A Letter to Talk Radio Listeners
Readers anticipating my take on the substance of Mark Levin’s show need wait no longer — I’ve posted the first in a short series at The Atlantic’s idea blog, Thinking Big. Less controversially, I make common cause with Charles Homans against the ketchup packet. Okay, lot’s of blogging to do, but I’ll be back at The Scene with a non-teaser post soon — and when I get a chance, my own contribution to the fiction series that’s been playing out.
From the linked article: “…nor is it a call to kick Messieurs Limbaugh, Hannity and Frum off the radio.”
Shouldn’t that last name be Levin, not Frum?
— SGD · Jun 17, 03:13 PM · #
Thanks for the catch! fixed…
— Conor Friedersdorf · Jun 17, 03:24 PM · #
My pleasure! Though I’m slightly sad to learn that David Frum does not, in fact, have a radio show…
— SGD · Jun 17, 03:50 PM · #
This is eerie. I was doing the dishes, listening to Mr. Limbaugh, whom I enjoy in small doses, and I kid you not: I had a feeling that something was happening at The American Scene related to Mr. Limbaugh so I came in here to check—just to reassure myself that I was being ridiculous. (Twilight Zone theme…) It’s just like the day I was walking home from school in second grade and suddenly knew my pet canary was dead. When I walked in, my mom was waiting to tell me the news.
— Joules · Jun 17, 05:07 PM · #
It’s clear from her face that Sonia Sotomayor is a long-term, heavy drinker.
— Christian Weston Chandler · Jun 18, 06:36 PM · #
It’s clear from her face that Sonia Sotomayer is as long-term consumer of carbs! But women carrying weight are lovely!
— Bob Cheeks · Jun 18, 06:50 PM · #
This is it? This is the vanguard for a renewed conservatism? Noonan and Brooks are continuously having orgasms about Obama, Little Buckley is blaming his dead father for this and that. Frum is advocating socialized healthcare; Drudad favors the New Deal for True Value voters; Droher is onto granola and craftman style homes; and this cretin Friedersdork, if that’s even his name, is bashing Rush, Sean, and Mark.
I’m not sure why Levin would link up to this pathetic website, but it’s time to grab the Obama Cons and sweep them under the rug. You guys are boring.
— PCP Smoker · Jun 19, 01:35 AM · #
I’m a little puzzled as to the essential difference between saying that “Obama wants economic distress so he can advance a left wing agenda” and saying that “Waxman-Markey is a cynical ploy.” I guess the main difference is that one is from a program with working class appeal, and one is from a upscale blogger with fancy university credentials.
I think Mr. Friedersdorf’s vision is that the conservative movement should be sort of like the Episcopal Church: apologetic, ineffectual, declining, at all times couth, and horrified at the vulgarity of most of its nominal co-religionists.
— y81 · Jun 19, 02:14 AM · #
There was a lady from the countryside who came to the city and checked into a hotel. Then she said to the bellman, “I refuse to take a tiny room like this, with no window and no bed in it! You can’t treat me like a fool just because I don’t travel much! I’m going to complain to the manager!” So the bellman said very politely, “Madam,this isn’t your room. It’s the elevator!”
— air jordans · Jun 19, 03:34 AM · #
Who was it that predicted that the comments section would go downhill? Boy, were you right. I thought I belonged here because sometimes when people are really intelligent, like the TAS writers, they’re used to playing at the top of the intellectual jungle, swinging from vine to vine; whereas someone like me, who’s used to hanging out farther down the trunks, closer to the ones who are toiling on the jungle floor, can sometimes act as an intermediary between the two. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what to make of a lot of these comments and I’ve got Grandma’s chocolate brownies waiting in the kitchen so I’m kinda busy.
— Joules · Jun 19, 03:48 AM · #
test again
— barney Frank · Jun 20, 06:02 AM · #
MR LEVIN: Let me tell you what I think you’re doing, Mr. President. You want this economy to crash. You want this currency to crash. Because what a magnificent opportunity to rearrange and remake society once its basic institutions have failed. That’s what you’re up to. I’m the only one with the guts to say it, because I know history. I know economics. I know your mentors. I know what you’re doing. You have a huge chip on your shoulder. And a really sick philosophical point of view. That’s where you’re taking us.
Above is a copy/paste of the snippet of monologue in question. It needs to be in my post as it is the basis for both MR. Friedersdorf’s argument and thusly my rebuttal.
I also address this rebuttal to Mr. Friedersdorf directly as I believe he has failed to scope the larger colloquial musings of Dr. Levin. Allow me then to explain that while direct and harsh talk is used by Dr. Levin it is not always meant in the explicit context for which the myopic listener sometimes interprets it. Unlike an elected official The Great One is not bound by the veracious political correctness and precision word smithing so craved by many individuals.
Understand that with little exception all media has a percentage of entertainment value engendered into it. An exception could plausibly be found within the confines of the news hour with Jim Leher or in some cases the BBC world news, and C-Span (although indirectly) as it simply broadcasts events as they happen in real time rather then analyzing and reporting on said events ex-post-facto, like most media. I would estimate without doing any scientific study other then the large group of listening that I do with various media sources; that the majority of talk radio whomever it may be is about 40% entertainment, 40% analysis, 15% reporting, and 5% other. I would say that this would, at least in my opinion, represent Dr. Levin’s break down. Others have different breakdowns: Hannity tends to be 30% entertainment 30% analysis, 30% reporting, and 10% other. Rush tends to be 40% entertainment, 20% analysis, 30% reporting, and 10% other. Boortz tends to be 25% entertainment, 50% analysis, 10% reporting, and 15% other. My point in this is not to dissect talk radio down to its parts and segments but to innumerate the point that mixed in with every nugget of information, is a combination of entertainment, and analysis.
“Let me tell you what I think you’re doing.” Let’s highlight “I think” for a moment, this is a description of Dr. Levin’s view. Not to be construed with fact, fiction, right, or wrong; but a mere opinion. “I know history. I know economics. I know your mentors.” This is a justification for his opinion. I would also suggest to any further skeptical reader to listen to the June 15th episode at about 48 minutes into the show. At this point The Great One sites evidence of Obama AKA Millhouse’s more nefarious tactics. I will not go into what clips are displayed but those that wish can see for themselves http://www.verumserum.com/?p=5660. Try and be open minded Mr. Friedersdorf.
— Thomas Hamilton · Jun 21, 10:40 PM · #
A Conservative Call to Arms
I Call to Arms my brothers and sisters
To fight the
Vengeful
Vicious
Violator
I Call to Arms those of like mind
To fight the
Scheming
Sadistic
Stateist
I Call to Arms the righteous
To fight the
Unjust
Unworthy
Usurper
I Call to Arms the independent thinker
To fight the
Lying
Lambasting
Liberal
I Call to Arms all those who enjoy Liberty
To listen to this
Uncompromising
Unrelenting
Unapologetic
Conservative Call to Arms
— Thomas Hamilton · Jun 21, 10:50 PM · #
Thomas,
A question. What would you think if you criticized someone’s words — Barack Obama, or Nancy Pelosi, or Keith Olbermann, or David Letterman, or Barbra Streisand, or Michael Moore — and someone defended them by saying that although the words have one meaning in plain English, they aren’t actually being offered in the “explicit context for which the myopic listener sometimes interprets it.”
Would you find that a convincing argument if it were being offered about a liberal who you disagree with?
— Conor Friedersdorf · Jun 22, 02:11 AM · #
Thank you for taking your time and talking with me Mr. Friedersdorf.
It depends on two very general factors. The first and most important is the forum for which that individual is bringing their hubris from. For example I would not advocate a dissection of Micheal Moore’s docu flicks, as they are about 50/50 entertainment and journalism, or Penn and Teller’s Bull****, another docu flick example that is a 50/50 blend. Next you have the pseudo journalism forum. This would include Oberman, Madow, Carlson, Blitzer, Crammer, and Hannity (both radio and TV media) to name a few. Everything this group advocates (and they do advocate, some more subtly then others [Oberman]) should be taken IN context and with a LITTLE bit of understanding. To paraphrase Mr. Boortz his job is to get ratings to sell advertisements, he is simply able to do that through a medium that lets him advocate his political position. This is why, in my view, NPR (National Public Radio) needs donations (not just the no commercial mandate) they are not in the business of offering ANY entertainment (in the business world this is called value add). In this case, unless the offence is morally irreprehensible (Murder, Nazism, and Statutory Rape come to mind off the top of my head). Dr. Levin made reference to suicide which is different (“go jump off a cliff” comes to mind as a good colloquial example) it ought to be rather nominal to blend entertainment and journalism.
Second, those in public office are always held to a higher standard in general, but forum and context must be taken into account. For example I would not advocate a line by line dissection of Millhouse’s (AKA Obama) recent ADS (after dinner speech) to the media group as it is going to be primarily composed of humor and jokes and it was (the nature of an ADS). On the other hand I would go after the State of the Union Address.
I do enjoy the mental sparing Mr. Friedersdorf but on this issue you tend to be doing more harm on balance to your fellow conservative then good. If you truly wish to challenge Dr. Levin the number is 877-381-3811.
HDD (Honor Duty Dignity) my brother in arms and fellow conservative. HDD.
— Thomas Hamilton · Jun 23, 12:38 AM · #
Thomas,
I’m struck by how politely and thoughtfully you’ve responded — though we’ll have to agree to disagree about whether I am doing harm or good with my posts, I certainly respect your take on the matter. I won’t, however, be calling Mr. Levin. If I did, I’d be addressing him in what you would call a serious portion of the show. And he would use me as entertainment. If ever he is willing to debate in a neutral form, however, so am I.
— Conor Friedersdorf · Jun 23, 05:18 AM · #