Tag Archives: talk radio

EDITORIALS, PHILLY LOCAL, POLITICS

Smerconish begins to show his true stripes

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Smerconish interviewing President Barack Obama

 

An article for the Philadelphia Inquirer, as politically liberal a rag as exists anywhere in America today, titled “Sorry, but for me, the party is over“, written by local quasi-celebrity Michael Smerconish was published in that paper’s Sunday, February 21st edition ‘Currents’ section.

In this article, Smerconish reveals what every true local Philadelphia Republican has known for more than a year.

The man who has billed himself as THE local Republican voice, who glommed onto the popularity of programs such as Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor“, and who attached themselves at the hip to commentators such as Sean Hannity, is in fact not a Republican after all.

The article, which carried a secondary headline where it continued on page C3 titled “Parting ways with the party, after 30 years”, reveals that Smerconish recently had an epiphany of sorts. And he had it while standing in line at, of all places, the DMV.

The Inquirer, of course, then bent over backwards to advertise this alleged political change away from conservatism. But is it really a change at all?

Smerconish goes to get his license renewed and the clerk asks him at one point as to whether he would also like to change his voter registration party affiliation.

Why this is an appropriate question for some clerk at the DMV to be asking in the first place is never revealed, nor ever fully explored by the allegedly dogged journalist.

Smerconish then goes on to reveal that this was his “hallelujah” moment. One can imagine a mystical light shining down on him from above and revealing that he is actually not a Republican, nor is he a Democrat, but instead he is that most cherished of ideals. He is an “Independent” thinker, beholden to no party values! Hallelujah!

He has the clerk switch his voter registration status from ‘Republican’ to ‘Independent’, leaving behind his party of the past three decades. Smerconish writes that in doing so he is better reflecting his personal values. He claims that actually, he is “not sure if I left the Republican Party or the party left me. All I know is that I no longer feel comfortable.”

Now let me state before I go on that I myself have switched my formally registered political affiliation a few times over the years. As I have explained in full detail before here at this blog, during my 20’s in the 1980’s I was a fully-indoctrinated liberal Democrat.

It was at some point during the first Clinton administration where I had my own ‘hallelujah’ moment, realizing that my values and positions had evolved to conservative ones. I made the switch to Republican and have not looked back.

During the time that I was a registered Democrat, however, I switched my party affiliation from Dem to Republican a couple of times. Each time I did so at the request of, and specifically for, my father.

My Dad was involved in the political process and publicly supporting Republican candidates such as John Egan for Mayor of Philadelphia. I would always switch back to Dem following the election cycle, and remained so until making the permanent switch during the mid-90’s.

However, unlike the spineless Smerconish, I did not ever try to paint myself with the brush of mediocrity that is the act of being a registered Independent. Smerconish tries to make himself out to be some sort of victim to the system. “Where political parties used to create coalitions and win elections, now they seek to advance strict ideological agendas.”

Malarkey! Political parties have existed in America since the earliest decades of our founding, particularly in the years following George Washinton’s first Presidency.

From those early parties like the Whigs through to Teddy Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Party to today’s liberal-dominated Democrats, political parties have displayed polarizing differences in their platforms and in their personalities.

Smerconish tries to defend his decision by pointing to a handful of examples of party inclusion of disparate ideas and visions. In every party there will always be individuals who are slightly moderated from the main party platform and ideals. But you rarely, if ever, can find a full-on conservative Democrat or a full-on liberal Republican, especially among the politicians.

That may prove Smerconish’s point, that the parties are indeed ideological, but the fact of the matter is that situation has been in existence since those early years of our Founding Fathers. It didn’t suddenly happen in the last election cycle. It didn’t slowly develop in recent decades. Political party ideology has been around forever.

The fact is that Smerconish began broadcasting full-time in the early years of the George W. Bush administration in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He took up the Republican mantle fully, supporting most Bush policies and positions vocally and publicly, including the use of torture on terrorist suspects.

Over the next half-dozen years, Smerconish became a quasi-celebrity, his public conservative positions landing him gigs as a guest host for O’Reilly and Glenn Beck and his largely conservative writings leading to New York Times best-sellers. Smerconish made a lot of money and gained a measure of celebrity in these years thanks to what were perceived to be his intact, well thought-out, mature political and social positions.

But what also was going on is that Smerconish was doing all of this while working at a local Philadelphia radio station. He was not a nationally syndicated host with a vast network of listeners supporting him, he was broadcasting in one of the most liberal cities in America. His stated positions made him a number of political enemies, and shut him out of a number of local sources.

Realizing over time that he was not going to break out nationally as had people like Beck and Hannity, Smerconish saw himself stuck in Philly and treading water. Then suddenly it happened, the savior, Barack Obama, came along with his glib tongue and his two faces.

Smerconish began earlier than most to sense the momentum of the Obama campaign, and the alleged Republican talk radio host did the unthinkable in endorsing Obama for President.

It was in this moment that those of us who had suspected for years that Smerconish was simply a charlatan opportunist, using 9/11 and the Republican Party popularity of the early part of the last decade to his advantage, got our proof of that as fact.

There is no way that anyone who took any time to evaluate a politician’s actual record before endorsing them, as a public personality with a radio talk show in a major market should, could ever find anything other than the facts. Those facts were that simply from his voting record and previous public associations, Barack Obama was one of the most, if not the single most, liberal members of the United States Senate.

Michael Smerconish threw in with Obama because he saw the momentum switch, believed strongly that Obama was going to win, saw that Obama was articulate and intelligent, and further believed that the sun was setting on the ideology of conservatism. Smerconish basically glommed on to the next big thing to maintain his local audience relevancy.

In the beginning it was actually a good thing to say that he was a Republican who was supporting Obama. In that way, Smerconish could actually try to portray himself as not being ideological himself, despite what was out there in the public purvey for the past half dozen or so years.

But as time has gone on, Smerconish has become more and more enamored with the Obama celebrity himself, tossing aside the substance of the issues for increased access to the administration.

Thanks to his position as ‘the Republican talking head who supports Obama’, Smerconish was actually given the first live radio broadcast, interview, and listener question-answer session from inside the White House with the new President in August of 2009.

A man whom I happen to admire, Glenn Beck, has been an outspoken registered Independent for some time now. But with Beck there is a major difference. He legitimately sees and eloquently expresses his own ideology of American exceptionalism, pointing out with detailed precision how leaders of both parties have been led astray by political and social ‘progressivism’ and calling for a return to the Constitutional direction of the Founders.

Whatever their motivations, I still believe that whether it be in Beck’s principled stand against progressives or in Smerconish’s unwillingness to publicly embrace either his change to liberalism or that he has no political backbone, registering as and championing oneself as a registered ‘independent’ is a bit disingenuous.

There is no doubt that Beck’s conservative lean would, for example, find him in the voting booth ever pulling the lever next to the name of any current Democrat, while there are any number of Republicans who share his basic ideals.

In contrasts to Beck’s independence status, Smerconish is simply a fraud. He is an opportunist who now sees his best opportunity at continued celebrity by casting in with Obama and his liberal followers. Smerconish is waiting for this type of characterization. He is waiting for it and expecting it so that he can use it as well. He is waiting for conservatives to let loose on him for his alleged betrayal.

No, this indictment of Michael Smerconish and his allegedly changed political positions and resulting party registration change do not stem from feelings of betrayal. They come from a long-held belief that the man is all about himself, not any true, bedrock values or political positions. He has no political backbone whatsoever, and has only proven his irrelevancy with this registration switch. That is one man’s opinion based on what I have seen and heard.

It is also my opinion that this move to alleged ‘independence’ is only itself a temporary move. Right now, Smerconish senses the unsure direction of the future political winds as Obama’s plans prove to be the socialist failures that many of us predicted.

I predict here that Michael Smerconish’s political independence itself will not last, and that it is only a matter of time, and more security in the direction of those future political winds, before the big ‘R’ is back, or before the big ‘D’ takes a permanent place on his voter registration.

For local Philadelphia morning drive-time radio listeners, you do indeed have a choice. The intelligent, articulate, personable Bill Bennett can be heard by sliding your radio dial over to 990AM weekdays from 6am-9am. There, Bennett’s ‘Morning in America’ program is a part of the “intelligent, conservative talk” that local station WNTP offers each weekday.

The one thing that Bill Bennett will never be accused of by anyone is being spineless, and you won’t ever see him change his political affiliation for career or financial expediency.

American of the Year, HISTORY

2009 American of the Year: Glenn Beck

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This was a year of tremendous change for America, and the vast majority of it was not for the good. Our national debt, already out of control as the year began, has now soared to previously unimaginable levels.

Our government has taken over control of large portions of private industry, and is poised to take over even more in the coming years.

On the international front, we have become indecisive and noncommittal in fighting a war against a determined Islamofascist enemy that continues to look for ways to attack us, kill our citizens, and deal crippling blows to our economy and our way of life.

Thanks to recent election results, we face a future of increasing debt and taxation and decreasing personal freedom and liberty.

Not willing to stand by and simply whine and complain on the airwaves, radio talk show host Glenn Beck took his blossoming television program from CNN’s Headline News and moved to the Fox News network in early 2009.

This move allowed him to get out from under the umbrella of the liberal mandate of CNN and into the Fox world that allows fair and balanced reporting of all sides of the issues.

Beck then began a year-long education of the American people on civics, history, and current events that was quite simply not being discussed anywhere else in any clear and consistent manner.

For his efforts as a truthful voice crying out in the wilderness, and for his out-front leadership of traditional America, this website is proud to name Glenn Beck as it’s 2009 American of the Year.

Beck follows in the footsteps of previous honorees Pat Tillman (2004), Bill O’Reilly (2005), Rev. Billy Graham (2006), P/O Chuck Cassidy (2007), and President George W. Bush (2008).

While many years have seen a number of worthy individuals fall just short while being considered, no one really came close to challenging Beck for this year’s honor.

There is no doubt that websites, magazines, and news programs run by and catering to ultra-liberals, socialists, and Europeans will look to make their ‘Person of the Year’ selections soon.

Many of them will no doubt select Barack Obama for his, uh, for…hmmm. There is the whole being sworn in and becoming the first-ever minority, well, half-minority President in American history thing. But then that is really a ceremony.

Should we give someone an award for contributions during an entire year when all they really accomplished was ceremonial? Well, apparently they give out the Nobel prize for accomplishing nothing. But this website will not fall into that trap.

The more important thing would seem to be not winning an election, but what you do once you are in office. Other than driving up debt, decreasing freedom, and lessening national security, it’s hard to find any accomplishments of Obama this past year.

This year, Beck released another in a what is fast becoming a series of best-selling books. His latest is titled “Arguing With Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government” and in it he takes on these targets with simple facts.

Gun control? Government-run health care? Illegal immigration? You might think that you have an opinion, but in this book, Glenn will help you to understand the facts.

The 45-year old Beck did more than lend a leading voice to the most worthy cause of protecting and preserving the U.S. Constitution and restoring American exceptionalism, though that enough would be worthy of the honor.

As a concrete measure, he organized the ‘9-12 Project’ to embody the spirit that the vast majority of Americans felt on the day after the 9-11-2001 terrorist attacks.

Beck’s ‘9-12 Project’ is based on 9 principles and 12 values that embody this spirit. The principles include basic ideals such as “America is good”, “I believe in God”, “The family is sacred”, and “The government works for me.”

The 12 values are: honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude.

Beck also gave a voice to the ‘Tea Party’ movement which grew at formal town hall gatherings all across the country during 2009. Based on the ‘Boston Tea Party’ concept of protest against excessive government actions and taxation, these localized events exploded into a massive taxpayer march on Washington on September 12th, 2009.

His style is one of intellectual inquisitiveness mixed with what he himself calls a ‘rodeo clown’ persona. Open about being a recovering alcoholic, Beck sprinkles his television program with the same humor that is a hallmark of his radio show, adding formal charts and graphics and video accompanied by simple presentations made by him alone standing at a chalkboard. He engages guests at both venues of all political persuasions in conversation rather than rancorous debate.

Critics of Beck’s programming presentations have often used terms such as ‘fear-monger’ and ‘conspiratorial’, and yet almost never do you here any substance behind such accusations and commentary.

As is a hallmark of the liberal community in general, name-calling is about all that the left has to offer up in rebuttal when challenged on-air by Beck’s biting tongue and sharp wit.

In September of 2009, Beck was highlighted by the usually left-leaning Time magazine in a cover piece titled “Is Glenn Beck Bad For America?” In this sweeping article that basically painted him as one would expect from a liberal tome, Time had this to say of his programming:

“As melodrama, it’s thumping good stuff. But as politics, it’s sort of a train wreck — at once powerful, spellbinding and uncontrolled.”

What the magazine did not say is perhaps the most telling thing. It did not say that he is a liar.

There are any number of radio talk hosts, television commentators, political pundits, comic satirists, and armchair politicians out there. But exactly because he is so “powerful, spellbinding and uncontrolled” as well as truthful, Glenn Beck taps into the raw nerves of the large numbers of Americans who are as rightfully frightened for the future of our once-great nation as he himself has become.

For his expressive courage, his moral conviction, his articulation of truth, his love of America, he is an example to us all. For what he has overcome in his personal life to become a wealthy, influential opinion shaper, as well as a devoted, loving family man, he is an example as well.

For all of this, and for his work with the ‘9-12 Project’ and the ‘Tea Party’ movement, Glenn Beck is this website’s 2009 American of the Year.

NOTE: To view the write-ups for all of the ‘American of the Year’ winners simply click on to that ‘Tag’ below this article at http://www.mattveasey.com

REVIEWS

Talent on loan from God

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Limbaugh on the air back in 1995

On issues of politics and culture, there is little doubt that the leading voice of the revolutionary revival in talk radio during the past decade and a half has been one Rush Limbaugh.

Michael Harrison, the editor of Talkers Magazine has been quoted: “Before Rush Limbaugh, there was nothing like talk radio. He’s been to talk what Elvis was to rock-n-roll. He saved the AM dial…”

Former White House aid Karl Rove has said: “He’s a leader. If Rush engages on an issue, it give others courage to engage.”

This year, Rush is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his highly successful “Rush Limbaugh Show”, a syndicated radio program which can be found in the Philly area airwaves at The Big Talker, 1210am, every weekday from noon to 3pm.

Limbaugh blends an incredible mind with a sharp wit and a sometimes biting, often humorous tongue to spread the conservative gospel to the converted masses (as well as any of the opposition who want to read the true pulse on the other side.)

Rush takes on all of the important issues both political and cultural, brings their key points into sharp clarity, and tells you why you should not only agree with him, but should actively engage yourself in supporting these positions.

The force of his will as spread through the popularity of his show was no doubt a key ingredient in Republicans taking over the US Congress in 1994 for the first time in 40 years, helping usher in the Newt Gingrich-led ‘Republican Revolution’, the backbone of which was the ‘Contract With America’.

Rush also was a huge Bush supporter in 2000, and certainly played a key role in galvanizing the conservative base to get out and vote, helping President Bush to the most narrow win in the history of the American political process involving the Presidency.

During breaks, Rush’s plugs for the show include his voice announcing that you are listening to the Rush Limbaugh Show, and stating that what you are hearing is “Talent on loan from God!”

When he says that, he is not being at all disrespectful, though certainly be a bit boastful (though honest). He is announcing that he has talent, a point supported by his immense popularity and the respect afforded him by leading politicians, pundits, journalists, and other broadcasters.

Limbaugh is also informing us that this talent was loaned out to him by his God, a fact that we all should embrace about ourselves and our own abilities on a more regular basis.

Rush began his career as a Top 40 radio DJ in Pittsburgh during the 1970’s, a time when the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers were a Super Bowl-winning powerhouse. Limbaugh became a big Steelers fan then, and remains so to this day.

In 1979, Rush set aside the music to become the director of promotions for the Kansas City Royals baseball team during a period when the Royals were one of baseball’s top teams (Royals’ Hall of Famer George Brett remains one of his best friends.)

After five years in Kansas City, Rush moved on to Sacramento, taking over a talk radio job there, and in 1987 the alleged ‘Fairness Doctrine’ was removed from the radio industry by the FCC. This idiotic piece of junk basically shackled talk radio, saying that in order to express any political views a station had to give equal time to opposing views.

With the television industry becoming dominated by politically liberal viewpoints and commentary, the radio restriction was certainly anything but ‘fair’, and its removal changed the talk radio landscape forever.

The Wall Street Journal described it in outstanding terms when they said that “Ronald Reagan tore down the wall (the Fairness Doctrine) and Rush Limbaugh was the first man to proclaim himself liberated from the East Germany of liberal media domination.” 

On August 1st, 1988, Rush moved across country to New York, and began his now-famous self-named radio program on the ABC network. His radio home there at WABC-AM (770 on the NY dials) remains his flagship station two decades later.

His listeners have become affectionately known as ‘dittoheads‘, signifying that they agree with Rush on the issues. His style has been said to bounce between “earnest lecturer and political vaudevillian“.

In his personal life, Rush has often fallen short of being the conservative values man that he talks up on-air. He has been married and divorced three times, has no children, and had to win a very public battle with an addiction to pain killers.

He has also had professional controversies, including criticisms received for mocking the effects of Parkinson’s disease on actor Michael J. Fox, and on support for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb as being largely media-created because there was a desire there to see a black quarterback succeed at a high level.

But despite personal and professional setbacks and challenges, Limbaugh has never shied away from voicing his valid cultural and political opinion in an honest, straight-forward manner. He has been a true leader in the conservative movement in the United States. He openly and regularly advocates for conservatism:

“We conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism, the rule of law, faith, a color-blind society and national security. We support school choice, enterprise zones, tax cuts, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, political speech, homeowner rights and the War on Terrorism.” 

No one articulates the conservative positions more succinctly. Current Republican party candidate for President, John McCain, has been quoted: “I respect Rush Limbaugh.” A plain and simple statement that I can easily say that I would echo.

Rush Limbaugh most certainly has what he says that he has: talent on loan from God. Give his radio program a listen-to for a week. If you have that courage, I can almost guarantee that you will be hooked, and perhaps, if need be, politically and culturally converted.

EDITORIALS, TERRORISM

Michael Scheuer calls a spade a spade

Former CIA senior analyst and anonymous author of the book “Imperial Hubris” Michael Scheuer speaks on NBC’s “Meet the Press” during a taping at the NBC studios Sunday, Nov. 21, 2004, in Washington. Scheuer talked about the war on terrorism and the search for Osama bin Laden. (AP Photo/Meet the Press, Alex Wong) 

 

This morning on his local radio broadcast, Philadelphia talk radio icon Michael Smerconish had on as his main guest Michael Scheuer, former head of the “bin Laden” desk for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Scheuer has just released a book titled “Imperial Hubris”, which he wrote under the pseudonym of “anonymous”.

One thing that I found refreshing about Scheuer’s opinion is that he was and is able and willing to look beyond the usual labels that all political and ideological sides of the terrorist issue like to hang on bin Laden, and to simply call a spade a spade.

What I mean by this is that far too often those on the far end of the political Right want to label bin Laden as a terrorist, a madman, a demon, a devil, a deranged killer, a murderer.

Those on the far end of the political Left have called him an Islamic freedom fighter, a rebel, an insurgent leader. And of course, many have found far more colorful labels to hang on the man.

Scheuer points out that bin Laden is neither a demon nor a freedom fighter. He is a mainstream Muslim, a devout believer in Islam, a sincerely spiritual man.

Osama bin Laden says what he means, and he means what he says, and in this way he is a man of integrity. You don’t have to wonder what bin Laden thinks about any issue, he tells you how he feels, over and over.

In fact, more than we Americans, Osama bin Laden is willing to call a spade a spade.

For this reason, bin Laden is more dangerous to the United States and the future of our nation than most any other single man has ever been.

Radical Islam as an entity is a bigger threat to freedom, democracy and capitalism than any other ideology that has ever come down the pike. This includes everything from Nazism to Communism.

Scheuer puts forth in his book and in his commentaries a point-of-view that is enough to rankle both ends of the political spectrum. He holds the opinion that we are losing the War on Terror, not winning it as the Bush administration would have us believe. “Great stuff, this guy is on to something”, the liberals might say.

Not so fast. Scheuer believes that, rather than pull back or pull out, we should ratchet up the war, that we should “proceed with relentless, brutal, and, yes, blood-soaked offensive military actions until we have annihilated the Islamists who threaten us.”

Wow. I may be in love. Someone who is willing to look beyond all the usual patriotic flag-waving, to see through all the appeasement weakness, and simply call a spade a spade.

Osama bin Laden is an incredibly intelligent, organized, worthy adversary. He is generous to his closest followers and those who suffer in the name of Islam. He is compassionate to his people. He is focused and forward-thinking. And he must be killed.

So often here in the United States we dance around political issues. We take the easy, go-along-to-get-along path. We use politically correct speech in public, and in front of our enemies, and then speak our real, true feelings only among other same-thinkers, or behind closed doors, or “off the record”. We concern ourselves more with how we are perceived by others, rather than living our lives true to ourselves.

Some call this being moderate, or being political. Some say that it is showing sensitivity, or respect, or consideration. Some say that it is simply being nice. I say it is nothing more than complete and utter “bull”!

If you think one thing, really and truly believe it in your heart and in your soul, and yet are unwilling to stand up publicly for that belief, for those feelings, then you are being dishonest with both yourself and your opponents. You are being insensitive, disrespectful and inconsiderate. You are saying one thing to someone’s face, and something entirely different behind their backs.

I think it is time to stop sugar-coating our messages here in America. It is time to stop saying things with a press sound bite in mind. It is time to speak our minds, and it is time to speak the truth. It is time to do what Michael Scheuer does when speaking and writing about Osama bin Laden. It is time to call a spade a spade.

Liberalism in general and the American Democratic Party in particular, are trying to lead us down a path towards central government intervention in nearly every facet of our lives.

The Dems are firmly against the President of the United States on every issue, no matter their own personal feelings, simply because they personally resent his holding of the office to begin with.

The liberals want to tax us more, and redistribute our hard-earned income to those they feel are more needy or more worthy. They want to weaken our military and our ability to defend ourselves, to such an extent that many of them refuse to even see our enemies for what they are.

They want to be able to take our property, our very homes, and give them to others who could perhaps make money with the property to fill the lib politician’s coffers, and those of their supporters.

And they want desperately to retain the liberal control of the Supreme Court that they have been able to orchestrate in the past few decades.

It is time to call a spade a spade. Michael Jackson is a weirdo. O.J. Simpson is a murderer. Hillary Clinton is an ultra-liberal politician masquerading in moderate sheep’s clothing.

Osama bin Laden is a dangerous, driven, organized leader of the greatest threat to freedom in history. A leader who must be killed and a movement that must be eradicated completely.

Call a spade a spade. The more people who are willing to finally do so, the easier it will be to do the difficult work of keeping America free, and the quicker we can return to some semblance of living in peace.