A rare progressive voice in today’s media world, shouted down and forced off the air. Damn shame.
“Carl Wolfson Says He’s Ending His XRAY.FM Radio Show Because Bernie Sanders Supporters Have Gotten Too Nasty”
Portland progressive talk-radio host Carl Wolfson has felt the Bern. And he says the personal attacks of Sen. Bernie Sanders' supporters are causing him to cancel his show.
Wolfson announced this morning on Facebook he's ending his morning politics talk show on XRAY.FM, citing the toll on his health and finances, the declining state of political discourse and the "vitriol of so many Bernie supporters" in the Democratic presidential primary race against Hillary Clinton.
"I have too little faith in politics to continue," he says.
Wolfson’s message:
OK. I’m done. The vitriol of so many Bernie supporters and the threat they pose to Democratic unity is a bridge too far. Politics itself has gotten so nasty, so extreme and so personal that I have even been drawn into uncivil discourse in the past few days. If progressives that I have spoken for during the past nine years on radio (and during 40 years of activism) have lowered themselves to label Hillary a “fascist” or the “spawn of Satan” and worse, I have too little faith in politics to continue. This is not a rash decision. I have been considering it for months. I am proud of what we have accomplished on the air TOGETHER since 2007 (and 2,280 shows to be exact!) I am proud that CITM was civil, informative and fun. At a future date, after a healthy space of time, I will reflect on the whole experience: the thousands of incredible guests, callers, causes and moments that filed our time together. I am especially grateful to those who helped me relaunch CITM after Clear Channel switched KPOJ’s format in 2008, and who have kept us going on XRAY, realizing that, in a time of media consolidation, local voices are an essential fortification of democracy.
Full text at the link above.
A “bridge too far,” indeed.
Every single Sanders supporter I know, or have met, in the real world are decent folks. The ones that have visited the Manchester and Salem offices were fun and upbeat — really nice people.