The Dream Is Over
Air America will declare bankruptcy on Friday. There, there, it’s okay; we’re all devastated. Take a few minutes to compose yourself.
How bad is Air America? So bad that with the opposition party holding both chambers of Congress and the White House (the ideal position for talk radio – being on the opposite side of Clinton made Rush Limbaugh a star), and with voter discontent with the ruling party at historically high levels, they can’t stay afloat.
Pefect business conditions, in other words…and bankruptcy. Think Progress says not to worry, progressive radio is a hit! Yep, and the Big Three automakers are in great shape, too…
Oh the crocs are crying, so what does this prove? That racism, sexual hypocrisy, drug addiction, and xenophobia all flourish in the part of America religated to listening to non-cable radio, gosh what surprise.
Ummm….yeah, sure…
The reason that AA is declaring bankruptcy is that they have their heads up their a** business-wise. They let good hosts get away and give prime slots to the least talented or the most shrill (sorry Randi). Their choice of real estate on the dial is also pretty questionable. 1600 AM in NY? The closest neighbors are Chinese language stations or stations talking about UFO abductions.
Hey khbat, what are you talking about, “non-cable radio”? You have cable radio? Guess you can’t travel very far. Satellite radio, maybe? AA is on XM.
Just wanted to let you 38%ers know what I thought.
Don’t really understand your point, khbat, but if AA goes off the air all we’ll have left is “racism (Rush), sexual hypocrisy (O’Reilly), drug addiction (Rush again), and xenophobia (Levin, Savage or any and all of the above)”.
Don’t forget – terrorism, terrorism, terrorism. Ooogah boogah!
all this really points up is that the average democrat is not as interested in listening to the daily talking points and listening to ludicrous spin as the typical republican is. face it…democrats tend to think for themselves, while republicans can’t. republicans need to belly up to the kool-aid bar everyday…democrats don’t.
Ah yes. “We failed because our audience is just too darned smart.” I wonder where Democrats get this odd reputation as being arrogant elitists?
Of course, if Air America was run by Democrats, and Democrats are by definition smarter than the average bear, shouldn’t they have seen this coming? Hmm, I guess we mustn’t spend too much time pondering the imponderables…
I think the main problem is that it’s hard to compete with an established rival – NPR. Or else they just overestimated the number of NPR listeners who want more flecks of furious spittle coming out of their speakers.
From following this not TOO closely, it seems that the problem that sank this leaky ship was talent costs. (And if ratings reflect talent… hoo boy!) Franken, tribune of the working man, was pulling in millions REGARDLESS of the ratings, a deal he had inked before ever going on the air. I guess he knew in his black little heart and empty little head that it would all come acropper in short order so best to pillage early and often. In this he is the perfect Liberal; big talk masking avarice for oneself and scorn for everything and everyone else. Like all Lefty projects, once the initial narcotic rush of “revolution” met reality and popped like a soap bubble, all that remained was the core of all Leftwing thought, from socialism to communism: resentment. Man, how I laugh at these witless worthless goons.
Talk radio is about entertainment and nothing more. If someone is entertaining, then people will listen. A talk-radio host can even be hateful, so long as it is seen as humorous (such as Howard Stern; most people listen to him to hear what he’s going to say next). However, when the hatred is just purely hatred and has no humor (such as advocating the assassination of the president, as AA has done), then people will not listen.
I definitely don’t understand how Michael Savage is supposed to be a partisan Republican. I was listening to him a few weeks ago (for entertainment as I said before) and he was ranting about how Condoleeza Rice should be fired and George Bush and all the other Republicans today are like the Democratic party of the 1970’s.
Dennis – who said “We failed because our audience is just too darned smart.” The point Jay is making is that Dems/libs don’t need to be told how and what to think on a daily basis. Not because they are smarter, but because, and I’ll say this very slowly, they think for t-h-e-m-s-e-l-v-e-s. They don’t require the constant feed of the party line.
Don’t forget – terrorism, terrorism, terrorism. Ooogah boogah! So sad that 19 dudes with box-cutters can do what the Nazis, the USSR, King George’s army couldn’t do – bring the country to it’s knees like a bunch of blubbering babies. Go change your diaper.
As someone who’s listened to Air America a bit, I feel pretty safe saying that the major problem was not the concept, but the talent level of the hosts. Al Franken’s show is pretty good, and consistently entertaining. But the others were spotty at best. And some (Randi Rhodes) just made me want to change the channel instantly. People aren’t going to listen to a show just because the host tends to agree with them about stuff. They have to be entertaining. Conservative talk radio grew slowly as talented hosts emerged and slowly built a following. Air America’s goal of instantly filling a full schedule of left-leaning programming was just too ambitious. There wasn’t enough available talent.
My prediction: some of the more successful left-leaning hosts have shown there is an untapped market out there, particularly in certain regions. Liberal radio will have to grow more slowly and organically, like right-wing radio did, and it will. Ten years from now there may be enough talent to fill an entire day long schedule, and something like Air America will re-emerge.
“Dems/libs don’t need to be told how and what to think on a daily basis.”
That would explain why DailyKos gets so few visitors. Oh, wait . . . .
Maybe it would be better – meaning smarter – to agree that the vast majority of people are mob-following idiots. Democrats, Republicans, whatever; the fact that Dems aren’t getting their dose of talking points from Air America doesn’t imply that they aren’t getting them from somewhere.
I mean, seriously, Chuck, take a few seconds to think about some of the traditional Dem voting blocs, and then try to argue that Republicans have a monopoly on ignorance and sloganeering.
“…face it…democrats tend to think for themselves…”
Sure you do, sweetheart. No doubt you kept telling yourself that while you lost to one of the worst Presidential candidates in history, and kept losing both Houses during a problematic war that was opposed by roughly 50% of the country. Of course, while you genuflect to yourself in the mirror each morning, you also keep reiterating that you’re the kind of independent thinker who “don’t require the constant feed of the party line.”
But there’s a nagging little voice in the back of your head that keeps reminding you that your amazing powers of “independent thought” keep coming up snake eyes in every election. Yes, your candidates lose big, and lose often – must be quite an achievement for you. Really, take a bow, you deserve it. After all, a winning record like yours surely needs to be learned and repeated by your legions of fellow – brainiacs. Please keep up the good work, we love this kind of talk.
“Don’t forget – terrorism, terrorism, terrorism. Ooogah boogah!”
Ah, there we have it – more scintillating political analysis by the one who “always thinks for himself.” Truly brilliant commentary – it suggests that your previous talents have been misapplied -I hear that the show “Jackass” is looking for some new comedy writers – no doubt they’re eagerly awaiting your immense talents.
OK Chuck, that still doesn’t answer the question of how all those free-thinking intellectuals behind Air America couldn’t use their brilliant insights to see that the concept might not work.
Do you really want to spend your life battling strawmen and firing off retread insults? Does it make you feel better to think those who disagree with you must do so because they’re automatons?
I mean, I shouldn’t have to point out that it’s not exactly the height of deductive reasoning to conclude that if a group of people share common ideals that get labeled “conservative,” they must have been spoon-fed robots, but if another group of people share common ideals that get labeled “liberal,” they must have all been free-thinkers who just happened to reach the identical conclusions.
“Not because they are smarter, but because, and I’ll say this very slowly, they think for t-h-e-m-s-e-l-v-e-s.”
That is an important distinction. As is evidenced by your brilliant argument — “Don’t forget – terrorism, terrorism, terrorism. Ooogah boogah!” — Democrats most certainly aren’t as smart as — definitely not smarter than — Republicans. At least not this particular Democrat. I’m sure you didn’t have to rely on anyone else for that argument.
In fact, listening to the opinions of others, especially those who are well-educated and knowledgeable, is a mark of intelligence. Thinking that you can rely on yourself for all information and knowledge is quite the opposite. Al Gore, for instance, was convinced of his own expertise in every area of knowledge; George Bush on the other hand, realizes he is not an all-encompassing encyclopedia of knowledge and has surrounded himself with intelligent and experienced advisors.
“republicans need to belly up to the kool-aid bar everyday…democrats don’t.”
Awww. It sounds like Mr. Grumpy needs a hug.
Air America Circling the Drain
I can’t say that I’m surprised, given how poorly the network did in the ratings, and how it couldn’t even manage an audience in New York City. The NYC flagship station, WLIB-AM languished in the ratings, bordering on oblivion for months at an end.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned this yet, but I think the biggest difference is the familiar red state/blue state divide, which is after all really a rural/urban split. Idea being that GOPers tend to be rural-ish, while Dems tend to be urban-ish. And listening to talk radio, especially outside of ‘drive time’, seems to be to a large extent a rural phenomenon. Who listens to talk radio all day long? Truckers, farmers, etc. People who live in big cities have more entertainment options and often a more hectic lifestyle that doesn’t involve sitting in one place for long periods of time.
Yes, these are generalizations/over-simplifications, but that’s what we’re dealing with. After all, it’s not like Air America didn’t have ANY listeners. In fact, they probably had pretty damn many — just not compared w/ Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.
Excellent points, Jason…
I think the problem with Air America is the theme…
a radio station playing an all-democratic theme, what little talent that was there was watered down by the other talent.
I have noticed that when it was just limbaugh, he would usually be on the major am news station regardless of the city. You listen to traffic on the way in to work, and he is playing at lunch.
Air america would be better off consolidating the talent they have and doing one show at the same time, competing directly against limbaugh’s time slot-rotating/combining hosts-one of the successes about the stern show is the interplay between his posse. In having little disagreements on air, it breaks the democratic stereotype that they are all clones, reciting the same talking points as if they believed them. It would have been a good way of letting them express their personalities.
While in the north east, I heard Hannity’s show-it sux. Same as O’reilly. I despise Savage, but will give the devil his do-he has a niche-god help us all if he replaces limbaugh in audience.
Just a data point, but has the bankruptcy filing actually happened or is this a rumour mill gone mad? Just asking. I have also read over the last few days denials from AA execs at this latest round of Drudge report blaring headlines (he’s not always right, ya know, and Druidge never ever runs a retraction when his rumours don’t pan out). I’m just sayng….these same rumours of impending doom have cropped up every 6 months or so sine AA launched.
Not that I won’t be suprised. I find Franken too laconic, though he can be pretty funny. Randi is far too shrill for me and has a bad habit of not getting her facts spot on. That bugs me to no end. If you’re going to debate honestly and be listened to, no matter what side of an argument you’re on, your facts, even the leetle ones must be spot on. Example: in speaking about the piss-poor ratings of the ABC propaganda movie last week, she blathered out a stat of only 8 million viewers tuning in. I read in three other print media sources that it was 12 million (football –> 21 milliion). There was no need to exagerate the lame ratings and by doing so she negates all the power of her argument. It’s what a good defense lawyer will do to a witness. Uncover a falsehood so they can say, “see, colin Powell lied abuot this point, so nothing he says has any validity.”
I digress. I’ll not be surprised if they do file for bankruptcy on Friday or at some point. But until they do, it’s just rumours and posturing from the right. Happened before, it will happen again. Can I expect to come here next Monday and hear apologies for jumping all over false story if rumours of AA’s demise prove to me premature?
Hey Dmac – that’s why it’s so hard to talk to you guys – you can’t keep a line on the argument. Are you saying that Dems don’t think for themselves and that’s why they lose elections or that they do think for themselves and therefor lose elections?
Both arguments are kind of non sequitors, although if I had to pick, I’d pick the latter. The inability to articulate and then hold to a strict party line does hurt the Dems in elections.
And as much as I still believe in my previous posts about Dems being more prone to thinking for themselves and seeking information from various sources, not going to the party well to drink everyday…. (and Republicans are smarter? Not any way you slice it; Red State v. Blue, college grads, test scores, etc. Which is not a way to come to conclusions about how people vote. People vote how they BELIEVE as much as what they KNOW – and how much can you know about how someone will govern before you elect them. Which is why, now that people KNOW that Bush is inept {and worse} they are abandoning him).
….Air America still sucks. It really does. If you gave it a listen and thought it sucked because of the political slant – no (well maybe to you if you disagree with everything). It sucks because it sucks. I want it to be better, but it just gets frikkin’ worse. In the beginning I tried to get conservatives to listen, now I wouldn’t even reccommend that libs listen.
Hey seriously – for a purely non-political (well slightly, but only slightly righty) incredibly funny show, try the AM team from Philly, Preston and Steve. If you listen to 20 minutes and don’t agree, I’ll give you your money back. Podcast here: http://prestonandsteve.libsyn.com
Air America Fails to Re-Pay Money Stolen From Poor Black Kids in New York – Files for Bankruptcy
Last year when I was still chasing blogosphere scandal waves, it came to my attention that Air America stole money from poor black kids in New York. I joined the swarm. I think I’ll join this one, too.
The liberal radio network hemmed and hawe…
Bill, if it’s apologies you’re looking for, go to the left – Think Progress, to be exact, who broke the news, if it is just a rumour. Funny how you just assumed we made it up on the right…more of that independent thinking liberals are so famous for, no doubt…
Chuck-
In fact, as far as the “who’s smarter than whom” debate goes, Republicans/conservatives do better by at least two measures – average years of education, and average income. In the interest of fairness, I will note that both gaps, while rather wide a decade (or two) ago, have narrowed; I think the difference might at this point be just on the edge of statistical significance.
In any case, I don’t find the average intelligence (of either group) to be particularly interesting or important. We’ve all, I’m sure, known more than a few very smart people who lacked any kind of grasp of policy issues.
Mark, you didn’t fully read my post. I mentioned the right because, well, that is where you read all the frothing about this particular instance of “AA is sinking!” I was pointed to the rumour first on Drudge, not think progress. And do you deny that Rush and Sean and Drudge and levin, et al…. are not now and have not in the past ranted red faced about AA’s supposed demise — for years? I didn’t asume anything, I just said recent history shows the rightwing media chorus to be wrong on this subject and until it happens, it’s nothing more than rumours. they also have a very poor record on recanting their mistakes. The right don’t do apologie. I also said if you read rather than skimmed that I think the show and some of its personalities have serious flaws and I won’t be suprised the day it goes under.
did I get banned already. Your blog tagged my (if I may say so myself) calm reasoned reply to mark as “spam” and whacked it. Is this how this blog’s admin reacts to reasoned debate?
I’ll jump into this liberals:”free thinkers”, righties:”told what to think” argument.
“In fact, listening to the opinions of others, especially those who are well-educated and knowledgeable, is a mark of intelligence. Thinking that you can rely on yourself for all information and knowledge is quite the opposite.”
This is entirely laughable coming from the right.
There is scientific agreement on major issues (global warming, evolution) that the right is incapable of recognizing. These are the consensus opinions of people who by definition are “well-educated and knowledgable”, but you refuse to listen to them. Many times they are labeled partisan hacks, as if the entire scientific community has been bought off (all while claiming the few dissenting scientists AREN’T bought off by exxon or the christian right – rediculous).
Rush Limbaugh, on the other hand, spouts proved falsehoods on a daily basis. He pull statistics out of his a** to win an argument, regardless of whether there’s any truth to it. Yet his word is worth more to your average righty then the consensus of the international scientific community. The proof of his lies is available to anyone who bothers to look.
So you really have to wonder, what is it that makes the right believe rush limbaugh (without any proof) but instantly doubt the entire scientific community (without any proof)? Could it be that they uncritically accept anything that their chosen authority says, even when it clearly conflicts with what “well-educated and knoledgable” people have to say?
As for the “Lefties ran it, it went bankrupt, so lefties are dumb!” argument, that’s just idiotic. Plenty of very smart and capable people have failed at business for soooo many reasons that this one incident is insignificant. It’s anecdotal and doesn’t “prove” anything. It also doesn’t “prove” the left-wing radio can’t work. It absolutely can…in fact, I think Air America proved that it could, if they just paid their talent a bit less cash. As to those saying there’s little developed talent on the left… how can you say that? Have you heard Thom Hartmann? Did you hear Tom Oliphant and Christy (forgot her last name) filling in for Franken? Those aren’t even the regulars, yet they do a fantastic job. There’s a lot of talent, it just needs nurturing and a DECENT spot on the dail.
Anyone else amused by the notion of several lefty posters popping out of the woodwork for the first time, all of them insisting identically that liberals are free thinkers and conservatives are spoonfed sheep, and then brooking no argument?
Maybe their irony meters are on the fritz.
Dennis,
You implied that Jay’s post was stupid, but in fact he said it right: the endless talking points, spin, ad hominem attacks, straw-man hypotheticals, and droning repetition of rant radio are attractive and interesting over time only to the the personality type that craves certainty and simplicity: i.e. religious extremists, Nazis, Japanese militarists, leftist butchers like Stalin and Pol Pot. And today’s Republican. There is some statistical correlation between overall intelligence and the tendency (a simple brain craves certainty; a more complex one is able to see both sides of an issue), but it’s more of a personality type than strictly brain-functionality.
The “reality based community” prefers information and substance. It’s why we listen to those “traitors” at NPR; they interview people who actually know something about the topic of discussion rather than bloviate. Opinion is welcome in moderate doses but we seek actual information.
I tried listening to Air America when it first began and quickly grew tired of it. I just don’t want to be a “dittohead” of any kind. You’re welcome to Bimbo Radio. We’ll take Steven Colbert any day.
It would be good for you people to remember that it’s the “faggots” and “liberal looney-tunes” of the creative cities that have thus far prevented the trade deficit from being two trillion dollars a year. If you “hunt liberals down with dogs” as Saint Rush advocates, there won’t be anyone to create the valuable information products that the rest of the world wants. The Chinese won’t forever continue to front you credit for the barbecue grills and marble counter-tops in front of which you prance and preen for your adoring family. We have to have something to trade back other than soybeans.
You think you’ve created your success, and you have probably put in the requisite number of working hours necessary to glean it. But the primary determinant is that you’re a white man in the United States, which by being very “reality based” for its first 200 years has made amazing technological discoveries and adopted them promptly.
It would therefore be wise not to kill the goose laden with golden eggs.
Bill, who banned you? Certainly not me, and I’m the site admin. If my spam filter caught one of your messages, I apologize…
I just checked – it was in the spam filter. I’ve restored the message now…
Bill, I can’t speak for the ‘right’, but if the rumor turns out to be wrong, I’ll post a correction…
Anandakos, I have no freakin’ clue what you’re talking about – none of that crap has anything to do with me or my readers. Educate yourself before coming here and making a fool out of yourself, my friend…
Sorry, Anandakos, but while Colbert and his ilk adopt a strikingly different tone from the talk-radio types, it’s the same kind of “dittohead” attitude that’s on display. I’ve never seen Colbert trying to get his audience to think. And don’t get me wrong, I think that the man has his funny moments, but seriously, Colbert was an odd pick for someone lashing out against straw men. His whole shtick is an attack on a straw man version of O’Reilly, one that is frankly embarrassing for its inaccuracies.
Also . . . it’s getting a little stale to hear the same “Republicans are dumb” or “Republicans crave simplicity” arguments, especially from a group whose desire for black-and-white clarity is so great that they’ll dismiss their opponents as simple-minded would-be Nazis. Anyone who is going to try to claim with a straight face that “Democrats like to think” or “Democrats are smarter” has obviously not given much consideration to the issue. There are plenty of fantastically dumb Democrats, and plenty of liberals believe things that fly in the face of facts and reason. I mean, I’m sorry, but the demographics are pretty clear, and the Democratic Party certainly picks up their share of the undereducated, ignorant, simple-minded vote.
If you want to be reality-based, you’re going to have to accept some facts. Among them, you’re going to have to see the plain reality that both parties, appealing as they do to broad portions of the electorate, must be appealing to a lot of idiots. You might want to consider the Democrats’ electoral strategy, and ask if their oversimplified, talking-points sloganeering is really any different from the Republicans’ efforts. And you’re also going to have to notice that both parties have their share of intelligent, well-educated, well-informed supporters. Or . . . you can choose to believe that the world is completely clear-cut: Democrats are all Ph.D.-holding geniuses with independent minds, and Republicans are all frothing-at-the-mouth high school dropouts eager to join a mob. That certainly seems nuanced to me.
Well, T.W.L., I’ll actually agree with most of what you said here from the right. Idiocy and intelligence are poor indicators of a person’s political preferences. I’m not a fan of demonizing opponents, and I think my blog in its entirety (as opposed to this one small slice most people are seeing here) will bear that out – of course, I do my share of it, too, but I try to avoid it…
“Idiocy and intelligence are poor indicators of a person’s political preferences.”
I dunno, I think that if you have a Lyndon LaRouche bumper sticker on your car, it’s a safe bet that you are in the first category. Ditto for a Nader ‘04 bumper sticker.
I think you better wait until they actually declare bankruptcy to start gloating. Air America is denying that they will declare. Maybe it’’s a lie, but you have been wrong before, not that that stops you from shooting off your mouth again (because of course you are NEVER wrong)
I love reading how Anandakos assumes all sorts of things about me without even having the first clue who I am. And strikingly, he uses his independent, free-thinking brain to come to use the exact same arguments and come to the exact same conclusions as all these other free-thinkers who have lately inhabited this thread. I’d advise you to read TWL’s post for a bit of perspective, but certainly you don’t need too, as clearly his deviation from your script renders him one of those mindless sheep.
Anyway, thank you for proving my point. By the way, do you ever suffer from dislocated shoulders from all that patting yourself on the back?
Oh, zenless, you know SO MUCH about me. Have you ever read this blog before? I doubt it…if you had, you’d know I’ve always admitted when I get things wrong, and in fact, I posted last night that Air America is denying the report.
I assume you’ve directed your wrath at Think Progress, since they started the rumor?…You’re not a hypocrite, now, are you?…
Oh certainly. Because if the regular readers of Decision ‘08 know anything about Mark, it’s how he refuses to acknowledge error or disagreement. Now let me go fetch my eyeballs. They seem to have rolled out of my head.
Unless, of course, that was directed at the general “you,” i.e., anyone to the right of zenless. Because grouping people together like that is a sign of independent thinking.
I have no clue if Air America will go under. I don’t really care. But for a bunch of people who have jumped in here to post about how they didn’t care for it, they sure seem awfully invested in its success.
LOL…this is really funny. I wish I’d gotten in sooner.
I can explain to you quite clearly why conservative talk radio has thrived while liberal talk radio has not, and the facts are undeniable.
We all agree that Rush and conservative talk radio hit their stride while being antagonistic to the Clinton administration, but that for some reason liberal talk radio was unable to capitalize similarly despite having the Bush administration to bash upon, right?
Rush et al. suceeded because they were saying things that couldn’t be heard anywhere else.
Air America failed/is failing because they are saying things that can be heard everywhere else. There’s no need for Air America. We already have liberal media.
I doubt that you will ever read this ME, but in regard to post 26 I must say that you are positing the same monolithic “right” as many conservatives do with the “left.” I, for one, and many if not most of this site’s frequent readers are hardly Rush Limbaugh fans; that’s one reason why we come here, Mark offers a moderate (though admittedly partisan) view on most issues. And also, not all republicans are ultra-right wing Christians or religious people. I am a republican who believes firmly in evolution. I believe that science is man’s greatest source of knowledge. To make the claim that all republicans disregard science is simply false (although you are correct that many do).
Let me second Mason on the subject of Republicans and science – although too many Republicans ARE hostile to science if it contradicts religious or political sentiments, many of us struggle mightily to overcome this innate positing of a science – religion clash. I see the two as harmonious – science is using our God-given intelligence to understand creation. A bit deist, perhaps, but the point Mason was making is that we aren’t all cut from the same cloth just because we have conservative political beliefs for the most part…
Around the World
Air America, il titanico sforzo liberal per costruire un network radiofonico in grado di arginare lo strapotere conservatore nell’etere, finir in bancarotta. Noi, un anno fa, ne avevamo parlato qui e qui.
What utter BS.
Concentrated media ownership – as authored by Bush’s richest friends and pushed into place by Michael Powell – is squelching any voice but that of the GOP.
Concentrated media ownership means that in Chicago (where REAL PATRIOTIC AMERICANS want access to Air America to take the fight to defend the Constitution to the people) are relegated to a low-power AM sundowner.
Concentrated media ownership means the death of many voices of REAL PATRIOTIC AMERICANS and threatens local representation in the media generally.
And the FCC, under Michael Powell, destroyed a report that proved this is what they were intentionally doing.
Clearly, the truth that Air America broadcasts is such a danger to the liars and criminals in the Bush Administration that they must destroy it.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6372324.html
Oh, thanks, you REAL PATRIOTIC AMERICAN, you (why do progressives always feel the need to scream?…
“the truth that Air America broadcasts is such a danger to the . . . Bush Administration that they must destroy it.”
The truth that liberals like Randi Rhodes want to assassinate the president? I’d say that’s a threat that justifies destruction.
TWL,
You really didn’t read my post did you? I said it’s a personality type that appeals to rant radio, not relative intelligence. There are obviously smart Republicans and plenty of dumb Democrats. Before the Coolidge wing of the party pushed TR out, Republicans were clearly the more progressive, nuanced party. Even until Goldwater “purged” them, there was still the Rockefeller internationalist and integrationist group in the northeast. As far as the Democrats are concerned, until Harry Truman integrated the army and Lyndon rammed through the Civil Rights act, the Democrats were primarily a Labor party conniving with segregationists, Eleanor and a few like her excepted.
So, yes, both parties have a history of pandering to thumb-sucking knuckle-dragging throwbacks. But since the Civil Rights realignment, the Republican party has been increasingly in their thrall and the Democrats less so. Sure, you have some very bright people, but they’re still brittle, inflexible ideologues.
And the most important truth is that you’re dragging the nation down to destruction. It’s true that no one can reasonably attack us today, but China and its allies in central Asia will certainly become more powerful than the US in the coming decades. We need the good will of other nations, and today’s Republican party is squandering it for short-term economic and political advantage.
So what happend on Friday?
Jumped the gun perhaps?
If you bothered reading the rest of my blog, you’d know we went down that road…