Hannity and Limbaugh - old and in the way?

The election really put into perspective how little Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh influence the Republican Party anymore, IMO. They were the go-to guys for all the garbage the GOP tried to throw at Obama. And son of a bitch, it all fell at their feet.

That's not to say no one listens to their shows. What it means is their words are resonating only to their devout lemmings and not the Republican Party at large. You could say the same thing about Randi Rhodes and Air America. Their influence on liberal listeners hasn't been that strong.

But Limbaugh, at least, did have the ears of Republicans at one time. The days of his ruling over the Republican Party are gone. And Hannity was and still is a pretender and not a great one at that.

Bill Ayers denounces attempts to link him to Obama

I'm sorry he waited until after the election, but I understand why he did. This is an interesting clip.

President-elect Obama's first press conference 11/7/08

It's not too early to analyze the election even though it's the day before

So yeah, it's only Monday, but here's a chance fto start overanalyzing what the candidates (depending on who you think will win) did right and did wrong. And if it turns out we're wrong Tuesday ... oh well ...

Here's my take: I think McCain blew it from the get-go. He threw his political history as a "maverick" into the trash by pandering to the right and letting the Republican Party get down and dirty with Wright, Ayers and everything else they tried to dredge up. The people weren't listening, but they kept on it anyway. If he'd have been more genial and less attack dog, a little more self-deprecating and relaxed and less looking so serious (Dole's big mistake), he might have had a chance. Palin, however, was the big nail in the coffin, as was the economic meltdown.

Obama had a plan from before the convention and stuck with it. Even when the polls showed him down, he never panicked (though many of us did). He knew his target audience. He knew young people would support him overwhelmingly. He knew minorities would. He had to convince the white middle class voters. And he did that by staying calm and being the voice of reason. Of course, the economic crisis certainly helped. I think, though, he would have pulled through regardless. His hammering of the "CHANGE" litany got through. Also, his prompt response to the slurs helped a lot. He made Jerome Corsi's book irrelevant and punchless by responding to it quickly and forcefully. If he made any mistakes, it was not completely supporting Jeremiah Wright, who, IMO, did nothing wrong. And his decision not to take public financing may have repercussions for him and other Dems in the future. (Great opinion piece in the SF Chronicle yesterday about that at this link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 01&sc=1000.)

There I said it.

Can't say it much better than this

If Opie, Andy and the Fonz think Obama's ok, well ...

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

A very funny video posted by Ron Howard (with a little help from some friends) on Funny or Die. This is even better than Paris Hilton's efforts.

McCain and Palin - dumb and dumber

What the hell is going on here? Isn't a presidential campaign supposed to show how intelligent you are and your readiness to lead the nation? It certainly isn't doing that for John McCain, who couldn't have looked dumber if he tried.
First, there were the contradictory mudballs slung at Barack Obama. First, he's a Muslim. Then a terrorist. Then a socialist. No wonder people were getting mad about Obama at McCain's rallies. They didn't know which way McCain was heading with his rhetoric!
And how does it feel when David Letterman, of all people, quizzes you harder than the press?
Then there's Sarah Palin, who makes Dan Quayle look like a Rhodes scholar. Sure, John, being in a beauty pageant and thinking foreign experience is living next door to a country is brilliant, isn't it?
Gotta hand it to "Saturday Night Live," though. They really pulled the wool over Palin's eyes. If she thought she was going to go there for humor, she found out what they really did was make her look stupid. You know, like the fat guy with the pocket protector and the extra thick glasses. That's the way Palin looked on that show.
Thank goodness, it'll all be over soon. Just think: We'll either have a smart president or dumb and dumber.
Let's hope America isn't dumber than John and Sara.

Paris Hilton seeks advice from a "president"

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Some observations with about 30 days to go ...

-- John McCain seems to have gotten the message and is toning the hateful rhetoric down, but too many Americans, I think, are disgusted by all this and will vote for Obama no matter what.

-- We know someone who was doing some phone bank work for Obama yesterday. One lady, age 92, said she wouldn't be voting because she was blind. They asked who she would vote for if she could. Her answer: "the white guy." No matter how much the polls show Obama in the lead, we don't know how this racial element will play out. This is new ground we're treading. The next couple of weeks will be quite interesting. If Obama is smart -- and he is -- he won't take anything for granted.

-- And we wish people would stop with all the nonsense about being crticial of the Clintons not getting more involved with the campaign until now. Understand this: Bill and Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail now has a bigger impact than it would have if they'd had been there all along. The smart folks at the Obama campaign know that. And don't think this wasn't planned.

Tina Fey's latest jab at Sarah Palin

Generals are on Obama's side - a spectacular argument for supporting him

Sarah Palin is like a bad movie

Her "handlers" are protecting her from the press, reports AP here. The story read,

Reporters were kept at a distance when she made a campaign stop in Philadelphia, although Palin took one question about the $700 bailout agreement.

Why kept at a distance? What are they afraid of?

It's obvious. Like a bad movie that studios are afraid to premiere to the press, Palin is a bad politician Republicans want to keep out of sight as much as possible. Out of sight, out of mind.

But Palin's projected role in this country is too great. If it were up to me, the Republican Party would be penalized for making such a stupid choice as Palin is.

There's one way they can be penalized. It's called voting for the other candidate.




Amazon.com Widgets

Did McCain say an expletive during the debate?

What does a suspended campaign look like?

Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly says it looks like a regular campaign. (Thanks to Brien Jackson of Below the Fold for pointing this one out.)

McCain's trailer trash running mate

It's all out in the open. Sarah Palin is not only dumber than a fence post, but her family wouldn't know the White House from the outhouse.

Let's start with her interview with Charles Gibson on ABC. It's here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5782791

The most astounding and mentally deficient thing she said came in a question from Gibson on hether the U.S. as a member of NATO would need to come to Georgia's aid in case of war, Palin said,

"Perhaps so," reported CNN.

She continued. "I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help," she said.

The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that Sarah's oldest son, Track, was addicted to the power drug OxyContin for nearly the past two years, snorting it, eating it, smoking it and even injecting it. And as Track, 19, heads to Iraq as part of the U.S. armed forces, Sarah and her husband Todd were powerless to stop his wild antics, detailed in the new issue of The ENQUIRER, which goes on sale today.

THE ENQUIRER also has exclusive details about Track's use of other drugs, including cocaine, and his involvement in a notorious local vandalism incident.

“I’ve partied with him (Track) for years,” a source disclosed. “I’ve seen him snort cocaine, snort and smoke OxyContin, drink booze and smoke weed.”

The source also divulged the girls would do anything for Track and he’d use his local celebrity status to manipulate other guys “to get them to steal things he wanted.”

I don't think we need another reason not to vote for the McCain trainwreck.

Where's Sarah???

WHERE'S SARAH??

She wasn't on "Meet the Press" or "Face the Nation" or the Stephanopolous show or even Fox News this Sunday. Every other candidate was.

Is she hiding? And who or what is she hiding from?

WHERE'S SARAH??

The brilliance (and the downside) of picking Palin

Democrats need to know that Sarah Palin was, from a Republican standpoint, a brilliant choice.

First, her tiny resume also accentuates the criticism Obama has been getting about his. Don't mention the fact that Obama's actually means something, though, where hers is weak.

Second, she also seems to be "of the people," another of Obama's traits. Never mind that without the TelePrompter and a staff of writers, she'd have stood on that convention podium going, "Duh .. duhh ... duh..."

John McCain sold out on this pick. She's everything he supposedly doesn't believe in.

But the Democrats can attack her in several ways. First, her inexperience. Yes, indeed. It's there for all to see.

Second, her personality. There have been charges she tried to have books she didn't agree with banned. There have been charges of racism from this statement attributed to her that she said about Obama beating out Clinton: "So Hillary beat the bitch."

Her husband's had a DUI, her daughter is unmarried and pregnant -- two big no-no's in the GOP playbook.

She's a trailer trash governor who could be one heartbeat from the presidency.

Does that scare you? It should.

Sarah Palin on the Obama nomination: "So Sambo beat the bitch"

  Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”

by Charley James –

“So Sambo beat the bitch!”

This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat’s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively.

“It was kind of disgusting,” Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the “lower 48” about life near the North Pole.

Then, almost with a sigh, she added, “But that’s just Alaska.” (more at the link)

ATTN: Keith Olbermann! Just this past March, Jerome Corsi linked McCain to Al Qaeda!!

Here's the link:

http://wnd.com/index.php?pageId=57678

Here's the headline:

WND Exclusive ELECTION 2008
Group tied to al-Qaida backs McCain for prez
'They will do all they can to turn Kosovo into a jihadist camp in the heart of Europe'
Posted: March 02, 2008
9:07 pm Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

And the first paragraph:

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain has enjoyed strong support from a lobbyist group that backs the Kosovo Liberation Army despite allegations the KLA is a Muslim terrorist group with ties to criminal drug networks and al-Qaida.

You think the Republicans will continue to support this jerk?

Another winner from the guys who brought you the Paris Hilton ad

See more Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay videos at Funny or Die

Amazon.com Widgets

The McCain-Bush connection

"I'll see you at the debate, bitches!"

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

I can't resist posting this, even though it's probably the most widely seen video of the last few days and will be remembered long after the campaign is over. What's really funny is watching Republicans trying to justify this as a good thing and saying Hilton is adopting McCane's energy policy. Yeah, right. The fact she calls him the oldest man in the world is a really good indication this wasn't meant as a compliment.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE -- John McCain's vice presidential pick revealed!

We've learned from some knowledgable inside sources at the McCain camp that McCain, who wants to insure a victory this November, has chosen for his vice president ....





Barack Obama!


McCain, we're told, is certain he can't win without him on the ticket. Either that or it shows how far gone he is.

You read it here first!

Faux News strikes again

Fox News would never make a mistake like this, would they?

Minnesota minor league team giveaway May 24 "honors" Larry Craig bathroom bust

Pretty damn funny. I wish I was in the Twin Cities.

MAY 22--Capitalizing on Senator Larry Craig's restroom bust, a Minnesota minor league baseball team this Sunday is giving away a promotional item celebrating the Republican politician's arrest last year at the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport. Dubbed a "bobblefoot" (as opposed to a bobblehead doll), the polyresin giveaway depicts an occupied bathroom stall (the inhabitant's pants and shoes can be seen below the stall's panels). When the St. Paul Saints's "bobblefoot" is shaken, one of the spring-loaded feet taps. The keepsake, which will be handed out to the first 2500 fans attending the Saints's May 25 game against the Fort Worth Cats.



The season finale of "House" had a scene about how ridiculous Craig's defense "wide stance" defense was.

Republicans declare war on motherhood!

Unbelievable! This week in the House of Representatives, H RES 1113 "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day" was introduced. It was passed, but with a vast majority of Republicans -- 177 of them -- voting no! And the week before Mother's Day!

Take a look here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2008-275

And ... it was sponsored by a Republican! (Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry [R-NE])

Absolutely amazing. You think we'll hear from Annie Coulter, Shelley Malkin or Bill ("Oh really?) O'Reilly on this one?

Goodbye, TV Guide??

At one time, TV Guide was a magazine you bought almost without thinking every week at the supermarket. You had to have it. It had all the TV listings -- with detail -- for the stations in your area. That was a lot more than the one that came in your newspaper.
It had stories. It had lots of pages and only cost a little. IT HAD A CROSSWORD!!
But like the bad times affecting newspapers, TV Guide is being affected, too. Nikki Fink's Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting the publication is in the middle of downsizing and could be shuttered as soon as this week.
As the former editor of a Sunday TV magazine myself, I know how much we looked up at TV Guide. It was thick. It listed everything!, which is what readers wanted. It was cheap (though our Sunday magazine was cheaper since it was included in the paper).
And ... it had a crossword puzzle!!!!
But then, all this is no surprise. When TV Guide switched from being primarily a listings magazine to a gossip magazine, readers groaned. And complained. And stopped taking the magazine. It wasn't what they wanted.
But it was what the owners wanted -- something cheap and glossy for a public they really didn't want to provide a service for. It was all about making money.
Now it's all hitting home.
If this is indeed the end, goodbye, TV Guide. We'll miss the listings. We'll miss those grids. We'll miss those Close-ups.
And most of all, we'll miss that crossword.

Jeremiah Wright is not all wrong

As the Jeremiah Wright "controversy" resurfaced over the weekend and the drive-by attacks from the GOP-shrouded Fox News Channel started up again, you can only wonder how this situation got to where it did.

Part of the problem is the media's reliance on quick hits. Five-second soundbytes. Of course, that is a product of the times. USA Today started it all years ago with its quick hits summary of the day's news.

Newspapers picked up on that like lemmings. The paper I once worked for, the San Jose Mercury News, had endless meetings to discuss how to present the news more concisely and quickly for its commuting public.

Of course, what happens is quotes are taken out of context. Details are omitted. Anything to save time.

This has become the new standard in too much of the media. Get it done quick. Doesn't matter if it isn't all there.

That has been the big gap in the Wright story. Anyone who has taken the time to listen to Wright's sermons in full will find he is not the diehard racist Fox News and the GOP spinmeisters love to tout.

Listen to his sermons: "The Audacity of Hope", the "God Damn America" sermon and the 9/11 sermon. No one who hears these sermons and listens to them will come out with the interpretation foisted off on us in some parts of the media, especially Fox News.

Wright is actually a very very good speaker. I don't believe in his conspiracy theories, but his words expounding hope are good to hear.
There's a lesson to be learned in all this: Hearing words are one thing. Listening to what's being said is something else.

Operation Chaos: Limbaugh or luck? Hotlist

Rush Limbaugh thinks he has thrown the Democratic race into turmoil. Did he -- or would the Obama-Clinton race, such as it is, have happened without him?

Some party-line Republicans, led by none other than Old Faithful Rush Limbaugh, think they are responsible for making the Democratic nomination a horse race instead of the runaway it was. An interesting report in today's San Francisco Chronicle by Carla Marinucci spells it out.

"Limbaugh's effort, which began early this year, is a call to arms urging conservatives and Republican voters to re-register as Democrats - and create chaos in that party's presidential nomination process by casting a vote.

The proof that it is working, Limbaugh says, is in the unusual turnout of turncoats: An estimated 100,000 GOP voters crossed over in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary. And he argues it's no coincidence that TV networks last week appeared reluctant to rely on exit polling and waited more than an hour before calling a solid Keystone State win for Clinton. "Operation Chaos" loyalists have been following orders to mess with exit pollers en masse - by lying to them, Limbaugh says.

'The endgame is to see that neither of these candidates can win by virtue of the primaries," Limbaugh told The Chronicle last week. 'One or the other will win only when the superdelegates decide who they want. And whoever the supers choose will infuriate the loser's supporters. More chaos.'"

So Rush thinks he has that much power? Let's look at a few facts.

First, the idea, as Marinucci says, that Republicans would give up their party affiliation just to vote for the opposition in an election is silly, especially if they have to re-register to do so. If a primary allows them to crossover vote, that, of course, is a very likely scenario under which it could happen. Otherwise, most people -- outside of Limbaugh' lemmings -- wouldn't bother.

Even some of his fellow Republicans don't think this scenario works. Former state Senate and GOP leader Jim Brulte, who's supporting McCain, told Marinucci, "Do I think Rush has a lot of influence among conservatives? Of course he does. He's a thought leader, an opinion leader of the American conservative movement. But do I think most voters change their affiliation to dink around in other parties' primaries? I don't think it happens."

There's even the theory that this whole "Operation" is a Limbaugh ego trip for having denounced McCain. Wouldn't surprise us.

Second, it was pretty inconceivable that the Democratic nomination would go unchallenged, especially with Hillary in the race and as the underdog. She is a unrelenting competitor. Her drive is one of her best qualities. Some Republicans are clucking over the prospect of her against McCain. They may be clucking too soon.

All of this and more (see the article) points to the conclusion that Limbaugh didn't really do anything that mine what was already there. It'll be fun, however, to see him spin this in November after the Republicans lose -- which is a river of denial the GOP is refusing to cross, but which is a lot closer than they think.

Glad all over

It's been what -- a week now since the Dave Clark Five were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame and we can't help smiling.
We've watched the ceremony -- Tom Hanks' wonderful introduction (we'd love to know who wrote that), Dave Clark's gracious tribute to his bandmates and the fun jam session at the end of the group's music.
We wish the three survivors members had played with them. For that matter, we wish all of the band could have been there.
The music of the Dave Clark Five has been a forgotten treasure. Clark himself is responsible for that for not keeping the music available. But in all likelihood, he was cagily waiting for the demand to rise again.
It has. With the group's induction, people want to hear the music again, not in bits and pieces. A single disc compilation with two unreleased tracks is on
itunes and will be in retail stores eventually. And maybe some of those clips shown during the induction ceremony can be compiled into a DVD.
While numerous '60s groups have continued to exist in splintered lineups and seen demand for their music dwindle, the DC5, who lived in the Beatles' shadown for years, haven't done anything and now the demand is coming to them. Dave Clark is looking smarter all the time.
Now, who's glad all over?

Writer's strike ends -- ratification vote scheduled

The Writer's Guild posted the following on their United Hollywood blog today. It says all that's needed. Congrats to the writers. Actually, congrats to both sides for making this happen.

WGA Members Vote to End Strike

This was sent out today by the WGA:

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK – The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) today voted overwhelmingly in favor of lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.

“The strike is over. Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to work,” said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West. “This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet. Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and platforms for new media are developed.”

“The success of this strike is a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future,” said Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America, East. “The commitment and solidarity of our members made it happen and have been an inspiration not only to us but the entire organized labor movement. We will build on that energy and unity to make our two unions stronger than ever.”

WGAW and WGAE members will next vote to ratify the tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The membership ratification vote will be conducted by mail and also at membership meetings on February 25, 2008.

Thoughts on the Grammys -- scripts are for actors, not musicians

We don't normally watch most of the Grammys, but I did last night. And though it was enjoyable in many respects, it also was pretty empty. Too much of it was stiff and formal. The opening electronic duet with Alicia Keys live and Frank Sinatra on film set the tone for the evening that there would be a lot of nods to the past. I thought Keys could have toned her voice down a little and been more powerful. But that wasn't as bad as some of the other segments, for example the John Fogerty-Little Richard-Jerry Lee Lewis segment. Lewis, one of our musical heroes, looked horrible and completely lost. Fogerty was off key. Only Little Richard brought any spark to that performance. Amazing how he still can at his age.

Speaking of age, for the first time, Tina showed hers. She still can move it, though. Gotta give her that.

Aretha Franklin was good, too. We kept wishing Ray Charles was still around to sing with her like he did at the Fillmore way back when. How great that would have been.

We also wish Ringo Starr could have used a little of the natural Liverpool humor he exhibits in radio interviews. It would have made for a memorable highlight.

The Amy Winehouse bit was actually one of the best and one of the worst parts of the show. Her performance was good and reminded me of Phil Spector, who, you notice, was not remembered by the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Her reaction after winning the Grammy, though, was priceless and well worth seeing. The fact it was unscripted -- or seemed to be -- injected a little human drama that most of the show was missing. Too bad, though, the announcers saw fit to plug her performance every 10 minutes.

And we didn't even stay around to see Herbie Hancock's surprise win at the end. After the first five commercials after Winehouse, we gave up.

The latest Republican "strategy"

Those geniuses at the RNC have really been working overtime. Check out this link. You can send Republican Valentine greetings with your favorite Dems on them.

Wonder if anyone at the RNC can spell desperation?

Driving while Republican

Funny story in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's the lead and the first couple of paragraphs.

An 18-year-old Republican's enthusiasm for presidential hopeful Ron Paul could cost him more than $550.

Cody Hauer has been cited four times in one week for displaying a 13-inch-by-40-inch "Ron Paul Revolution" decal in the rear window of his car. The problem is that such decals are illegal if they obstruct the driver's view.

"I support Ron Paul, the city police department doesn't," he said. "They gave me a DWR — driving while Republican."

So, does driving while Republican mean constantly driving backwards? Not making a turn unless Rush Limbaugh says it's ok?

Imagine the possibilities.

What's your idea of driving Republican? Add a comment.

This just in: Reuters reports tentative deal in writer's strike

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/international-screenwriters-strike.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The union representing striking Hollywood writers said Saturday it had reached a "tentative deal" with the studios after a three-month walkout that has crippled television production, hurt the local economy and overshadowed the awards season.

"While this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success," the Writers Guild of America said in a memo emailed to members.

United Hollywood, the Writer's Guild blog is confirming that with this post:

Letter From The Presidents With Deal Summary

Initial comments on the blog indicate some questions from members. Not surprising. A union contract settlement rarely has all the members in agreement over how good it is. But let's hope whatever questions there are are worked out fairly easily.

And again, congrats to both sides.

Surprising results for best liked, best hated news personalities

Harris Interactive issued a press release Friday listing America's top three favorite and least favorite news personalities. Bill O'Reilly got 23% of the vote on both sides of the issue. He, Charles Gibson and Anderson Cooper came out the three favorites.
The least favorites were Rush Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Larry King. Michael Savage, our choice for third, didn't even place. (You know that's gonna tick that egomaniac off.)

Anyway, the entire press release is below. The results are interesting, to say the least.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conservative Talk Show Hosts Top Lists of Both Favorite and Least Favorite News and Current Affairs Personalities

O’Reilly, Gibson and Cooper Top Favorites and Limbaugh, O’Reilly and King Top Least Favorites List

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The days of old when there was just network news and newspapers for people to go to for their information are long gone, and people who deliver the news have become much more numerous. They are no longer just newscasters, but rather news and current affairs personalities; toward that end, America has their favorites and, of course, their least favorites.

Leading the list of favorites, just under one-quarter (23%) of Americans cite Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly as one of their three favorite news and current affairs personalities, followed by the host of ABC’s World News Tonight, Charles Gibson and CNN’s Anderson Cooper (17% each).

Leading the list of least favorites, a plurality of Americans (42%) say Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is one of their least favorite news and current affairs personalities. The same number who cite Bill O’Reilly as one of their favorites also say he is one of their least favorites (23%) and 19 percent say CNN’s Larry King is one of their least favorite news and current affairs personalities.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,302 U.S. adults surveyed online between January 15 and 22, 2008 by Harris Interactive®.

Rounding out the top five favorite news and current affairs personalities is NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams (16%) and then with 13 percent each is Meet the Press host Tim Russert, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric and 60 Minutes host Mike Wallace. On the other side, 17 percent say that CNN Headline News’ Nancy Grace is one of their least favorites and just under that (16%) cite Katie Couric. In looking at the two lists, there are a number of the same people who are in the top ten on both. Bill O’Reilly, Katie Couric, ABC’s 20/20’s Barbara Walters, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News’s Sean Hannity all are in the top half of the favorites and the least favorites list.

Partisan Differences

It’s not just the backing of candidates that show partisan differences, their choices of favorite and least favorite news and current affairs personalities are also very different. For Republicans, their top three favorites are Bill O’Reilly (42%), Rush Limbaugh (28%) and Sean Hannity (27%). Perhaps, not surprisingly, Democrats have a very different list of favorites – Anderson Cooper (22%), Brian Williams (20%) and Charles Gibson (19%). One thing to note is that Republicans are more united behind their favorites while the Democrats are a bit more fragmented.

Where the Democrats do show stronger support is in the list of their least favorites as three in five Democrats (60%) say it’s Rush Limbaugh, followed by one-third (34%) who say Bill O’Reilly and 17 percent who say Nancy Grace. For Republicans, just over a quarter (26%) each says Larry King and Katie Couric are their least favorites. Rush Limbaugh definitely inspires mixed emotions for Republicans as 24 percent say he is one of their least favorites.

So What?

With the rise of online news and information sites and the 24 hour nature of news, there are many more places for Americans to get their news. This means that just having the anchor seated behind the table isn’t enough to grab viewers or listeners. These news personalities are competing for these viewers and each must try to stand out in some way. Maybe they focus on a single issue, trying to be the dominant news source on it. Maybe they go extremely high tech for announcing elections or, as in Tim Russert’s case, very low tech and just carry around a white board and marker. Whatever it may be, the dissemination of news has changed and the Cronkites, Brinkleys and Huntleys are no longer around.

TABLE 1

FAVORITE NEWS PERSONALITY

“Thinking now of the media in general, of the news and current affairs personalities listed below, which three would you say are your favorites?”

Base: All adults
Total Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
Bill O’Reilly 23 42 11 19
Charles Gibson 17 17 19 19
Anderson Cooper 17 14 22 17
Brian Williams 16 16 20 12
Tim Russert 13 9 18 16
Katie Couric 13 10 17 12
Mike Wallace 13 9 17 16
Barbara Walters 12 10 16 12
Rush Limbaugh 12 28 2 11
Sean Hannity 11 27 2 7
George Stephanopoulos 11 8 13 14
Larry King 9 9 11 7
Keith Olbermann 7 2 10 9
Chris Matthews 6 5 8 8
Lou Dobbs 6 3 8 9
Nancy Grace 6 6 7 7
Bob Schieffer 6 4 6 9
Wolf Blitzer 5 5 7 5
Shepard Smith 5 9 3 4
Greta Van Susteran 4 7 3 3
Tucker Carlson 2 3 1 2
Alan Colmes 2 4 1 1
None of these 23 13 22 23

TABLE 2

LEAST FAVORITE NEWS PERSONALITY

“Of the news and current affairs personalities below, which three would you say are your least favorites?”

Base: All adults
Total Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
Rush Limbaugh 42 24 60 50
Bill O’Reilly 23 10 34 29
Larry King 19 26 16 18
Nancy Grace 17 17 17 19
Katie Couric 16 26 10 16
Barbara Walters 15 20 10 16
Sean Hannity 10 3 15 15
Wolf Blitzer 9 13 8 8
George Stephanopoulos 8 14 3 10
Greta Van Susteran 8 9 9 6
Chris Matthews 6 11 3 5
Mike Wallace 5 10 2 4
Alan Colmes 5 9 3 4
Keith Olbermann 5 8 3 5
Tucker Carlson 4 4 5 3
Lou Dobbs 3 3 5 2
Anderson Cooper 3 4 2 2
Tim Russert 2 5 1 2
Brian Williams 2 3 2 2
Shepard Smith 2 1 2 2
Charles Gibson 2 2 2 1
Bob Schieffer 1 3 1 1
None of these 25 20 23 21

Methodology

This Harris Poll® was conducted online within the United States January 15 and 22, among 2,302 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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Q580, 585

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the largest and fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com. Harris Interactive is an independent, non-partisan research company and does not take part in political campaigning or primary predictions.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.

The writer's strike ... could it really be "The End"?

Two importants items we found after we wrote the item below: United Hollywood, the Writer's Guild blog, is holding a live conference at 1 p.m. today (Friday). We're guessing you have to be members for this.
Also, the WGA is holding a general membership meeting at the Shrine Auditorium, 665 W Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, at 7 p.m. Saturday night. We assume they're hoping to have a contract to present to the members.


After all the false alarms and false hopeful (and really unfounded) reports in some papers lately, the writer's strike is really showing signs of ending. The Los Angeles Times reports writers could be back to work Monday if a deal currently being hammered out is presented to members this weekend.

And the New York Times had a great background story today about how the efforts of one woman helped turned the strike from possibility of becoming a hopeless impasse to the real possibility of a settlement. 

Props to both sides for hammering this thing out. Early reports say the writers did get some measure of income from the internet use of their material. That was only fair and we're glad that both sides were able to discuss it civilly.

But it ain't over 'till it's over. Cross your fingers. And we hope both sides will persevere to get this thing done and get this strike over with and put behind them. 

Then, we can make this the dramatic conclusion and really say it's "The End."

They're coming to take us away, ha ha?

Are you afraid? Maybe you should be. Some "scientists" think that this week's outer space transmission of the Beatles song "Across the Universe" might get some of those little green men out in space mad enough to where they might invade us.
No, I'm not making this up. It's right here.
In fact, we'll reprint part of it.

Fears that malevolent aliens will tune into this week's broadcast of The Beatles' song "Across the Universe" have been voiced by scientists.

NASA started to beam the song towards the North Star, 431 light years from Earth at midnight GMT on Monday, drawing congratulations from former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, who mused that it marked "the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe."

But today's New Scientist asks whether such signals could expose us to the risk of attack from mean spirited aliens.

Scientists considered this question at the "Sound of Silence" meeting at Arizona State University in Tempe this week.

"Before sending out even symbolic messages, we need an open discussion about the potential risks," says Douglas Vakoch of the Seti (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) Institute, Mountain View, California.

Risks? Over an Beatle song? Over these lyrics??

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Those are destined to provoke violence, aren't they?

Thank goodness NASA didn't send the Rolling Stones song "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."

The John McCain mutiny

Am I the only one who thinks it's odd that a bloc of right-wing talk show hosts are united against John McCain? Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Hugh Hewitt have all come out for Romney.
Said Ingraham in the Washington Post, "There is no way in hell I could pull the lever for John McCain."
Not only that, Rush Limbaugh, never one for being in the background, says he'd support the Democrats in the general election if it keeps McCain from being elected.
"If I believe the country will suffer with either Hillary, Obama or McCain, I would just as soon the Democrats take the hit . . . rather than a Republican causing the debacle," he said. "And I would prefer not to have conservative Republicans in the Congress paralyzed by having to support, out of party loyalty, a Republican president who is not conservative."
Does anybody really believe this hogwash? Why do we smell a little Republican mischief here? What drugs are these guys on? After all, all of these talk show hosts march lockstep to GOP marching orders. Limbaugh support a Democrat? He'd rather have a boil removed from his backside.
McCain adviser Mark McKinnon went along with the game. "Our question is, 'Isn't it better to get behind a Republican you may disagree with from time to time than work for an outcome that puts a Democrat in the White House with whom you will disagree all of the time?' . ."
As the Post suggests, this is most likely an attention-getting maneuver by Limbaugh, who revels in being in the spotlight.
Wouldn't it be funny, though, if this strategy backfires in his face?

Writer's talks continue -- no deal yet

Despite the language we've heard on news reports, there is no deal yet between the writers and producers, according to United Hollywood, the Writer's Guild blog. Talks are continuing under a media blackout, a very good sign that things are progressing. The union, however, is still planning picketing for Monday if the strike isn't settled. It wouldn't be a total surprise if this is settled during the night, but, having been involved in the labor side of possible strikes before, it ain't over till it's over.
But it appears that could be soon.
Our best to the Writer's Guild. We're pulling for you.

Another reason why gossip sites aren't news sources

The high and mighty TMZ.com has this headline on an item today:
The End is Near -- Studios and Writers Make a Deal. Except the link that's included in the item (to an MSNBC story) clearly says the tentative deal "could be near". It's the same link we posted here yesterday with that information.
Stick to following Britney Spears 24/7, you dopes, and stay away from real news. It's too difficult for you.

Writer's strike breakthrough?

MSNBC and the New York Times are reporting a possible breakthough in the talks between the Writer's Guild and the AMPTP. The Guild's United Hollywood blog isn't giving any hints. The Writer's Guild West website itself has a link to a letter from the union president that's only accessible to Guild West Coast members.
But given the tight-lipped atmosphere, one could deduce that something is indeed happening.
Good luck to the Writer's Guild.

'COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN' NOTABLE QUOTES FOR JANUARY 21-25

NEW YORK – January 30, 2008 – Following are quotes from "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" for the week of Jan. 21-25. "Countdown" airs weeknights, 8-9 p.m. ET on MSNBC. Complete program transcripts are available at www.tv.msnbc.com.

[Referring to Attorney General Michael Mukasey's portrait of George Orwell that is in his office]
Olbermann: "He [Mukasey] says the portrait hangs there because he likes the clarity of Orwell's writing. Mr. Mukasey adds he adores Pamela Anderson's penmanship."

[Referring to a theme park in Lithuania called 1984]
Olbermann: "I thought that was in Washington, D.C."

Olbermann: "WMDs that didn't exist, Mike Huckabee says they were hidden like Easter eggs."

[Referring to Jan. 21, which is considered to be the most depressing day of the year]
Olbermann: "Ask Keifer Sutherland. His jail term wouldn't interfere with the production of his TV show. Now he's out of the joint, but his show and all the others are out on strike."

Olbermann: "Economic stimulus package? I got your economic stimulus package right here – Britney Spears contributes $120 million to our economy."

[Referring to reports that Jamie Lynn Spears will give her baby to her mother]
Olbermann: "Lynne Spears is all for it, reportedly, believing that her daughter should be allowed to grow up like a normal teenager and pursue her career, a policy that's worked great so far."

Obama snags the heavyweight endorsement

OK, so Schwarzenneger is endorsing John McCain. Chuck Norris is endorsing Mike Huckabee. But the endorsement all the candidates wanted went to Barack Obama. That's right -- Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster told Jimmy Kimmel he believed Barack Obama was the ‘choice,’ and that he hoped Barack Obama would win the presidency, according to PoliJam.
What you gonna do, Hillary?

The best of Bush

To jog those memory banks, here's a David Letterman top 10 list Letterman taped for the 2007 White House Correspondents Dinner -- the Top 10 George Bush moments.

Let us hear from you

We know you're out there, so let us hear your opinions on our topics or yours.

Another studio makes a deal with writers

The Associated Press is reporting Lionsgate has signed an agreement with the Writer's Guild.
Meanwhile, talks between the writers and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is continuing under a news blackout. That's usually a good sign of progress.
We're crossing our fingers.

A tribute ... or pushing the product?

On tonight's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," his second runner-up in his "Worst People" was a Best Buy that put up a Heath Ledger display enticing people to buy his DVDs shortly after the news of his death broke out. We're aware of the Borders Books in Fremont, CA., that put a magazine with Ledger up on a display "as a tribute," we're told. And to hopefully get people to buy stuff, we presume. Bad form, Borders!

Comings and goings at the SF Chronicle?

Phil Bronstein's moving on and rumors are flying at the Chron who will replace him. The rumors around the Chron newsroom say the replacement is a woman and Bronstein put a little more oomph in it by saying his successor had "deep roots in the Bay Area." Two names being bandied about are Carole Leigh Hutton, who just got dropped by the free-falling San Jose Mercury News, and Susan Goldberg, who left that same Mercury News for greener pastures at the Cleveland Plain Dealer last year.
Of those two, our money's on Hutton, who came into the Bay Area in early 2007 from Detroit as publisher of the Palo Alto-based Daily News Group and vice president of California Newspapers Partnership (CNP), the company controlled by Dean Singleton's MediaNews, moved on to the Mercury News in May, then quit the Merc earlier this month. Not exactly "deep" Bay Area roots, though.
These days, though, you take newspaper executives where you can find 'em, so who knows who might be the one.

The swiftboating of Hillary Clinton has begun

It was only a matter of time before the Republican slime machine would kick in with rumors about Hillary Clinton.
And, of course, those rumors are sexual. Specifically, lesbian. The type of crap they've been saying about her for years. Now they get to bring it up again.
The whispers say Hillary and her top aide, Huma Abedin, are more than co-workers. It may have started in November with the UK Times Online story. It may have been before that.
One blog quoted a passage from Gennifer Flowers' book (you remember her sexual charges against Bill Clinton) and said Bill admitted Hillary was gay.
They'll deny they said it, of course. But someone is doing the whispering.

The Britney Spears death watch

The news last week that the Associated Press has begun compiling Britney Spears' obituary might shock those outside the newspaper business, but believe me, this is routine stuff. Newspapers generally have a bank of obituaries on file, especially for older celebrities with extensive careers who are likely to pass on soon.
Sound a bit morbid or give you the impression that the newspaper business is like buzzards? It shouldn't. In the process of putting the news together for each day's paper, not everything can be compiled on deadline. Doing this advance work makes the process easier when the time does come and offers the reader better coverage.
But it is unusual that Britney Spears is the focus of one. With her unusual actions -- the latest being prancing around nude in a clothing store -- she's definitely in the high risk category for becoming a story on the obit page.
I know at the newspaper I worked for, we had the obit for Bob Hope in the works for years. It almost became a running joke that Bob would outlive us all. When the day finally did come, the writer who was given the assignment (a long time in advance, incidentally) was the focus of ribbing from the staff because the time had finally come.
Maybe, though, this will be the wake up call for someone who gives a damn about Spears. No one seems to right now. Too many people are making money off her every move. And certainly, a lot of people are rooting for her death for all the money their pictures will make.