Sid Rosenberg v. Mayor Mamdani

[AbrahamJSimpson]

The fact is, however, that a significant percentage of Americans would, secretly perhaps, agree with Sid's opinion.

Yeah, a significant percentage of the population being bigoted ignoramuses is how we got into the mess we’re in.

The opinion was poorly and tastelessly expressed,

And vile, racist, pathetic garbage

but, while Mandami was elected by a considerable majority in New York City, he has instilled fear and anxiety among many of us.

Any “us” scared by such horrid ideas as more accessible childcare and transportation to make life more affordable scared themselves. The mayor didn’t do squat to any of those “us.”

Sid has the right to an opinion. His bad judgement was in the way he expressed himself, not in the opinions themselves.

Yes, did he just miss the class on how to put a light covering over the hatred and bigotry? Perhaps something simple, like a white sheet, would help him avoid such matters in the future.

 

[Don CT]

I’m willing to bet that many of the advertisers are as scared of Mandami as I am, but they simply don’t say those things out loud.

Judging by the stock market, oil prices, and job numbers, Mandami is the least of advertisers worries.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Absolutely. What Sid doesn't understand is that the president knows he has a lot in common with Mamdani. The president isn't an ideologue the way Sid is.

The blatant racism begs to differ.

The president is a transactionalist.

Oh good lord, the sanewashing is next level. But yeah, Mr. “S—-thole countries” is just a regular old business dude.

The previous mayor was a crook. He was being investigated by the DOJ. The president called off that investigation because he liked the mayor.

There’s a word for that. I think it rhymes with borrupt.

He would do the same thing for Mamdani if he was under federal investigation. But he's not.

Letting cronies off the hook. Classy.

When the two met, the president invited the mayor to call him a fascist. So calling people names means nothing to either of them.

We’re equating factual statements with name calling in furtherance of minimizing the horror show.

It's all radio theater designed for ratings and to counter that Curtis Sliwa is now on WOR. I expect Curtis will do the exact same thing for the same reason.

Because he too is a loathsome bigot?

 

[JJSPC]

Why so much anger about right wing talk on WABC or anywhere else? Left wing talk can be just as angry. And what's great is that we all have the option to listen to either, or neither, just by changing the frequency of the radio or website stream/app to something else. You can find any opinion or theology online in this day and age, so why all the care about politics on AM radio? If it doesn't sell advertising it will go away on his own.

 

[TheBigA]

Because he too is a loathsome bigot?

It's all radio theater done by people who are primarily entertainers, not public servants. Thankfully the people of New York were smart enough to recognize the difference and didn't elect Curtis to anything. Sid couldn't get elected to anything either. Their views are unpopular, which is why they're calling on the president to impose what they want on the city.

Why so much anger about right wing talk on WABC or anywhere else? Left wing talk can be just as angry.

Except it doesn't exist, at least not on the radio. Unless you consider WBAI. Not much anger there either.

why all the care about politics on AM radio? If it doesn't sell advertising it will go away on his own.

As I've said in other threads, right wing talk came up with its own revenue stream and its own advertisers after the Rush advertising ban. It's been very successful, and Cats has added to it by bringing in a lot of food vendors like Goya. The point is there's money in promoting this political agenda that doesn't exist elsewhere. Pacifica is proof of that.

 

[kevtronics]

Why so much anger about right wing talk on WABC or anywhere else? Left wing talk can be just as angry.

In this case we're talking about blatant racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, not anger.

 

[JJSPC]

Except it doesn't exist, at least not on the radio. Unless you consider WBAI. Not much anger there either.

There's also WCPT Willow Springs/Chicago, KTNF St. Louis Park/Twin Cities, and the Civic Media network. Although it may be argued that overall those are a greater portion of hand wringing/the sky is falling than angry. The left needs to figure out how to present their ideas and be at least a little entertaining if they want to be successful. They would certainly attract a lot more moderates with that philosophy. You're only going to get so far with Trump, Trump, Trump all the time without educating people on YOUR beliefs and not just that the other side is bad. I don't defend any president. And in my lifetime we've had good and bad ones. The positive is we have elections every four years. And let's not go down the conspiracy theory that that is somehow going to stop.

 

[TheBigA]

The left needs to figure out how to present their ideas and be at least a little entertaining if they want to be successful.

I don't see what Sid is saying as entertaining. Although I guess his audience finds it that way.

 

[JJSPC]

I don't see what Sid is saying as entertaining. Although I guess his audience finds it that way.

I'm certainly not defending him either. My point though as you know is that Air America and others on the liberal side of the spectrum have not been able to make a go of it in a talk format. Civic Media is the latest one cutting back on expenses. As far as WABC and some others, again no one is twisting anyone's arm to listen to any of this stuff be it on the left or right. Nor is anyone prevented from buying a station somewhere and programming their point of view.

 

[ron772]

while Mandami was elected by a considerable majority in New York City

He won 50.78%, about 1.1 million votes. He was elected by a bare majority of New Yorkers who chose to vote, and turnout was about 43%. Nowhere near a considerable majority in NYC, population 8.8 million. (Including those ineligible to vote.)

I'm not speaking to his mandate; he ran an excellent campaign and won fair and square. But he didn't receive a considerable majority.

 

[kevtronics]

He won 50.78%, about 1.1 million votes. He was elected by a bare majority of New Yorkers who chose to vote,

But it was a three-way race, between a young, "radical" socialist that came up out of nowhere, a well-known and well-backed former moderate Democratic governor, and a washed-up Guardian Angel/talk radio personality. Or even a four-way race, if you include the city's own former Democratic mayor, who withdrew a month before the election. So it's not like the city's residents were out of other options if they wanted someone more moderate. And yet the radical socialist won anyway.

 

[TheBigA]

I'm not speaking to his mandate; he ran an excellent campaign and won fair and square. But he didn't receive a considerable majority.

Which again is why the president sees similarities to himself. Mamdani motivates people. You like him or hate him, just like the president. That's also why he's a great topic for right wing radio hosts who are looking to attract ratings against a familiar competitor.

 

[Don CT]

He won 50.78%, about 1.1 million votes. He was elected by a bare majority of New Yorkers who chose to vote, and turnout was about 43%. Nowhere near a considerable majority in NYC, population 8.8 million. (Including those ineligible to vote.)

I'm not speaking to his mandate; he ran an excellent campaign and won fair and square. But he didn't receive a considerable majority.

And now much of the country voted for Trump. 30% or so?

 

[ron772]

And now much of the country voted for Trump. 30% or so?

Probably less. But David didn't say Trump won by a considerable majority of the USA, so why is it relevant?

 

[Don CT]

Probably less. But David didn't say Trump won by a considerable majority of the USA, so why is it relevant?

His base seems to think that though.

 

[ron772]

His base seems to think that though.

Relevance to Mamdani? Or just "Noun Verb Trump" in an unrelated post?

 

[Don CT]

Relevance to Mamdani? Or just "Noun Verb Trump" in an unrelated post?

Talk radio would have you believe that America loves what Trump is doing. Not just his base.

 

[TheBigA]

Talk radio would have you believe that America loves what Trump is doing. Not just his base.

The president himself believes that. He said so in the state of the union. He and his administration use that view to promote their agenda and his EOs, none of which could get passed in congress because they're not popular with the general public. The president will discover this in the next election, which he hopes to either corrupt or cancel. Every now and then you'll hear talk radio hosts refer to that.

 

[davideduardo]

With all due respect, do you even live in New York City?

This faux "fear" is insane.

I have worked in the city from outside going back several decades, for whatever that is worth (having an opinion on a local politician who gives opinions on national and world events seems "local" enough to me). I was even the head of a group that had optioned the purchase of a local FM station going back over 45 years.

But the subject here is the commentary of Sid Rosenberg. There is no reason why anyone, anywhere, can not give an opinion on the political views of public figures. In this case, the way those opinions were expressed was, to say it nicely, undiplomatic and did nothing positive or unifying to point out that there are plenty of people who disagree with Mandami's statements

 

[TheBigA]

There is no reason why anyone, anywhere, can not give an opinion on the political views of public figures.

They can give an opinion, but it doesn't matter. What Sid is calling for is the president to basically nationalize the city and overturn the will of the local people. That's a popular view among people in his party. They're upset with the results of popular elections, and they want their agenda imposed on those people. That's what Sid is doing. That's what right wing radio promotes every day. To them, any opposition is domestic terrorism.