Some Things Are Just To Scary

Well Halloween is almost over and not an Obama or McCain mask to be seen. Perhaps even the little ghost and goblins are tired of them. This weekend thru Tuesday is the Superbowl weekend for political junkies. You will find those who will be saying McCain is about to pull off a great upset and an equal number who say it has been over since August. My guess is Obama pulls off an impressive electoral margin but McCain keeps it close in actual votes. In Mitt Romney's world that is a silver medal.

In the end, any Republican is swimming upstream in this election. An unpopular war, a President with ratings so low he must stretch to hit bottom and if that isn't enough an historic candidate on the other side. Then, just to make it interesting, the economy goes belly up. Talk about timing. McCain has made a race out of it, not a great one, but a race just the same. Who knows he may pull it off yet. The country would not be ill served with him leading the way. But if that's the case, please oh please, take care of yourself. Sarah Palin as President? Now that is a scary thought, even on Halloween.

Talk Radio, A Thing Of The past

It is a sure sign of getting old when your conversation begins with "I remember when" but alas, I am at that stage. I was raised on talk radio. I use to love the give and take and the contrary opinions of host and caller. It was the stuff that made talk radio in Boston some of the best in the country. However what passes for talk radio now, is in name only. In this historic presidential election it is difficult to listen. First the ground rules have changed. To call a station and to get on you must clearly agree with the host. Now there are some exceptions. Dan Rea of WBZ , Jim and Magery of WTKK, and even Howie Carr of WRKO (though lighter) allow those who disagree to get some time and voice their opinions. They are the exceptions.

Now in 2008 you get Jay Severin who insist that if you are one leaning towards Barack Obama you must be anti American. Following Jay is Michele McPhee who is as equally uninformed. On the am dial you get to listen to the rantings of Michael Savage. It is a long, long way from Jerry Williams, Paul Sullivan and the best of them all David Brudnoy. The problem with today's talk radio is that it is simply not entertaining. When the host is only interested in those who fully agree with him, what value is that? How does one convince someone of the other sides opinion when those with a different opinion are mocked, insulted, and called losers and such.

In Boston Jay Severin is the king of this. His show is simply, at least for now, a political ad for right wing republicans. He does get ratings. This simply means there are lemmings in every political shade. Yet is Boston served by this? Does the listener get any value from his show? When Jay talks the ins and outs of the political process he is very good. When he dissects what each candidate must do, or the states that must be won etc he is at his best. Yet with each day passing and the election getting close he has become more unglued. The code words that are used "us vs them" the "bastard factories" "the losers" say more about him than anyone he is attempting to insult.

This is talk radio? No it is not. It is an avenue for those who are simply in a position to scream, to scream. I will admit that Severin is the most frustrating, aggravating and hypocritical one out there. He speaks of "babes" every chance he gets yet does anyone realize he is a married man? He rants about MSNBC and the losers there yet was employed by that very station. He insults and mocks folks who will call into his show yet when he perceived that Don Imus was not paying attention to his "political analysis" he made a big point of announcing that he has sent a letter to Imus requesting he no longer be brought back as a guest. Jay was insulted. He is not insulted, he is a phony. Now he is screaming that we must Impeach Obama. Now I am not as politically astute as Jay, but doesn't one have to be elected and sworn in first?

Well this is my rant about talk radio. It has come a long way from Sullivan, Williams and Brudnoy. A long way for certain, but it is a long way in the wrong direction.

Michele McPhee, No Clue, No Wonder

Friday evening on my drive home I avoided an accident. I turned off WTKKK, thus reducing my chance of driving off the road. The stations Jay wannabe Michele McPhee, was speaking about the hateful tone of the presidential campaign. She was wondering why it was so hateful and the supporters so mean and nasty to one another. She should be known as the clueless one from this point on. When one caller suggested that McCain's campaign is erratic she demanded proof immediately. Then mocked the caller saying Obama supporters can never defend a position. The caller tried to explain that she did not support Obama and was, in fact, a Ron Paul supporter Michele then said how scary that was and would be on the look out for her in her South Boston neighborhood. She then, as she often does, disconnected the call.


The fact is McPhee has been screaming and screeching plain and simple lies about Obama. They seem to come from the republican talking points. It is no wonder when you call this show you get right on, I wonder if anyone is listening. Michele, if your sad about the tone of this campaign and wish to reduce the hate filled rhetoric you can help immediately, simply shut up.

Odd Thoughts and Ends

It has become apparent that the Republican Party is feeling that this election may be coming to a close. In what is seen by many as a last grasp at the prize, the Republicans are increasing the attack while sinking further into the mud. To vote for Obama is simply to vote for a terrorist. This is now the McCain line. Though the Senator will not say it out loud he has given his campaign an ok for this type of strategy. You knew it was coming and they have not disappointed.

Meanwhile Joe Biden is running his mouth off about the”test” that will come the way of the next President within six months of office. He then asks for patience in our response to their response of the crisis. Joe, you probably should not remind anyone else that the guy on the top of the ticket is a bit green behind those ears of his. Still rather have our VP than theirs. For Jay Severin fans the translation is I still would rather have the them VP than the us VP.

Jay Severin and Michele McPhee are both whining about Obama today, and Bill Ayers, and Joe the plumber, and Rev Wright etc etc etc. If you prefer Senator Obama you are a commie, socialist, enemy of the state, country, planet, and you hate dogs and cats. I haven’t heard Jay’s show today and Michele’s show is hours away, but why wait to the last minute.

Speaking of Jay, how often does he have to remind his callers that they are the “best and brightest?” Wouldn’t it hold true that if these folks were really the best and brightest, they would remember? Why is their a need to constantly remind them? I wonder how best and brightest is defined in the world of "us".

Have you no sense of decency Mr Severin?

It was in June 1954 at the height of the Army- McCarthy hearings when the head attorney for the Army after having heard enough from Senator Joseph McCarthy said to him, with sadness in his voice "You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency". I believe it is time someone at WTKK ask that very question of Jay Severin.

Today Jay Severin had the audacity to say that Gen Colin Powell, because of his endorsement of Barack Obama could no longer be counted as one of those who love this country. The retired General was mocked and the man who served this country well was repeatedly referred to as "Colon" Powell. Jay also described a world without Powell. A world where the twenty two year old Powell was killed by a bomb, along with his wife. Who planted the bomb? Bill Ayers of course.

Severin is no longer a personality on the radio looking for ratings. He has transformed his show and in good measure WTKK itself into a station of hate. He is no longer asking that one supports McCain and not Obama on issues. No he is beyond that. He along with Jay wannabe Michele McPhee in the evening now use fear and hatred as a tool against Obama and his supporters. Supporters I may say, who once counted themselves among the audience. Jay often uses the "us against them" argument. If Jay represents the "us", I have never been so happy to be counted among "them".

But for Jay Severin to mock and call UN American Gen Colin Powell is simply beyond the pale. Of course he will say the endorsement was given on the sole basis of race. That is easy and falls into his "us vs them". But let me be clear. Severin is one who distorts and twist the facts to fit his right wing agenda. In the "them world" we call someone like that a liar. In the "us" world that is being one of the best and brightest. If David Duke should ever need a political consultant he can find one between 3-10 pm on WTKKK

To quote Mr Welch- "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency"

Some fresh Air for WTKK

Anyone that has read any of my post might detect a slight bias against WTKK in Boston. It is not the station as much as a couple of host who are being driven nuts by the thought of an Obama presidency. I will not mention any names (Severin and McPhee) but I think you know who I mean. To be fair I think it is about time to mention what this station has done right. Two words- Jim and Margery.

This pair can be heard each day between 12-3pm. Each day you get politics as well as local issues. You also get hard hitting pieces such as skittlegate, the infamous candy ban, and Jim's constant quest for the perfect MRI machine. The reason I enjoy them so, is that while they may disagree with each other or the callers they are not disagreeable. They provide insight with wit, style and class. They understand the issues perhaps better than anyone on the station and can discuss them without sounding like they are going to need intervention at any moment.

So if anyone has the opportunity take a listen. This is what talk radio is supposed to be.

Michele McPhee, Just as Angry, Just as Wrong.

What do you do if your WTKK and you want to improve the ratings of one of your shows. It seems all you do is ask the resident right wing, paranoid and growing more out of control by the minute talk show host to leave his talking points on the desk. This allows Michele McPhee to come in, pick up the notes and simply screech into the microphone every evening from 7-10pm.

What I don't understand is that Michele was a former reporter in New York as well as Boston. She is also an author. You think that someone with that background would know how to fact check. In talk radio it is not necessary, at least not when she is screaming about Obama. A few wrong statements from last evening.

Our friend "Joe the plumber" according to Michele is licensed. On this point she nearly ripped off the head of a caller who suggested he was not. She then screamed that this was nothing but media lies. She then went on to say that he was licensed but in Ohio he does not have to be and works under his bosses license...HUH?

Bottom line is Joe the Plumber DOES NOT hold a license. It is true that it is not required and he is working above board. My point is Michele screamed "media lies" about a fact easily checked out.

Next is Obama's birth certificate. She again repeated the false statement that it has not been released. Well it has, it has been checked out by fact check.org
see--http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

Then there is Bill Ayers. I simply am to tired to go into all the BS she spreads about this but I urge anyone interested to take a look at this

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/he_lied_about_bill_ayers.html
or

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/10/abcs_jake_tapper_tries_to_pin.html

In the end, she can scream every night until the election but remember this, louder does not mean right.

Jay Cries Again!

It appears that Jay Severin has hurt feelings. He probably right now is having his head rubbed and sipping warm milk. It seems that Don Imus simply could not fake any more interest in what this idiot has to say and that hurt little Jays feelings. Don Imus was rude to Jay and that made Jay sad. So sad in fact he dashed off a letter and asked not to be invited back on Imus in the morning. Boy, Jay must be really hurt. It appears Imus was playing computer chess while Jay was offering his thoughts. The surprise is not that Imus was playing chess but rather rather Imus did not simply fall asleep during Jay's old worn out anti Obama drivel.

Jay calls it legitimate analysis. Those of us who listen to Imus call it a good time to go grab another coffee. It seems that the hypocrisy is lost on Jay. If a caller calls into Jay's show and attempts to say anything positive about Obama he is ridiculed, mocked, and called anti American. That is on a good day. Should someone not listen to Jay, well he writes a letter and quits. Wow that will show Imus. I wonder if he will be able to fill up that time. We are talking close to thirty minutes a year.....What will he do?

One Last Time

Tonight the final debate between the two presidential hopefuls take place. One last try for John McCain to right the SS McCain which has been listing terribly for a few weeks now. Will he do it? I think not. It is not that McCain is performing too badly but rather the SS McCain has run into the perfect storm of politics. He belongs to the same party has an incumbent who has no support at all. He must run "for" a war which is never a good idea as well as deal with an economy that has collapsed all around him. In addition he is running against an opponent that if elected, will become the first black president of the United States. (my apologies to Bill Clinton) It is history in the making. It simply cannot be fun to be John McCain right at this moment.

Barack Obama on the other hand must simply do as he has done, make no mistakes and appear Presidential. It is an easy task when your leading in all the polls, when your leading or gaining in every "must win" state for John McCain and your rival is pulling out of key battleground states as fast as he can. It should be an easy night for Barack Obama.

Will it be? That my friends, is up to John McCain.

The Train Has Left The Tracks

Desperate times call for desperate measures. If one came to the US for the first time and viewed what has become our political process they would be sure of just one thing. Obama must be the anti Christ. Perhaps that's a bit strong so lets just say an American hating, Communist loving socialist who hangs around with terrorist planning to destroy this country and if elected will not be satisfied until he destroys America. Plus, he is a cat person.

Perhaps I exaggerate. I am not sure about the cat thing. If you listen to those who support the Palin/McCain ticket it is getting ugly out there. As Obama climbs higher in the polls the shrieks from the right get louder and more desperate. Perhaps it is partly because the economy continues to perform like an anchor on the good ship McCain. It may be they simply cannot believe that this one term Senator may actually win this thing. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is what it is. McCain represents the past. From domestic policy to defense. He stands and talks about Ronald Regan and most folks look at each other and say who? He walks around the the stage and claims "I can fix that?", or "I know how to do that". Well Senator if you can fix all the things you claim and know how to do all the things we want done, why over the last twenty six years didn't you TELL someone, anyone?

The truth is it is not about the country. It is simply about John McCain being elected. He will do anything, say anything, to make it it happen. The straight talk express derailed months ago.

Decision on the Undecided

Is it me or does anybody else wonder who these "undecided" voters really are? This campaign has been going on close to two years, between primaries and general election debates McCain and Obama have been in close to thirty of them. Your still undecided? What are you looking for either of them to say that they haven't already said. One woman on TV said "they are not speaking to me" duh! My theory is they are but you are so brain dead you simply cannot follow it.

One said "they don't get specific enough" again with a large DUH! Of course not. Did you just arrive in the United States? Is this the first time you have listened to any candidate? One said he "may sit out" the election. Please do. They are not undecided, these are the same folks that take fifteen minutes to order at McDonald's. Make a decision or move away from the counter, let those of us who have been here before take a shot at this. They are not undecided, they want their few minutes on TV. Please stay home, don't vote, and go to burger king from now on.

Now, do I want fries with that or not.....