Listening to C-SPAN call-in this AM, the hatred made me physically ill...

[kentuck]

One lady said she would sell one of her kidneys before she would acquiesce to Barack Obama.

Another caller from Texas had a list of things the people expected the government to do for them, such as unemployment insurance, vacation time, sick leave, healthcare, safe working conditions, etc. He said it would pay businesses to pay $100,000 for new technology to replace each of these workers.

The overall tone of these calls was dripping with hatred for Barack Obama. Whatever the right-wing ads and propaganda are saying about this Administration seems to working...

I have finally recovered somewhat. Fortunately, I only heard 3 or 4 calls.

[butterfly77]

1. Was that..

during open phones?

[kentuck]

2. Actually...

I think there was a topic for 2012 graduates or what was expected in the future...?

[EFerrari]

3. I don't watch WJ any more, stopped even before the president was elected.

The overt hatred must be really over the top now.

[ThomThom]

20. I stopped watching because of the overt bias

WJ is right wing all the way or at least it was years ago
and some of the right wingers that call are totally over the top

[EFerrari]

21. Yep. I remember shortly after 2004, someone called in to talk about Ohio

and Steve's answer to the caller was, "We're not going to hear about this for the next four years, are we". And that was before the Ohio recount.

[jaysunb]

4. Come on Kentuck

you know how deep racism runs in this country. These opinions have very little to do w/ "right-wing ads or propaganda."
A telephone line or an internet connection just gives these people a chance to hide their faces.....

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. these right wingers call in every day

sometimes the same ones over and over. Probably need to get more left leaning callers to participate.

[kentuck]

6. I don't even know why we have elections...

Nothing is going to change.

[Confusious]

7. With an attitude like that, nothing will

If people keep pressing for it, things will change, though it might not be in your lifetime.

Look at the change of the last century or even two and say that.

Slavery which had been around since the dawn of civilization was outlawed around the world in the past 175 years, rights for women, rights for children, standards of living for the majority, not just the minority.

We're about one step away from barbarians. Give up, and we go back a step.

The more steps away, the easier it is to hold onto gains.

[kentuck]

8. Yes.

you are correct.

I apologize for the comment.

[pscot]

22. On the other hand, I thought I was voting for change in 2008

The continuity with Bush policies has been very discouraging.

[EFerrari]

10. So little changes, I understand how you feel.

Lately, the thing that is giving me the will to live is reading Occupy on Twitter and at various facebook pages and websites. There are a LOT of people out there working their heads off. You're never going to hear about them on CSPAN or in the corporate media except as some kind of exotic news of the weird story.

I like waking up on the weekend and reading what kids in Chicago or Portland or Oakland or Boston or Albany are up to. What they are working on, what they're planning to do next, what they care about. It's a real boost in comparison to the really depressing same old on the networks or the ignorance and hatred that you cite in your OP.

[oldernwiser]

13. You can bet...

You'll hear all about them if someone can dig up some dirt to throw at them. Otherwise, it's not considered "newsworthy".

[EFerrari]

14. Exactly. n/t

[HiPointDem]

16. There is a lot going on we never hear about. But we always hear about some movie star's faux pas

& similar crap.

[EFerrari]

18. Sure but when people believe all the news will be bad

can we really blame them for checking out?

Before Occupy, I stopped consuming corporate cr@P and that helped my outlook some. I survived on Amy's show and on niche indy cable news shows. Now that Occupy is in full swing and all over the intertubes in video, audio and text, there's more every day than I can keep up with.

[oldernwiser]

12. I understand the sentiment

Apparently, a lot of people think the same way. NC was just dealt a major blow to civil rights when less than 25% of the state's registered voters were able to amend the state constitution to make a marriage the only civil union and restrict that union to heterosexuals. I don't think this was a case of voter apathy so much as it was a reflection of your comment - recently, nothing ever seems to change for the better.

[oldernwiser]

9. Considering the REAL info that makes it into the news...

It's not surprising that these call in shows are laced with bigots and red necks whose only source of in-depth news comes from Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

The news only reports 10 to 15 second sound bites which are, more often than not, taken out of context. The media's idea of in-depth reporting consists on telling us how bad things are and how people feel about it. There is never anyone to answer the question of how things came to be as they are, and I'm finding that it takes real work to glean it for yourself. Not everyone has the time to look at the complex issues we're seeing today - which is something that makes Limbaugh and Hannity dangerously irresponsible.

There used to be a time when news reporting had to be both fair and accurate. Now it only has to attract advertisers so that the outlet (and corporate stockholders) can make some more cash. It's a real pity that accurate information has to take a back seat to petty sensationalism.

[goclark]

11. Do the Right Wing Dogs Own CSPAN and Fox?

I have not wathed CPAN in a while ~

[oldernwiser]

15. The owners are:

Fox is owned by News Corp whose major stockholder is currently Rupert Murdoch. News Corp also controls The Wall Street Journal.

CSPAN is a non-profit station which is paid for by cable and satellite subscribers.

I'm not absolutely sure if Murdoch is a right wing dog or not, but as the CEO of the 2nd largest media group in the world he's definitely living Hannity's idea of the American Dream.

[EFerrari]

19. He can't be a dog. Dogs would never stoop that that kind of behavior. n/t

[KharmaTrain]

24. "Non-Profit"...Hardly...

It's a lobbying tool of the cable companies. C-SPIN was created to fulfill a long eliminated mandate that cable companies were required to provide "public service" programming. C-SPIN fulfilled that obligation so the local cable operator didn't have to cover the local town council. It soon became a tool that was used by goons like Gingrich and other right wingers...and Brian Lamb...who worked for the Nixon administraiton...always made sure the wingnuts had constant access. It's all funded by the cable companies who have benefitted from stroking the political egos inside the beltway which means less regulation and higher cable rates for all. Non-Profit? Pfffft...

[EFerrari]

17. Well, it used to be when Brian Lamb hosted on Fridays

it was called "Fascist Friday" here.

And then, there are the weird 3 hour, oxymoronic "In Depth" interviews with people like Michelle Malkin. lol

The media watchdog group F.A.I.R. did a study that showed WJ skewed right on their guest list and that was a few years ago.

So the short answer is, yes, imho, although I enjoy selecting from their BookTV offerings that cover new books. A lot of the BookTV stuff is unwatchable right wing dreck but they also cover readings of really interesting books by real scholars and authors -- they have to because the wingnuts' output is an inch deep and a mile wide and can't really hold an audience of readers.

[goclark]

23. why don't we call...

?????

[KharmaTrain]

25. I'd Rather Watch Infomercials...

I used to be a regular daily WJ watcher...but the bias and ignorance of the hosts negated the fun of hearing the occasional liberal or progressive caller. Generally the calls went one rushpublican, one independent, one rushpublican, one democrat, one rushpublican. During the boooosh years it was the place to hear the latest talking point you knew was sure to pop up on hate radio and then the late night cable shows. Fortunately there's better alternative now to C-SPIN...

[a kennedy]

26. Used to be for me a must see TV every morning getting ready for work.....

that was before I got me this here puter.....ha ha. Will watch for old times sake once in awhile and have to turn it off after just a few minutes because of the horrible, horrible hatred. Soooooooooooooo sad, just can't listen now.