Randi Rhodes has left the building, but the controversy lingers on.
I rarely write about personalities, being much more interested in issues and ideas. Celebrity-obsession is a major pox on the American body-politic, and I'd just as soon ignore the AAR-Rhodes contretemps. But l'affaire Rhodes bears larger implications that deserve examination.
Quite frankly, I will miss the Randi Rhodes show on Air America Radio. She is smart, sassy, witty, and she deftly stroked my political biases. But a typical RR show was like a feast of carnival junk food: enjoyable at the moment, but devoid of much nourishment. (I exclude from this assessment her interviews with such outstanding guests as John Dean, Jonathan Turley and Brent Budowsky). I prefer to listen to the radio with the expectation that I might learn something. Far better to listen to Thom Hartmann and Rachel Maddow, each of whom possess a high-wattage intellect and awesome critical skills, gained through years of serious study. Plain brilliance is a rare commodity in talk radio, and Hartmann and Maddow both have it in generous abundance.
On the other hand, the Randi Rhodes show was my guilty pleasure, evoking many grins and chuckles, and suitable for multi-tasking: background for housework, driving, or typing and filing at my desk. Yes, I will miss The Randi Rhodes Show, but will be none the worse for her departure.
As I learned long ago, when for a couple of years I had a talk show in Salt Lake City, a microphone can be a mischievous ego-inflator. On Air America Radio, Hartmann, Maddow, Flanders, Kennedy, Papantonio have displayed a commendable ability to keep their egos in check. Sam Seder, on the other hand, might benefit from their example.
Of late, Randi's ego has got the better of her, as she has become increasingly abusive of her callers, even those who are approximately 80% in agreement with her. Hillary-supporters could expect to be insulted, shouted-at, and cut off at any moment. The number of McCain supporters heard on Randi's show was roughly equivalent to the appearance of authentic liberals on the Rushathon or the Hannity-Calamity. (This in contrast with Thom Hartmann, who invites conservative guests on his show and puts dissenting callers at the head of the queue). Moreover, Randi has acquired the strange notion that informed liberals give a fractional goddam about her personal showbiz enthusiasms. OK, so she likes to watch "American Idol." But enough, already!
Even so, there is an audience for that sort of thing, for, as we were reminded daily, The Randi Rhodes Show was promoted as the "top liberal talk show in the nation."
While I regret Randi Rhodes' departure from Air America Radio, I endorse the decision of AAR's management to suspend her. This incident could have had a better outcome if Randi had used her time off the air to reflect on her performance and her role in the upcoming political contest. Then she might have returned to AAR both a better person and a better performer. The AAR owners gave her that opportunity.
But reflection and contrition are not part of Randi's moral repertory. So she quit.
Randi's regrettable "f***ing whore" outburst, aimed at Hillary Clinton, put the AAR management in an impossible lose/lose dilemma. Toleration of such behavior was unthinkable (as I will argue shortly). A summary firing was overkill, which would have outraged her many fans and seriously muffled the already faint voice of liberal talk radio. (Just consider the outcry that resulted from her suspension). But while suspension was the judicious middle-road, this too has had its costs. Once Randi Rhodes uttered those two words in public, there was to be no easy solution for AAR management. Suspension was merely the least-worst alternative.
There is no first amendment issue here, so may we please put that nonsense aside? No one has a "right" to gain or keep a microphone or to demand space in a publication. I have no first amendment claim on the New York Times to publish my essays, nor a first amendment claim on Random House to publish my book. (Alas!) Just read the relevant portion of that amendment: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." This does not forbid AAR from taking the microphone away from Randi Rhodes. It simply forbids the government from telling AAR what it can or cannot broadcast, just as it forbids the government from telling The New York Times and The Washington Post that it can't publish the Pentagon Papers. (Ah, those were the days! RIP free and independent press).
So we turn now to those "larger implications" of Randi Rhodes' outburst in that San Francisco night club.
Like Randi Rhodes, I support Barack Obama, and find much to criticize in the behavior of Hillary Clinton, who, prior to this campaign, I had once greatly admired. But Obama's advantage today is such that the prize is all-but won. Like the wolf in the Russian tale, "Peter and the Wolf," Hillary Clinton is trapped: the more she tries to throw off the lasso, the tighter its hold on her. Clinton's negative attacks on Obama are backfiring: he is rubber, she is glue. Barring a colossal blunder by Obama, anything that Clinton might do to win the nomination will be so destructive to the party and to her reputation that the prize will be worthless.
The wise decision of the Obama campaign, thus far brilliantly conducted, is to hold back while the Clinton campaign self-destructs. All the while, Obama projects calm, poise, and respect for his rival.
Into this well-considered and well-executed strategy, storms Randi Rhodes. With "friends" like this, who needs enemies?
Remember, above all, that while Randi was attacking a fellow Democrat, she was at the same time alienating that candidate's supporters. In a recent poll, more than thirty-percent of Hillary Clinton's supporters said that they would not be inclined to vote for Obama if he gets the nomination. If even half of those sore losers feel the same way on election day, John McCain will be our next president. So, at the very least, those two abusive words were tactically stupid.
Dr. Ernest Partridge is a consultant, writer and lecturer in the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy. Partridge has taught philosophy at the University of California, and in Utah, Colorado and Wisconsin. He publishes the website, "The Online Gadfly" (www.igc.org/gadfly) and co-edits the progressive website, "The Crisis Papers" (www.crisispapers.org). His book in progress, "Conscience of a Progressive," can be seen at www.igc.org/gadfly/progressive/^toc.htm .
No sooner than Randi got the ax by the corporate honchos in New York she was immediately hired by Air America Phoenix over the weekend. Randi now joins her longtime friends at Nova M Radio, founders Sheldon and Anita Drobny, truthseeker extraordinairre Mike Malloy, and Proud to be a Liberal Jeff Farias. Randi is on the air at the same time 3PM weekdays CST CLICK HERE www.novamradio.com for a free online stream. Bravo Randi and welcome home. Love ya.
by
Gene Cappa (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 155 comments)
on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 10:04:46 PM
