Did Kerry really blow off Howard Stern's support?

[poppabear36]

Apparently Stern peeved that Kerry hemmed and hawed about Howard's criticism of Bush and suspension by Clear Channel. He says he now can't support Kerry.
Does anyone in Kerry's camp not understand what a blunder this was? Howard tells millions of blockheads how to vote. This is a fact borne out by two elections - Whitman's in New Jersey and Pataki's in New York. Howard turns out the vote and he has 5 hours a day to shape opinions.
Someone at Kerry's campaign should have known to jump on this opportunity.

[kalian]

1. And this surprises you?

[fearnobush]

2. If he did that, Kerry would lose his support from Imus.

But a blunder yes. He fucked up.

[aquart]

3. My, what a lot of Kerry negativity hits this board at night.

You can almost set your watch by it.

[poppabear36]

5. Not bashing Kerry at all

I just think if a guy who has millions of not just listeners but FOLLOWERS offers you his support that you jump on it. It's good politics. Nothing would shoot down the image of Kerry as a remote patrician as a few phone calls to Howard's show. And Howard really respects Kerry's service - that's evident. He's of that generation or shortly after it.

[otohara]

6. No, This is Different - It's Called Strategy

and Kerry just blew off a several hundred thousand potential voters..

[Dookus]

8. sigh...

people who get their presidential voting orders from radio shock jocks shouldn't be the crowd Kerry caters to.

[joshcryer]

14. Kerry should cater to every "crowd."

If it was Dean, you better believe he would've taken Howards Support.

[Dookus]

15. Kerry didn't reject Stern's support

that's an insane assertion.

He said Clear Channel has a right to do what they want. He's correct.

Do you remember WHY Clear Channel suspended him?

[otohara]

17. remind me

why did CC suspend Stern?
Was it:
a) upcoming senate hearings on indecency - CC wanted to look good?
b) Stern sees the light regarding Bush and starts criticizing him ON AIR knowing that Lowry Mays and Tom Hicks are friends and supporters of Jr.?
c) because of one remark made by a caller, not Stern?

[trag]

4. However,

Howard took a phone call from a guy who asked Howard who he's going to vote for if he doesn't vote for Bush. Howard said it's Kerry, not Nader because Nader hates him as well.

So he is bashing them all atleast.

[zulchzulu]

7. Kerry said that Clear Channel can decide what they want to do

Clear Channel is a business. They made a business decision by not having Stern on 6 radio stations.

Should Kerry endorse a policy where businesses cannot make decisions and should have some government agency tell them what to do? Would Stern endorse that policy?

If Stern had an advertiser that suddenly was linked to something that Stern disagreeed with, should he not be allowed to make a decision to cancel their services?

Should some government agency oversee Stern's business decisions?

If Stern wants to back Bush by default of not supporting Kerry, then he is more of a knuckle-dragging blowhard than I originally thought.

[Renew Deal]

9. I was there when Kerry said what he said and I listen to Stern.

I have not heard him say that he cannot support Kerry. I have heard him bashing Bush and pushing Kerry.

[JI7]

10. and he would have to defend limbaugh and mike savage

if kerry said it was wrong for cc to pull stern's show from their stations he would have to defend limbaugh and savage from getting their show pulled. but kerry said stern has a right to say what he wants and if other stations want to air stern's show they can do so.

[JI7]

Rick Lazio got Stern's help also

didn't do him much good. and pataki and whitman are from new york and new jersey. kerry is running a national campaign.

[Room101]

Howard was talking up Kerry today

He was pissed about Kerry's comments regarding CC but still is complementing Kerry. He said many times today Bush must be defeated. Al Franken blasted Howard in his book, Howard’s response was " I can get over it I loved the book"

Al Franken will be a guest on Howard’s show next week.

[Room101]

11. Howard was talking up Kerry today

He was pissed about Kerry's comments regarding CC but still is complementing Kerry. He said many times today Bush must be defeated. Al Franken blasted Howard in his book, Howard’s response was " I can get over it I loved the book"

Al Franken will be a guest on Howard’s show next week.

[Faygo Kid]

12. Voters influenced by Howard Stern? We are in trouble.

If somebody votes one way or the other because of Howard Stern's almost sentient opinions, they and we are in trouble. I cannot fathom such a thing. Do you think any of them have ever read a book? (You know, those things with paper and print and bindings and stuff). Maybe the Apocalypse is closer than I thought.

[poppabear36]

16. We are in trouble

if we can't get Joe Lunch Pail types, the folks to whom Howard has been speaking to for 20 years and who in return deeply trust and sympathize with him, to see Bush and his cronies for what they are. We've complained about a media shut out - well, here's Howard, not just in New York metro but in markets across the country, offering to do just that.
To dismiss him is bad politics - and now that Kerry is the presumptive nominee I expect him to do whatever it takes to get elected - and to get across to the Joe Lunch Pail voters.
This isn't a "business" decision. It was a media conglomerate making a political decision to remove a show criticizing Bush from markets that are important to Bush's reelection - especially Florida. They fired Bubba the Love Sponge, also big in Florida markets, a week before, also, "coincidentally," after he had been criticizing Bush on his show.

[otohara]

18. Fathom Away

it's true. and let's not forget who rules the airwaves on the radio dial? yeppers that would be the wingnuts. how odd to have a Viacom/Clear Channel superstar on our side for a change. he is a superstar...lots of listeners -

Limbaugh takes credit for 2002 GOP sweep.

[sugarcookie]

24. I agree with you

I listened to Limbaugh after the primary last week. He and his callers were even going after Kerry's wife. It was worse than the commercial Bush released yesterday.

If you want to know what kinds of things they are capable of...put your wading boots on and listen to RW radio for just one day. It's not pretty.

If Stern can sway some of his listeners, more power to us.

Please don't flame for listening to Limbaugh. I only do occasionally..it helps me get in a fighting mood.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. Kerry didn't hem and haw

he simply stated that a private business can make it's own business decisions. On thing people are going to have to get used to about Kerry, he is not going to necessarily say the most political thing.

Kerry: You have to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may.

[w4rma]

19. Clear Channel simply needs to be broken up. 50% - 70% of the market.

They are *way* too big, near monopoly size. CC is practically a GOP-state run corporation.

Dean said that these big media corps need to be broken up 1 week before Iowa.

[otohara]

20. Won't Happen

too many fat cats, too many lobbyists dolling out big bucks to powerful GOP majority and dems too.

[w4rma]

21. It's *has* to be done to protect our democratic-republic.

One media outlet cannot be allowed to act as a dictatorship over the opinions allowed to be voiced on such a large part of our raido bandwidth/time.

[otohara]

22. I Agree, but Won't Happen

the best we can hope for is that the FCC opens up the airwaves to Low Power FM - even that is being lobbied against by the Clear Channels of the airwaves.

Remember it was Clinton who signed the Telecommunications Act of 96. He fucked up.

[w4rma]

23. It will be *extremely*, *extremely* hard to make it happen, imho.

And yes, I know very well that Clinton signed that bill and various "free" trade bills. Those were humongous blunders and they were made because the Democratic leadership at the time ignored the Democratic base.