I completely agree that we both should keep an eye on our wording so as not to generalize.

And, if we are nit-picking, I never said (any, some, a few, or all) libs “HATE” Sean Hannity (or Glenn Beck).

I said that the respect for [some] lib callers [tends to] irritate said callers.

To clarify this, in my personal experience, when debating against someone with a liberal stance, my opponent’s argument has always tended to get emotional; when that happens, I’ve done my best to (gently) persuade the conversation back to factual points.

I learned a lot of the finer points of arguing during a Lincoln/Douglas Style Debate and some undergrad Law courses.

To make a long “story” short, my thought is that a lot of people are “put off” by politeness nowadays and perhaps are not used to being treated with respect by persons with dissenting viewpoints.

These people (both conservs and libs) take this “respectfulness” as “phony condescension” and therefore become irritated.

I hope I’ve explained myself more thoroughly. I’ll try not to generalize anymore.

Thanks again for the reply. It’s great “getting to know” another friend, conserv or lib…

“No one is so rich as to have too many friends!”
~~John Leguzamo, “Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar”

We will certainly have disagreements, but I hope that doesn’t mean we’ll have trouble! Indeed, as snarky as this project’s bound to get, I hope it’ll also encourage people like you and me to reach across the lines we’re so often encouraged not to cross. In our case, as you can see, it already has. I’ll try to take a page from your book and focus on adjectives.

And no, you didn’t say “all liberals.” Nor did you say “some liberals,” and perhaps that’s where the confusion crept in. Let’s agree to watch out for that sort of thing!

Also, just for the record, I’ve never heard a single liberal say “Oh, I hate that Sean Hannity! He’s just so respectful!”

a) I didn’t say that “all” libs are irritated by Beck & Hannity.

b) The terms “a-hole” and “idiot” are nouns. Whether you directly said that GB was one or the other or let your readers “decide”, you were still applying a “name-calling” tactic. This is a form of personal attack.

I was simply stating that in a “public and [debatably] everlasting forum,” I would have chosen to use *adjectives*, describing a person’s actions, not the person = not an attack. Instead of “A-hole or Idiot?”, you could have used, “Nasty or Ignorant?” or whatever worse adjectives you can think of.

Just my opinion. I have not had the chance to read your referenced blog yet, but in fairness, I will do so.

Something you will more than likely agree with me on (and such an uncommon viewpoint for a Conservative Mormon like myself to hold) would be that I am pro-gay equal rights. Just a jumping off point. I’m pretty sure we’ll have trouble with everything else.

I did so, by the way, in reference to the time Glenn Beck allowed a conservative hack named Michael Scheuer to say that “the only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States.” Not only did Beck not question, let alone ridicule, that horrible point of view, but he agreed with him on the air.

I do hope the fact that I wrote Beck off at that point doesn’t mean that we can’t find common ground. Maybe we can call it even based on the fact that you just disparaged “libs” on my blog, a “public and [debatably] everlasting forum,” by suggesting that the reason why we’re all irritated by Beck and Hannity is because they’re so respectful?

Call it even? What do you say?

Yeah, about “Joking Rush” vs. “Serious Rush” ~ not sure about your experience with Rush’s fans… As I said, I’ve been listening since he started up in ’88. After 24 years, I can interpret him a heck of a lot better than many of some of my real-life friends! Perhaps it’s just a skill I learned at the knee(s) of my parents? Genetic maybe?

Oh, how I wish G. Gordon Liddy was stil on the air. “Virile, vigorous and potent!” was his catch phrase… I remember actually getting to speak to him on his show once (he was 70, I was 21) and I was just all atwitter when I hung up – a natural high I’d never known. Never in my life did I think a convicted felon, senior citizen, right-wing politico could make ME blush, but he did… all without being the least bit pervy. What a happy memory!

Anyway, about Beck & Hannity: they are respectful of all their callers and that irritates libs. If you’re getting hits on that phrase, then obviously you’ve used those words to describe Glenn. I can’t say I’ve not used “bashing” words to describe libs in the past, but never in a public and everlasting forum. I don’t think it’s civilized, no matter how many Google hits it might net me.

But I do believe in freedom of speech and if you feel the need to bash these “harmless little fuzzballs”… that’s why Algore invented the internet and all.

Thanks again for the reply. I’ve got lib friends (on the net anyway) and I enjoy a frisky debate sometimes. But perhaps we’ll find some common ground and could share something other than an argument sometime. You seem like a nice enough fella. Time will tell I guess, eh?

It certainly wasn’t my intention, and I honestly can’t believe that none of the many, many Beck bashers around the globe beat me out, but there you are.

It’s funny you should mention the importance of knowing the difference between “Serious Rush” and “Joking Rush,” because that’s one of the running threads about Limbaugh that I’m sure we’ll get into, and which I’ll probably list in a future post. In my experience, Rush’s fans tend to insist he’s dead serious, unless he’s just been caught saying something stupid or dishonest, in which case he was obviously joking. And man, can’t you liberals take a joke?

I’m glad you’re following, and I do hope you’ll stick around. I look forward to hearing more from you on Twitter!

As a Rush-listener since the tender age of 13 (a “young skull full of mush”) I’ve learned a lot from his show – including when he’s serious and when he’s joking. In fact, I could “interpret” some of my newer “friends” comments as skillfully as I do Rush’s!

But, Matt, for a “Rush-rookie” of any political affiliation, he will shock you, even six weeks into listening (or 24 years into listening, and being on the same side politically)! Have you considered giving someone like Glenn Beck a try? Or, despite your “dislike” of Sean Hannity, give him a chance? They’re certainly gentler. Just my 2c worth.

Be prepared; there is no politically correct nonsense where Rush is concerned. Don’t have a “grain of salt” prepared for his comments, have a whole shaker!

And give it a go; you can do it. If, for nothing else, stress relief of harmless ranting at the radio (I backtalk the State-run Media all the time!) or on your blog / Twitter.

Good luck and I’ll be watching!