NOTE TO READERS: From time to time TMV posts a special Guest Voice column from a reader. We run a variety of viewpoints. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its co-bloggers.
A big feud is developing in the talk show world among two conservative talk show hosts Bill O’Reilly and Michael Savage. (on his long drives TMV listens to both of them as well as to Air America and Ed Shultz) Both enjoy huge audiences and are heroes to many conservatives. Both are essentially broadcast showmen. Both have come under fire from liberals (and centrists), Savage in particular in recent years for various controversial statements made on TV and on his highly popular radio show. Although a few weeks ago O’Reilly called the controversial Savage his “pal” and said he’d invite him one day on his show, O’Reilly recently upset Savage listeners — and Savage — for suggesting Savage (aka Michael Weiner) is an extremist.
Our reader Tony Valeri of Oregon sends us this submission — a letter to Bill O’Reilly:
By Tony Valeri
Mr. O’Reilly, recently you were asked why you do not interview radio talk show host Michael Savage on your own radio/tv talk show programs. You said you would not interview ANY far right wing radical. You seem not to have ever listened,to any great extent, Michael Savage’s program. If you had you would find that he espouses many of the same principals, suggestions and solutions to this country’s problems as you yourself do.
True, Michael rants and rages beyond the lines that you consider inviolate but that does not negate his success as a politically incorrect radio communicaster, with a listenership of many, many millions, putting him in the top 3rd or 4th tier of national radio
talk show hosts in the country.
Mr. Savage’s real life, educational and professional background is second to none and he has had 3 straight, politically incorrect books on the NY Times top tier, best seller list in recent years.
Yet, he has been ignored by the mainstream media elitists who fear such men as Mr. Savage, as well as you yourself. The motto I would append to Mr. Savage is as follows: SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SMACK SOMEONE ON THE HEAD WITH A TWO-BY-FOUR TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. You, Mr. O’Reilly also do so, with a somewhat less leathal weapon, but to the same avail.
I certainly would have no problem having you as President and Mr. Savage as your Secretary of State or, at the least, your neo-Karl Rove. OH, JOY, how the world would quiver into a peaceful trance at the hands of you two pit bulls.
Mr. O’Reilly, you have stressed many, many times how you have been ignored, tormented and bad mouthed by the liberal leftists in their war of destruction on your politically incorrect incantations. You, of all people, should be as supportive or, at least understanding, of Mr. Savage as you are unsupportive of the likes of Ludacris or the Democrat, ideological, koolade dealing fool, Mr. Howard Dean. Like you, Mr.Savage is NOT an idealist robot and does not espouse one party over the other but does see more fault, currently, in the Democrat Party than in the GOP.
It is my desire that you and Michael join hands to fight the good fight together. I do hope you do not fear the media onslaught against you that would follow such a consortium. Again, to me, it would be a JOY to see. ARF, ARF.
If you were to take one of your famous internet surveys asking the question as to whether or not your radio/tv listeners want you to interview Michael Savage I am convinced that the overwhelming result would be to answer YES.
–Tony Valeri
NOTE: Reposted from late yesterday.
Linked To Wizbang’s Carnival of the Trackbacks, Political Teen trackback fest, Mudville Gazette open trackbacks.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.