ByrdtheStampede's Comments (18)

“I would argue that Fox has simply consolidated a demographic in media terms. Leaving out all other aspects, they know what their audience wants and they provide it. There is no other station that does this aside from perhaps Comedy Central - catering to the frat boy set. For example, males aged 18 - 22 on Wednesday nights at ten, one finds probably a large percentage watching South Park. Fox has done the same with conservatives. It's plainly obvious (again, regardless of the quality of Fox's programming) that they have consolidated their audience (conservatives) in a way that the other cable stations have not. ALL liberals certainly do not tune into CNN or MSNBC the way conservatives do to Fox.

These ratings are also part and parcel of this survey:

http://www.openleft.com/diary/15310/more-americans-paying-close-attention-to-news

that notes that "newswatchers" as a demographic are older, whiter and wealthier (ie - more Republican) and are no doubt the core of Fox News demo.

It should be cold comfort to thinking conservatives that Fox's ratings are higher. The old, the white and the rich are arguing amongst themselves, but no one else is listening, and other data directly contradicts the notion that they are somehow more informed.”

“Actually, you've been misinformed about the Wellstone memorial. I suggest you read his friend Al Franken's account of the service (unlike Bill O'Reilly, he was there). It would be dishonest not to make an advocate's most passionate beliefs and "life's work" (health care) the centerpiece of their memorial.

I can only hope if I die, screwing around on blogs is mentioned at my memorial.”

“In other news, I have a plan to stop my toilet water from spinning.

I'm going to release this barge into the water...

Nevermind.”

“The real problem appears to be the system itself. If it's difficult to raise taxes and ballot measures dictate spending, the system won't work. If I were to put a "free puppies for all" amendment on the ballot, it would pass, as most would, but with no new revenues, there would be no way to pay for it.

Taxes and spending need to have a more direct correlation in Cali, and nationally. The people want both stellar public services AND low, low taxes, when both are just not possible. If they were, massively popular programs could be enacted by liberals, while taxes would be kept low simultaneously by Republicans.

And then, we'd all get puppies! Puppies don't suck!”

“Man, I can't wait for the 2994 elections between Nixon's head in a jar and Mordo.”

“I have to agree with mredder4.

Badwrong, LeftRight... or Badong.”

“You've got the brains, I've got the brawn, let's make lots of money.”

“The main worrying aspect of this is something that doesn't seem to be mentioned at all. It worried me a little after 9/11 and before Iraq - there is no legitimate voice providing opposition. Republican's cannot claim any high ground on bailouts of any sort - they were the cause. This sets up a pretty unipolar government - which is never a good idea.”

“I got into a tricky discussion about this just yesterday - my sister voted for McCain. I was tempted to disown her and berate my parents for even birthing her, but the anger I felt boiled down to wanting her to just know the truth. I'd say a large number of people voted based on bad information for either candidate. We may see things differently, but I''ve lost the source of the quote -

"You're entitle to your own opinion, but not your own facts".”

“"This godless man is supporting Liddy because the Senate without her would be a poorer place, lacking the Southern Belle aura that she brought to it, the spunk, and the sparkle that is our Liddy."

Quite possibly the stupidest reason to vote for a candidate that I have ever seen.

Just please don't vote, if that's the best you can do.”

“Damn.

That is incredibly ignorant.

Denis has been mocking that Jebus fella since about 1990.

Sad sad sad are the happy people.”

“Umm... no.

Every joke needs an exaggeration, and this is obviously an exaggeration. I object to it as a comedian because it's not funny, but it certainly isn't a slam on the parents of autistic kids.

Aside from the worst offense here (not being funny) I think he meant ADHD, which is overdiagnosed, and Leary has directed his anger towards in his oeuvre.

"Calm down... have some dip." - George Carlin”

“A.) I don't think that he has to respond to it, if he does, Taheri wins. The end.
B.) Iraq doesn't control whether or not our troops leave - as has been made evident by Maliki as well as votes in Iraqi parliament.”

“Obnoxiously, it STILL comes down to getting a bill passed - R's can take all the airtime in the world saying that d's couldn't get an energy bill passed. The details of the bill become immaterial to having talking points.

If the bill gave everyone a pony and paid for it out of DNC money while letting Bush take the credit, the R's would still find a way to oppose it.

Can't we just wait for a new president... who knows how to read?”

“I might venture that he's reaching out to the all-important Tina Fey demographic.

I agree with "Helloo", really, I think no one else wanted to be on the ticket.”

“I'm going to go with what the bumper sticker is going to look like. Recently, a prominent Democrat named Edwards confessed to cheating on his wife, Obama / Edwards would have been stellar with no sex scandal, but not this Edwards.

I have to go with the bumper sticker again with Bayh, say it as one word - Obamabayh - that's f'ing baby talk. ObamaBiden, too.

With how good the Obama folks are at imagery and message, I doubt all three.”

“I don't think the case has been proven whatsoever that if Iran were to have a nuke that it would be used at all. What's often forgotten is that Iran has been almost completely a rational actor on the world stage for the last few decades. Why? The mullahs that actually run Iran's foreign policy (it is NOT, repeat NOT Ahmadinijad's Iran in any real way) have a great deal of power. They want to maintain this power at all costs. That means diverting an attack that ends up in their getting blown to smithereens either by the US or by their own people in rebellion against their leadership. They walk a fine line in this, needing to rail against the "Evil Westerners" to seem tough while simultaneously not railing too much to provoke an attack. What you prove early on in your piece is that nukes will not be used by rational actors, and if Iran even had a weapons program (they don't by most accounts, which makes me wonder why this is even a topic for discussion at all), toppling the regime itself (which we probably don't have the force to do anyway) would only put the weapons in the hands of irrational ones.”

“Woah. Dumber than advertised.”