HuffPo's Schaeffer: "Glenn Becks of this world literally are responsible for unleashing ... movement" to "shut down legitimate debate"
August 07, 2009 11:33 pm ET
From the August 7 edition of MSNBC' The Rachel Maddow Show:
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The other right-wing media mogul you should worry about
Palin's book and Obama's bow: a media week to forget
Media Matters: The Palin chronicles
I saw his whole segment and it was pretty impressive. Maddow (who is always impressive) had the good sense to just let the man speak.
And if he can take the TMZ-American Idol morons whom Olbermann feels compelled to give air time to on HIS show, that would be even better.
She has done some amazing work not only on health care and the birthers, but also on K Street, Sanford and Ensign--just to name a few.
I think the reason you don't hear the right mention Maddow so rarely is that it's hard to find anything to howl about when she deals in just the facts. The only reason the yelp about KO is because he stirs the pot. Even then, they can't really dispute his information, just the way he says it.
Either way, these two are bright lights in the darkness and lies Fox deals in.
We're not going to see this gentleman over at ABC News.
Bring guns to a town hall meeting and use them. Boy, sounds like another threat of death to me...
Teabaggers = Terrorists
Only in America is he called a racist.
The man who said it never was made to apologize.
Limbaugh called him a Nazi.
The man was never made to apologize for his comments about our president. Obama was made to apologize for calling a police action stupid.
Obama is the leader of a superpower. The FCC is silent when individuals make dangerous and inexcusable remarks. Why?
Beck and all the stooges at Fox should be proud to live in a country that has such a person in charge. There is one problem.
They hate black people! They are out to destroy Obama.
If Obama was 100% white I wonder who would pay Beck 50 million dollars a year to hear his rants?
Limbaugh has just signed a 250 million dollar contract.
Why are Americans allowing people to get rich off hatespeech?
That simple. Get over your emotions and look at reality.
President Obama is not respected by world leaders. They laugh at him. You are mixing up politeness in public, with respect. They don't do what he asks, and ignore him. That is called respect? Where do you get your information? Make it up , or read it in the newspapers, or hear it on msnbcnbcabccnn ? I don't like Fox either, but let's face it, the other side is made up of every other media outlet. You have to have some balance, and some other point of view, otherwise we might as well be in Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, etc. Is that what you want because you agree with the others? What happened to freedom of speech? It was "patriotic" to dissent when Bush was in. Now it is called hateful, racism.... they are told by the President to "shut up" and he tells his side to "punch them back twice as hard" Wow, what a mature President we have.
One more comment: President Bush was called every name in the book from day one by your side, including the Devil, and Hitler. Did you conveniently forget that? You sound very immature, and misinformed. I am so tired of the POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK ! Wise up or this nation is going under. Quit hating people that disagree with how you think things should be. They are not evil. Do you actually know what is in the 1000 page bill? How can you be for something in which you have no clue what it contains. You only know that the cool guy says it is a good thing.
That man Shaeffer has got to be the biggest hippocrite ever. The nerve of him to act angry and scared. Republicans are extremely frustrated, which is interpreted as "hateful". Democrats are more verging on "hateful". Except Lannie Davis. Vey fair, and a good guy. Look at the Policy, not the suaveness, or coolness, or hippness, of a person. That does not make a good President. We are quickly finding that out.
Sincerely,
a person who hopes people take a long hard look at themsevles, on all sides.
The post you were responding to was far superior to yours. It was logical and simple, which somehow you interpreted as "emotional." Good projection.
You aren't informed enough to know that there is no bill as yet. There are a number of bills in the process of being written. Unfortunately, none of the versions are for a single payer system. However, none of the versions suggest that grandma would be denied a hip replacement. If you buy that kool-aid, post some proof.
Your interpretation of frustrated include violent disruptions and threats of violence?
Yes, look at the policy. You have any comments on what the policy is rather than personal attacks, feel free.
Has he made mistakes sure, but he has the gumption to admit to them, and that makes him special. I've had friends call me up or write on my facebook page that if we Americans didn't want Obama THEY would be happy to take him off our hands. It's a sad state of affairs when people outside our country recognize the good thing we have and we don't...
But the truth is that these right wing hosts are actually getting people to vote against their interests while convincing them that the reason they’re disenfranchised is because the Republicans (who failed miserably) aren’t in power. That’s a bit of a problem. I thought it was very telling when a constituent stood up at a townhall meeting in South Carolina last week and barked that the government should keeps its hands off his medicare. How do the Becks and Limbaughs circulate these irrational premises, these outright lies and distortions? Simple, they go for the gut. Studies have repeatedly shown that appeals to emotionalism resonate more profoundly than appeals to the intellect. They know this and exploit it. Logic and reason are not the goal.
Then, and this is what really infuriates me, they distance themselves from their own rhetoric when the consequences come forth: “It’s just TV. I’m not a journalist. I’m not responsible for some lone nut.” Or, they turn self-righteous: “It’s the first amendment and I have every right to say anything. Don’t you believe in the Constitution? I am committed to the marketplace of ideas and you just want to silence me; how un-American. “ I defy anybody to show me where the Bill of Rights protects the right to lie, distort, and directly or indirectly incite violence and insurrection? The most nauseating thing of all is that these pundits aren’t really in favor of free speech so much as freedom to earn a buck. They aren’t standing on the corners and tending the grassroots. They need hype and controversy to keep them famous or relevant because of their unfortunate lack of substance. Very cynical.
All of this would be fine if these pundits only served a shallow Perez Hilton function. But they don’t. They divide us and nurture the lower brain that more than anything connects us to the animal kingdom. Worse yet, they put you and I on the defensive. We visit Media Matters are rail against them when we should be writing our representatives about this broken political system. In other words, we waste our noblest instincts on these people. It’s the genius of their shallow, reprehensible game. They create a stalemate, that pesky equilibrium. It’s Saturday and it’s a wash.
Love you all. You make me laugh and think. You know who you are.
That's been a warning for, oh, two thousand years plus.
Oh, and all these pundits claim to be 'christian'
Randy
It's not just US. There are sheep all over the world.
http://blog.showmeprogress.com/
As far as Rachael Maddow goes she is the only serious issues oriented TV personality around these days. She's extremely smart and knowledgeable and isn't sfraid to confront players from both sides. And she deals with stories few others will ever touch. Bravo Rachael!