stuff that makes me wonder

[RIJIMMY]

a constant theme of mine is media bias for dems vs repubs. Sometimes I cant believe how glaring it is.

Here is the latest. For the record I dont like Newt Gingrch.

When the media talks about Barney Frank, the recognize his outspoken nature with a tone of "that loveable guy" who speaks his mind, they comment on his wit and how smart he is

While Gingrich shares similar style to Frank - the media discusses his "acid-tongue" "condescending nature" etc.

Its crazy

[JohnnyD]

They are all guilty of it - the left-leaning and right-leaning media. The glaring bias of a "report" is often apparent immediately from the start just by reading the title.

As a side note "condescending nature"... there's a term that applies to any politician.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

They are all guilty of it - the left-leaning and right-leaning media. The glaring bias of a "report" is often apparent immediately from the start just by reading the title.

As a side note "condescending nature"... there's a term that applies to any politician.

I agree, there aren't too many examples of true "objective" reporting. But from where I sit, 95% of the media is left-leaning. On TV, you have Foxnews which is right-leaning. and literally everyone else which is left-leaning.

[mosholu]

I would add CNBC and Bloomberg to the right side of the column with a few noted exceptions. I am surprised over the last 18 months how political both stations' reporters and pundits (on either political side) have become.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by mosholu

I would add CNBC and Bloomberg to the right side of the column with a few noted exceptions. I am surprised over the last 18 months how political both stations' reporters and pundits (on either political side) have become.

Yes. It is very frustrating (and kinda scary actually) to see Andrea Mitchell nearly orgasmic on stuff Obama.

I fear we are a long way from Just the Facts 'mam reporting. I wonder if the pendulum can swing back.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

I agree, there aren't too many examples of true "objective" reporting. But from where I sit, 95% of the media is left-leaning. On TV, you have Foxnews which is right-leaning. and literally everyone else which is left-leaning.

Keep in mind that radio is media part of the media as well. There's the occasional left-leaning program, but the airwaves are dominated by right-leaning hosts.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Keep in mind that radio is media part of the media as well. There's the occasional left-leaning program, but the airwaves are dominated by right-leaning hosts.

That's 100% true. I wonder why, since there's enough liberal demand for all those lefty TV stations, why the liberals can't sustain more talk radio? Interesting.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

That's 100% true. I wonder why, since there's enough liberal demand for all those lefty TV stations, why the liberals can't sustain more talk radio? Interesting.

It's just easier to change the channel from Spongebob Squarepants to MSNBC, rather than get up and turn the radio on. Besides, the libs like all the colors and movement on tv that they don't get with radio.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

That's 100% true. I wonder why, since there's enough liberal demand for all those lefty TV stations, why the liberals can't sustain more talk radio? Interesting.

Iv'e always wondered the same thing. Why don't the lefties sustain more
talk shows. Very interesting.

[zimmy]

Depends which media organization you are talking about.

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Barney Frank is a tool as they all are. He is the one who has us playing 3 card Monte with payroll to get paid on loans we close. We CANNOT get paid a commission on a loan. So the money goes to our company. Then we have to take hourly wages, overtime, a set amount per loan closed, quarterly bonuses etc to take the money we earned in the form of pay and adjust our pay every 3 months depending how much money is in our account. Real Estate agents, financial planners and even car salesmen get paid on what they sell and don't have to jump through hoops. It's nonsense. It's part of protecting the consumer! Just like the new 3 page Good Faith Estimate that nobody understands. The old GFE was 1 page and broke down every cost in black and white (no fees blended together) and the customer had to sign it. The new 3 page one doesn't need to be signed and doesn't show the borrower their itemized costs(fees are lumped together) How was this designed by the govt to help consumers if it doesn't require a signature or show them how their money is being spent? The old one showed you to the penny what I was making for commission the new one doesn't. I gave up on this a month after it came out! The attorney's at the closing table can't even tell you what exactly makes up your origination fees. Rant over!

[The Dad Fisherman]

Could also do with an age difference. Older people tend to be conservative, which may translate into being less attuned to technology (Radio, TV), Where liberals may be younger and more in touch w/ technology. Obama did a lot of his Campaign funding via internet w/ this thought process in mind....and it paid off huge for him.

Which could be why there isn't a bigger presence on the Airwaves by the liberal media.

He still does a lot via the internet...which is aimed at the younger people out there.

and this is just a thought...I'm not basing this on fact.

[zimmy]

Part of the popularity of conservative talk radio is the effectiveness of inciting anger in the listeners. Most liberals I know are just not very angry. Alot of the conservatives I know have wonderful lives and families, but spend an inordinate time obsessing about the government taking their money and coming for their guns.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by zimmy

Part of the popularity of conservative talk radio is the effectiveness of inciting anger in the listeners. Most liberals I know are just not very angry. Alot of the conservatives I know have wonderful lives and families, but spend an inordinate time obsessing about the government taking their money and coming for their guns.

Was it conservative talk radio that incited all that anger observed in Occupy Wall Street? Most of the liberals you know must not listen to liberal talk radio with its share of angry, bitter, sarcastic calls and commentary. And they certainly are not affected by the inflammatory speech of the liberal politicians. And the lot of the conservatives you know are indeed strange. None of the conservativesf I know spend any time inordinately obsessing about government taking there money or coming for their guns. They do care about government overspending and raising taxes to do so. You, apparently, consider that inordinate. Conservative talk radio does have a lot of discussion about government spending. Perhaps you think there is just too much talk about it. Government has to do what it has to do. That's government's business. We should just tend to our wonderful lives and how we can sensibly spend our own money and not be so concerned how government spends its money. But the inordinate obsession over government coming for our guns--really? Most conservatives I know don't own a gun. Most of the liberals I know, do own a gun or two. That's probably due to the different cities that you or I live in. Whatever obsessing there may be is the concern for personal protection, not government confiscation. Sure, there is the desire to have or maintain rights to carry or own. But inordinate obsession? As for conservative talk radio, though the subject comes up, it is a small portion of the talk, but not an inordinate obsession. And the talk revolves around rights such as second ammendment. Of course, as we know, the Constitution is outdated and no longer applies to the twenty-first century.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by detbuch

Was it conservative talk radio that incited all that anger observed in Occupy Wall Street?

There were a few thousand people involved in occupy, there are millions of conservative talk show listeners. Not every angry person is incited by cons. talk radio. Many are.

And the lot of the conservatives you know are indeed strange.

They do care about government overspending and raising taxes to do so. You, apparently, consider that inordinate.

Difference between caring and obsessing, especially when reality is distorted by obsession.

Most of the liberals I know, do own a gun or two. That's probably due to the different cities that you or I live in. Whatever obsessing there may be is the concern for personal protection, not government confiscation.

It is probably 50/50 gun ownership between liberals and conservatives I know. However, I have heard from conservatives for twenty years that the governement is "going to take your guns." I know several of them stock piled ammo when Obama was elected because they thought he would make it illegal. It wasn't based in reality. In the same way that some middle class people complain about Obama raising taxes on them, even thought there federal taxes became lower when he came into office.
The wackos like Rush make their living off people with that mentality

[spence]

Originally Posted by zimmy

t is probably 50/50 gun ownership between liberals and conservatives I know. However, I have heard from conservatives for twenty years that the governement is "going to take your guns." I know several of them stock piled ammo when Obama was elected because they thought he would make it illegal. It wasn't based in reality. In the same way that some middle class people complain about Obama raising taxes on them, even thought there federal taxes became lower when he came into office.
The wackos like Rush make their living off people with that mentality

It is the realm of wedge issues and stereotypes.

I've read that liberal intellectuals are supposed to be more prone to this kind of thinking, where real-world observation doesn't factor in to the thought process.

Increasingly though it would seem as both ends of the spectrum suffer equally.

-spence

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

It is the realm of wedge issues and stereotypes. I've read that liberal intellectuals are supposed to be more prone to this kind of thinking, where real-world observation doesn't factor in to the thought process. Increasingly though it would seem as both ends of the spectrum suffer equally. -spence

I like it. Some grounds for agreement. Gun nuts and tax freaks, even talk wackos--stereotypes to create wedge issues rather than true representations of conservatives or liberals. I don't know about the real-world observation factoring into the thought process stuff, but would, rationally assume what you say about both ends of the spectrum.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by zimmy

As you say, not every angry person is incited to anger by con talk. My point in referring to the Occupy crowd, and liberal talk, and liberal political rhetoric, is that it is no less angry or inciteful than con talk. That within the circle of your friends the conservatives are the "obsessed" and driven to anger by talk but the liberals are not is, to me, a strange anecdote. That again, is why I pointed out the Occupy crowd, but, on the national scale in terms of movements, political speech, partisan temperaments, what is the evidence that conservatives are angrier than liberals? Just my opinion, but I think your characterization of "obsessive" is way overboard. No doubt, there must be some small number of people on both sides who obsess about political matters or gun matters or taxation. I know far more liberals than conservatives, and by far, amongst the those that I know, the liberals are angrier about these issues than the conservatives. A couple of the libs, I might even say are a bit obsessive. But I wouldn't impute my limited personal experience onto the country as a whole. That would be irrational--maybe a bit obsessive.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by detbuch

My point in referring to the Occupy crowd, and liberal talk, and liberal political rhetoric, is that it is no less angry or inciteful than con talk.

You are probably right, I just think they are a very small, loud, minority.

That within the circle of your friends the conservatives are the "obsessed" and driven to anger by talk but the liberals are not is, to me, a strange anecdote.

Just my opinion, but I think your characterization of "obsessive" is way overboard.
Probably true.

No doubt, there must be some small number of people on both sides who obsess about political matters or gun matters or taxation. I know far more liberals than conservatives, and by far, amongst the those that I know, the liberals are angrier about these issues than the conservatives. A couple of the libs, I might even say are a bit obsessive. But I wouldn't impute my limited personal experience onto the country as a whole. That would be irrational--maybe a bit obsessive.

I am not limiting this to a circle of friends. I didn't really know any liberals until I was a teen. Everyone I knew growing up was a republican, so I feel I have a fair amount of experience with rural, bible belt, conservative mentality. Until I was out of high school and out of that area, I believed alot of the crap that was spewed. The New England conservative is typically in many ways a very different creature.

message too short

[zimmy]

The quantum universe analogy is pretty deep. In the same way my use of obsessive was a bit overboard, your projection of what "classic liberal progressives want" is a bit overboard, no?

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by zimmy

The quantum universe analogy is pretty deep. In the same way my use of obsessive was a bit overboard, your projection of what "classic liberal progressives want" is a bit overboard, no?

I don't believe I mentioned "classic liberal progressives." Never heard of such. If you mean classic liberal conservatives (I may have just invented that term, don't know), what they WANT is not overboard--Constitutionally limited government, devolution of power from the politicians back to the people. In terms of what they can actually GET--that may be overboard. Such "conservatives" are a minority even in the Republican party. Maybe the Libertarians are really these "conservatives." Maybe they exist even in the Democrat party. I see the Tea Partiers as this type, but, obviously, still being somewhat a nation of individuals, not everybody in any group is in total politically philosophical agreement. But there is a common thread that exists for group cohesion. Again, for those that I call classic liberal conservatives, that common thread is a return to the Constitution with its separation of powers, checks and balances and its recognition that we are governed by consent of the governed not by consent of the government. If that is overboard, how so?