I've said here before that I often listen to one of the local Las Vegas right-wing talk radio stations on my short drive to and from work. Since FOX "News" has been all but banished in our household by The Other Half, I like to keep tabs on what the "other side" is up to. And today, I heard a couple of doozies from the local "talent."
On The Morning Source with Alan Stock this morning, the topic was "how are you cutting back in this economy." Uncharacteristically, the host seemed to be taking the topic seriously. But his boss--I did not catch his name--was pooh-poohing the whole premise. He basically said that unless you've been laid off, nothing had changed, and that people weren't cutting back unless they were scared. He said that it was mostly an "emotional" recession.
Really? I haven't been laid off, and neither has The Other Half. But we've both seen our incomes go down, and my hours at work have been reduced due to the recession. I've worked at the same job for 12 years, The Other Half for 25, and we've never seen it this bad. So yeah, we're emotional about it! With good reason.
But the real whopper was heard on my ride home. As you know, President Barack Obama was due to give an address to Congress at 6:00 pm, and the evening team was filling time until it started. The evening show features two winners from KXNT's American Idol-like "Radio Star" competition, Casey Hendrickson and Heather Kydd. They aren't the sharpest tools in the right-wing-talker shed. Both tend to be rather juvenile, and seem to rely on talking points that haven't been well thought out. They're rude to dissenters, with responses that are along the lines of "I know you are, but what am I?"
But that is my partisan position, and I realize that others might disagree. That's fine. It was the commentary leading to the address that was pointedly stupid. Kydd went on at length about how ugly Nanci Pelosi's green outfit was. And Hendrickson said (paraphrasing), "Barack Obama is the worst-spoken President I've ever heard." He predicted lots of "uhs" and "ums."
Are you kidding me man? Has Hendrickson been sleeping for the last eight years? Does he really think that Obama speaks more poorly than President George W. "Nuke-Yoo-Ler" Bush? Really? I'm trying to figure out if he's stupid, dishonest or both.
Tell you what, Casey. Go to Borders or Barnes & Noble this winter, and see if there is an "Obamaisms" calendar for sale.
Tell you what, Casey. Go to Borders or Barnes & Noble this winter, and see if there is an "Obamaisms" calendar for sale.
Here are some "Obamaisms" for you...
ReplyDelete1. "breathalyzer" or "inhalator" - These of course being the the names Obama gave to an inhaler when he couldn't think of it's name (or read it of the teleprompter)
2. "...Over the last 15 months we have traveled, uh, to every corner of the United States. Un, I have now been to 57 states, with one left to go."
3. "I bowled a 129. It was like Special Olympics, or something."
4. "...John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith..."
5. "When you spread the wealth around, it is good for everybody."
6. "They cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them... to explain their frustrations."
7. "She is a typical white person..." - Speaking about his white grandmother
8. "In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died -- an entire town destroyed." - Referring to a tornado that killed 12 people
9. Obama suggested we need Arabic translators in Afghanistan where they don't speak Arabic.
10. “Well, let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's.”
And there are many more. I have no doubt we will see, in the next few years, an "Obamaisms" calender...
Oh, please DO give me a break. That would be a good WEEK for W.
ReplyDeleteNumber 1 we've all done, groping for a word we can't find.
Number 2, he was counting PRIMARY events, and mistakenly said states. It amazes me that this one is still remembered, let alone commented upon.
Number 3, again, something anybody could have said and later regretted.
Number 4 is weird, I'll give you that, but I don't really care.
Number 5, 6, 7. . .yeah, so?
Number 8. . .need more context, don't know.
Number 9, 10. . .easy mistake, surely also made by W. Wouldn't even rate in the top 1000 for him.
Still, doesn't rate even Quayle-level, let alone George W.
Wow. You must not listen to KXNT's evening show very often. This guy uses more stats and facts (he provides info for listeners) than anyone we have locally. No, I don't always agree with him, however, unless the caller is ridiculing him he allows all opinions. That is what he has been known for for years.
ReplyDeleteI have a short drive home from work, so it is true that I don't listen for long lengths of time. I have heard his show many, many times, though, as well as fill-ins in the morning. I'll grant that Hendrickson is a good broadcaster (not sure I'd say the same for Kydd, but she is VERY young). But neither has ever been good enough to sway my opinion even a squink.
ReplyDeleteHendrickson has heard a whopping 3 presidents speak, and probably wasn't paying too much attention during the Clinton years (while he was in high school).
ReplyDeleteKydd has is in the same boat, but she was still in middle school during the Clinton years (maybe a freshman in high school when he left office).
Anyone under 30 claiming to be a pundit is a fool.
I think that the radio statios in Las Vegas scrape the bottom of the barrel when hiring talk show hosts. Recently Heidi Harris said that humans cannot effect the environment! She said that on the air and in an email to me. Some months ago, Casey Hendrickson said that melting ice cannot cause a rise in sea level. He said that he could prove that by letting ice cubes melt in a glass and then measuring the water level. In his example, that is true that the water level does not change. But of course much of the world's ice is locked up in glaciers ON LAND and if that melts, then the sea level will certainly rise.
ReplyDeleteI got into a few battles with Heidi Harris when she was on KXNT, and they still had an online message board. She will NOT be swayed from her opinion, even if proven wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, that IS a doozy of a dumb statement about melting ice. And the ridiculous assertion that humans are somehow incapable of affecting the environment. . .breathtakingly stupid (pun intended). Maybe I just miss it when they later correct these whoppers.
Of course, I can't explain why I keep subjecting myself to this stuff. So maybe I'm not too swift either!
I just reread some of the comments here, and wanted to say a couple more things.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to sound like I'm defending Barack Obama's every mistake. But even in the 10-point list provided by "anonymous", the kinds of mistakes he makes barely tippy-toe around the all-out English mangling of George W. Bush.
And the point about Hendrickson being a teenager during the Clinton Administration is a good one, and probably my biggest problem listening to their (former) show. They both just seemed way too young to be so certain of their assessments. Saint Ronnie Reagan was President when I was in high school (I even performed in band at one of his 1980 rallies), and sometimes I feel too young to be taken seriously on the subject of politics. Which is why I mostly point and laugh rather than prognosticate.