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Reprehensible
I still can’t believe that there are people of either party or no party that could buy into or encourage bilge such as this by Sean Hannity. Even 20 years ago someone like this would be relegated the fringe hours of television.
10 Responses to “Reprehensible”
I don’t know. They ousted Glen Beck, who now has his own network. They relegated Rush Limbaugh to the outback of talk radio. I’m not sure what Hannity and O’Reilly have that keeps them on the air.
I would suspect it all comes down to sponsor dollars – it usually does – as explained here:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56997.html
“Even 20 years ago someone like this would be relegated the fringe hours of television.”
20 years ago there wouldn’t have been a large enough, foolish enough and sufficiently propagandized audience. Oh sure, they were listening to Rush on the radio then but most people wrote it off as a fringe phenomenon. The audiences today are still as foolish but it isn’t a fringe phenomenon anymore – at least in terms of numbers. Btw, I have to say, I find Hannity to be truly disgusting. I simply can’t watch him.
The fringe elements who actually believe this stuff get out and vote for candidates who pander to their claims. In the meantime many sensible thinking people are turned off and don’t bother to vote.
That was the whole point of Fox News, making sure that right-wing wackjobs like Hannity had a broadcast network and a national audience.
If you ever have the opportunity to listen to Hannity’s radio show– do so it is eye-opening. His listeners are cult-like and have willingly given up their ability to think for themselves. Only by doing so could you believe the garbage that comes out of his mouth.
bluebelle
That’s right. The Glen Beck radio is the same way – much more extreme than on TV.
I wonder if there are different rules?
C. S. Lewis warned about the very thing the commenters have pointed out in his book, “The Screwtape Letters”. In the book (about a mid-level functionary devil giving advice to his nephew, Wormwood, on how to destroy his client’s soul) Screwtape mentions that the top planners were setting things up so that they would not need to assign the lower level devils to each and every person. They would only have to get cult followings of celebrities with experienced devils corrupting the celebrities.
We are there.
Is there a transcript of Hannity’s comments? No sound here at work…
“His listeners are cult-like and have willingly given up their ability to think for themselves.”
Bluebelle, I believe you’ve just accurately described a large percentage of republicans in general. History, facts, records of cause and effect – none of that seems to hold sway in the face of programming.
OK I know I sound a little conspiratorial but since the media is now corporate owned and stations like Fox are the GOP’s mouthpiece– having a large group of sheep-like listeners who have become brainwashed by Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck etc, may be just what the GOP and corporate America must have to win elections.
Remember during the last election when 40% of the population thought Obama was a Muslim? Even now 25% believe it. Accident or by design??
And all of those right wing hosts actively discourage any kind of independent thought — very scary right?