I like Lionel.

[bunkerbuster1]

There, I said it.

I don't like him as much as any number of other astute political commentators. I don't like him enough to subscribe to AAR's premium podcasts so I can catch every show. I didn't much care for him ten years ago when he was a fairly apolitical personality-guy radio host on the AM band.

And I always liked Sam Seder, in fact I continue to listen to (or when time permits, watch) him duke it out with Mark Maron most days. Check out http://maronvseder.com/ sometime if you haven't, and shame on you if you haven't, yet!

And yeah, I've been harshly critical of Lionel at times, like when he had that catholic league stooge Donohue on his show about a year ago.

But basically, Lionel is what he is--a pretty light-hearted, mostly rational left-leaning Libertarian who has some terrific guests most of the time, and who is fine in reasonable doses like, say, when they make free podcasts available over at airamerica.com

And lastly, I'll mention in passing that back when Lionel was on an independent network late at night, he was the ONLY big-wattage radio host willing to listen to 9/11 alternative-theorists and treat them with respect. I'm not a MIHOP kind of person, and I don't think much of most of the theories, but I appreciate that he was willing to go places that even Randi and Thom wouldn't.

[Snotcicles]

1. I never could understand the hatred for Lionel on DU. But I like him also. nt

[bunkerbuster1]

3. "Hatred" is a tad strong, but yeah, people are pretty nasty about him.

I've heard the guy for well over a decade, on and off. Maybe my mild endorsement is based on expectations.

Obviously, if one was expecting a guy as intensely liberal as Sam to take over the morning gig, one was bound to be disappointed. Missing from such arguments, though, is the guy that Sam replaced--a rather ineffectual radio voice although a decent enough guy politically, Jerry Springer.

[Ian David]

2. Lionel is a fine radio host. It's just that he's a terrible human being. n/t

[bunkerbuster1]

4. I don't claim to know much about his background. Want to give an example?

[Ian David]

21. He abuses and ridicules Liberal and friendly callers. For me, the last straw...

... was when he put someone on the air who thought they were calling The Stephanie Miller Show while Elaine Boozler was subbing for Stephanie.

Lionel posed as the call screener for The Stephanie Miller Show, and baited and humiliated the guy on the phone, live over the air, for his own, personal amusement.

And before you ask... No. I was not the caller.

But it was a pointless, sadistic and counterproductive thing for Lionel to do.

[a kennedy]

5. Nope, don't care for the guy.....

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[patrice]

6. I don't like the way he treats his callers, "Read what's on MY mind or else!"

I like his thing for words and I like his crew and I understand that when you're having a discussion, you want your callers to talk about the discussion topic. And YES the median IQ in America is 85. I just hate personal insults. I think they do a great deal of harm, not only to the caller, but also to larger Issues.

The guy doesn't know what Conversation is.

[bunkerbuster1]

10. I'll agree it's a bit like a pretentious Morning Zoo at times.

He can annoy the crap out of me at times when he goes on about how A-MAY-zing it is that so-and-so doesn't already know such-and-such.

That said, I doubt there are many talkshow hosts who are actually less egomanaical than Lionel, less assured of their own intellectual prowess. Lionel's assurance just manifests itself a bit more often than I'd like.

[patrice]

13. I like some of his quirkiness: saying something and bursting into song, for example.

His rants can be boring and yet he doesn't seem to be able to stop.

And I understand the necessity for repetition, but you must break it up sometimes.

[napi21]

7. I listen to him every weekend. The shows are reruns of earlier in the

week, but I enjoy listening to him. I guess you have to have a weird sense of humor, but he makes me laugh constantly.

[bunkerbuster1]

12. That's what hooked me when he was on late at night.

It may sound goofy, but sometimes he'd take on the dialect of an imagined Deep South conservative listener...

Mind you, I live in the Deep South, love my neighbors and all that, but he's funny as hell sometimes even when he's going back to the well for tried and true material.

[lame54]

8. Which one...

I always preferred the first one

[Deja Q]

23. Damn, you beat me to it!

Oh, the original (and better) Lionel, Mike Evans, died on the same day that overrated singer who kept getting into jail had. And guess which one did more to fight stereotypes and racism? Mike Evans.

[question everything]

24. Thanks. Wondered about that (nt)

[Edweird]

9. Lionel? I can't stand him. But, to each his/her own. Stephanie Miller on the other hand...

Yowza! Brilliant, funny and gorgeous! :loveya:

[bunkerbuster1]

11. What I've heard of her, I've liked

and I can understand why she's as popular as she is.

Thing is, I'd have to $pring for a podcast, and I just can't cost-justify that at the moment. So I stream it now and then.

[hlthe2b]

15. I'm betting Stephanie Miller is funny, articulate, & sharp...

But her show is so filled with LOUD laugh/applause tracts and other sound gimmicks, I can't listen. Not because I have a low tolerance for morning drive type shows (which I probably do, but only in large doses), but because within 30 seconds of her show starting with the laugh/applause tracks she sends my beloved girlie dog into a frenzy-- dilated pupils, hyperventilating, trembling and desperate to hide or for me to "make it stop!" Yup, for my precious girlie, Stephanie is the anti-Christ, an overt terrorist, and the thunder-maker all in one!

Stephanie is banned from my XM radio! LOL

[Edweird]

17. There is a 'morning zoo' element to her show, there's no denying that.

My doggie doesn't mind her show. He's cool like that.

Additionally, this is completely subjective, just like any other form of art or entertainment.

Randi's raging negativity turns me off pretty quick. Too militant and too quick to speak and totally overbearing...

Ed Schultz can be ok at times, but he's 'ape-ing' rush just a little successfully for me. (Which sucks since I am a gun owner and all that. The potential is there, but he's just too far off the mark for me)

Lionel, well, everything about him grates on my nerves. What he says, how he says it, just the sound of his voice irritates me.

Lynn Samuels: See Lionel

Rachel Maddow: Good. No complaints. Not as good as Steph, tho.

[Snotcicles]

18. Now see we can have different tastes, I find Miller Sophmoric. nt

[Edweird]

19. Hey, I like Family Guy, South Park, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Metalocalypse ....

I guess 'sophmoric' is right up my alley.... :P

But, it's all subjective.

[Snotcicles]

22. Hey, I like family guy too. nt

[Touchdown]

14. I love Lionels too!

:evilgrin:

[alfredo]

16. He's OK. His voice can peel paint, but he is entertaining and informative.

Like him, I am a left-libertarian.

[fascisthunter]

20. My Biggest Problem with Him is How He Treats Callers

whose views do not match his own. He is very condescending and very arrogant. I like him sometimes though...