case.

[wadestock]

24. I've been listening to IMUS for actually 30 years....

and he was a riot when I drove back and forth to school....but that was when he was on drugs.

When he went off the drugs....sorry to say....he got gradually worse.

But I must agree with your comments about Stern. I can actually belly laugh with him.

I still can't get my wife to lisen in the car....it's the equivalent problem as the 3 stooges....you have to get past the eye poking and so forth to see that underneath there is some really good entertainment going on.

[BlueNomad]

7. Imus

is the worst kind of media whore. I listen to him every morning not for him but for the guests whot tend to be alot looser and direct on his show. And I have watched him swing in the breeze back and forth like a frigging pinata--in between all his whining and moaning about his ailments. Imus had the nerve to get indignant when someone in Newsweek referred to him as a Bush supporter. Remember last week "I rather be beheaded than vote for Bush!"....then he is sucking up to big daddy bush last month...

Stuff like that call is just to keep him on both sides of the fence. He simply wants to be the winner and has very little moral clarity or certitude about anything. You see the easy interview he gave with Weld? The best thing that came out of that garbage is that Weld asserted that Kerry is a good guy and easy to get along with.

Though I disagree wholly with Charles (is that the guy with the glasses--I get them all confused) and his politics I have more respect for his ability to articulate where he stands. And to admit that watching Bush and the first debate was so sad and humiliating he had to hide behind his own newspaper a few times and walk out of the room.

Anyway he's a punk and should buzz off with a bad cold...

PS His wife is being sued by their chef for ripping off like 60 of his recipes for that cookbook. You won't hear him talking about that. LOL.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. Questions: 1. How many people do you think listen to Imus?,....

2. What is the political make-up of his listeners?...and...

3. Do you think his comments are going to cause ANY kerry supporters to switch to FratBoy?

[wadestock]

17. I'll have to research that....

But all I can tell you is that they have previously determined the significance of the Stern audience in these situations.

IMUS reaches approximately the same in this key voting area. Now his show has been carefully morphed into a political show....so those that listen are getting possibly some of the effect of Limbaugh....but with some entertainment.

Speaking of the Limbaugh effect....I think that's probably what's got me so disturbed about all of this. IMUS seems to be developing his own Limbaughesk style....clever inuendos....and even with a bit of the hate mongering too (although of course nothing near the levels of Limbaugh).

After listening to him for 30 years....I can't believe I'd ever get to the point where I'd compare him to Limbaugh...but that's the component of this which is too insidious to ignore....especially if it can be put together as part of a seductive potion with laughs and silly what have yous.

That's exactly how Limbaugh got his audience appeal...and perhaps IMUS is getting off on the appeal end of this too.

[DemocracyInaction]

9. I think I sniff what Imus' problem is

His wife likes Teresa and John. He's a stupid old moron who thinks the hottie married him for his brilliant mind and good looks. He's trying to be "modern" man to young chick. But, in the end I can see him pull out the rug so that his male listeners get the impression that "he's da man and rules his house". It's all going to depend on how frightened he is of losing the young chick.

[wadestock]

20. Yeah I could buy that as part of this.....

But don't forget he speaks nitely to Charles....Charles being the brain behind most of the programming and writing. Charles is a big time dumb a@@ good ol boy....the quintessential republican with nothing between his ears....confident and secure in his beliefs...but not a f'in clue what they really are.

The program would have been infinitely better if IMUS dumped him years ago....but he's best friends with him....and I believe it's more because of him and Bernie that they're taking this new politico motif in the show.

But then again, there is an insidious nature about getting into this politico stuff and doing it the wrong way (not honest and ill intentioned). In the other thread above I suggest that there is a "Limbaugh factor" in this. Politics can = seductive power in a number of ways....and a lot of people are sucking up to IMUS as this show has taken on this aspect. He's a big time ham no matter what....and as we see the entire media getting off on the "corporate bad business power trip" of it all....so is IMUS potentially.

To do otherwise is too risky in today's bad business media environment. What we see now is a phenomenon of people falling in line...just like they do in any bad business.....there's a camaraderie in it...and it gives them a feeling of security to think that they are part of this in crowd....the power crowd.

You saw someone like Chris Matthews briefly take a step out....but then he whimpered right back into line again. The only ones that have successfully put it straight are the great authors of the flood of books that have come out recently that have exposed the entire mess for what it is. These people are so high above this smoke and mirrors garbage that it's not funny.

[Wickerman]

10. They both lie - its the new meme to cover Cheney's obvious lies

from Tuesday night. Imus used it this morning, Bill O'Rielly used it with Matt Lauer this morning. So Cheney lied, they both do, Kerry lies, Cheney lies, but who will keep you safe? :eyes:

Its interesting, this meme is used now, but its clever - Sure, Cheney lied about x, y and z, but well, Kerry lies, trust me. Can't cite the specifics, but trust the media, Kerry lies.

[bushisanidiot]

11. IMUS gives himself away by the lack of Bush bashing he does and the lack

of rooting on for Kerry he does.

He's not fooling anyone.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Imus Only Influences The Beltway Echo Chamber

This is stroke and be stroked. Imus' importance as a "mover and shaker" is surface. First, he allows himself to be used by virtually any publicist or politician who wants airtime. Imus just wants the name on the screen...so he can boast he's had this guest or that TV reporter on. His show revolves around the hustle...pushing the book, the ranch, the image. What his influence beyond being another noise among the noisy is far from known.

If you watch an Imus live broadcast, you'll notice his audiences are generally 50+ and predominately white male. Now if this is an important voting bloc to reach, then Imus is your man.

A sidebar: I saw the Franken show from Minneapolis last night. The theater was packed and rockin'. Great show with Walter Mondale, Michael Stipe & Mike Buck, Tom Davis & Leo Kotke (I hadn't seen him in ages). If you get Sundance Channel...worth a watch today.

[wadestock]

23. I start out with IMUS on TV every morning

then when in the car I switch to Stern....but would have to go IMUS if I carpool with the wife....then to the office I stream Air America of course for the rest of the day!!!!

[KharmaTrain]

27. I'm "Everywhere"...LOL

I usually catch the first hour of Imus until Washington Journal comes on. I used to watch all the show, until 9/11 when all the Clinton bashing, Bunnypants kissing and "kill the Arab" mentality got to me.

When possible, I try to catch the first hour of Stern as well...bailing when he goes to the celebrity and goofy crap. Howard's one of the best voices on reasons why to throw this regime out and hopefully he's had a powerful effect on a lot of people who weren't involved before (and not being counted in the polls now).

There are a lot of unsung heroes if this regime is removed. Howard is on that list along with Franken, Michael Moore, Bill Mahrer, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy, Bernie Ward and other voices that rose up during our darkest days and not only raised our hopes, but started bringing others over to our side.

[oasis]

13. I too, have had the feeling that Imus has a hidden agenda. He's a sneaky,

slimy s.o.b. and he bears watching. After the elections I will discard his pedestrian program and move on.

[wadestock]

26. That's a riot.....his "pedestrian program"

[w4rma]

15. Forget about Imus. He's better than most of the political crap on cable.

And that is definitely not saying much.

[hatrack]

16. Piss on Imus and his cowboy hat and his horse and his microphone

Fuck him. He's not interesting, he's not relevant and he's not even funny.

[wadestock]

28. How well is Fred doing on his radio show?

The only time I get any real laughs is when his brother Fred is on....he's a riot....but then IMUS is such a condesending piece of schit the way he talks down to him....and you might not think that's real....but I've heard enough of it to conclude it is in fact real.

Fred could possibly upstage him and I don't think his ego can take it. BTW...does anyone know how well Fred is doing on his radio show?

[yellowcanine]

18. Who says x- ray is the only way to go? Here you got some flunky

at the docks setting himself up as a security expert and Imus eats it up as Gospel. That's why I dislike Imus. Furthermore - what costs $300 when you do only 1% can drop to $30 when you do 100%. The main cost of those inspections is in buying the equipment and the corresponding infrastructure and training employees. If everything is inspected and the costs are spread out over millions of containers the cost drops.

[peacetalksforall]

19. He is psychiatrically unbalanced and works for NBC.

He is an NBC suck up and his variety show-circus act is a well crafted, but transparent scheme.

He rides both ends of a see-saw more deftly than a squirrel. Do not trust anything coming out of that mouth.

I agree that layered on top of his volcanic and abusive idiocy is a wife who appears to have a conscious and who influences him for about one minute then it's back to hate until the next minute her conscious words pop back into his damaged and struggling brain.

[wadestock]

21. Great point....

You can't say anything but praise about the Ranch, etc, but I've continued to here in the background his steady state business mind of all of this too. He goes to work everyday...and the bottom line is he's a good ol boy.

By comparison, I have all the respect in the world now for Stern...and I listen to him now with an entirely new enjoyment. I actually belly laugh almost daily. Here's a guy that steps out and says....schit...I really didn't do it for the money....and I can go here....I can go there.....and I'm not going to be a whore...etc.

[Joy Anne]

22. I watched the show once

a couple of years ago because Joe Biden was on. I found the show racist, sexist, smarmy, and boring, and I dropped Joe Biden down several notches on my personal esteem ratings.

[GoldenOldie]

25. Imus does a replay of John McCain...same script

Imus played up his support for John McCain during 2000 and he could have done a lot to dispute the attacks in the South regarding McCain and his family but he didn't. Imus is the same greedy power ridden ilk as that of Cheney, Bush, Wolfowitz, etc., etc., etc. Bernie is the backdrop that Imus uses to draw the ignorant in and ghave you noticed that the Media Whores are willing partner's in this carnival carney game.

The Imus family does a lot for children with serious illness's but they have made their fortunes and a very good tax-free lifestyles on these children and their families.

[wadestock]

29. Sad but true.....

Thanks...I had forgotten about the issue with McCain...great point.

Bernie can go off the deep end in a heartbeat....the other day after the debate and he was in the streets doing the interviews of the Kerry supporters after the debate.....he goes to the Black guy....so what is this "Kerry thing" supposed to do for the Black Man?....my heart dropped....very demonstrative of the arrogance and ignorance that these people share. Well the guy responded really well and said that this was about people ....not black or white. It looked like the whole thing was about to backfire in their faces and IMUS quickly moved in and said, get these dam Kerry supporters off my TV screen.

Limbaugh has shown the power of being a politico media whore...and the type of power/influence that his possible. The average person has yet to recognize that there is an entire planet of right wing bad business sucking a-holes riding on his every word. IMUS may be getting off on this new power trip....and actually be falling into the same kind of ilk.

Looks like there's a lot of room at the bottom.