Stumbled on an obviously Conservitive Talk Radio show while driving in the U.S. on a recent trip to the U.S. It was interesting listening. They bashed Obama and everything he is doing, but they also bashed Bush and the Republican Party. Who do these folks support? They were critical of almost everything and everyone, but in over an hour of listening not one, solution was put forward, about any of the major challenges that is currently facing the U.S. and much of the western world right now. What are their solutions? What are, the far right’s ideas?
Cut taxes, reduce the size of the government, deregulate, drop bombs on bad guys, God is great…somehow they manage to fill hours and hours of air time with this.
OK Steve, I’ll bite. I just returned from the pool and haven’t eaten yet, sooo, I’ll open the can o worms off the top of my head without any real thought:
- A return to strict interpretation of the Constitution. States and individuals trump the Federal Govt.
- A return to strict Nationalism - we spend far too much money abroad.
- A return to strict personal responsibility. This will take effort across the board, from the Feds through the States.
- A return to strict interpretation of the concept of education. The three R’s should be taught - and nothing else. See nbr. 3.
- A return to strict interpretation of the concept of free markets and capitalism.
We should drill our way to energy independence. We need oil and gas of our own to provide energy for the short term. The market and American innovation will provide alternative means when they become viable.
As we reduce the welfare rolls by (pick a number, I’ll say 50%), we should demand that recipients actually provide a return on our investment by pulling themselves by their bootstraps and doing something with thier lives. We are charitable enough, however, to insure that the truly incapable are cared for.
That’s a start, I got to go eat…
Kai
Cut taxes, reduce the size of the government, deregulate, drop bombs on bad guys, God is great…somehow they manage to fill hours and hours of air time with this.
Actually, though I’m sure you’re trying to be a little disparaging with the last two, I wouldn’t disagree too much. I would add the advocacy for personal responsibilty, the free market, and the rule of law.
As to the hours and hours of air time that they fill, they do so to millions and millions of daily listeners. Something that liberal talk programming has simply never been able to do, which is why you won’t find much of it.
They bashed Obama and everything he is doing, but they also bashed Bush and the Republican Party. Who do these folks support?
Sounds like a good show 
For the most part they have no one to support in this country, in most cases myself included.
All of the major parties have pretty much forsaken free markets and individual freedom. Neither of the major parties is either “Liberal” or “Conservative”. People that believe strongly in free markets, truly free, individual responsibility from the individual to the corporation don’t have a party, period. People who believe in freedom, truly free, don’t have a party.
The two major parties are so far in ideology from what I and many…ok not many, but some, believe that they appear to be the same party and in many cases polar opposite to what I believe.
What “these people” support is probably similar to what I post here pretty often. Who “these people” support is few if anyone because they don’t really have anyone to support.
~Matt
As to the hours and hours of air time that they fill, they do so to millions and millions of daily listeners. Something that liberal talk programming has simply never been able to do, which is why you won’t find much of it.
Is that a compliment to the hosts…or a criticism to the listeners?
I’d be interested to see if you intended that to mean anything more than just an observation.
Oh, and since you responded, I almost forgot the other theme of conservative talk radio…Love Me Some GUNZ! ; ^ )
What about the libertarians?
Cut taxes,
To the point that the cost of only necessary government functions are covered.
reduce the size of the government,
To a size that matches the above.
deregulate,
In any case were government is trying to unduly influence the free market to the advantage of one group or another rather than provide protection for all it’s citizens and create an even more free market.
drop bombs on bad guys,
Only when absolutely necessary and if possible only in cases of defense of the country.
God is great.
If you believe in that by all means you should have the freedom to express it and believe it without persecution or government interference.
~Matt
What about the libertarians?
Libertarians align most closely to my beliefs but for the most part I find that they are more “Government haters” than what I would call myself. The reason they will never be elected is not because their ideology is not correct, it’s because they can’t get past the point that indeed government does have a role in society. Yes that is a broad brush and many are not that way. Having that mentality links them to closely to anarchist.
Government definitely has it’s place and is definitely necessary for a civilized successful society. It’s just that what we currently call government has gone way beyond the scope of what I think is necessary to fulfill it’s role.
~Matt
My friend said his niece joined an anarchy club at school. He said, “I hope you don’t have any meetings.”
Kind of the dilema that Libertarians have.
**Something that liberal talk programming has simply never been able to do, which is why you won’t find much of it. **
David,
The commentary on NPR does seem to be more balanced and left leaning.
What struck me about the Talk Radio Show I was listening to was that there were really no tangible or viable ideas. I got it that they were upset - that they did not like Obama and more strangly for me, the Bush admin either, but there just seemed to be a lot of hot air with little substance. It’s one thing to be critical, but that needs to be follwed up with substantial ideas and possible solutions.
Kind of the dilema that Libertarians have.
Yes similar, how do you become part of a system that for the most part you believe shouldn’t exist and who would put you there.
Again a broad brush and most of the “Leadership” of the Libertarian party understand the need for government but because they harp constantly on everything that needs to be “Gotten rid of” people see them as simply trying to disassemble the system…not that a lot of that doesn’t need to be done.
~Matt
Most talk shows are like that, hell most shows are like that. It’s “Entertainment”, how many people want to be “Entertained” by listening to the best way to lower unemployment and healthy fiscal policy
People want “Emotion” in their entertainment and policy is not emotion…well it shouldn’t be, but we usually manage to screw policy up by basing it on emotion.
~Matt
***Is that a compliment to the hosts…or a criticism to the listeners? ***
I’d be interested to see if you intended that to mean anything more than just an observation.
A compliment to the hosts. They’ve found an extremely lucrative market upon which they’re successfully capitalizing.
Why would I criticize the listeners for listening to something that they find entertaining?
Most talk shows are like that, hell most shows are like that. It’s “Entertainment”, how many people want to be “Entertained” by listening to the best way to lower unemployment and healthy fiscal policy
Matt,
That is a valid point. I think people would be shocked and stunned with very little up-take, if they were told directly and honestly what they needed to do to really help the situation.
***The commentary on NPR does seem to be more balanced and left leaning. ***
NPR is very left leaning. The difference is that it’s programing isn’t necessarily designed promote a leftist ideology. There have been a number of leftist talk programs that have tried to emulate the conservative shows from the opposing point of view. They’ve been pretty much unsuccessful in doing so.
***What struck me about the Talk Radio Show I was listening to was that there were really no tangible or viable ideas. I got it that they were upset - that they did not like Obama and more strangly for me, the Bush admin either, but there just seemed to be a lot of hot air with little substance. It’s one thing to be critical, but that needs to be follwed up with substantial ideas and possible solutions. **** ***
I don’t know which program you listened to, or for how long, but I assure you that most hosts are quite forceful in talking about specific actions that they’d like to see taken. Hell, that’s a large part of the latest leftist contention that “Rush is the defacto head of the Republican Party now”… Now, whether you would consider the ideas to be “tangible or viable” is another matter. Let’s face it, your perspective is just a bit different than the target audience. Recommendations that you would consider to be substantive probably wouldn’t find any more traction with a conservative than theirs would with you. 
A compliment to the hosts. They’ve found an extremely lucrative market upon which they’re successfully capitalizing.
Cool. I was just curious. I’ve often heard the argument made, “Lots of people listen because conservatives are right. Very few listen because liberals are wrong.”
What I often find amusing is the cherry picking of the data. ie…More people watch Fox than any other single station because they are fair and balanced than those liberal stations…but when things don’t go well, its because of the majority of the media being liberal.
I think you put it well, that liberals just don’t gravitate to the format of conservative radio. The biggest problem I have with it is there is very little, if any, debate/discussion. I mentioned in another thread that the biggest difference between Rush and Stewart is that Stewart will actually have guests on to defend themselves. O’Riley would be a good example of someone who does that on the right (though he tends to shout over them).
I listened to Air America for a bit. It didn’t do much for me. It was like conservative radio…only liberal.
…but there just seemed to be a lot of hot air with little substance. It’s one thing to be critical, but that needs to be follwed up with substantial ideas and possible solutions…
The irony about the Republicans is that when they were in control, they said exactly that about the Democrats.
The only difference these days between Republican and Democrat is who has the majority. They both seem to revert to the same way of doing business once elected, and raise to a much higher standard when on the sidelines.
It is the same with all talking heads. Talking heads aren’t good at anything so they just talk.
Its very easy, especially in hindsight, to suggest why something is stupid. It takes a smarter person to suggest a solution.
and those smarter people to not get jobs as talking heads, or politicians.
Stumbled on an obviously Conservitive Talk Radio show while driving in the U.S. on a recent trip to the U.S. It was interesting listening. They bashed Obama and everything he is doing, but they also bashed Bush and the Republican Party. Who do these folks support? They were critical of almost everything and everyone, but in over an hour of listening not one, solution was put forward, about any of the major challenges that is currently facing the U.S. and much of the western world right now. What are their solutions? What are, the far right’s ideas?
The biggest problem I have with it is there is very little, if any, debate/discussion.
I tend to agree. Hannity in particular annoys the hell out of me. He’ll take a liberal caller, but then proceed to talk over the caller and do everything in his power to demean him/her, rather than simply engaging in debate. I can’t even listen to him…
Rush, love him or hate him, is usually at least cordial to callers with dissenting points of view, as long as they’re able to present their argument in an articulate, well reasoned manner.