Obama blamed talk radio twice yesterday. Why is it ignored?

[certainot]

After President Obama's statement yesterday he answered questions and blamed talk radio twice for keeping the Republicans from compromising (see below).

So he gives major blame to a medium for which there is NO organized opposition from the Left.

One of the best periods Obama has had in the media was a couple of weeks after he told a group of Republican senators they wouldn't get anything done if they kept listening to Limbaugh. It was as if republican politicians and media operatives had a RUSH tattoo on their foreheads.

He and other Democratic politicians need to elevate Limbaugh to the head of the GOP, name him, and give him 'credit' as point man for the talk radio monopoly for getting us to the edge of this cliff.

Limbaugh has been off for some reason and may be back Monday. If we still have no deal by then what he says will probably indicate how far the GOP will go. He has been instrumental getting us here. Is he getting schooled on how he can back off and save the economy?

I wrote a diary on this subject recently:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1557926


Here are the Obama references to talk radio:

"And so the question is, what can you say yes to? Now, if their only answer is what they’ve presented, which is a package that would effectively require massive cuts to Social Security, to Medicare, to domestic spending, with no revenues whatsoever, not asking anything from the wealthiest in this country or corporations that have been making record profits -- if that’s their only answer, then it’s going to be pretty difficult for us to figure out where to go. Because the fact of the matter is that’s what the American people are looking for, is some compromise, some willingness to put partisanship aside, some willingness to ignore talk radio or ignore activists in our respective bases, and do the right thing.
And to their credit, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, the Democratic leadership, they sure did not like the plan that we are proposing to Boehner, but they were at least willing to engage in a conversation because they understood how important it is for us to actually solve this problem. And so far I have not seen the capacity of the House Republicans in particular to make those tough decisions."

"They’re mad at Democrats and they’re mad at Republicans, because they know somehow, no matter how hard they work, they don’t seem to be able to keep up. And what they’re looking for is somebody who’s willing to look out for them. That’s all they’re looking for.And for us not to be keeping those folks in mind every single day when we’re up here, for us to be more worried about what some funder says, or some talk radio show host says, or what some columnist says, or what pledge we signed back when we were trying to run, or worrying about having a primary fight -- for us to be thinking in those terms instead of thinking about those folks is inexcusable.

I mean, the American people are just desperate for folks who are willing to put aside politics just for a minute and try to get some stuff done."

(thanks to emulatorloo for spotting it)

[monmouth]

1. Other than actually hearing the President say it himself, I have not

heard a word in the media about that part of his speech. Of course they may have, but I turn the tv off more than on so I could be wrong. The media was pointed out in a negative way, poor things don't like that..

[SteveM]

2. Some speculation on talk radio...

The far right has a powerful presence on radio because the GOP has a hard-edged, bright-line, easily-understood and short description of what it is about. Right-wing commentators pick up the ball and run with it.

The "left" has no cohesive set of principles and ideologies, and the Democratic Party (including Obama) wants NOTHING to do with the "left". So, anyone who is remotely defined as "left" on the radio is positioned to defend such an outlook vis-a-viz(?) the Democratic Party. That can't be done unless you are a regular critic of the Democratic Party, not what MSM wants.

Radio for "liberals" -- let alone "leftists" -- has no party base anymore, even in a climate where a fiction of left-right is maintained by MSM, and equated with Democrat-Republican. "Left" radio doesn't fit in the Land of False Equivalency.

Frankly, in terms of a viable political force in our society, there is no "Left" left. That's why you'll have to tune in to Democracy Now. But you won't get it on MSNBC or any big outlet.

[Doctor_J]

6. Ridiculuous

The right has a powerful presence on radio because fascists own all of the radio outlets, period.

[certainot]

12. doctor j is right

and progressive radio can compete and beat the right wingers on an even playing field- they've shown it

left radio doesn't fit in that land because the they have all the radio stations and they decide what is and what isn't acceptable

[Faygo Kid]

3. I remember a discussion in 1993 about the danger of Limbaugh. Now it's proven.

It's not just him, it's all his satanic spawn, including Fox. But it was remarkable even then the hate he spewed - if you disagreed with him you could NOT be principled. You were either evil or stupid or both - usually both. Now his acolytes are in Congress, and the nation and our fellow citizens are at the precipice. He was just an "entertainer." Right. And for years around here, we were told by many to ignore him and his spawn: Surely the American people weren't that gullible.

How's that workin' out today?

[Doctor_J]

8. Yup

if someone had Berg'd him after it was discovered that mcVeigh was a Limbecile, the last 15 years would have been much different.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[certainot]

13. what the fuck are you talking about?

[butterfly77]

5. They cut that part of the clip off now..

when they show it because the media and fox don't like the angry black man isn't that what they have been trying to do for 3 or more years now? They will harp on it tomorrow and all next week as they blame him and call him unreasonable listen at this

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/david-brooks-blames-potential-breakdown-ne

and don't forget the part he mention about Grover Norquist.

[certainot]

14. so now he's the angry black man like the left wants, and that's what gets the dittohead/teabagger ba

base really going

it really doesn't matter what he says or how he plays it as long as the right has a talk radio monopoly, ignored by the left, doing al the messaging/spinning

[Doctor_J]

7. Good diagnosis

At the beginning of his term Obama, through Gibbs, was mocking Limpballs every day, then for some reason he stopped. He and the other right-wing "stars" should be, on a daily basis, called "extreme", "hyper-partisan", "cowards", and "liars". Every day. And then mock Boner and McTurtle and Cantor. "I guess Speaker Boner had to walk out of the negotiations because Limpballs wasn't around to tell him what to do". "I don't know why Limpballs doesn't like this deal - his taxes aren't going up". And so on.

[certainot]

15. turn the party of lincoln into the party of limbaugh

[Cool Logic]

9. Because they know that it's silly to blame anyone other than 435 + 100 + 1.

[Doctor_J]

10. Are you kidding?

Every last Repuke does what hate radio tells them to do

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[certainot]

16. the authoritarians

need certainty and avoid uncertainty (fear), liberals less so

there is a difference, cultivating that there isn't is being fucking lazy and naive, or trollish to reduce voter turnout

[yurbud]

17. it would help if OBAMA gave some opposition from the left. We didn't elect him to be an umpire

WE'RE the umpires, he's supposed to be captain of one of the teams. For a constitutional scholar, he seems to willfully ignore the basic tenets of democracy.

[certainot]

19. his position is weakened considerably because the left ignores the right's best weapon

the right wing radio monopoly allows the think tanks that feed and coordinate it to short circuit the feedback mechanisms essential for democracy.

in other words, this isn't a real democracy and obama is trying but can't function as if it is. meanwhile the base that said it would have his back, doesn't and never did.

[yurbud]

21. there is some left wing media. Additionally, traditional democratic positions on issues

like Social Security, Medicare, health care reform, financial reform, war, and any number of things are more popular than the policies Obama has pursued.

Nobody has his back because he isn't out in front on too many issues--he's joining the GOP parade.

[certainot]

28. most left wing media reacts AFTER the right has pounded 100 mil earholes/week

with their messaging and framing and swiftboating- limbaugh's wall is covered with such trophies- RW radio myths and distortions enable most of the GOP obstruction- some can be created and spread in a day and others have been cultivated over many years- and many would never get anywhere near the spread and repetition (belief, acceptance) if the left had been getting in their face.

and there is no purposeful coordination in left wing media- it is not designed as a propaganda tool- there are plenty of choices and that's the way it should be

not so with right wing radio- everything the GOP does starts with the radio and the radio starts with limbaugh

because the left ignores this fact obama is immediately disadvantaged - same with all progressive groups and efforts- many volunteer donations and hours have been wasted because there is NO organized opposition to the right's most effective weapon

[Armstead]

Guess who gave the radio spectrum to those right wing conglomerates?

Can you say Bill Clinton and the so-called centrist Democrats who tossed out restrictionsbon ownership in the 1996 Telecommunications Deform Act.

That pretty much guaranteed that corporations like Clear Channel and a handful ofvothers would pack the radiobdial with rightvwing corporate shills.

[certainot]

25. that really doesn't matter now

clinton says he regrets it- but the problem remains and the there is no organized response to the right's best weapon

[Armstead]

30. It does matter because Democrats are still doing that shit

Apprioving mega mergers like ComCast-NBC-GE with nary a peep.

[certainot]

32. those members that approve that shit would be a minority rather than a majority if

the left quit giving the radio a free speech free ride.

[Armstead]

33. What are you talking about?

The "left" isn't defending concentration of ownership on the basis of free speech.

The left wants diversification of ownership, so that the ability to control speech is not concentrated into the hands of a few mega-corporations.

It is the corporate Democrats who go along with corporations and the GOP based on "economic deregulation" and the notion that as long as it is tghere big corporations have the right to control it.

[certainot]

36. if a guy on the corner calls your mother a whore and your father a thief 24/7 and you just walk by

pretty soon your neighbors might believe it.

that's what 1000 radio stations have been saying about anything liberal for 20 years and the left just walks by with their iPods in their ears. that's a stupid, lazy strategy.

you don't keep free speech if you let it's enemies get that free speech free ride.

[Armstead]

23. Guess who gave the radio spectrum to those right wing conglomerates?

Can you say Bill Clinton and the so-called centrist Democrats who tossed out restrictionsbon ownership in the 1996 Telecommunications Deform Act.

That pretty much guaranteed that corporations like Clear Channel and a handful ofvothers would pack the radiobdial with rightvwing corporate shills.

[lynne]

18. Uhh - he also said to "ignore activists in our respective bases" -

- and this part of the next sentence is a real beauty -

"And for us not to be keeping those folks in mind every single day when we’re up here, for us to be more worried about what some funder says, or some talk radio show host says, or what some columnist says, OR WHAT PLEDGE WE SIGNED BACK WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO RUN, or worrying about having a primary fight --"

He gets on a roll talking about the right and then he totally squirms his way out of staying true to any pledge or promises that he made when campaigning. His statements apply to himself as well as to others, you know. He slid that little gem right in the back door.

Feeling the tread of those bus tires over your back yet? Thump, thump, thump . . .

[certainot]

20. it's called politics

and by ignoring the right's most important weapon the left weakens his bargaining position and allows the right to move the perception of the center to the right.

[Armstead]

22. Once again, Obama makes false equivalencies between Ds and Rs

It's not activists on the left who are the problem. They are just trying to prevent the R's from raping us bybholding the debt ceiling hostage.

Obama might signal that he's actually a Democrat once in a while.

[JoePhilly]

27. Equating Rs and Ds? That's what parts of DU do all the time.

[Armstead]

31. Does that mean Obama should do it?

And the democrats Obama is chastising are the party's base -- NOT the ones who support GOP-like policies

[JoePhilly]

34. Re-read your post ... and notice that you equate Obama with republicans.

and by extension, those who support him.

You do see that right?

Personally, I think a party's base would be those supporting that party's candidates and elected leaders.

But for some on DU apparently, its just the opposite.

The base isn't the group who's supporting those elected leaders, its the group who claims that those elected leaders are Republicans.

That's the false equivalency.

[Scuba]

24. Hasn't he heard? We have a "librul" media in the US.

sarcasm thingy

[blueclown]

26. The right-wing likes their own brand of talk radio.

They like when zealots and bigots like Limbaugh and Hannity feed them their talking points, so they do not have to think, only react and DO.

Left-wingers, on the other hand, prefer to listen to radio that is more based in the facts, which explains the popularity among the left of such stations like WYNC (NPR), the Brian Lehrer Show and the Leonard Leopate Show. While these programs are not left-wing advocacy shows, I would bet you that 90% of their viewership are either moderates or left-wingers, who would rather hear the facts and educate themselves.

[treestar]

29. Republicans are so hateful

They really believe that it is best to balance the budget by cutting benefits to people rather than taxing those who have made big profits and yet haven't increased hiring (which is what Republicans claim they will do?)

[paparush]

35. Republicults are MASTERS at drilling the message at lowest common denominator levels..

Dems just cannot/will not adopt that mode. I wish to hell they would.

For Example - "Medicare For All" If every Dem had repeated that phrase until we were sick of hearing it, we'd have gotten Medicare for All.


"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat." - Will Rogers