Ahhhhhhhg! Jerry Springer is an IDIOT!

[iconoclastNYC]

Some hick caller just comes on and says that this 65 year old woman shoudln't have the child because she's on social security and therefore it's the government raising the kid.

Gerry is too stupid to think that this is reinforcing the Republican frame of Social Security being a welfare program. It's NOT!!! It's a government retirement program. You pay into it by working your whole life and you get the benefit.

It's not welfare!

Jerry Spring is so sloppy and idiotic that I half think he's a Republican plant to feed GOP frames to progressive audiences.

[benburch]

1. No, he means well.

He's just not sharp.

[iconoclastNYC]

5. How do you know?

Can you look into his soul like Bush did with Putin? LOL.

I dont care what he intends. He has a huge platform and he's sloppy and ineffective. Democrats and progressives should never let GOP frames go unchallenged. He's a failure.

[dchill]

10. Sorry, but...

We need sharp.

[iconoclastNYC]

13. What's sharp about him?

I don't understand.

[dchill]

14. That's what I'm saying.

I see no sharp there, I'm saying what I said - "Sorry, but we need sharp." This was in reply to benburch saying that he means well. OK?

[iconoclastNYC]

16. Gotcha.

I need to remember to listen to Steph Miller

[benburch]

20. Yes we do.

Very much we do.

[KittyWampus]

21. I beg to differ. Not only is Springer sharp, he's effective. So fucking

what, he doesn't play to the know-it-all arrogant DU'ers who think the rest of America are "sheeple"?

[iconoclastNYC]

26. O-kay.

I don't know what show you are listening to.

[Nimrod2005]

2. lol....Calm down...

A doctor once told we should not be eager to treat sick older people after a certain age because it is a waste of money, he honestly thought we should NOT offer Medicare money to people over the age of 85 or something...He sadi why do a heart surgery if the person is going to live a couple of years or so...

[alfred e bush]

3. true

but...no ones pension goes up ... when they have a child

[iconoclastNYC]

6. Neither does Social Security

DUH!!!

[charlyvi]

19. Yes. The household benefit does go up.

The minor child of a social security redipient receives benefits until age 18; or until high school graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.
However, it's not a welfare benefit, which repub slime would lead one to believe. The worker pays into the system all his/her work life, something the shrub "private account" people want to gloss over. It's despicable.

[iconoclastNYC]

27. Do you have a link on this?

I dont know how Social Security law would anticipate someone that old even having a child.

I think you mean people who lose a parent, they get survivor benefits.

[MadMaddie]

4. I don't listen to him anymore....

I gave him a chance for 1 week and I couldn't subject myself to his drivel. He is very sloppy and it's really hard to seperate him from his infamous Jerry Springer show....

Walk away....just walk away before his drivel drives you insane!!

[SethInUpstateNY]

24. I tried him for about 3 weeks.

I found him to be rather boring. I then heard about Stephanie Miller's show and decided to listen to her show on the web. That was until our local progressive station picked her up in October and I've been listening to her since there.

[hlthe2b]

7. he desperately wants to be liked so much that he thinks he has

to agree (to some extent) with every caller. It negates any points he might make...I guess it is his political past... wants to sit the fence badly.

[tatertop]

11. He is really weak. We don't need really weak speaking for us.

Put Ted Rall on and let him kick ass.

[sendero]

31. I disagree...

... while I think Dem rhetoric overall needs to be dialed up a bit, there is a place for the Springers and the Schultzes of the world.

Not every potential swing-our-way voter is going to respond well to Rall or Malloy.

[iconoclastNYC]

37. There's Hartmann and Seder, and tons of others.

You are presenting a false choice between Rall/Malloy and Springer.

[sendero]

42. No...

.. I'm presenting the extremes. I think there are folks who will be reached by the likes of Springer and Ed Schultz who would not care for Seder or Hartman either, both of whom I put in the "center" of the Shultz-Malloy continuum.

Personally, I'm a Malloy fan, but I get it that some folks are just not ready to make that big of a leap.

I've listened to Springer, and yes he misses a lot of opportunities to make a point. For that matter, I've listened to venerated Dem pundits on TV who are almost as bad at missing a golden opportunity.

We really need all the voices we can get, so long as they are marginally helping our cause. I think Springer and Schultz, on balance, are a net win for the progressive viewpoint.

[WinkyDink]

8. Might the minor child be a recipient of SS?

In any event, I reserve the right to think the woman is a moron.

[iconoclastNYC]

12. Do you know anything about SS?

The child would not get SS.

[Beelzebud]

9. I give him credit for one thing. He helped me discover Stephanie Miller

She should be on AAR in that timeslot. Springer is an embarrasment.

[dsc]

15. actually the child would stasticly speaking

be way more likely to collect survivors benefits.

[iconoclastNYC]

18. I'm not arguing the notion that its stupid/selfish for 60 year old to have

Children.

I'm just saying that as a progressive activist/talk show host you should challenge GOP framing anytime you encounter it. The caller made it seem like the money that the women was getting from SS was a welfare handout. It's not welfare it's a retirement program.

Thats my beef, and this happens on Springer all the time. These callers get on and spread thier GOP framing poision all over progressive airways.

[Southsideirish]

17. I think he's eager for political office and that is why he's a rightwing

suck up. Something similar to Franken.

[AndreaCG]

23. Don't compare Springer to Franken

Franken has terrific guests and is a more effective host since Katherine Lanpher left. Springer kowtows to this RW "regulars".

[iconoclastNYC]

25. I don't trust Franken.

He seems too close to the pro-corporate elements. He talks a good line about Wellstone but then he has people from right-wing think tanks on to push pro-business "centrism"

I don't trust him. And his voice is annoying as hell and he's not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

[NYCGirl]

28. He not only talks a good line about Wellstone, he was a personal friend

of the Wellstone family, and serves on the advisory committee of Wellstone Action.

[iconoclastNYC]

30. I know.

Which makes it odd that he seems to be so centrist. I don't think he's 1/100th the man that Wellstone was. I think he'll tow the DLC centrism line.

[NYCGirl]

33. That's your opinion. Not mine. NT

[iconoclastNYC]

38. Yeah it was clearly my oppinion.

But thanks for clarifying for people with sub 50 IQs that might have not understood that.

[NYCGirl]

43. You're welcome. I live to serve. NT

[FoxNewsSucks]

22. Listen to Thom Hartman instead

Same timeslot, he broadcasts from Portland OR. Some local topics, but a better 3 hours and he cuts the Republicans no slack. Great program.

Same station carries Ed Schultz in the afternoon then has Randi Rhodes, Majority Report & Mike Malloy delayed 3 hours.

It's sad, I know more about Portland than I do Kansas City, where I live, because all we have is 2 rightwing anger stations here so I don't even listen.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

29. Jerry's problem is that he's not well informed. The average DUer has

more knowledge in one pinkie than Jerry has. He does a great disservice by not waking up ....

[iconoclastNYC]

32. I agree.

It's like he's never heard of framing. He just lets these RW callers spew thier poision un challenged.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

35. And that is why I stopped listening to him a while ago. I have had the

same problem with Bill Maher lately too.

[Deja Q]

34. Look at that tv show he ran for years. He'll do anything for money.

He's a DINO.

Or I'm not convinced he's any better than one. Even I, with my sense of humor, wouldn't steep into that two-faced garbage show or go anywhere near it... I have humor. He has a joke.

[Rainscents]

36. 65 years old mother has 48 years old husband!

He is financially able to raise child! Just because, she is 65 does not mean, child is entitle. SS will look at child's father's income and age.

[OnionPatch]

39. I'm really disappointed in AAR

for even having him on. Maybe some of you disagree, but I think he does us more harm than good. There are so many other really talented radio hosts on our side that could make much better use of that spot.

[iconoclastNYC]

40. Spot on.

They are going for "named" stars over talent. They need to build new stars, not recycle old ones.

[zulchzulu]

41. Springer is an embarrassment to AAR

Why the hell he is on is beyond me. Whenever he comes on, I run as fast as I can to the radio to turn him off. He is so clueless and utterly predictable...and his reputation from his lame TV show doesn't help AAR either.

[DrunkenMaster]

44. You're Just NOW Figuring This Out???

Jeesh. Jerry Springer should be loaded into a cannon and shot into the heart of the sun. The man is a waste of oxygen.