REPORT: Emerging Culture of Paranoia
Obama Derangement Syndrome epidemic on conservative airwaves
Written by Raphael Schweber-Koren, Marcia Kuntz & Tom Allison
Published
Conservative media have directed their violent, doomsday, and anti-intellectual rhetoric at progressives in power, and specifically at President Obama, whom fake populists in conservative media depict as a threat to their audience's very way of life.
In recent months, the violent, doomsday, and anti-intellectual rhetoric that has long been a staple of conservative media has taken a notable turn in at least three significant ways: previously confined to the right-wing media fringe, the rhetoric is now a constant across the full spectrum of conservative media; it is louder and meaner, with conservative media figures appealing overtly to feelings of anger and paranoia in their audience; and it is focused, tied to the specific political aim of undermining the Obama administration and the Congress.
None other than David Horowitz notes “an interesting phenomenon on the Right, which is beginning to cause me concern”: “the over-top-hysteria in response to the first months in office of our new president.” Horowitz calls this “hysteria” “Obama Derangement Syndrome.”
Indeed, the rise of anti-government speech -- and the explosion of anti-Obama rhetoric -- on right-wing radio, Fox News, and among conservatives in other media outlets tracks directly with the arrival of the new administration and its broad efforts to address the myriad and interlocking problems confronting the country. Rather than engaging in substantive policy analysis and critique, the Glenn Becks, Sean Hannitys, and Rush Limbaughs of radio and television insult their audience with simplistic attacks on Obama and his administration's initiatives.
Far from informing the public, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, and numerous others on Fox News and elsewhere launch attacks at Obama, progressives, and their policy proposals with accusations of any one or more “isms” that bear no relationship to reality or even to each other. They warn darkly of purported efforts by the Obama administration to cede U.S. sovereignty to a world order rather than engaging in meaningful discussions about the United States' role and image in the world. They scapegoat vulnerable groups, encouraging the perception that undocumented immigrants, the poor, and racial and ethnic minorities are to blame for economic problems in this country. During a time of numerous high-profile acts of gun violence, they claim with alarm that Obama intends to seize their guns. Fox News has adopted the Tax Day “tea parties” as its own, urging its audience to organize and attend what it characterizes as protests of Obama administration tax and economic policies; the network's promotions of these tea-party protests have been largely devoid of meaningful and truthful discussion of the actual merits and flaws in the administration's proposals for reform -- and of little substantive attention to the question of whether Fox News' audience would be better or worse off under those proposals the network is encouraging its audience to protest.
On his show, Beck has gone so far as to purport to imitate Obama pouring gasoline on the American public to light it on fire.
The demagoguery in the conservative media could have real consequences for the country and for efforts by law and policymakers to address serious problems. It is a disservice to the conservative media's audience and to the country, involving distortions of issues with falsehoods and with rhetoric and imagery that incite anger rather than encouraging citizens to engage meaningfully in political and legislative debate and process.
Media Matters for America is tracking this explosion of anti-government rhetoric in the conservative media and has published the following:
Violent, Revolutionary Rhetoric
Conservative media unleash violent, revolutionary rhetoric
Since Obama's inauguration, Media Matters has documented numerous instances where conservative media figures have called for a “revolution” or have invoked violent rhetoric while discussing the Obama administration or government in general. In addition to encouraging violence, such violent rhetoric has also included suggesting Obama's policies were doing violence to the American people and depicting Obama as a rapist, spousal abuser, or mobster.
Newsbusters' Sheppard fans the flames
Levin: Government engaging in “economic child abuse” and is “enslaving” our children
Fox & Friends hosts former mobster to compare Dems to crime family
Newsbusters' Sheppard defends Limbaugh by pointing to patriotism of secessionists
Warnings of incipient “isms”
Conservatives warn of social-fasc-commun-Nazi-McCarthy-Marxism
Media Matters has documented numerous examples of conservatives in the media warning of socialism, fascism, communism, Nazism, McCarthyism, and Marxism, or using such language to describe Obama or other Democrats.
Beck: “The government is a heroin pusher using smiley-faced fascism to grow the nanny state”
Fox News' Carlson asks, “Are we headed toward socialism?”
Echo chamber: Fox News' Smith joins Limbaugh, MacCallum in comparing Rep. Frank to McCarthy
Hannity declares today “Day number 52 of the socialism that you've been waiting for”
Fox News VP and Washington Managing Editor Sammon: Obama has an “agenda towards socialism”
On Beck, Byrnes smeared CO solar energy company as “socialist”
Fox & Friends asks: “Are we headed towards Socialism?”
Special Report takes a “fair and balanced look” at whether the recovery plan is “socialism”
On CNN, Rollins and Castellanos compare recovery plan to Soviet and Cuban communism, socialism
Hannity claimed the “federal government...is destroying our economic system as we currently know it”
New World Order
Black helicopter alert! Conservative media suggest Obama supporting one-world government
Since Obama's inauguration, Media Matters has documented many examples where conservative media figures have asserted or suggested that U.S. sovereignty may give way to a one-world government.
Media figures advance false claim that Obama ceded economic sovereignty at G-20 summit
Obama will “take away your gun”
Media conservatives fearmongering: Obama will “take away your gun”
Since President Obama's election, several conservative media figures have warned their audiences that Obama is planning to, according to Beck, “slowly but surely take away your gun or take away your ability to shoot a gun, carry a gun” or have suggested that a government effort to ban guns is likely.
Boehlert: Glenn Beck and the rise of Fox News' militia media
Tea Parties
“Fair and balanced” Fox News aggressively promotes “tea party” protests
Despite its repeated insistence that its coverage is “fair and balanced” and its invitation to viewers to “say 'no' to biased media,” Fox News has frequently aired segments encouraging viewers to get involved with “tea party” protests across the country, which the channel has often described as primarily a response to Obama's fiscal policies. Media Matters has compiled an analysis of Fox News' promotion of these events.
Beck says you can “celebrate with Fox News” at any of four “FNC Tax Day Tea Parties”
Scapegoating of vulnerable groups
Conservative media consistently scapegoat undocumented immigrants, ACORN
In discussions of major news stories, conservatives in the media have repeatedly turned to two favorite bogeymen -- undocumented immigrants and ACORN -- in place of substantive analysis, even when those groups have little or nothing to do with the issue.
Limbaugh forwards myths that Community Reinvestment Act, Rep. Frank responsible for mortgage crisis
Fox News' Baier advanced conservative attacks on CRA, repeated falsehood about Rep. Frank
Politico's Libit repeated Gingrich's false claim days after Politico reported such claims were inaccurate
Media figures falsely accuse Democrats of attempting to direct millions of dollars to ACORN
WSJ's Fund falsely claimed that ACORN “almost got a slush fund in the housing bailout bill”
WSJ editorial leaves out relevant information in smear of ACORN
Faced with economic turmoil, media conservatives turn to class warfare
CNN reports leave out relevant facts on ACORN voter registration allegations
Fox News' Kelly mocked ACORN for accurate statement about Florida registration law
Dick Morris baselessly accused ACORN of “committing voter fraud”
Myths and falsehoods surrounding the economic recovery plan
The Hill, UPI uncritically reported false GOP claim that Dems steered recovery money to ACORN
SF Chronicle reported false claim that $4.19 billion of recovery plan “would go to” ACORN
Parroting GOP, Dittohead Limbaugh dutifully launches false ACORN attack
Limbaugh says ACORN “got three and a half billion dollars from the stimulus bill”
Fox Business Network joins with GOP senators to further spread false ACORN attack
Fox & Friends' Doocy repeated false claim that stimulus package includes $4 billion for ACORN
Wash. Times echoes recovery bill falsehoods on undocumented immigrants, ACORN
Dobbs again peddles baseless GOP claim that recovery bill has $4 billion for “groups such as ACORN”
Fox News' Van Susteren ignored Graham's economic recovery falsehoods
Rove latest to advance false claim that recovery bill “funnel[s]” money to ACORN
Morris uses boogeyman of nonexistent ACORN funds to solicit funds for GOP group
Confirmed: AP has received GOP talking points
For four hours after AP correction, Drudge flogged false claim about undocumented immigrants
Limbaugh, Hannity, and the GOP: an iron triangle of stimulus misinformation
AP's retracted stimulus bill falsehood finds a new home at Fox
Will Dobbs retract his stimulus bill falsehood?
Politico advances GOP's communist smear against MN secretary of state
Fox News' Bream uncritically repeats conservative claim Obama judicial nominee “has ties” to ACORN
At Fox News, guilty until proven innocent
Dobbs again promoted GOP claims that SCHIP could benefit undocumented immigrants
AP, CNN report that Obama represented ACORN, but not that DOJ was also a plaintiff in the lawsuit
Doom and Gloom
Outbreak: Limbaugh spreads Obama Derangement Syndrome
Since Obama's inauguration, Limbaugh has made numerous baseless and ominous claims warning of what will happen if the United States adopts either Obama's policies or those pushed by other progressives, often while invoking fears of rising socialism, communism, and tyranny.
Limbaugh: “I want the stimulus package to fail,” “I want everything he's doing to fail.”
Limbaugh on “the economic war”: “If Obama is our general, this war is lost”
Limbaugh: “If President Obama succeeds with this, our nation fails”
Limbaugh on difference between Dems and GOP: Dems hate life, liberty, happiness
Limbaugh likens Democrats to murderers, rapists, and “this Muslim guy” that “offed his wife's head”
Limbaugh: Rep. Frank and Sen. Dodd are “toxic congressmen,” “poison members of our government”
Discussing upcoming “Earth hour,” Limbaugh calls Obama “an extremist tyrannical president”
Limbaugh: “Maybe we have descended into a nation that sort of loves the concept of soft tyranny.”
Limbaugh: “We are Venezuela in the early years.”
Pandemic: Limbaugh's Obama Derangement Syndrome spreads through conservative media
Numerous conservative media figures have followed Limbaugh's lead in making increasingly dire predictions about the consequences that policies sought by Obama and other progressives might have for the country.
Hannity falsely claimed Obama administration “taking steps to cut defense spending”
Hannity claimed the “federal government...is destroying our economic system as we currently know it”
Hannity promo asks if Obama budget is “a way for the government to completely control our lives”
Gingrich says Democratic proposals “absolutely moves you towards a political dictatorship”
Tax deduction change latest Obama proposal Beck claims “involves enslaving people”
Media figures advance false claim that Obama ceded economic sovereignty at G-20 summit
Savage: “Obama has a plan to force children into a paramilitary domestic army”
Gaffney: "[H]ow Barack Obama spells respect is S-U-B-M-I-S-S-I-O-N"
O'Reilly asks if Obama is “selling out America” in favor of a “global justice jihad”
Levin: Government engaging in “economic child abuse” and is “enslaving” our children