American Culture Wars (nobody's covering)

I’d like to alert you to something that is not being covered by the mainstream media, either here or in the U. S. Watching television news here (in India), including the BBC, CNN, etc. or reading “The Hindu’, you would never get the idea that President Obama already finds himself in deep trouble with the electorate. While it is true that the Republican opposition has been beaten down to the point where America now has essentially one-party rule and it is unlikely that the new president will encounter any significant roadblocks in pursuit of his far-reaching socialist agenda, the American public is worried stiff about their jobs, taxes, out-of-control government spending (and likely ensuing inflation), health care, social and foreign policy, etc.. The press is making short shrift of such concerns. It is in their best interests to continue promoting the fiction of Obama as he has been promoted all along.

Before the election in November, the press made virtually no effort to find out anything about the first black Democrat candidate. To this day, his birth certificate, his health and school records are sealed and have never been seen by the public. This is unprecedented.

News outlets, particularly in the U.S., have suffered severe financial pain because of their single-minded intent to portray Obama as ‘savior’. Major newspapers in the U.S. are closing their doors; others like The New York Times are laying-off people and trimming their editions as customers cancel their subscriptions in droves. Before I left the U.S. back in March we were regularly receiving both ‘The New York Times’ and ‘The Newark Star Ledger’ delivered to our doorstep; this, in addition to ‘The Wall Street Journal”, the only daily paper we had actually solicited and paid for. Similarly, the networks are hurting, particularly the 24-hour news channels, the ones known all over the world, like CNN, (General Electric’s) MSNBC, PBS, CBS, all of which have earned a reputation of pushing Obama down the public’s throat.

The mainstream media has come up with all sorts of excuses for its financial woes attributing these to hard times; an overall decline in literacy, and competition from alternative niche media usually found on the internet or on (foreign) cable feeds. The truth be told, they’re in denial. They are losing audience right and left for the same reason we ourselves canceled our subscription to the NYT among others (incl. magazines) because we got tired of being subjected to insults day after day; all, under the banner of mainstream, impartial reporting.

Meanwhile, as the new administration’s policies unfold, many Obama voters are experiencing what has been termed, ‘buyer’s remorse’. Many, especially those in the financial sector, now see themselves as directly targeted by what has emerged as Obama’s anti-capitalist policies. There have been massive, peaceful protests (tea parties) in a number of cities around the country. The press refuses to report on the thousands participating, preferring instead to focus on the dozen or so counter protesters that may turn up with their ‘we hate Bush’ signs. Mark Levin’s book, ‘Liberty and Tyranny’ has been number one on the NYT’s best seller list for 7 weeks as I write this. No major news outlet has yet bothered to mention, much less review it.

The opposition Republicans lack leadership. They lack focus because they are divided. Most are resigned to the fact that their depleted numbers in Congress prevent them from having any impact at all on policy. They are content to sit back and allow Democrats to hang themselves. In two years' time, when the pain of Obama’s re-distributionist policies is expected to begin having maximum impact, they hope to be swept back into office on public sentiment alone. They are sadly mistaken. Bush’s precipitous drop in his approval numbers was not due to his being too conservative; it was due to his not being conservative enough.

The electorate identifies three kinds of Republicans: (1) Those who would move the party towards adopting a socialist-lite model (as opposed to the Marxist template the Democrats are seen to be toying with). (2) Those who would advocate strict adherence to the Constitution and the freeing up of financial markets and industry from (what they see as) excessive regulation and onerous tax policies. (3) Those appearing to chart a middle course between the two extremes.

As I see it developing at the moment, numbers (1) and (3) will not have a chance in the next election. They will be swept aside. (Might as well re-elect Democrats.) Number (2), however, is pining for leadership. Democrats, hand in glove with the press, have been successful in thwarting the aspirations of anyone who would dare to come forward to claim that mantle as was clearly evident in the (to some, merciless and undeserved) hi-tech lynching of Sarah Palin.

Yet, I sense a tsunami-like groundswell building that has the potential of sweeping all three - the Democrats; moderate Republicans and the mainstream media – off their hinges. The media (as mentioned above) is already struggling. And Obama’s economic policy is likely to remain in trouble because it depends heavily on the public to participate, i.e. return to spending. So far, the public has adopted the passive aggressive stance of a petulant child toward (government) promises it essentially distrusts.

The most visible expression of voter’s remorse is most evident nation-wide on talk radio, a phenomenon which almost totally eludes the radar of the global media. It is nevertheless the most potent political force in America today. Marginalized variously as ‘right-wing extremist’, vaudeville entertainment’ or just plain ‘loony-tunes’ by major media and Democrats, it has been tremendously successful in drawing vast audience numbers. (Interestingly, left-wing efforts in similar format have consistently failed.) In fact, it has been so effective to the Conservative cause, Democrats are currently seeking a way to ban it.

‘The John Batchelor Show’, though considered ‘conservative’, does not fit this or any mold. It is unique in its approach to radio programming. For one thing, John does not take random callers. All his guests are experts in their varied fields. As such, one can expect much greater depth to satisfy one’s cerebral longing. Generally, talk radio tends to emphasize emotion and stir outrage. Contrary to what Democrats and the mainstream media would have you believe, however, such emotion and outrage is NOT manufactured by the talk radio personalities alone. It is already out there - literally seething throughout the nation - seeking a way to articulate the sentiments large numbers of Americans currently feel, particularly those in the non-governmental productive sectors.

It has never been my intent to champion one type of media over another; or one political position over another. (Though, I admit, that I too nurse my bias.) This is just to point out that pressure in the kettle is building; that Democrats, though seemingly comfortably ensconced, are hanging on by their fingernails. The next two elections have the potential of amounting to a virtual massacre involving anyone in elected office today, both Repubicans (sic) and Democrat alike. Americans have been asleep at the wheel but are wide awake now; just itching for a do-over of last November’s election. Limbaugh continues to be at the forefront of this movement. To ignore his impact is folly.

Linda, John (Batchelor) admits he does not listen to Limbaugh. For one thing he likely does not have time. With his hectic schedule it’s a wonder that he even finds time to breathe. Therefore, he cannot know what you and I know. He knows only what others tell him. Even self-styled conservatives have trouble unabashedly endorsing Limbaugh. He’s the elephant in the room that nobody admits to seeing; for, by doing so, one becomes uncomfortably aware of one’s own puniness. Why? Because he is so damn effective! It’s no wonder the Dems want him silenced.

It’s a bit of an irony to know that by just turning off his hearing aid, he can reduce his critics to silence.

BTW, I’ve heard few giving Rush credit for the hell the man’s had to through to continue his show right after his hearing failed. I remember, it made even me cringe. All you hear about is Limbaugh’s Oxycontin addiction (over and over again).

…the desperate carping of very small minds.