I usually turn on the tv in the morning to see what people are being told on the network morning shows. The Today Show mostly because CBS' Early Show has even more fluff.
This morning the tv was on CBS when I switched it on. I was pleasantly surprised to see a serious looking news report for a change. But I'm quickly angered by an obvious right-wing talking points report on the coming elections. Every man-on-the-street interview is a quote of what I've heard on Hannity's radio show. Right down to the fear of electing Nancy Pelosi even if you like your local Democratic candidate. Just the other day Hannity and some Republicans were upset that most people wouldn't relate to this agrument because they didn't know Pelosi and Conyers, etc. Low and Behold, here it is on the CBS morning show.
But then Pat Robertson comes on. I must have been watching one of the Christian broadcasters when I shut off the box last night.
But no...
I switch to CBS. Still Pat Robertson!
I don't know how many of you will feel as I do that this is a huge and dangerous turn of events. I don't know how many CBS affilliates are using the 9-10 morning time slot to peddle right wing propaganda. I do know this is a new thing.
I've seen the 700 Club on a non-Christian specialist, regular network before, but only at odd hours. Mostly on the WB, but maybe even a CBS or NBC but only on a Sunday afternoon or 6 o'clock Sunday morning. Times when you see all sorts of paid programs. But never, never when they'd be going up against other regular network programming.
[I have to take a break from this diary because I'm watching one of the most disgusting, and probably effective speechs Bush has ever given. He's hit every hot button to scare people to death and force the Congress to give into him. My damn hands are shaking. They've been working on this one for a long time. Bush has been working very Haarrrddd. Man, that didn't even feel good because there's nothing funny about this. Bush is doing a pretty solid "forceful" very forcefully. Sorta poking the whole Washington press corp in the chest. His lies are subtle. The explaination of the false assumptions they're based upon are hard to communicate, unless you've got a big coordinated noise machine.]
This speech sorta fits in with why I'm so upset about this new development in the 700 Club. The Right is on the most extreme offensive, progaganda-wise, that I've seen since right after 9/11, when they were narrative-creating non-stop.
I've noticed a few other changes lately. We have two talk radio am networks here in Atlanta again. Now that AA is gone. One was just bought by Fox. It was already mostly right-wing, under the guise of our local so-called Libertarian Neil Boortz. Another guy, the Kimmer, was right wing and racist, but in a silly, fake phone call kinda way. Since the change in ownership, he's suddenly become a little Limbaugh Jr. Mouthing all the standards I hear on Limbaugh and Hannity. Addessing political issues like never before. The only difference I notice is that he and his callers are much more obvious in calling for the elimination and imprisionment of the liberals who are really enemies of this country.
The Christian networks, which of course reach hundreds of millions of people worldwide are also in full swing propaganda mode. Their main message is that we must support Israel and Islam means hate, ie, Islamofascists. Oh and by the way, we need to nuke Iran. Not in so many words, but like Limbaugh, Hannity, the Administration, that's what they're saying. And of course we must support the President who is trying to protect us, unlike those activist judges. You know the tune.
Fear. And God's call to destroy the Evil ones. And now you can catch it every morning on CBS. At least in Atlanta.
[Ok. That's the end of the diary, but I just have to mention what I'm watching on the Christian Daystar network as I've been writing. I'm watching Daystar today because yesterday I noticed they had gotten just as political as TBN which hadn't been true last times I've looked. Last night they had Walid Shoebat on with one of the founders. Shoebat is supposedly an x-terrorist from Palestine. He pushs the Islamofascist line. http://tinyurl.com/.... And he seems to have gotten extremely influencial in a very sort time.
http://tinyurl.com/...
Daystar was also asking their audience to call CA and ask Arnold to veto bill AB523, which would allow a University to sell it's tv station to an entity that would maintain it as a PBS affiliate rather than to the highest bidder, Daystar. Daystar had won a court ruling so the lege got into it and said it was ok to sell below market in certain cases. The change toward more political programming and a political/legal battle nexis crossed my mind.
Last week I heard that Thomas Kincaid, that crappy but highly successful sentimental painter was being sued by his franchisees. And I'm sure it's completely coincidental that he's just now on Daystar pushing his Holy Land collection with these suddenly agressive Christian Zionists. I'm sure it's just another coincidental political/legal nexis, after all, he had to have done these paintings and this sentimental video of his long beloved Israel way before his legal problems. He's a Christian after all, he says. But two political/legal nexis' on one tv program in two days is a lot to take without giving into wild suspicions.
Too bad these reactionary Christian networks have really great, polished, often very helpful programing. You should check them out if you havn't.
Sorry for rambling but I feel bombarded. You might call it the Third Awakening.