I was only able to hear part of David "Goldy" Goldstein's segment on the John Carlson's Friday afternoon drive (KVI m-f, 3-6p), though I heard enough to grok the atmospherics, if that's a word that can be applied to Carlson's flatfooted daily Republican love-in.
If you've just parachuted into the blogosphere, or are from a galaxy far, far away; David's popular horsesass.org is one of the brightest stars in the NW liberal firmament. He's prolific, has an attorney's grasp of policy--and what makes me keep coming back--a laugh out loud wit.
A brightspot for me was hearing Carlson (who's a bit of a prig) in introducing Goldy, having to say "horse's ass" on his G-rated show. The words came out of his mouth like the expectoration of a small turd and with the kind of qualifying tapdance he usually saves for premising faint praise for his worst enemies.
Carlson asked Goldy on to explain the "big binder," issue in the gubernatorial-unvote campaign which the GOP is now waging in the courts and on talk radio. Goldy impressively detailed the elongated ballot reconciliation process without losing the audience or even being interrupted that much by Carlson; who (to his credit) will usually shut up and let guests with authority finish their sentences.
Conservative talk hosts are not known for questioning authority, but when someone they disagree with gets too authoritative they're not above interrupting or muting them or pushing the dump button.
Carlson's show is Carlson's game and my dad always said, "you'll never win playing the other guy's game." So after Goldstein was dismissed, Stefan Sharkansky, the blogging (clearpolitics.org) Republican heavy lifter for unvote, phoned in and Carlson licked him to death.
Sharkie refused to debate Goldstein on the show; heeding, I guess, Oscar Wilde's dictum: "Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar, and often convincing." While I don't blame him--Goldy is formidable on his feet--it was yet another KVI opportunity lost for a piece of great radio.
I'm still boggled by the endless time spent by Carlson on the guber-unvote. I know it's good for the GOP to keep this alive and to maintain the high angst level. It's hurting Christine Gregoire and shall continue to do so whether she wins or loses; but how can this daily, negative, legalistic, wonky nattering hold up in the radio ratings?
It looks like pure partisan spinning, damn all other considerations. At this point, are they preaching anywhere but to the choir-loft?
Dave Ross in his new afternoon drivetime slot (KIRO m-f, 3-6p) holds the guber-talk down to breaking news and intermittent interviews with the principals. We won't know for a while, but my gut continues to tell me there's high dial creep from Carson to Ross by the button-punching commuters who comprise that high-cuming dayshare.
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