gwd-scouter 11 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Oh well, I was never a fan of the show Hannity and Colmes, but now Colmes is gone and Hannity has his own show. I decided to watch last night just to give it a chance. Good grief, can't Hannity find ANYTHING positive to say about Obama? I don't care for all the overly optimistic gushing going on by other 'news' people either, but good grief, where is the middle ground? I did vote for Obama and am thrilled about today. I'm just wondering if there is anyone out there that think he's neither the Messiah nor the Devil. Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 In my estimation today is a great day for America, another new beginning. And if a person can't abide by any of the policies that Obama supports, I would have thought that even the most ardent Republicans would appreciate Obama's call for a national day of service to mark Martin Luther King day yesterday. I wish that had gotten a bit more play in scouting circles around here. Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 If I remember correctly, and if I don't, I rest assured I will be corrected, but didnt ol' 41 call for the Thousand Points of Light? Thousands of people volunteering in the community? That didnt get a lot of play either. The fear I have of guys like Hannity and the slew of Right Wing Hosts is their use of hyperbole. And I know hyperbole when I see it. Hannity has all but labeled Obama the AntiChrist. Others point at virtually everyhing he does as wrong so often that people have become inured to it. If Obama actually starts down the road to something really bad, who will pay attention to those who point it out? There has been so much naysaying about Obama, I am not sure many listen to it anymore, and the naysayers only have themselves to blame Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Yes OGE, you're right, GHW Bush did call for a thousand points of light. Although I have no recollection of him actually doing any service, but maybe he did and I just don't remember. Point is though, that was, what, 20 years ago? And yes, Clinton got Americorp started, but that's not something a lot of ordinary people can just go out and do for a few hours out of their daily lives. In the meantime, one notable thing about our (soon to be) former president's responses to hard times has been the absence of any serious national call for service from ordinary folks. Do you remember GW Bush's exhortation that we should all go SHOPPING? Yeah Yeah, he might actually have had a point, but that was rather disappointing, none the less. Given the emphasis we in scouting place on service to community, I'd think there might be a whole bunch of excited scouters out there, of all political stripes, using Obama's message and example to stir their own scouts into action. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Unchecked by another point of view, Hannity risks becoming a marginalized loudmouth with an ever diminishing rating. The American people don't want his ridiculous criticism, like him labeling the current economic disaster "The Obama Recession". It just isn't helpful. Most conservatives I've talked to want to give Obama a chance, and hope for his success in getting our country on the right track. Even my most neo-con-ish relatives are tuning out Hannity. Within 6 months, I predict he will lose his coveted time slot and perhaps even be cancelled by FoxNews. Murdock is no idiot. FoxNews is a business first and a right wing propaganda machine second. Link to post Share on other sites
Eagledad 2781 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Well you guys can count on me to be as fair with Obama and give him as much respect as the Democrats and liberals have given Bush. Im there for ya. As for Colmes and Hannity, IMHO, they are both loud mouth extremist that only appealed to the emotions of their viewers. They werent voices of logic even when they balanced each other. Ive been watching these programs for quite a long time and Frankly, I feel the day of attempting balanced political discussions ended the day that David Brinkley retired. I would like to say cable news political commentary and discussion are all junk, but National Networks are no better. So, we are left to seek out balance in other media venues. Good luck to that. Barry Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Tuning in Hannity on Fox expecting "objectivity" is no more logical than tuning in Olberman in MSNBC expecting the same thing. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the death of "journalism", which I was taught in Journalism class to be a reporting of the facts without bias. Hannity, Olberman, Limbaugh, and the rest of their ilk do not claim to be journalists, they are entertainers. I do listen to Hannity on the way home from work every day, and agree with him that the reaction to Obama has been much different than what a Republican would have been received. There are many questions remaining in Obama's background and associations which have sunk your average Republican candidate or cabinet nominee. I mean, a Secretary of Treasury who cheated on his income tax, and we're supposed to just ignore it as an "honest mistake"? Pulleezze. Do they really think we are THAT stupid? Since the election Obama has throttled back his rhetoric quite a bit. Perhaps with the realization that his empty socialist promises cannot be realistically fulfilled, even in 8 years. A "day of service" for MLK day...I guess that's why the movie theater was sold out full of kids yesterday? I think MLK would have much preferred that the kids be in school learning how to read and write...a skill no longer needed for graduation. Unfortunately, I have come to believe that the Democrat party could have nominated anyone and won...just because he's "not Bush". Obama was just there at the right time. Sad. Really sad. Link to post Share on other sites
OldGreyEagle 5 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Jimmy Carter has done quite a bit of good with Habitat for Humanity as strange as he has been the last few years. There have been calls for Volunteerism in America before, I don't understand why when Obama calls for it, its like no one ever thought of it before Link to post Share on other sites
Beavah 205 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Not that nobody has thought of it before. Just that it was a nice, civic-minded notion worth supporting. I'm happy to support any politician of any stripe who calls on the public for service, eh? But I'm more than happy to have a president who is uniquely placed take what at its origins is a race-based holiday and open it up to being a fully American Holiday. I'd like to see him continue it in future years, eh? The MLK Day of National Service, where we all together volunteer on behalf of the community and work for those less fortunate. I reckon it was a remarkably savvy move on his part, and one worth supporting. Had we heard about it far enough in advance to organize properly, I'm certain da BSA and many councils would have lent their enthusiastic support as part of our good turn for America. Beavah Link to post Share on other sites
BrentAllen 10 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 From Nielsen, Jan. 15, 2009 (the latest numbers available) 8PM - P2+ (25-54) (35-64) **Pres Farewell Address (8PM-815PM) 4,855,000 viewers (1,205,000) (1,975,000) **The OReilly Factor (815PM-9PM)4,241,000 viewers (987,000) (1,748,000) Campbell Brown1,852,000 viewers (744,000) (948,000) **SP RPT/Live Coverage (8PM-815PM) 1,654,000 viewers (652,000) (859,000) **Countdown w/Keith Olbermann (815-9PM) 1,856,000 viewers (722,000) (997,000) Nancy Grace 1,295,000 viewers (525,000) (767,000) 9 PM - P2+ (25-54) (35-64) Hannity2,608,000 viewers (647,000) (1,122,000) Larry King Live1,825,000 viewers (578,000) (793,000) Rachel Maddow Show 1,344,000 viewers (527,000) (756,000) Untold Wealth: Super Rich 321,000 viewers (129,000) (159,000) Lou Dobbs- 544,000 viewers (277,000) (348,000) Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 GWD, Evidently you have never listened to Hannity's radio show. He dubbed it the "Stop the Radical Obama Express" once Obama won the nomination. Before that, it was the "Stop Hillary Express". Radio stays alive thru ratings and you have to give your audience what they want to stay on the air and make a living. He now gets to do a solo TV version of what he does on the radio. The unfortunate part is that many of his fans actually think he IS a journalist instead of an entertainer and take his comments as unbiased news reporting rather than partisan spin. Truthfully, Colmes was never a counter balance in any way, shape or form. All he actually did was cut into Hannity's time to dominate the program. Link to post Share on other sites
Lisabob 13 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 THank you Beavah, for explaining what I meant in clearer terms than I did. Link to post Share on other sites
2eagles 10 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 The question we need to ask -- is if entertainers can be so easily mistaken for media -- our media is not doing it's job. FACTS - no opinion to editorializing - loose the slant. Oh and scary thought be responsible. I know as i watch our current media i am shuddering -- no ethics followed as I was taught Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Part of the issue is that much of talk radio is political, therefore it is accepted as "news" by some folks. Another part of the issue has been the rise of 24 hour cable news networks. As big as the world is and as much as there is that goes on, you simply can't report actual NEWS 24 hours a day and stay in business. The majority of cable news programming just like talk radio is opinion instead of news. People accept opinion as "news" because it is on a news network. Link to post Share on other sites
gwd-scouter 11 Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 No, I dont' listen to talk radio. I prefer to listen to the CDs I mix myself. I never thought that Colmes was meant to actually be a balance to Hannity. In fact, I always thought it amusing that Fox News seemed to have found the least persuasive liberal pundit they could to "try" to balance Hannity. Sorry Scoutldr, while I agree that some folks on Fox or MSNBC (I don't get that channel) are clearly partisan and that you were taught in journalism class to report "the facts," I think your post shows that you are partisan as well. Link to post Share on other sites
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