The Desk isn't a Liberal by a long stretch.
And if you go by Rush Limbaugh's definition of 'Conservative' it isn't one of those either.
It also disagrees with a lot of the Libertarian national platform.
The Desk has little use for Ralph Nader and some of those kinds in the Kook Brigade.
And it won't even discuss the Communist Party in America or whatever they call themselves this week. Face it 'comrade', you lost. Get over it.
For a comparison of the three largest political parties in the US see below.
The Desk calls itself an 'Independent Conservative Libertarian' in order to make just about everybody in the above list angry about something.
It seems to work.
And this is where Air America and Rush Limbaugh come in.
While the Desk was out of town at a training class, it had time one night to watch the documentary about the so called Liberal talk radio network. Well, about the last half of it where they covered the 2004 election.
It was the funniest thing the Desk had seen on TV in months.
These people were really and truly mystified as to why Kerry lost.
One of their lines about a so called Red state was- "Nobody lives there."
Oh? That's a bit of news isn't it? There are states in this country that don't have anybody living in them. Cool. The Desk will move there A.S.A.P.
Also one day when the class got out early it listened to the local station that carries them. One of fifty three nationwide. This thing doesn't reach everybody, which could be considered a good thing.
But that is neither here nor there. It HAS listened to the network. All it could stand was about two hours of it.
That was more than enough.
Air America is a fine example of everything that is wrong with what used to be the most powerful Political Party in the US. And before you get the wrong idea, this isn't simply a bashing of the Democrats or Liberals or even Air America. We are Equal Opportunity Bashers around here, the GOP's turn will come a bit later, that's all.
Once Upon A Time the Democratic Machine could all but crown the new US President at will. They owned places like Chicago and New York. The trade unions walked in lock step with them and every dime of political money collected from Teachers and Truckers went straight to Democratic hands (except what was siphoned off by the Mob, but that's another story).
And the Dems took it for granted.
If you were black. A woman. In a union. Worked for a city or state government. You voted for who the Democrats told you. It was that simple.
It's not that simple any more.
The number of blacks who now identify themselves with the GOP has skyrocketed. Black Republicans have won the day in many elections including for the US House. Conservative blacks in the media are not unheard of any more. In spite of the mainstream press tending to ignore them, more and more of them are making an impact. But Alan Keyes and Dr. Walter Williams and Colin Powell are hard to ignore aren't they?
Women are supposed to be single issue voters. They are not supposed to have anything to say past 'Pro Choice'. When a conservative woman stands up and says something different, or even gets on TV or radio to say it, a la Condoleezza Rice, Laura Ingraham or Ann Clouter, the Democrats almost have convulsions. Never mind that they are all attractive women as well, that's another discussion.
The unions are loosing both membership and influence over their existing members. Lawsuits have been filed to give the rank and file more say about who their political donations go to. Mass defections have occurred as the national bodies stray too far away from what the locals want and need leaving some once powerful bodies like AFSCME nearly crippled. Right to work laws and open shop clauses are costing the unions dues and votes.
Political jobs still exist. But Merit Pay systems and accountability have led to people being put into jobs that can actually do them. Some bastions of 'who you know' like the City of Philadelphia are cracking under the pressures of various investigations.
In short, the Democratic Machines like the one that Chicago Mayor Richard J Daley ran from his office for over two decades to control the politics in a half dozen Midwestern states has broken down. That old steam engine of money and votes is clunking along barely able to secure the current Chicago Mayor's office for his son, let alone reach into Washington DC as part of a once powerful Kingmaker combo.
People have begun more than ever to realize that they can vote for a Person instead of a Party. And to be fair, that does cut both ways, but it has hurt the Democrats more than the Republicans. But still, the Straight Party Ticket voting option should be outlawed.
Most voters can see through thinly veiled spiels that are nothing more than a grab for more of your paycheck to pay off political deals and secure favors with certain groups.
It is no secret.
Democrats used to curry favor with various social groups with promises of money from city hall or the state house or even Washington.
The Desk has first hand experience with this.
In the early eighties the Desk was an actual Democrat. A Precinct Committeeman in two different Metropolitan areas at one time or another. It worked on and for various Democratic candidates and helped campaign here and there.
For the Unions, the bosses of the party and the union got together and worked out favors of who would do what for who for which law to be passed favoring who if so and so was elected.
For the minority vote (the term used in the back rooms with the political insiders and deal makers was 'the welfare vote') there was another tactic. The way you secured that vote was to go into black churches and civic organizations and promise them more money in relief checks, heating assistance, community programs, whatever. It didn't matter what you promised them, as long as you did. Then the minister or community leader or somebody would get up and lead the applause and remind the people to vote for your candidate because the 'other guy' would take that money away from them.
In some locations that vote would be upwards of ninety percent Democratic.
Air America seems to still think that this is 1985 and these tactics will still work.
And their own website is part of the problem. It is feeding them information that is itself as flawed as the far left bent ideologues that are guiding the station.
This question was on their site as part of their polling their listeners.
Do you support building new oil refineries on unused military bases?
[]Yes, unless one is near where I live.
[]No, let them be built where they have always been, in poor neighborhoods.
[]Only if its done in conjunction with improved fuel efficiency standards
The Desk only wishes they were kidding.
Nobody lives in 'Red' states. People who vote Republican are all goons and dupes and shills. The GOP plans to starve babies and blow up the world. The Republicans are all in bed with church leaders who are actually running the country.
Yeah, that about sums up the couple of hours of whatever show the Desk listened to.
It got old. Even the callers that got in were strumming the same guitar.
Yeah, OK. Rush still harps on Clinton for hours on end. Which is why the Desk doesn't listen to Rush's show when Rush is on his own show. No, that wasn't a joke. The only time the Desk listens to Limbaugh's three hour radio show is when HE isn't there. For the Desk's part, Rush can take the rest of the year off and have his guest hosts on. Maybe Mr. Limbaugh can call in once a week from some golf course and check in. That'd be about enough.
The best Conservative radio show going is still G. Gordon Liddy, and he's really a Libertarian except he'd never admit it.
And while we're on the subject. Glenn Beck should go crawl in a hole someplace. His satire, fake calls, music spots, sound effects and all that get old. Fast.
Even Laura Ingraham gets carried away after awhile and the radio's plug gets yanked.
You read that right.
Two of the Desk's radios are in such bad shape that you cannot change the station or turn them off. You have to unplug them. The Desk is NOT going to part with hard earned money to buy a new radio just so it can turn it off when some talk show host gets diarrhea of the mouth and runs off for twenty minutes about something that happened to another president six or eight years ago.
Funny how the Desk reacted about the same way to Air America as it does to some Conservative talking heads.
Both breeds take themselves far too seriously.
And both dismiss those that disagree with them far too easily.
MOST PEOPLE are Moderates.
There are Pro Life Democrats and Pro Choice Republicans.
There are Liberals that love to go hunting and Conservatives that have never fired any sort of weapon in their lives.
However, as of right now, the Country as a Whole has become a little more Conservative than it was, say, in the early Nineties.
There is that Political Pendulum. It does swing back and forth A Little. But it swings from Moderately Liberal to Moderately Conservative and then back. And it seems to do so about every twenty years looking at the record.
Those in the extreme wings of either party run in their own circles and, like the reporter in New York City who observed "I don't know anybody that voted Republican" they forget the rest of the country is out here.
The Air America staff probably doesn't know anybody that belongs to the NRA. Rush Limbaugh has likely not encountered an evangelical vegetarian lesbian lately.
But they are out here.
WE, are out here.
Moderates that are just plain SICK of the dumbness from inside the beltway from both sides of the aisle and from those windbags in the media on both sides that seem to feed it and draw energy from it.
Yes. Air America and Rush and the rest are both symptoms of and part of the problem.
Like that poll for Air America. They feed their own bias and ignorance and end up turning off people in the mainstream that may agree with some of what they say.
Does the Desk see a way to cure it?
Yes.
We the People can- unplug our radios.
NOTE: The Desk will take this opportunity to explain the difference between a Conservative Republican, a Liberal Democrat, a Libertarian, and the Desk.
Republicans want BIG GOVERNMENT to do their bidding...
Democrats want BIG GOVERNMENT to do everything Democratic...
Libertarians want smaller BIG GOVERNMENT with no IRS...
...to Spend YOUR MONEY.
The Desk thinks we need some Government, but it has no business being in your toilet, bedroom, washing machine, or trash can. Those duties are not defined in the Constitution. And for that matter, neither is the Separation of Church and State.
-30-
[NOTE: The Desk is registered as a Conservative Independent Libertarian. It has never voted for a winning candidate in any major election,
although it votes in every major election. thank you]
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