The OAO Sean Hannity Thread

[Dr. Zaius 0]

We need an "OAO Sean Hannity is a Dirtbag" thread.

 

Not quite, but I'm hoping someone tries to defend him. As unlikely as that is...

 

Fun Hannity Links:

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158

http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance16.html

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508310004

 

Its really hard to find pages devoted to defending Sean Hannity. Most people who like him resort to "you just don't like him because he's a conservative" without backing up why he should be treated as anything other than a partisan joke.

[SuperJerk 0]

I'd defend him by saying he has excellent credentials as a journalist/political scientist...except he doesn't have any creditentials to speak of in either area.

[spman 0]

Hannity is basically the Republicans answer to someone like Al Franken. I think Homer Simpson put it best when he said "Facts are meaningless, they can be used to prove anything." The social issues that guys like Hannity, O'Reilly, Michael Moore, Al Franken, and others blather on about are never as black and white as they make them out to be. So yeah, a Conservative is going to only going to point to evidence that backs up his point, and is going to try and ignore any counter evidence. Same thing, a liberal like Franken or Moore will only cite evidence which backs up their views, and will ignore or attempt to discredit any contrary evidence, and then will attempt to discredit the conservative by pointing to that contrary evidence and say he's a moron. I personally think both sides make good points on a lot of issues, but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack, writing 300+ page diatribes about how Sean Hannity is an idiot and Bill O'Reilly is satan himself, while not really making much of a substantial point themselves. Guys like Franken and Bill Mahr just come off as whiny jerks, angry because no one gives them any respect. Sure, guys like Hannity are just shills for the Republican Party, but they also are just preaching to the choir. If you don't agree with what the guy is saying, then you probobly aren't listening to watching anyway, so what does it matter?

[snuffbox 0]

A true American Patriot.

[NoCalMike 0]

but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack

 

Yer kidding right? Conservative talk radio and television is the beacon of "why do you hate america, sir" reasoning. That is their main pratfall to fall back on on basically a daily basis. It is that tactic, and that tactice almost exclusively that is used to avoid debating the merits of an issue. And it used by the right.

[The Czech Republic 0]

but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack

 

Yer kidding right? Conservative talk radio and television is the beacon of "why do you hate america, sir" reasoning. That is their main pratfall to fall back on on basically a daily basis. It is that tactic, and that tactice almost exclusively that is used to avoid debating the merits of an issue. And it used by the right.

That's not really what pratfall means, but okay.

 

Haven't you listened to Air America at all? It's just as bad, but with shitty production values and poor attempts at comedy. Inept liberals utilize all the same fallacies that inept conservatives do, and don't kid yourself. Your side isn't any more enlightened or noble than mine. For every time Sean Hannity resorts to "why do you hate America" when he's backed into a corner, Michael Moore is dismissing claims that his documentaries regularly corrupt the facts with "well it's a movie, it's for entertainment." For every time Bill O'Reilly cuts off somebody's mic, Al Franken is swinging away with ad hominem remarks. Yeah, scholars on public radio may be above the bullshit, but the talking heads on the left and right are equally predisposed to all the same flaws.

[snuffbox 0]

Seriously, is there anyone more Patriotic than Sean Hannity?

[The Czech Republic 0]

All liberals. They're the true patriots.

 

XsocialismX<3<3

[snuffbox 0]

Sean Hannity would be the greatest man in American media...but Rush beats him, imo, because hes got the fatter baggie of pills.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

Mmmm, pills.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

Mmmm, pills.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Fresh new satire from CheesalaIsGood

[SuperJerk 0]

but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack

 

Yer kidding right? Conservative talk radio and television is the beacon of "why do you hate america, sir" reasoning. That is their main pratfall to fall back on on basically a daily basis. It is that tactic, and that tactice almost exclusively that is used to avoid debating the merits of an issue. And it used by the right.

That's not really what pratfall means, but okay.

 

Haven't you listened to Air America at all? It's just as bad, but with shitty production values and poor attempts at comedy. Inept liberals utilize all the same fallacies that inept conservatives do, and don't kid yourself. Your side isn't any more enlightened or noble than mine. For every time Sean Hannity resorts to "why do you hate America" when he's backed into a corner, Michael Moore is dismissing claims that his documentaries regularly corrupt the facts with "well it's a movie, it's for entertainment." For every time Bill O'Reilly cuts off somebody's mic, Al Franken is swinging away with ad hominem remarks. Yeah, scholars on public radio may be above the bullshit, but the talking heads on the left and right are equally predisposed to all the same flaws.

 

Translation: OMG YOUR SIDE DOES IT TOO~!!!!111

 

If you want to resurrect one of the countless Michael Moore threads, be my guest. Just because Moore's a douchebag, or Al Franken's a hypocrite, doesn't make Hannity any less of a jackass.

 

Can anyone seriously defend Hannity? I'm curious.

[Special K 0]

No one listens to Air America either. Bill O' Reilly meanwhile has the highest rated 'news' show in America, doesn't he?

[snuffbox 0]

Yes...apparently the 'John Kerry is gonna take r guns n 4 wheelers' crowd is a pretty large demographic.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Yeah, scholars on public radio may be above the bullshit

 

And which side demonizes public radio?

[NoCalMike 0]

but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack

 

Yer kidding right? Conservative talk radio and television is the beacon of "why do you hate america, sir" reasoning. That is their main pratfall to fall back on on basically a daily basis. It is that tactic, and that tactice almost exclusively that is used to avoid debating the merits of an issue. And it used by the right.

That's not really what pratfall means, but okay.

 

Haven't you listened to Air America at all? It's just as bad, but with shitty production values and poor attempts at comedy. Inept liberals utilize all the same fallacies that inept conservatives do, and don't kid yourself. Your side isn't any more enlightened or noble than mine. For every time Sean Hannity resorts to "why do you hate America" when he's backed into a corner, Michael Moore is dismissing claims that his documentaries regularly corrupt the facts with "well it's a movie, it's for entertainment." For every time Bill O'Reilly cuts off somebody's mic, Al Franken is swinging away with ad hominem remarks. Yeah, scholars on public radio may be above the bullshit, but the talking heads on the left and right are equally predisposed to all the same flaws.

 

 

I listened to Air America for about an hour once until I realized they were married to the (D) party. I listen mostly to Tom Hartman for political talk radio, and he is nothing like the people on Air America.

[Special K 0]

Oh, I will say that I like Michael Medved's show quite a bit. I disagree with him on a LOT of things, but he explains his reasoning well, and actually lets disagreeing callers through the phone lines.

 

Hell, he had Dan Savage on his show.

[SuperJerk 0]

Yes...apparently the 'John Kerry is gonna take r guns n 4 wheelers' crowd is a pretty large demographic.

You saw how many votes Bush got, didn't you?

[snuffbox 0]

Americans like their guns and atvs, of course they voted for President Bush...that cocksucking America-hater Kerry wanted everyone defenseless so the queers could take over.

[NoCalMike 0]

Americans like their guns and atvs, of course they voted for President Bush...that cocksucking America-hater Kerry wanted everyone defenseless so the queers could take over.

 

Is that you, Michael Savage?

[snuffbox 0]

Randy's brother?

[SuperJerk 0]

Americans like their guns and atvs, of course they voted for President Bush...that cocksucking America-hater Kerry wanted everyone defenseless so the queers could take over.

Your grasp of the issues is superb.

[snuffbox 0]

Thats not the only thing I have a superb grasp on....er what?

[The Czech Republic 0]

but in the end, the Conservatives get more respect from me, because they rarely resort to smear tactics to weaken their opponents arguments and try to strengthen their own. The Liberals it seems are always on the attack

 

Yer kidding right? Conservative talk radio and television is the beacon of "why do you hate america, sir" reasoning. That is their main pratfall to fall back on on basically a daily basis. It is that tactic, and that tactice almost exclusively that is used to avoid debating the merits of an issue. And it used by the right.

That's not really what pratfall means, but okay.

 

Haven't you listened to Air America at all? It's just as bad, but with shitty production values and poor attempts at comedy. Inept liberals utilize all the same fallacies that inept conservatives do, and don't kid yourself. Your side isn't any more enlightened or noble than mine. For every time Sean Hannity resorts to "why do you hate America" when he's backed into a corner, Michael Moore is dismissing claims that his documentaries regularly corrupt the facts with "well it's a movie, it's for entertainment." For every time Bill O'Reilly cuts off somebody's mic, Al Franken is swinging away with ad hominem remarks. Yeah, scholars on public radio may be above the bullshit, but the talking heads on the left and right are equally predisposed to all the same flaws.

 

Translation: OMG YOUR SIDE DOES IT TOO~!!!!111

 

If you want to resurrect one of the countless Michael Moore threads, be my guest. Just because Moore's a douchebag, or Al Franken's a hypocrite, doesn't make Hannity any less of a jackass.

 

Can anyone seriously defend Hannity? I'm curious.

No. Nobody can defend Sean Hannity. And I wasn't trying to. I was going after his statement that the right exclusively sidesteps rational debate, which is not true.

[Art Sandusky 0]

It isn't even real conservatives and liberals we're talking about here. The supposed beacons for the opposites of the political spectrum are nothing but a series of one-upping jokes. Neo-Cons are lost without a Cold War to fight and Faux-Liberals are overreacting to what's not really a large segment of the Right in the first place. You end up having the most inept and skewed perspectives arguing on TV and radio all the time while REAL conservatives and liberals are completely lost in the shuffle.

 

It's like if your parents got into an argument with another kid's parents and whatever your problem was with the other kid is completely lost. All you can do is bide your time and wait for the adults to be old and feeble so that you can manage things yourself, independently. Unfortunately, thanks to the attempted homogenization of the American experience (under the guise of an on-demand society that embraces individual choice) most of us fall into this bullshit and end up like the rabid, mentally deficient dogs we all used to hate watching debate each other.

 

I have no problem whatsoever with real conservatives and real liberals, and, believe it or not, the real ones don't mind the other side too much. It's the whackjob hijacking of politics that's gone down that makes us think otherwise. I mean, what happened to dudes from both parties hanging out at social events tied to the State of the Union? Not this year, because "IT'S OUR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY, YOU EVIL PERSON!" is all any of the doddering monkeys in suits that we call a government can summon from their lobbyist-greased vocal chords.

 

That said, if you're an incurable news junkie like myself, do what I did. Abandon the high-gloss world of HD and superduper graphics and pretty reporters and rich kids who've disappeared and watch the NewsHour each night at 6 on PBS. It's strangely liberating to actually have someone else report and allow you to decide.

[snuffbox 0]

Well, I was trying to be sarcastic as thats all I feel people like Hannity, Rush, Moore, etc deserve...but Kotz went ahead and brought some brain to the thread with a nice little essay. Well said, and very true...people will never educate themselves listening to just one side, looking at neat pictures/graphics, and mindlessly bashing the opposition.

 

Along with programs like newshour...I prefer getting news directly from cspan, where you can see exactly what the people are saying IN context.

[Dangerous A 0]

Uh, what Art Sandusky said.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

I listen to alot of right-wing radio. I don't know why, but I try to think it is because I want to hear what "the other side" has to say. What is their point? Why do they NOT think as I do? All it does is confuse me and piss me off.

 

It does however make it easier to point fingers of racism and nazism at the right. Which isn't as much fun as it used to be.

 

 

[Dangerous A 0]

Chelsea, that could be the Howard Stern syndrome you have, except it's towards right wing talk radio. There was a poll done awhile ago that showed that more of Howard Stern's listeners hated him than liked him. It was figured that there is something to listening to something you hate to get a reaction out of yourself. Like a drug or adrenaline junkie. I think quite a bit of the right wing talk radio listenership suffers from what you do, chelsea.