Right-Wing Media Already Feeding Its Post-Election Anger

An article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times takes a look at how the right-wing media is responding to Obama's victory last week. Already, it seems, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have started to rile up their listeners/viewers by going after Obama. The relationship of Fox News and the Obama administration will be particularly interesting to watch, given that Fox News was cut out of the questioning at the first Obama press conference. As for Obama's harshest critics among fellow politicians, the New York TImes reported yesterday on how many of them have, for various reasons, rushed to praise him.

From the LA Times:

Opening his first post-election rant against the president-elect, Limbaugh launched in with a certain relish. "The game," he told his radio listeners, "has begun."

Sean Hannity, on the other hand, insisted on feigning a post-election detente, telling his Fox News television audience last week, "I want Barack Obama to succeed."

Didn't he think anyone would notice that, just a moment later, he was back parroting the failed campaign argument that Obama is a "mystery"?

"I fear [this] is the guy that has these radical associations 20 years ago," Hannity added, an odd way of demonstrating support for the new commander in chief.

KEEP READING


Heard any other big names already turning up the vitriol against Obama? Let us know.

Comments

[mtflyer]

I am SO damned tired of labels-left, right, liberal, conservative. The only ones that matter are: rich, poor(95% of us), criminals(­Wall-Stree­ters), victims (everybody else), patriots(those who have fought to improve America), collaborators(those who havesupported or profited from crimes against the people).
The fact is that a majority of the voters made it clear that they are fed up with the lying, cheating criminals runninf this country for the past 8 years and they aren't going to take it any more! Trying to say that it is any particular group that brought victory to the progressive reformers is nonsense.
The hard part comes now. We have to work together to bring the country back on line. This does not involve letting Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Stevens, and the other criminals who brought this upon us get away with it! It is NOT too late for impeachment, just long overdue! It does not involve trusting those who survived the election (from either party like Pelosi and Reid). It has to involve an irate and vigilant electorate that DEMANDS results from those it has put into office.

[billw8017]

When you criticize Pelosi and Reid for their passivity, you should remember that Republicans filibustered over a hundred Democratic efforts to act. They had the advantage of not caring what happened to the country because, according to their philosophy, the government never does anything right anyway. Bush and the Congressional Republicans have, in fact, proven that this is true of their government.

[rshrink]

Rush and stations that put him on 24/7 are America haters. What they call others who don't agree with their agenda, is what they are. They are not happy unless they are controlling everything. They pretend to know how to live. In truth, if we go by what they say, they end up wealthy and the huge majority of us end up worse off. Remember Rush supported Bush and was all too glad to claim credit for Bush's victory. He wasn't concerned about how Bush won. No matter that numerous voters were disenfranchised and Gore's popular vote victory didn't mean anything. How concerned has Rush been about the lying, deceiving and manipulating Bush and Cheney have been responsible for? Clearly, Rush and his stations are there to promote Repubs, particularly the worst of their kind. To that end, they condemn "liberals," democrats, and everyone who opposes the crooks that they support. They are a part of a good ol'boy network designed to create wealth for their tight knit group. Rush lives in his 30 million dollar mansion in Florida, alone except for his maid. He pretends to be common. He is uncommonly greedy and willing to sell out to the highest bidders. He caters to the ignorant, fearing and often isolated folks who are all too keen on having their paranoia verified. These folks are ready to launch into battle if the right buzzwords are spoken. Rush is skilled at delivering those words. That is where his skills end.

[sonshine]

Curious, since he has the ear of so called christian conservatives, is this dude even a christian? You know the bible thumpin kind that is earning his millions by showing his support for JC?

[janh64tx]

Pagans and Atheists listen to him, too. Don't assume all Republicans have a Jesus yardstick

[gregrocker]

Publicly owned AIRWAVES, not stations.

[booboo111]

I think we're giving Hannity and Limbaugh too much publicity. If we start to ignore them, their ratings will start too drop. It's the left that gave Ann Coulter all that free publicity and her books sold well. We're in control now so forget about Limbaugh, Hannity, Bortz, and all the other extremist publicity hounds and watch how fast they go away. Let them talk to each other and their dwindling moronic listeners. Who cares! There's real work to be done.

[nighthawk808]

Poor Ann... There are no more puppies left for her to eat.

[WhiteDelyte]

they are also claiming it was swing voters and centrists who won Obama the election.
b.s.
it was the left who was out knocking on doors and banging the phones.
it was the left who made small contributions to the campaign.
it is the left who is showing up by the 100's of thousands.

lets not let them forget, the left won the election
the centrists just made it a mandate

[janh64tx]

It was also the left which disabled credit card security measures, like the AVS. Go ahead and kid yourself about this fair, open election. Business owners know better. Anyone who accepts credit card payments online knows better. You know that if McCain had accepted these types of donations, a full scale investigation would have been launched.

[ladybug7]

Most folks who read this blog don't watch Fox since its demographic is the right wing-nuts. Unfortunately Rush and Sean have a big following on TV and radio. They are the original hate-monger and keep the crap stirred up. At this time in our history when we need to unite, not divide, it is unfortunate these jerks still spew hate. BTW Palin is on Greta right now.

[STG 44]

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship

By BEN EVANS – 3 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

[maternatura]

You mean like Northern Command that George Bush started in 2001? http://www.northcom.mil/About/index.html

[ultrabop]

What he didn't say was that Bush has already imposed a Fascist footprint on our country, with renditions, arbitrary imprisonment in offshore facilities and corporate hand outs, in particular to the munitions industry, and pre-emptive war, which lines the pockets of those corporate weapons manufacturers, and wanton destruction of civilian populations and infrastructures of non-threatening countries. Sound like Hitler?

It's also fascist to warn of threats that don't exist, "terrorism," and "Islamic uprisings," which helps to set the table for the totalitarian take over that Bush so badly wanted and didn't get...yet.

Broun doesn't even know what a Marxist is. A Marxist is simply someone who believes in Marxism, which is simply a Utopian philosophy. It's like being "Freudian.­" Or "Capitalis­t."
Or "existenti­alist." But he's from Georgia, a white cracker who never went to college. His daddy was probably KKK.

[ekzept]

Remember the Rush-Hannity demographics! They are old, and dying off! That may be enough to keep Rush and Hannity and Savage and O'Reilly in bucks for a time, but, trends say, they are irrelevant. I mean, look at their time slots? Who's home to listen to them?

[janh64tx]

hahaha - folks like ME, who work remote and flexible hours....f­olks like my husband who are in transit 80% of the work week.

If you were inclined to actually RESEARCH something before spouting your OPINION (something RUSH encourages HIS listeners to do, btw... - lol) you could have easily found this, (it only took me 5 seconds)

Audience Demographics
The talk radio audience is largely male, relatively young and ideologically conservative, although not necessarily Republican. Talkers magazine put the party breakdown in 2007 at 23% Republican, 14% Democratic, and a majority, 58%, independent. Data from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found a more equal spread among regular listeners in 2006: 32% Republican, 35% Democratic and 30% independen­t.7

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the “talk/personality” audience was male, according to the 2007 “Radio Today” Arbitron report. And more than 36% of the talk audience is between 25 and 44 years old, compared with 22% in the news/talk/­informatio­n grouping.

Talkers magazine’s Talk Radio Research Project, released in the fall of 2007, found that talk listeners tend to identify themselves as conservative (38%), of which 12% identify as “ultra conservative,” or middle-of-the-road (23% said they were moderate and 18% fiscal conservative/social liberal).8 Only 14% of the talk audience identified themselves as liberal, of which only 2% said they were “ultra liberal.”

[Oonagh]

It is hard to even talk about these guys... they are not worth a nano second of thought... We all know they are the scum of the earth and unfortunately some people think that what they say is fact.... real sad.

[G FORCE]

Fox has to go! Everyone should stop watching some of there programing
to get them the clamp down. People need to rise up the same way they did
at the voting machines and put a stop to these marshmallow.

[Ramonne]

When Rush came on radio years ago I listened to him, but very quickly realized he
was so full of himself, he had to tear others down to build himself up.
He is a sad old man. Bitter and useless. He wasn't able to make a lawyer nor
a sports comentator so spews his hate where other hateful persons listen.
He would be funny if he wasn't so sad. Thank the Good Lord he isn't interested
in politics. lol

[bonchesva]

McCain has said he will do what he can to help OUR new president succeed. If these guys love McCain so much why don't they follow his lead? Or do they just like complaining to make loads of money? One of these guys is going to blow an artery with all their anger. They behave like children.

[Grannyover70]

I wish I was a cartoonist! Did you ever put a marshmallow in a microwave? It just puffs up bigger and bigger until it explodes.

Every time I hear Rush, et al, blowing off steam I imagine them with a marshmallow head and watch it enlarge until it suddenly pops. Wish I could draw that cartoon.

[GHENT007]

just remember barak obama won in a landslide!! and this officially killed the republican they are done, as long as democrats vote together, stick together support each other, then the republican agenda is dead!!!! we control our own destiny the republicans are so 1950's and we now control the future of america, we no longer have to depend on the republicans to defend us we can defend ourselves, and we are now the " RULING PARTY IN AMERICA" and the rest of the world just loves this new perspective!!! lets stick together lets support "NO ON 8" AND LET MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!! WITH EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE LETS INSIST ON THIS AND LET NO REPUBLICAN STAND IN OUR WAY!!! OBAMA 08 /12 /16/ 20!!!!!!

[beerguy]

By the way, 8 passed

[janh64tx]

Yes it did - good to see that was such an IMPORTANT issue for a state which is having such financial difficulties. Great way to spend political capital and drive a huge WEDGE. And it passed with support from liberals AND conservatives.

[janh64tx]

The love fest will end when the checks don't arrive in the mail. The people who have waited for the government to SAVE THEM, will still be waiting in 2011. Obama will be backing away from sooooo many promises - the "change mongers" will be sorely disappointed, and the republicans will hopefully trade the evangelicals for the libertarians so we can take on REAL issues and stop ranting about abortions and gay marriage, then the new Republican party can revive solid CAPITALISM and INDIVIDUAL freedom in this country before it is too late.

[Britishdemocrat]

Just watch this space for backstabbing and hate coming from Rush Limbaugh, the self appointed dictator of the world. But does anyone really listen to him? I don't think so.

[beerguy]

20 million. Keep dreamin

[just4shiggles]

I'm afraid that they do listen to him and the others who are just as bad as him (mostly on fox "news") Someone I love dearly was chatting with me the other day via IM and said that she was disgusted because "the wrong one won" the election. When I asked why she felt that way she went on to say several of the major talking points (lies) that these creeps have been feeding them. She made her points very quickly and then signed off leaving me in need to respond and enlighten her. So, I took about an hour of my time and responded to each and every point that she spoke of and sent it to her in an email. In the end, she just said that she didn't like either candidate and I really didn't expect much more than that from her. It just really proved to me that she was listening to the lies that they are still telling even now, and that they are making a difference out there. They are keeping this country divided and ignorant to the facts and that's what they get paid to do. I don't think that this should be a legal way to earn a living and I wish it would stop.

[Brandij]

Sadly, I have a very similar story.

[almostchosen]

"So look, I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years, and my entire focus is making sure that I'm the best possible senator on behalf of the people of Illinois."
-- Barack Obama, 2004.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1113161,cst-nws-obama110404.article

The question is -- when a man breaks his promise about the largest event in his life, why would anyone trust his word again?

[secretagent]

Anyone that is naive enough to believe the crap that you have swallowed is a SHEEP> A nation of sheep that is about to fall into decay. Marxist Socialist governments always collapse under their own totalitarian tendencies. Who died and left you in charge of telling what are lies and what is the truth. Sure Republican politicians lie. BUt simpletons like yourself who have made Obama likened to the Second Coming" are going to be the demise of the USA.

[janh64tx]

just4shiggles writes: They are keeping this country divided and ignorant to the facts and that's what they get paid to do. I don't think that this should be a legal way to earn a living and I wish it would stop.


Well - THAT is exactly what I fear. YOUR mindset. And YOUR mindset has just elected the next POTUS. Like I said before - I did not vote FOR McCain/Palin, I voted AGAINST YOU. I don't need to hear Rush or Hannity - I can read what you people post, I can see you on videos. THAT is evidence, not propaganda from talk radio.
You may be the "change you've been waiting for" - but you are also the "change we fear".

[ladybug7]

Yeah, they do listen. I have a good friend that keeps spouting the hype, and "wants government out of her life". In the meantime is in a panic over the losses on her 401K. They just don't get the connection.

[mtflyer]

Those who agree with this hateful crap are at least intelligent enough not to start spouting it around me. I guess they are not completely stupid. Better to ignore them than to go off on them despite the fact that it would be a lot of fun. I would like to see a "celebrity" charity boxing match between Rust Limburger and just about anybody else on Pay Per View.

[omenapt]

I too have an "acquantance " in the Ozarks spewing the hate but complains 'cause he cant get workman's comp claim ( Uh , your folks dont believe in such things) or that the insurance companies wont pay enough for repairs on storm damaged house (again , your folks would simply suggest you fix it yourself) .

I had to step away from that friendshipp as it became sad to see the anger and misdirectd blame!

[janh64tx]

Ummm- yes we DO see the connection. It is GOVERNMENT interference which interferes with the market, trying to thrwart inevitable fluctuation. It is the GOVERNMENT which spouts the "profit windfall" line. It is the GOVERNMENT which has already forced us to put part of our income into a doomed system.

[janh64tx]

Obviously they DO listen, or all the huffpo and dailykos posters would not be yipping and yapping so incessantly!!!

[GaryPF]

I can't believe I'm even wasting my time, but "Who Gives a F$%^ what these losers (Hannity and Limbaugh) think." Their side lost. Obama has a mandate. He can choose which way he will lean, on his terms, not on the terms of the right-wing blogosphere trolls.

[secretagent]

He has a mandate alright. Given to him by SHEEP such as yourself. See how much you will be crowing at some future point. You had better learn to speak Arabic.

[stgadt]

shukran secretagent!
and we should also learn hebrew....­.
Boruch Barack Habuh Oleinu L'Tovah

[mtflyer]

How the hell can you call anyone else SHEEP! No thinking human beings would tolerate Bush and his kind and their crimes! Though possibly hatched in this country there are far too many around us who cannot even speak English correctly. Oh, for what country are you a secret agent?

[GaryPF]

I can't believe I'm wasting my time replying to you secretagent because your side lost and you don't matter.

[booker52]

The likes of Rush and Hannity are likey to appeal to same folks as before the election. So what. Nothing will change their minds. They were closed before the election and a can opener won't open it. They like to hate. Let them continue.