The fact that Ed is throwing a tantrum the day before the FUCKING MIDTERMS over Stewart. . .

[wndycty]

. . .speaks poorly of Ed, it seriously does.

He is in Las Vegas to support Reid but has not devoted anytime to it.

Ed if you wanted to cry because Jon Stewart hurt your feelings you could have done that in New York on Minneapolis.

I love you and Keith and have your back. The false equivalence that Stewart made was wrong, but its not worth the time you are spending on it THE DAY BEFORE THE FUCKING MIDTERMS.

[ananda]

1. Ed got his sensitive widdle feelings hurt.

Awwww. Get over it, Ed. We love you.

[monmouth]

2. Bless you people who can listen to him. Gives new meaning to blowhard..n/t

[immoderate]

20. +1

--imm

[elocs]

3. To be honest, I don't listen to or watch any of them.

I find it easier to form my own opinions.

[WCGreen]

6. If anything, I watch Rachel...

Or, dare I say it, NPR...

[taterguy]

79. How do you watch NPR?

:shrug:

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. All that sort of thing does is make Stewart/Colbert's point clearer. n/t

[JuniperLea]

15. Indeed!

As if to fully illustrate the point.

[jgraz]

16. Well, it makes the fact that their point was wrong clearer

Personally, I don't care if someone craps on Big Ed (or KO), but I DO care if someone elevates Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck to the level of normal humans. Stewart was wrong and he should be called on it.

[EFerrari]

22. In equating the left and right, Jon is bashing the left and not outside

the very activity he's trying to critique.

[NRaleighLiberal]

25. I didn't interpret it as bashing both sides on content...but on the style they occasionally use.

So in terms of making his amplification point, I think it is spot on.

As to the moral equivalence of each side, that is another story, and that is there the media does us a great disservice by playing both sides as relevant.

But I am happy to agree that we have different views on this...it is all good discussion.

[EFerrari]

26. Well, you're pretty amplified when you're speaking into a sound system

on the national mall telling people to calm down. :)

[NRaleighLiberal]

43. yup!

:hi:

[DevonRex]

39. He didn't equate left and right. It was about 24/7 cable news that makes $$$ off of outrage.

Permanent 24/7/365 outrage.

[EFerrari]

41. Right. And his show is on cable, iirc.

:)

Eta: I think I know what you're saying, and I can't watch any of those shows, not even Rachel. But he's not outside of the thing he's describing.

[NRaleighLiberal]

I actually don't watch any of them, either!

My view is if we could turn off TV for a year (at least anything that is related to politics), we would be amazed at what would happen.

[EFerrari]

50. I got totally burnt out during the Bush years.

Now I watch the quiet, low tech indies -- Amy, Laura, GayUSA, little niche shows, and it's like a cool cloth in a heat wave. They are able to have people on that the commercial shows never touch. I always learn something from those shows and that's pretty cool, imo. :)

[DevonRex]

52. I hear what you're saying, too.

And I think he could stand to look in the mirror on this issue, as well. He certainly makes money by making fun of the outrage stirred up on hte 24/7 cable "news" shows, doesn't he?

In short, I think we have one big mess. And honestly, I have taken a break from all the cable people. I will watch Rachel when I know she's going to have a good segment on, though, because she's good.

[EFerrari]

60. Rachel is the best but I can't take all the bells and whistles.

Thank goodness good people post clips to DU because they take the bullet for me.

Whether one agrees with Jon or not, it's a good discussion he started. We can't think about the media enough. The best real news and analysis shows are now viewer supported, imo, and they are always on the brink of broke. We have a lot more pull than we think we do, if we'd just find a way to support those people that went out of the box and are doing good work.

That's how Pacifica Radio got started, with small subscriptions, and Pacifica was one of the lone voices to stand up against McCarthy effectively.

[DevonRex]

35. Amen. And he totally misunderstood the point. So he's pissed off about

something he's actually wrong about. That makes him look even worse. Okay, we know the RW talking heads lie. But if ours are wrong, what's the difference? And how often are they wrong like this? I heard what Stewart/Colbert were saying. They didn't say what Ed thinks they said.

This is a pretty simple freakin' point. How can I trust Ed on more complicated matters? Or KO?

Rachel got it right, as I knew she would. Nobody can call her stupid. And she has dignity.

[Joe Fields]

68. Thank you! well said.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. yep the fact that they are taking it personally

means that the arrow struck...

[AndrewP]

5. I understand why he wasn't happy, but he should have just blown Stewart off

I agree that today should have been MUCH more about defeating Sharrrrrron Angle.

Besides, apart from the hard core political wonks such as those of us on DU, most people in general don't even really know that Ed was "dissed" by the cool kid this weekend. Or if they do know, it's more like "Huh. That's interesting" rather than something they were really broken in half by.

That's the bad part about all of these shows. Sometimes it feels like 10 people yelling at each other and selling us books.

[dennis4868]

7. Of course he should spend alot of time on Stewarts false equivalency....

Ed speaks for the people who have no real voice and his credibility is on the line right now because Stewart lumped him in with people who represent hate, lies, and deceit! People follow and believe when Stewart talks and Ed is worried that people will not take him seriously now....many people rely on Ed to speak for them on a daily basis. GO ED!

[mzmolly]

10. And as one Ed caller said, Stewart could have taken the time to promote a vote

against the corporate takeover, yet he chose to pretend that every argument is valid instead. :shrug:

[mzmolly]

8. Ed has been promoting a GOTV for weeks! He was just in MN campaigning for Clark.

Stewart didn't mention one word about voting did he? If he did, I missed it.

[TheKentuckian]

9. Maybe someone who works hard, tries to tell the truth, who is about the only person standing up for

the 99ers, who was relentless in pursuit of health care for all Americans, and is a friend to labor is rightfully offended in being lumped with O'Reilly, Rush, and Hannity who do nothing but lie and mislead in the interest of the wealthy and oppressive.

I'm pissed for him and think it reflects poorly on "liberals" who are quick to buy the false equivalence meme and utterly ignore the content of his message and the causes he supports.

You luke warm weenies are why we've been getting our asses kicked for a generation.

Look at those without a home, without work, look at the corporate war on our environment, look at the wealth disparity, look at the income disparity, look at the swelling right wing violence, think about the ruinous debt run up for war profiteering and to pad the dragon hordes of the wealthy, thank about the inequality, consider the suicidal trade agreements, look at the corporate capture of our government and if you don't have some passion and righteous anger then you are either sans pulse or don't really give a flying fuck.

Fucking mealy mouth surrender monkeys are no better than the capitulating sell outs. Either way the store is given away to the predators and vultures and the regular American goes further down the tubes.

A bunch of comfortable, risk adverse, cowardly, middling titty babies with no skin in the game crying because those that are getting a mudhole stomped in them and the RARE advocate make too much noise for your delicate sensibilities and disturb your country club mentality.

How are you supposed to screw us out of our Social Security with all this bellyaching?!?

How are we going to let powerful interests dictate our tomorrows with this out cry?

How can we maintain our wars with all this bitching?

How can we ignore the sick, poor, and homeless with all that hubbub???

Fuck all this mealy mouthed bullshit! I stand with those that refuse to watch without a peep.

[Poboy]

11. +1, nice post.

[mzmolly]

13. +1

:toast:

[CatWoman]

14. +1000

[jgraz]

17. NAILED iiiiit. (/jon stewart falsetto)

[Prism]

19. +1 Sad that social justice is now a "fringe" viewpoint for some Democrats

Centrism, for those times when you just can't be bothered to try.

[EFerrari]

21. Thank you!

[leftstreet]

24. +1

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. +1

[SargeUNN]

29. I agree

Ed has done some awesome work and while I had a problem with him in the past as has almost all progressive radio show host, I support the hard work he has done and think he deserves credit for it. Ed has matured a lot since he started and he has been a voice that has help to get change in healthcare and other issues. I still feel bad about the past things he did but I won't throw away his good work now and I support him.

Jon made a mistake and like I have already said if he had prefaced it with let's stop the name calling and division with an eye toward talking with and working with each other on both sides and avoid such as this, then played the piece it would have been truthful. What he did was dishonest by the way he set it up and probably missed the real thing he was trying to prove.

[Recursion]

32. And even for good people like Ed and Keith, the medium makes them part of the problem

Keith pouncing on a stupid statement by a Republican isn't really illuminating, and as much as I love Keith I'd much prefer that MSNBC devote that time to something more calm and long-form.

Stewart said not long ago that he isn't moving towards becoming a news man, news men are moving towards becoming him. And, yes, even Ed and Keith are part of that.

[TheKentuckian]

45. The problem is unmitigated greed and willful ignorance.

I'd like real news too. I'm all for intelligent and fair exposes and hard hitting reporting but the need for that kind of service does not dispel the need for passion and countering the lies of the Reich wing noise machine.

Taking away Olberman does not replace him with Walter Cronkite but with a more sedate talking head pushing easily swallowed beltway bullshit.

Increased "civility" at the cost of more lies and false wisdom for the benefit of the wealthy.

What you want doesn't happen because it doesn't sell commercials and insightful honest reporting takes resources that the owners don't want used because the truth has a liberal bias.

[bullwinkle428]

49. Regarding that quote from Stewart, my reaction was "And people

think Olbermann has an ego!", as well as :rofl:

"MEN WANT TO BE ME...WOMEN WANT TO BE WITH ME!"

[Recursion]

56. Umm... can you explain? I don't see how he's being egotistical

Maybe you got his point backwards? He's saying "my lead-in is puppets making prank phone calls, and actual journalists are unfortunately becoming more like me."

[moondust]

33. Wham!!

Yes!

[B Calm]

34. GRAND SLAM!!!

[Raine]

36. EXACTLY!!! nt

:thumbsup:

[bullwinkle428]

37. +1

[Starry Messenger]

40. Sweet.

:thumbsup:

[DevonRex]

42. ROFL. You didn't understand the point either. Good to know.

[TheKentuckian]

48. Enlighten us then. I'm happy to explain when I think folks aren't getting something

Don't hide your candle under the bed, Let that light chase away the shadows of ignorance.

[DevonRex]

57. link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9435322&mesg_id=9435322

[TheKentuckian]

63. That is not an explanation. What say you?

[DevonRex]

66. I say I agree with the post to which I linked. Cable news manufactroversy 24/7

is bad for democracy because it isn't accurate and it breeds enmity. Take Ed's outrage (and now yours). It's over something that Stewart/Colbert didn't actually say to begin with. Yet Ed is outraged, you're outraged and people here are yelling at each other about something that was never said.

I'd say this pretty much proves the Stewart/Colbert point.

[DevonRex]

55. wrong spot

[sabrina 1]

46. Excellent post.

Stewart was wrong. And it's disappointing to see how quickly people here are willing to join him in his MSM style lumping of the fact-based left with the hysterical, lying, morons on the right and dump the very people who more than anyone on this board, helped Democrats win the last two elections.

Fickle is putting it mildly. No wonder good people just quit after a while.

Ed has won over many center right voters to the Dem. Party and Keith has consistently exposed the lies coming from Fox.

I remember, not so long ago when there were NO voices on the left doing what these two were doing and how we used to wish that were not the case.

We need to be LOUDER, not quieter to shout down the liars and scare-mongers.

Once again, the left shooting itself in the foot, instead of standing up strongly for those who stand up against the Rightwing Noise Machine.

[tsuki]

64. I remember when there were pissing and moaning that their were no

voices out there speaking for us libr'uls. Now they are pissing and moaning because the people out there are not speaking purdy enough.

Mealy mouth is right.

[Divine Discontent]

70. +1, I believe his putting those great Democratic voices up on the same screen as the GOP morons was

not productive days before the election.

[donheld]

71. +1000 Totally agreed. Ed has worked his ass off for the middle class

Every damned time we get someone who fights for we the ordinary folks, it's other "democrats" who shoot them down. Every damned time.

[Waiting For Everyman]

74. Exactly!

And the false equivalence is a MAJOR issue, which obviously TOO MANY people don't get.

That point should be made every day.

[Kurovski]

75. I rec'd this thread to disseminate your response.

Maybe you should repost it as an OP?

[Generic Other]

76. +1000 for the best raging against the dying light I have heard on DU for some time!

testify brother!!

:toast:

[PVnRT]

80. So, he should spend an entire show bitching about getting his feelings hurt?

There are approximately a million things more important at the moment. I find it startling that people on this website simply can't see that maybe BOTH sides here kind of have a point. No, it's far easier to get on one tribe or the other's side, choose your infallible idol, and focus on throwing shit at each other over it.

[TheKentuckian]

82. i have no infallible idol. If I had one alive it most likely would be Jon Stewart

There is no one that I won't put on blast when I think they are being wrong headed.

I don't go to the cult of personality school. I don't think Big Ed is too terribly bright and misjudges or misunderstands things all the time. He might be one of the most fail-able of flawed folks I broadly support but he sure as hell deserves a lot better than to be lumped in with Glen Beck and Mancow.

Just the thought of any of those fucks hosting a free clinic is well beyond laughable. That should be enough to shut the comparisons the fuck up but there is an element that wants to shut down voices from the left or at least to make them monotone at low volume.

My problem with Rush, Cavuto, and Dr Laura is not their tone or pitch but the fucking evil shit that comes out of their mouths in service of wealthy and powerful interests.

Who the fuck cares if a motherfucker has a civil tongue while they spout evil nonsense? That is fucking stupid nonsense.

CONTENT. CONTENT. CONTENT.

When Ed says fucked up bullshit then I'll take him to task as well so find another chestnut to hang your hat on besides the asinine infallible idol nonsense and your easy and lazy "both sides" argument.

Sometimes both sides don't have a point, sometimes somebody is right and someone is wrong.

The order a medium school of politics is a cop out for those who refuse the task of comparing arguments and checking facts. It also requires a lot more putting one's self out as a target for opposition opinion. When false moderation trumps truth and what is right it means honor and principle are very expendable.

[jgraz]

12. This is exactly the day to do it

I'm not a huge fan of Big Ed (and I AM a huge fan of Jon Stewart), but Stewart needs to get called on this bullshit. I guarantee, if someone else had twisted the facts to this degree, The Daily Show would run a five-minute segment pointing out what a moron they are.

[glitch]

27. Exactly where I am coming from. Fan of Jon's, Ed not so much, Jon is mistaken on this one.

Startlingly so.

[TheWebHead]

18. Ed is a clown

and a fraud. Anyone who heard the conversation with Mike Newcomb would have known that:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x926549

He's a liberal talker only because he found himself in a crowded field amongst fellow conservatives and recognized a financial opportunity to change his stripes.

[jgraz]

59. Doesn't change the fact that he's right in this case.

And Stewart, one of the most admirable media personalities of our lifetimes, is dead wrong.

[Major Hogwash]

78. Bush was a clown and he wound up as the POTUS. Why push a good man down when he is on our side?

I don't want to piss anyone off, but it wasn't necessary to compare Ed to Sean Hannity or Glen Beck for John to make his point.

And if John doesn't like what he sees on MSNBC, he can always change the fucking channel!!
That's what I think.

I didn't watch his rally.
I watched a college football game instead.

[SargeUNN]

23. Clearly this seems to be about HERO worship

Some here are just backing stewart because they can't admit he made a mistake or did something wrong. I have had my differences with Ed and Keith and never had a problem with Jon until now. Jon could have handled it better like saying that name calling and such needs to go away and here are examples of things we should avoid instead of the approach he took. He took apples and oranges then tried to pass them off as the same thing the way he did it and he blew it. Unfortunate because his point was well meant but poorly done.

[wndycty]

53. Or maybe the hero worhsip is of Ed and Keith, who I am big fans of. . .

. . .but it seems neither man can take any criticism.

[sabrina 1]

69. Well, I"m not a fan of Ed, am a fan of Stewart and I still think Ed

is right about this.

[PVnRT]

81. +1000

[KansasVoter]

30. LOL...and Jon trashing great Dems yesterday (2 days before) was OK.

[ecstatic]

31. Jon was/is wrong nt

[LostInAnomie]

44. Ed never has been too bright.

A hit dog barks, I guess.

[cynatnite]

47. Jon Stewart made a really good point, though...

I agree there was a false equivalency overall, but it also showed at how low the discourse has gotten. The repukes have done their share of damage with all their crap, but folks on our side like Olbermann and Ed haven't helped matters at all. I noticed there were some noticeable absenses on Jon's montage. Rachel for one.

I agree that Ed shouldn't be going on about this either.

[SargeUNN]

51. Here is a great example of why we didn't get all the HCR we wanted

We are taking sides and fighting over this crap and due to hero worship of our own, we are not going to admit anything. Ed, Keith, Jon, Rachel and Stephen have all made poor decisions and when they do instead of saying yeah that was a mistake we get all huffy puffy and defend them. Jon Stewart made a bad decision and lumped different things together to make a point. He didn't use the best preface to the piece and probably should have said instead that we need to work together, get real information, and not go to name calling and stubborness. What I am seeing here in some cases is exactly the thing he probably meant but since such a divide has been created I doubt he will ever state it. Once more we choose to favor hero worship over getting to the real truth.

[walldude]

54. OK I had a busy weekend so I missed whatever it was Jon said

But defending "Big Ed"? Yeah. "Big Ed" talks a great game. The last time I ever listened to that faux liberal was when he interviewed Joe Lieberman right after Lieberman threw his support behind McCain. "Big Ed" spent 20 minutes kissing Lieberman's ass. Not a single hard question not a single mention of the many ways he fucked over the Democratic party. All rainbows and sunshine.

So if what I am deducing from these threads is correct Jon said something about the media on both sides being full of shit, and if that's it, well then call the whaaabulance...

[mdmc]

58. Who is "Ed" and why should I care?

[ramapo]

61. Glad I missed it

I have listened to Ed for a long time but the last few eeks he has just gotten a bit crazy too. Jon got it right on Saturday and he gave me some helpful perspective. The world will not end tomorrow even if the Repubs win both houses. It might even help if they have some skin in the game.

There is blame enough for everybody, starting with the Republicans. The extreme polarization has become really tiresome and just saying they started it, while it may be true, is not really helpful.

[gateley]

62. I just posted a thread about this -- didn't see yours because I

wasn't a good DUer and didn't check. I was just so irritated I flew to the keyboard. To me, he's sounding like Limbaugh -- the OUTRAGE!!!! :eyes:

[DevonRex]

67. I've got a headache again, wondering why people here are outraged

that Jon doesn't like cable news outrage. I'd be outraged if my head didn't hurt so much.

[Skidmore]

65. Ed spent a lot of time ripping the Dems and the President to shreds and

he doesn't understand why people have to be exhorted to go to the polls on the left. For two freaking years, the man has shot us both feet and kneecapped everyone around him I emailed him about this some time back because it was getting on my nerves royally. I don't want to hear the word "progressive" anymore, not one more time. It is a hollow label. There is no movement or party or leaders or platform. It is not different than the offerings of the teabaggers, and just as effective in dividing the nation.

[donheld]

72. Proudly unrecommend

NOBODY has fought more for we the ordinary folk like ED. NOBODY.

He's not in Vegas to support Reid he's there to cover Reid. Ed's existance is to support we the people not Reid, Obama, or any pol. He's there to support we the people.

[Waiting For Everyman]

73. +1 "NOBODY has fought more for we the ordinary folk like ED. NOBODY."

Ed is not a problem, he's part of the solution.

I'm very glad he's on the air. He does a good job.

Yay, Ed! :applause: And Keith O. too! :applause:

[Scurrilous]

77. K & R

:thumbsup: