Air America: The Battle of Chattanooga

[FloridaBear1776]

Bahakel is considering bringing liberal talk radio to one of the buckles of the Bible Belt on its floundering nostalgia station WDOD (AM). Just the idea of having Air America next door to the home of the Scopes monkey trial is causing some folks to go ape:

"Air America Not Welcome in Chattanooga"
http://boreamerica.com/archives/2005/07/air-america-not-welcome-in-chattanooga.html

"Left Will Lose Again in the South with Air America"
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70088.asp

"Don't Snuff the Wholesome, Popular WDOD"
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70100.asp

"Waiting for Air America to Fall"
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70081.asp

Neil Boortz has recently been replaced on rival WGOW with Glenn Beck. One Chattanoogan thinks that's a case of "liberal views being waved about our faces". If they think Beck is liberal, heaven help them when they hear Randi Rhodes for the first time:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70020.asp

 

[FightingIrish]

> Bahakel is considering bringing liberal talk radio to one of
> the buckles of the Bible Belt on its floundering nostalgia
> station WDOD (AM). Just the idea of having Air America next
> door to the home of the Scopes monkey trial is causing some
> folks to go ape:
>
> "Air America Not Welcome in Chattanooga"
http://boreamerica.com/> archives/2005/07/air-america-not-welcome-in-chattanooga.html
>
>
> "Left Will Lose Again in the South with Air America"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70088.asp
>
> "Don't Snuff the Wholesome, Popular WDOD"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70100.asp
>
> "Waiting for Air America to Fall"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70081.asp
>
> Neil Boortz has recently been replaced on rival WGOW with
> Glenn Beck. One Chattanoogan thinks that's a case of
> "liberal views being waved about our faces". If they think
> Beck is liberal, heaven help them when they hear Randi
> Rhodes for the first time:
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70020.asp
>

So, the dissenting opinions consist of an anti-AAR blog, a few LTTR's and a columnist.

If they're so pissed off about AAR coming to their town, then perhaps they shouldn't listen. Or they should have supported the previous format.

Never understood people who were so angry about stations picking up formats, especially when they barely knew what the station's previous format was. If you don't like it, don't listen. Simple as that.<P ID="signature">______________
The Liberal Talk Radio Update</P>

 

[robmidmi]

There was also opinion in The Chattanoogan from "the other side of the coin":

"Air America Would Be Breath Of Fresh Air For Chattanooga" (July 23, 2005)
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_69887.asp>http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_69887.asp</a>

"Air America Represents Dissent" (July 27, 2005)
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70011.asp>http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70011.asp</a>

> Bahakel is considering bringing liberal talk radio to one of
> the buckles of the Bible Belt on its floundering nostalgia
> station WDOD (AM). Just the idea of having Air America next
> door to the home of the Scopes monkey trial is causing some
> folks to go ape:
>
> "Air America Not Welcome in Chattanooga"
http://boreamerica.com/> archives/2005/07/air-america-not-welcome-in-chattanooga.html
>
>
> "Left Will Lose Again in the South with Air America"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70088.asp
>
> "Don't Snuff the Wholesome, Popular WDOD"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70100.asp
>
> "Waiting for Air America to Fall"
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70081.asp
>
> Neil Boortz has recently been replaced on rival WGOW with
> Glenn Beck. One Chattanoogan thinks that's a case of
> "liberal views being waved about our faces". If they think
> Beck is liberal, heaven help them when they hear Randi
> Rhodes for the first time:
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70020.asp

 

[ajhenderson]

> Neil Boortz has recently been replaced on rival WGOW with
> Glenn Beck. One Chattanoogan thinks that's a case of
> "liberal views being waved about our faces". If they think
> Beck is liberal, heaven help them when they hear Randi
> Rhodes for the first time:
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70020.asp

"National icon" Boortz taken off for "unknown" Glenn Beck? Hmmm... Boortz is on in, wait while I count, ZERO top ten markets and syndicated by a bunch of schlock buffoons. Beck is syndicated to close to 200 stations (granted, that counts a dozen or so weekend-only affils) including SF, Dallas, Philly, Houston, and DC. Face it, Neal Boortz is an abject failure outside of Georgia, Florida, and Oklahoma.

 

[raccoonradio]

> Bahakel is considering bringing liberal talk radio to one of
> the buckles of the Bible Belt

It's gotten lousy ratings in Boston, so imagine how they'd do in Tenn.
Though you never know--maybe it could work in _Nashville_ (state workers,
etc.--I saw some anti-Bush bumper stickers there on a recent visit) ...but Chattanooga? We'll see.

 

[doc9464]

> Neil Boortz has recently been replaced on rival WGOW with
> Glenn Beck. One Chattanoogan thinks that's a case of
> "liberal views being waved about our faces". If they think
> Beck is liberal, heaven help them when they hear Randi
> Rhodes for the first time:
> http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70020.asp

You should have read the comments below the actual letter....I think it goes to show that many people on the right just haven't heard one word of Air America and it shows. When they mention all of this "hate", one would think every host on AAR begins their show screaming and keeps screaming until the end.

If you listen to Rush or a Jay Severin, they engage in more in name calling than most hosts. The right finds it ok to accuse Bill Clinton of Rape, Hillary of being a Pig, etc...but isn't this "hate" speech. If you do a google of many recent blogs, columns, and diatribes on the net....one will see that the majority of the name calling comes from the right. Im not saying the left is blameless...far from it...but there are so few on the right that actually listen to anything else...but the same tired words. (Mike Malloy is the biggest/hostile liberal name caller - my opinion BTW).

Yes, I know i would suffocate if I held my breath waiting for either side to debate in a normal way...but part of me wonders how hard the right will strike when the pendulum switches back (which i believe will be soon based on current events). Will Rush and Hannity and others be able to go further negative? Would that then be "hate" speech? I cringe at how they could further escalate.

I look at how the right is now trying to swiftboat the young veteran, Paul Hackett because he disagrees with the prosecution of the war..but because he is having success....radio, tv hosts, and others on the right are now trying to destroy his military record...

Im not surprised at all...but when you read some of these comments, it just boggles the mind at times....why they wont sit for a few mins? Im sure they would disagree with the views, but its certainly not "hate" speech...

maybe i picked the wrong time to quit drinkin' LOL

 

[PW]

It was Juanita Broaddrick that accused Bill Clinton of rape. She hasn't written a book, doesn't have a blog or a radio show.

 

[autopaint-1]

>
> If they're so pissed off about AAR coming to their town,
> then perhaps they shouldn't listen. Or they should have
> supported the previous format.
>
> Never understood people who were so angry about stations
> picking up formats, especially when they barely knew what
> the station's previous format was. If you don't like it,
> don't listen. Simple as that.
>
I believe they not only don't want to listen to an alternate point of view themselves, they don't want you to either. Their view of America is freedom of speech, theirs not your's and freedom of religion, theirs not yours.

 

[FightingIrish]

So, in other words...

...they hate us for our freedom.

> >
> > If they're so pissed off about AAR coming to their town,
> > then perhaps they shouldn't listen. Or they should have
> > supported the previous format.
> >
> > Never understood people who were so angry about stations
> > picking up formats, especially when they barely knew what
> > the station's previous format was. If you don't like it,
> > don't listen. Simple as that.
> >
> I believe they not only don't want to listen to an alternate
> point of view themselves, they don't want you to either.
> Their view of America is freedom of speech, theirs not
> your's and freedom of religion, theirs not yours.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
The Liberal Talk Radio Update</P>

 

[doc9464]

> It was Juanita Broaddrick that accused Bill Clinton of rape.
> She hasn't written a book, doesn't have a blog or a radio
> show.
>

Its common knowlege that most of these people are tied to the right....or tied to Richard Mellon Scaife....amd the Arkansas project...this wasnt the main point, PW ...the insults on clinton and other dems/liberals are countless..those were just two popular Severin and Rush insults....but to the real issue....the right spends most of their efforts insulting rather than dealing with facts or policy.

Your post demonstrates how much you have your blinders to the real world.we are talking about several issues and you decide to go back to try to prove me wrong ab out a Clinton issue rather than deal with the real substance of my post....about the malolvence of the right.... how typical, PW....

 

[dampier]

> It was Juanita Broaddrick that accused Bill Clinton of rape.
> She hasn't written a book, doesn't have a blog or a radio
> show.

The latest rape allegation was told in the discredited Ed Klein book on Hillary, who actually took it seriously when Bill Clinton told his friends he had to go "rape his wife." What normal people would take as bravado, the straw graspers used to try and indict Clinton, at least morally, for rape. It went over as credibly as the lesbian allegations, and most shows won't even book the man anymore.

 

[dampier]

> So, the dissenting opinions consist of an anti-AAR blog, a
> few LTTR's and a columnist.

I wouldn't be surprised if the LTTR's didn't come from the stations program director's friends in order to generate buzz.

> Never understood people who were so angry about stations
> picking up formats, especially when they barely knew what
> the station's previous format was. If you don't like it,
> don't listen. Simple as that.

That isn't the point. Other people shouldn't be listening to those dangerous, pro-terrorist ideas either!

 

[PW]

> > It was Juanita Broaddrick that accused Bill Clinton of
> rape.
> > She hasn't written a book, doesn't have a blog or a radio
>
> > show.
>
> The latest rape allegation was told in the discredited Ed
> Klein book on Hillary, who actually took it seriously when
> Bill Clinton told his friends he had to go "rape his wife."
> What normal people would take as bravado, the straw graspers
> used to try and indict Clinton, at least morally, for rape.
> It went over as credibly as the lesbian allegations, and
> most shows won't even book the man anymore.
>
Ed Klein is not a right wing blogger or a right wing radio host. He used to work for The New York Times and (I believe) Newsweek. You are correct about his book being discredited but you seem to accept that Clinton used those words. If so, then Bill Clinton called himself a rapist and he is not a right wing blogger or radio talkshow host. The author did appear on FNC and Sean Hannity ripped him a new one (according to accounts I read).

 

[dampier]

> Ed Klein is not a right wing blogger or a right wing radio
> host.

No, he wrote a hack book to delight the right. He also said the only reason people write books is to make money. I called him neither of the things you did.

> He used to work for The New York Times and (I
> believe) Newsweek. You are correct about his book being
> discredited but you seem to accept that Clinton used those
> words. If so, then Bill Clinton called himself a rapist and
> he is not a right wing blogger or radio talkshow host. The
> author did appear on FNC and Sean Hannity ripped him a new
> one (according to accounts I read).

I have no doubt Clinton used those words. I've been to parties where guys filled with bravado have talked about how they raped their girlfriends (and other colorful phrases) when discussing their intense sexual encounters. It wasn't at all serious - just guys talking about their sexual powerplays. Klein presented that, and many other allegations which turned out to be grade school inaccurate, as an indictment against Hillary.

When things started backfiring on Klein, the right wing echo chamber threw him overboard, leaving Newsmax with a swiftboatload of unsold copies (they were a major source of publicity for him). When you have conservative press talking about how they wanted to gouge their eyes out by chapter five so they wouldn't have to read anymore, that's the equivalent of being voted off the right wing island.

Clinton was naughty and deserved the grief he got, but using that to tar Hillary is just as outrageous as giving Judge John Roberts' (who really DOES look like Otto the inflatable autopilot from that Airplane movie) wife a hard time about her membership in a pro-life organization.