Quote:
Originally Posted by clintjm
So basically you leave it at there wouldn't be these shows if people followed up on their commentary and opinions... and thus the people that listen to Rush and friends that don't know this is opinion and commentary and will believe whatever they say ... that it will change their way of thinking... and the political entertainment commentary hosts are irresponsible for doing what they do?
Wow.
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If you want me to go point by point I can and am happy to, but you sum it up pretty well here.
I would say that there is a significant faction of the conservative talk show listening public that, yes, does not check facts and, yes, believes every single word that comes out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth. I don't know that it changes their way of thinking, actually it is probably the opposite. Rush panders to that that way of thinking with intelligent-sounding soundbites and "from my dead hands" undying fortitude that what people are hearing is exactly what they want to hear from someone who can say it better than they can.
With freedom and power come responsibilty. And I would say that Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, etc. show diminishing responsibility in their positions.
Wow? Fine. This is America, they have freedom of speech, people are free to listen, I get all that. But this summer Americans were hanging stuffed dolls of reform supporting politicians at town hall meetings. People were bringing guns to presidential events. People were calling the president's policies socialist, fascist, Maoist, communist, Stalinist, and Nazi with no sense of shame or irony. I dare say half of the people using these (often contradictory) terms don't even know what they mean.
But Rush has compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler on more than one occasion. And he still defends that comparison.
Does he have the right to say it? Sure. It is irresponsible? Absolutely. But to think he doesn't feed a demon that is hurtful to the country is naive.