The following excerpts are a representative percentage of the second round received.
As a liberal and an Air America listener, I'm disappointed in those who lambasted your review. I felt your review was a fair one and can understand your perspective. It appears to me that virtually all the folks on Air America are learning the ropes except perhaps Randi Rhodes. She apparently has been broadcasting for years. Unfortunately, I find her style to be as aggravating as Limbaugh's.
...I'm disappointed that the station seems to have become little more than a vehicle to support the Democratic party... There is so much positive stuff about the liberal agenda that needs to be aired. There is so much about the conservative agenda
that is downright scary and needs to be surfaced.
- Stan
I just had to drop you a quick note to say I agree with you 100%! I am liberal and the programming at AAR is not compelling. It's dull. I have to fight to have it hold my attention. If I have to work to listen to a talk show, something is wrong!
- Ellis
You're right! I desperately wanted AAR to be good, but who can take the voice of Randi Rhodes for more than three minutes?! And Al Franken -- I was so hoping he'd be good, but he isn't. Long story short, I've stopped listening. Put Molly Ivins on the air, and I'd be there! Judging by the email you've been getting, the libs have their share of morons as well as the conservatives.
- Leonard
Enjoyed your column on Air America, and thought you were exactly on point. But I sure wasn't surprised at the response you got from readers....supposedly "liberal" Americans are frequently quite intolerant with differing viewpoints; and search as I might, I couldn't find a single "political" statement in your column!
- Robert
i disagree with your review in many ways. i love franken & lanpher and garofalo & seder. i can tolerate rhodes for a while. but the main thing is that we have been longing for someone to voice our frustration - and sometimes rage - for so long that it's not always pretty.
- Zachary
I'm one of those liberals/progressives, but unlike the ones (looking at the sample emails) who would take you to task for an opinion piece, I agree with you. I personally like Al Franken as a comic, his latest book was a good read but nothing spectacular. I also think Air America is an ego trip and if folks out there - real progressives - ain't heard it, or got it together by now, stuff like Air America isn't going to help them.
- Frank
Yes, a lot of people have had issues with the entertainment value of Air America, but I've been listening to it for valuable information--entertainment is purely secondary. Now I can hear people saying on the corporate media what many of us have been thinking and saying for years, but have had no outlet for doing so. To further your argument, Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. The fact that he over-generalizes and plays loose with facts help bear this out. This aspect of his routine actually helps him become more entertaining, by not being mired in such things as critical thought and nuance. Your argument for Tom Leykis is a good one. I used to listen to him while he was on AM here in L.A. He was a real good liberal voice. Recently, however, his show has devolved into mindless sleaze.
- David
Try reporting those [the facts] sometime instead of trying to spin reality the way you reactionary morons like to do, because frankly, we're sick of it. We're so sick of it that that's the exact reason why AAR will succeed. The media has become so dominated by reactionary morons and corporate whores like you that AAR is filling a need for people who want the truth. And I believe I've wasted enough time now on your worthless opinions and propaganda.
- MacArthur
