The mean meme machine: radio talk host tony snow to take white house job

As BlatherWatch predicted just yesterday, Fox Radio's Tony Snow (or Snony Tow, as President Bush calls him) will probably be named White House Press Secretary, according to CNN.

"It's all done except for dotting the t's and crossing the eyes," CNN's Suzanne Malveaux told Wolf Blitzer Monday evening.

Snow has had a recent bout with colon cancer- (not uncommon for clench-sphinctered Republicans) which accounts for his hollow-eyed, narrow-foreheaded, Frankenstein look lately.

It's probably a good move for the beleaguered White House, whose fearless leader's approval ratings dropped to 32% today in the new CNN poll. That's a point drop from the weekend's Fox poll which gave him 33%.

Who will fill the position on KVI's 9 ta noon? Although we don't believe the 13 share he supposedly pulled last book, Snow certainly has been a player in that vital slot in Seattle.

Snony is a smarmy pontificator with a Republican haircut, but he's a capable and experienced communicator well liked by his media peers. He might be able to gussy up the corpse of this administration.

And don't expect those exclusive Fox News interviews with Bush, Cheney, or Rummy to get spread around to other networks. The Fox is in charge of the henhouse.

We have to admit, we enjoyed Snow's recent description of outgoing press secretary Scott McClellan as a "...baby seal for the press to club every day 'til he's bloody. Then they drag his bleeding carcass off until the next day; then put him back out there for it all to happen again."

(McClellan's mother is Texas State Comptroller and loose cannon independent gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn; who's in the process of collecting signatures to have her name placed on the November ballot. If successful, and she beats fellow independent hopeful, Kinky Friedman, (yes, that Kinky Friedman) she'll face incumbent Republican Rick Perry in the general election. A fast talker, she says “My kids say I speak 365 words a minute.” She claims she learned to speak quickly because her mother would let her lick the beater when she made a cake, but wouldn’t turn the machine off first. She recently said about son Scott: "How can he know about Afghanistan if he can’t make up his bed?”)

Snow's appointment is another example of talk radio's influence on Republicans and the Party's almost instinctual turning to it when they need to reconnect with the electorate.

Snow's a likable guy who's schtick is "reasonable," but he's as conservative as anyone in the administration. Talk radio has worked well for Bush and the GOP many times before. It's been a back-beat of Republican memes and conservative framing for years; and it's served them well.

The Democrats have nothing that comes close to reaching as many hearts and minds as the right has with talk radio. It's measured in sheer numbers of hours, days and years of reframing, and redefining issues and scorning the progressive philosophical status quo set in the 1930's.

Snow is one of the legion of talk hosts who is not only conservative, but partisan. These are the water buffalos of the Republican Party toiling on the daily airwaves with Party strategery and spin always at the forefront.

In this category are Snow, Limbaugh, Medved, Hannity, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham, John Carlson, Kirby Wilbur, Sytman & Boze, etc., who rarely stray off the reservation, even when Bush & Co. stray from the Reagan conservative boilerplate they all claim to abide by.

Other conservatives talkers are either more independent, more libertarian, or too conservative to always go along with "my Party, right or wrong." These are talkers like O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Mike Gallagher,  G. Gordon Liddy, Lars Larson, Larry Elder, Janet Parshall, Hugh Hewitt, Dori Monson, Frank Shiers, Lou Pate, and more. They're falling away from Bush as are a lot of R's- on immigration, Iraq, the astounding deficits, and the hugely expanded government.

It's sad that all the administration seems to wanna do is change the faces of the front men while leaving in place the faulty policies and the fuck-ups who have failed so miserably to implement them. Americans won't be fooled by this- things have gone too far.

Bush has done too much, too little, too badly.

Comments

[RobP]

"Snow has had a recent bout with colon cancer- (not uncommon for clench-sphinctered Republicans) which accounts for his hollow-eyed, narrow-foreheaded, Frankenstein look lately."

C'mon, Michael - that's a bit harsh. Cancer is nothing to make light of - or politicize.

[joanie]

Monson and Shiers stray from the repub line? Gee, I'll have to listen more . . . not.

[sparky]

yes, Dori's nose is firmly implanted you-know-where...

Re: Tony Snow...
You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig...

[TomF]

I think putting Dori Monson in the same sentence with O'Reilly, Savage, Liddy, et al is a case of unwarranted elevation.

Also, colon cancer isn't all that funny, regardless of the party affiliation of the sufferer.

[blathering michael]

According to the 1997 Rules of Comedic Engagement, colon cancer is funnier than lung cancer, but not as funny as testicular cancer. A "cancer on the presidency" is the least funny of them all.

[Scrilla]

But, regardless Michael, the guy's cancer quip seems to break your taboo on "getting personal."
Besides, it may have given him the sobering, life-changing experience that you maintain creates a progressive.

[Recife]

I tried listening to Air America this weekend, oh my God. Hannity, Rush and Medved drive me up the freakin wall, and the drivel on the other side is just as bad. My Boss, a staunch Democrat once said “If you take the 10% on the far right and the 10% on the far left and get rid of them, the 80% of us left would get along just fine.” Now I know what he meant. Where is the voice for the rest of us? You know us; the ones that believe schools should teach readin, ritten and rithmatic and leave the social engineering to the parents. The ones that believe the world’s bread basket should not have a single hungry person, but habitual inebriants shouldn’t be given free housing. The ones who believe that sexual orientation makes no difference, we really don’t care, really we don’t. The ones who believe that people who drink beer and mow their lawn on Sunday are just as good as people who go to church, temple, or mosque. You know us, you see us everyday. Where is our voice?

[BackatKIRO]

You can bet that Rush will be back in the 9 - Noon spot on KVI. Since KTTH is moving to sports with the Sonics and Seahawks-and that the spite fight that led to Rush going over to KTTH in the first place is pretty much over--EIB will probably demand to go back to KVI where he enjoyed much higher ratings and much more promotion.

[Jim R]

Agreed on the cancer joke. That's the kind of garbage Mike Webb used to use to get attention.

[sparky]

Reife, the weekend lineup on AA, on both the Portland and Seattle stations is kind of lame. It is a different tone than you hear from Al Franken or Rachel Maddow.

Try listening to Thom Hartmann from 9-12am on 1090 am on Monday and see if he speaks your language...

[joanie]

"but habitual inebriants shouldn’t be given free housing." - No, they should be left to sober up or die under I-5.

Also, that 30% that keeps sticking with Bush is 20% more than 10%. So much for your boss's math.

I'd like a little more specific analysis of what you don't like on AA - since I think some of them are pretty reasoned individuals who have some facts on their side.

Rhodes - rants way too much. Likes to hear herself talk. Malloy - I love him for his passion but does go on rants.

Franken and Hartmann: mostly guests on the former and lots of history and facts on the latter. What's to criticize?

I don't get what you want, Recife.

[Fremont]

" Nothing is so sacred that it is immune to humor."--- Michael Hood, 1998

[TJ]

I was tired of monson soooo long ago...

basically, he lost me when he ranted against this state's much-too-lenient drunk-driving conviction/sentences. He railed against the state legislature that SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

I agreed, and called to ask him about how the state initiative process works - seeing as how the legislature wasn't going to make the laws more severe, perhaps the people should???

Now, years later, and of course the laws haven't really changed much. And, while I was listening to Monson, he railed about it again and again (without actually proposing solid solutions, as I tried that once).

Now I'm wondering - how close were his railings to the high-profile ratings gatherings?

Anyone know his stance on Tim Eyman's anti-anti-discrimination initiative?

It'd be funny if he didn't believe in initiatives relevant to making drunk driving laws tougher, but was happily NOT railing against ensuring that homosexuals wouldn't be treated like equal human beings...

Anyone have an idea where he stands on that?

Did I just ramble incoherently?

[JDB]

Bush could help his poll numbers by announcing that he will save the tax payers money by getting rid of the White House Press office and just relying on FOX to continue to carry their water. It seems much more truthful than hiring Tony Snow.

[joanie]

Oooh, good idea!

[MorganB]

While I most certainly am not one to ever defend the policies of the Republican party, but I do find it terribly innapropriate to make fun of somebody for a disease that has already brought them immeasurable amounts of pain. Very poor choice, Michael.

[toryrogan]

The cancer joke wasn't THAT bad, was it? After all, they say laughter is the best medicine.

I say, take a big spoonful of it along with some sugar, cram it in your mouths, and shut the fuck up.

[Ryder]

B J Shay (sp) makes as much sense as most of the talking heads on the radio.

[baba booey]

BJ Shea is a Stern ripoff and a total schmuck.

[Ryder]

Besides the fact that Howard Stern in perhaps in ugliest man in the world he also one of the most boring. If this guy were in the real world he couldn't get it on with anyone weighing less than 210 pounds. But then fame and money cover many defects.

[PiR]

woulda..coulda..shoulda...deal with reality--not some fantasy. If Howard's so boring why did Sirius give him 500 million? Get your head out of your ass.

[Fred J.]

[quote] Nothing is so sacred that it is immune to humor."--- Michael Hood, 1998 [/quote]

Not much humor there, Fremont. Go get cancer & see how funny you think it is.

[toryrogan]

Oh Freddy! Freddy! I'm trying to remember the words to a song. Do you remember how it goes?

I think it's something like "Just a spoon full of sugar helps the SHUT THE FUCK UP."

Let me know if you remember (to shut the fuck up).

[sparky]

I dunno, Fred. My mom just finished chemo for 6 mos and is now in remission. We learned early on that humor is about the only way you can deal with it and not go crazy.
Having cancer is not funny, of course. But you can choose to look at the absurdities of some of what you go through and make fun of them. ( Mom had to continually check off a box on health questionnaires asking her if she had a glass eye...wtf?)

Besides....I didnt really think B'Michael was making an actual joke about cancer...I read it as Republicans all have concave assholes...and they do!

[Ryder]

Get what out of my ass? Howard's new radio host is losing their's. No one followed. Maybe a million out of 12. And from what I've read no one seems to know where they all went. From what I hear a bunch around here turned to B J Shea.

[Fremont]

"Mom had to continually check off a box on health questionnaires asking her if she had a glass eye...wtf?"
Yeah, Sparks, what's up with that, FFS? I have a glass eye (not yet installed), and world cancer cells are omnipresent! What is the correlation between glass eyes and chemo? This is where reality becomes Beckett-esque, and humorous in its stunning absurdity. Am I at greater risk for cancer of the eyeball or failed chemo? (Sorry about your mom, Sparkler, but her remission is good news..)

[spambutcher]

Recife - glad to hear someone else can't stand air america.

left wingers can be as blatheringly hate-filled as right wingers. Randi Rhodes sounds like Michael Savage on estrogen.

I rarely hear anything on that station remotely worth listening to (ok - I'm glad Tom Martino is on the air locally again).

[sparky]

Spammy,
I dont recall EVER hearing Randi Rhodes suggest that a group of people be killed, as Mr. Weiner did recently.

Your hyperbole is ...hyperbolic.

[PeakLimiter]

Left-leaning new media has hit turbulence at the marketplace, newly released stats show.

A book hyped by major media as documenting a progressive revolution of "blogs" and political power, DAILY KOS 'CRASHING THE GATE,' has sold only 3,630 copies since its release last month, according to NIELSEN's BOOKSCAN.

[NIELSEN claims only 2,062 copies of DAILY KOS have been purchased at the retail level; the rest coming through 'discount' outlets.]

Meanwhile, the just released radio Winter Book [Jan-Mar 2006] from ARBITRON shows AIR AMERICA in New York City losing more than a third of its audience -- in the past year!

Among all listeners 12+, it was a race to the bottom for AIR AMERICA and WLIB as mid-days went from a 1.6 share during winter 2005 to a 1.0 share winter 2006.

During PM drive, host Randi Rhodes plunged to 27,900 listeners every quarter hour, finishing 25th place in her time slot, down from 49,000 listeners every quarter hour last year.

A network source says the radio ratings released today do not reflect the overall growth of the broadcast.

"The demos are better, and listerners trust AIR AMERICA to give them the real truth on issues and the Bush presidency," says the insider.

[sparky]

By the way...Tony is now referred to as:

Fibby McSnow-job

Adjust your records accordingly.

Thank you.

[sparky]

It is just soooooo frustrating to the Right that Progressives finally have a voice...you just can hardly stand it !
Golly!

Keep hammering away, please.
It is hilarious.

[Anti-Sparky]

Ummm.... what voice would that be, Sparks? Aside from these blogs, which certainly are entertaining, and (in this case) frequently thought-provoking, you "progressives" don't really have anything that's pulled substantial ratings or station counts... anywhere. There's not a single market where the "progressive" station kicks the "conservative" one so hard that not even the ratings spinners can find a way around it. The shows on those stations are rarely entertaining, usually shrill, and full of statements that you can't call lies outright, because there's no easy way to confirm them either way. The other side has understood the broadcast medium for years, and has used it with a mastery that, curiously, continues to befuddle the left. Why don't you guys play the same game, and offer up your opinions the way the Right does? The Right's approach doesn't work, merely because of their party affiliation. It works because their approach attracts long-term listeners, which makes the whole economic wheel turn. As long as your shows do nothing more than attack everything Republicans do, merely because of their party affiliation, you shows have a major built-in burn out factor. Even Dems eventually get tired, continuously hearing a talker kick some conservative guy in the teeth, merely for waking up in the morning.

[stodge charger]

Right wing radio works for those whose attention spans require little more than faux outrage

ie:
"If we lose in Iraq, it was because we were stabbed in the back by our own people" not because it was a shitty invasion to begin with.

The last FOX poll results of 32% for Bushler should show you that the right has run out of the blame game and people are waking up

Victory will be ours..

[Trip]

What's lost in the discussion over Howard Stern's move to Sirius is the fact that even with "only" the million who followed him over so far, he's still very profitable.

Those one million subscribers are paying at least $13 a month (assuming they bought one radio). Multiply times 12. That's $156 million a year on those subscribers alone.

Now multiply by five, which is how many years Sirius signed him up for. That's $780 million dollars. Minus his pay, that's still quite a healthy return on that investment, for any company.

[sparky]

"As long as your shows do nothing more than attack everything Republicans do, merely because of their party affiliation, you shows have a major built-in burn out factor. "

now let's change that to read:
As long as your shows do nothing more than attack everything LIBERALS do, merely because of their party affiliation, you shows have a major built-in burn out factor.

See?
for a long time it has been just fine for Hannity et.all to engage in name calling and pulling lies out of their asses...as Chris noted, people are getting tired of it and Bush's poll numbers are tanking in spite of all the spin from the Right.

But hey, you apparently still buy it, as evidenced by your need to be "anti" me...

Whatever floats your boat,,

[stodge charger]

Tony Snow had to find a job in gubment, that is proof enuf

[Andrew]

"Snow has had a recent bout with colon cancer- (not uncommon for clench-sphinctered Republicans) which accounts for his hollow-eyed, narrow-foreheaded, Frankenstein look lately."

Nice. Real classy.

[Gusto]

Get what out of my ass? Howard's new radio host is losing their's. No one followed. Maybe a million out of 12. And from what I've read no one seems to know where they all went. From what I hear a bunch around here turned to B J Shea.

Posted by: Ryder | April 25, 2006 at 10:14 PM

Yeah, Ryder has his or her head as far up his or her ass as it can go. Sirius has 4 million subscribers now, and the vast majority are probably Stern listeners.

Another thing, you must have a truly f-upped sense of perspective if you consider one million of anything to be "no one," or, nothing.

[RedRachel]

Tony Snow is going to kick some media butt if he jumps behind the White House press room podium. The biggest thing that Bush needs right now is a consistant, strong voice telling America what's going on. That's been the biggest problem lately, not the policies. With everything that's being said by the mainstream media, all of our successes domestically, in Iraq, in the larger war on terror have gone unoticed. Tony Snow is an intelligent, dignified individual who would get the left to shut up for long enough for the rest of us to hear how good things are going. The dems are just wishing he had cancer so he won't take the job.

[sparky]

wow

[KS]

Bush will still be Bush, and Snow will be a new face and maybe encouraging. I'd like to believe that he could coerce Bush to wise up about the border and secure it and also curb entitlements to illegals before talking about any guest worker program, but unfortunately don't think so - Congress needs to take the correct action but they are more feckless than Bush (their approval rating is only 25%). Don't see this changing the landscape anytime soon.

[chris]

Yeah, wooww Tony Snow. His mantra will be to 'get the left to shut up"...Will Nascar be interupted for this, however?

[sparky]

One of his stipulations for taking the job is that he be a part of the policy making meetings.

Now, he may be commendable as a broadcaster ( your words, not mine) but just how does that make him qualified to help with national policy?????

As far as I know, NOTHING interrupts NASCAR....

[RedRachel]

You whimpy dems think there's nothing to the rest of America than Nascar, shotguns and lynchings. But you're wrong and your about to see just how wrong you really are when Tony Snow tells you all how it is. He's going to silence the corrupt, left media and FINALY get some truths across the airwaives. Then NONE of you will be able to say a single word, because your mouths will be stuffed - with crow!

[sparky]

heh..

http://www.cagle.com/caglecards/main.asp?image=http://cagle.slate.msn.com/working/060426/davies.gif

[sparky]

or this one:

http://www.cagle.com/caglecards/main.asp?image=http://cagle.slate.msn.com/working/060426/harville.jpg

[joanie]

"Then NONE of you will be able to say a single word, . . . "

It's called "censorship" Rachel. It was called blacklisting in the fifties, Rachel.

There are a lot of words for keeping people from speaking out, protesting, telling the truth . . . And Bush is trying most of them.

Your right, anyone who tries to dissent will be shut out. Isn't that great for democracy?

[RedRachel]

"Censorship" is what the liberals have been doing to us for the last few years! Not a single word about the wonderful things the administration has been doing domestically, in Iraq, in the larger war on terror has been noticed becaused the biased liberal media has shut everything out. There are breathtaking things happening in the world right now, and because all of the dirty mouth democrats won't let anyone else speak about it nobody hears what is happening. And let me tell you right now- wonderful things have been happening for quite a while! No matter what you liberals say, things are better in this country right now than they have been in the last 200 years! There better than they were with Clinton, better than they were with Whimpy Carter, better than they were with Johnson, better than they were with John Kennedy. Better than with Truman, better than with FDR, even better than with Abraham Lincoln! None of you have any idea of what a responsibility it is to run the entire country- and run it well. But if Tony Snow takes the White House Job, you will know. Because he would tell you, and tell it like it is. He would do tne talking and the sleazy liberal media is going to do the listening. Mainstream America is sick and tired of the liberal media's trashing lies and the liberal spin. But you're days are numbered.

[toryrogan]

**** “Tony Snow Takes Whitehouse Press Job” ****

I thought you may be interested in that headline, Rachel. It’s a little inside information I found on this tiny little website yesterday – CNN.com. I mention this because it seems in a couple (every freaking one) of your posts (rants) that you are unaware that your hero, Tony Snow has ACTUALLY TAKEN THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JOB! YESTERDAY!!! I thought you might like to know that.

Also, while I am glad (and a little frightened) to see that you have developed your own set of talking points, I wanted to tell you, on behalf of everyone else, that you have made your point. Yes, we know that mainstream America is sick and tired of the media’s trashing lies and liberal spin. You made your point quite well (and repeatedly). See below:

“We're sick and tired of it and we want more than liberal spin.” – Rachel 11:03am
“Liberal days are numbered. We're sick and tired of lying, trashing and bashing liberal spin.” – Rachel 11:53am
“Mainstream America is sick and tired of the trashing lies and your liberal spin.” – Rachel 4:08pm
“Mainstream America is sick and tired of the liberal media's trashing lies and the liberal spin.” – Rachel 5:52pm

So, Rachel, go ahead and take the rest of the night off. Please. You’ve earned it.

[StybleLvr]

abraham lincoln was a rebublican, you dipshit.