While lunching today with some Bay Area GayPatriot readers, I commented that if Democrats want to try to reimpose the “Fairness Doctrine,” let them bring that debate on. Â It’s a debate they’re sure to lose.
Coupled with the rushed manner in which they passed the “stimulus,” it will make their party seem increasingly like one opposed to free and open debate.
The media market has so changed since last that Doctrine was originally adopted that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would be hard-pressed to justify it today. Â Should the FCC again reenact the doctrine, it would serve to silence certain forms of speech, shutting down fora that did not exist, indeed, were not even contemplated, when it was initially introduced sixty years ago. As such, it might not now pass constitutional muster. Â
And the debate would only remind voters that Democrats tried to silence conservative media. Â That would play well with the most extreme elements of their base, but not with the American people as a whole.
Those liberals who favor the Fairness Doctrine just don’t like having conservatives regularly challenge their policies and ideas. Â Just as congressional Democrats refused to solicit Republican opinions when they crafted the “stimulus,” those liberals seek to exclude their ideas from popular media.
It is entirely that exclusion which led to conservative success in the new medium (at least it was relatively new in 1987 when the Fairness Doctrine was repealed) of talk radio. Â Had the mainstream media not tilted as far to the left as it did then (and still does), offering excessively critical coverage of Ronald Reagan, conservatives would not have felt as frustrated as they did, longing for a forum which presented their views.
Rush Limbaugh would not have then found –and held–an audience had the MSM not so regularly distorted conservative views. Â Indeed, one could say that Rush Limbaugh is a creation of liberal media bias.
If Senator Stabenow wishes to silence Rush Limbaugh, she need not reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine as she seems eager to do rather all she need do is persuade her allies in the MSM to cover her political rivals fairly.
For many conservatives, Rush is a necessary antidote to media bias. Â Thus, the only way to silence him would be to make him unnecessary. Â The media could make him unnecessary by covering liberals with the same scrutiny they conservatives. Â And fairly reporting conservative ideas and policies Â
I daresay that Mrs. Stabenow has no intention of promoting such journalism.
You’re right, Dan. Of course the intellectually dishonest POS like Boob, gillie etc. will ignore your points and launch into lies about his drug addiction, “mocking” Michael J. Fox, and/or other Soros funded Media Moron spin instead.
His mocking of Michael J. Fox was caught on video when Rush did it. By your quotes around the word, is there something that was misinterpreted?
Do conservatives solicit liberal input prior to submitting legislation? Or, do they just legislation, and allow people (regardless of party affiliation) to make amendments?
It seems the energy spent opposing the stimulus package could have been spent suggesting amendments (citing suggested items of spending and reasoning behind the amendments) to help ensure spending would be done as responsibly as possible.
As far as the Michael J. Fox things, what’s the problem with accusing someone of doing something they’ve admitted to doing in the past?
Fox admitted that he didn’t take his meds before speaking in front of congress. He was deliberately going for sympathy. That’s not exactly some poor innocent victim in this case.
“it will make their party seem increasingly like one opposed to free and open debate”
Dan, I don’t think this will really trouble many on the left. Judging by consistently vitriolic comments readers leave on MSM news sites, the left just hates conservatives and wants them silenced by ANY means necessary, Constitution be damned. I don’t think they really think it through as to what happens if they finally get what they want, that suddenly that massive fist of dissent-quashing they so desperately want could be turned on them, by this or a future administration. Just like their blind support of porkulus, they just seem to keep their eye narrowly on the current prize without considering how it will effect them and the nation long term.
James, perhaps you missed something called “The Bush administration”, which basically let Senator Kennedy write its education bill, as just one example.
I believe that in the House, the ordinary rules were discarded so that the GOP *could not* suggest amendments. I believe that in the Senate, GOP people suggested good amendments… which were ignored. So much for that theory. Although, if anyone knows more, please correct me.
Are conservatives who are at the same time bone smokers aware that they’re hated by the majority of their political party?
Not only did they offer amendments, they offered an alternative that would have gone a great deal farther to creating jobs and cost about half as much. Of course the government wouldn’t have grown and hundreds of billions of dollars in Americans money would not have been redistributed to liberal special interest groups.
Which is why every Democrat voted against it.
As far as Michael J Fox? F**k him! Seriously. With a rusty hot poker. Rush was absolutely right and Fox was absolutely wrong.
Fox tried to manipulate Americans and Rush rightly pointed it out. Whats more than that we now have possible cures for cancer, diabetes, parkinsons and AIDS in the works, and NONE of it came from Embryonic Stem Cells. And none of it ever will! Every cure and treatment that stem cells have provided have come from Adult and Cord Blood Stem Cells. Embryonic Stem Cells, all these years later, still offer nothing but tumors, rejection and death.
But liberals wont be happy as long as embryos live, no matter how devastating the science against them is.
Bonesmoker
1. No we are not, and
2. Are you aware that you are a brainwashed idiot?
James, perhaps you also missed the rules changes that Nancy Pelosi pushed through when the new congress convened which greatly reduced the ability of the minority party to make amendments to pending legislation. Look here for one example of an article about the rules changes. Rush’s audience and readers of conservative blogs heard about the implications of the rules changes. Consumers of MSM reports might have heard there were rules changes but certainly weren’t told anything about what they meant.
Does every left-wing idiot who bumbles into this website think he’s the first to make the “how can any ghey person be Republicans because Republicans hate gays” comment?
It must be true — Cher said so!
#7: Been reading what the Obama Party says about gays lately?
Camille Paglia nails it on The Fairness Doctrine she is a true logical lib of the old days.
If the libs want The Fairness Doctrine, bring it on. I would love to see conservatives get equal time on all the major networks, the news papers, the Universities, NPR , PBS, etc…Let’s impose the Fairness Doctrine on them.
Kevin, Rush told the truth about Fox and he admitted, without saying so directly, that Rush is Right!
Being conservatives, you should be aware that the democrats are NOT our political party. They’re the party of liberals, Socialists, Communists (same damn thing, really) etc. They’re the ones who clearly hate gays the most.
President Queeg wouldn’t be caught dead being in the same room with gays. Oh yeah. I’m feeling the love there.
Which inauguration had a gay-bashing anti-semite give the invocation? Oh yeah, Barry Dunham’s.
Well, I am one liberal who loves conservative media, it’s at once the stupidest, funniest, and most depressing thing in the known universe.
“As far as Michael J Fox? F**k him! Seriously. With a rusty hot poker. ”
Yup, it’s those damn liberals that hate.
If Limbaugh and his bottom-feeding parrots on here truly represent the voice of conservatism in the US today then real conservatives had better quickly distance themselves if they hope to ever be part of a civilized solution to the countries problems. GPW, you may be right that the scum brigade on talk radio was made necessary by the bias of the MSM but what they tapped into is a vein of pure hate that they have milked for their own benefit. If those who babble endlessly about vitriol etc. from the left have any integrity they will admit that it is matched word for word by those on the right. If you can’t be bothered to look at it then you too are part of the problem and have nothing to offer.
country’s
15: Please provide backup to this claim “he admitted it without saying it directly”? Huh? (and try to provide a link to someplace other than another right-wing blog)
3: Wow, there’s another believable link. Farrakhan, huh? Yes, President Obama has constantly linked himself to Farrakhan for years. gimmee a break; everytime someone does this I think they’re living in that Saturday Night Live skit from a while back – Obama is President, calling Hillary at 3am and referring to Al Sharpton as the Secretary of State. Didn’t happen folks….move on…
Please provide backup to this claim
(and try to provide a link to someplace other than Daily KOSholes, Dirty Underwear, MorON.org, or the lying sacks of worthless shit at Media Morons for dumbasses etc.).