Rush, Laura, Dennis, Michael Medved, et al., watch out! This rhetorical genius is apt to be your worst nightmare:
MSNBC/Newsweek: What do you see as the biggest issue in the coming election? Al Franken: I think the biggest issue will be what this guy didn’t do after 9/11 in terms of being a uniter not a divider. Instead of uniting us, he divided us. This is the most secretive administration and the most radical in terms of being economically right wing and in terms of—well, he just will give anything to his contributors. And I think it will be about that. I think it will be about integrity.Someone please translate this mass of words thrown together toward no logical end. If there are schools for talk show hosts, I hope that Al Franken drops by one on occasion before the advent of his show. Think on your feet, Al.
MSNBC/Newsweek: Why do you think it’s taken so long for liberals to have a real presence on the radio? Limbaugh has been around for ages.No one has ever created a radio network like this. [There's Pacifica Radio, but I guess the operative words are "like this."] But at some point, the radio landscape became so right wing that, by definition, I would be sandwiched between Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. That would be like putting hip-hop after country. It just doesn’t work. So we had to put together a network. There will be things that work and things that don’t. I’m hoping to be one of the things that succeeds.I submit that if Mr. Franken’s ideas stand on their merit and logic and his presentation plays to his strong points—humor and satire--his show could very well hold its own between that of O’Reilly—whose radio show sucks anyway—and Limbaugh. However, who would want to start off a new talk venture with Limbaugh caller-bleedover? I know I wouldn’t and I’m certainly no Leftist.
If this new radio network has enough resonance to make it competitive with conservative and libertarian offerings, if it gets the ratings, I say, more power and wattage to it. Got to give the people what they want.
Conversely, if this network’s ratings never get high enough to attract the big-name sponsors, can we get it in writing that Mr. Franken and his business partners will not whine about it?
In all seriousness, I think Al Franken deserves kudos for attempting this risky venture; money and mouth in the same place, indeed.
