I've given money to my local NPR station for some years, but I'm increasingly unhappy with their parroting the commercial media, asking how people feel about the ads and scandals rather than going below the surface. I told them that this may be my last year. My diary may irritate some who think that the only purpose of dkos is to promote Democratic candidates, which isn't my view. I don't see NPR biased for or against liberal ideas, they want to stir the pot and have a rightist spokesperson and a "moderate" who nowadays is much more conservative (Overton window has moved a mile) than would have been true in 1972. Strongly conservative people feel that NPR are "far leftists". They feel that 50% of us are far leftists and want to keep moving the Overton window.
I'm increasingly unhappy with your superficial coverage of "news". It’s not news when the sun rises in the East. It’s not news when the media, including NPR and KPCC swarm all over people asking, “what do you think of Obama’s (Julia stuff, coming out for gay marriage, saying that he will tax the rich…) or Romney’s claiming that he deserves some credit for the auto bailout, that his Mass. health plan is "completely different from Obamacare", that Obama is far left, etc. As Bob McChesney stressed, this focus on ads and talking points boosts paid political ads, more revenue for Big Media, and dumbs voters down, http://therealnews.com/.... You might ask how Romney or Obama can change tax policies, which Congress controls. Has Obama vetoed any tax cuts or military expansion? I very much dislike Larry Mantle and Patt Morrison leaping into this stuff. I want you to pass over predictable pronouncements from Obama, Romney, their surrogates or from California pols- just say, see our website which indicates the similarity between X’s announcement today and his past statements. I expect more right wing groups to call for armed resistance if Obama is re-elected. That’s stupid but it’s not news.
It's not news that the Romney campaign backs a constitutional amendment against same sex marriage. Stop the focus on symbols and promises and talk about deeds. Our country is run by Wall Street for the 1% and an expanded overactive military. Professional sports ride behind them on the skirts of "civic pride". Look at Glendale, AZ. That city must cut services but pays over $12 million annually as a subsidy to the NHL Phoenix Coyotes, http://online.wsj.com/....
We are fragmented and ruled by the politics of fear and hatred. I won’t support the culture of civil war, fear, hatred and political distortion. Maybe I’m the only KPCC listener who feels this way, I don’t know. If you keep reinforcing the spectacle and distortion of American political culture, I’ll put my money elsewhere next year, maybe into therealnews.com and low power FM radio, which I know was opposed by NPR.