Michael reagan: meager end to a meager radio career

"Put a fork in him," a poster's subject line reads in Radio Info...

As rookie Ron Reagan is rising up on Air America, (KPTK  m-f,3-6p) hi older step-brother Michael Reagan, a veteran radio broadcaster is down for the count.

Michael Edward Reagan, 63, former speedboat racer, and adopted son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, is one of the weakest talents in right-wing radio. He's milked his famous father's name shamelessly to no avail -- his radio career has been on a descending glide path for years.

This month he was dropped from the third rate right-wing network he was on and was picked up by a fourth-rate one. He was dropped to make room for Roger Hedgecock, the disgraced former mayor of San Diego cum radio talk host.

We've always kept track of Mike Reagan because he got his start in Seattle in the early '90's at KVI, in the seminal days of talk radio. Mike Siegel, then at the top of the local Seattle talk-heap pile, took the rookie Reagan under his wing, and got him some practice shifts, as KVI was just beginning to roll. it was kind of personal for those of us who listened to right-wing radio being born in Seattle.

(Even though they were relatively early in the talk radio heyday, Siegel and Reagan were soon swamped by a tsunami of larger talents (beginning with Rush Limbaugh) and washed out to sea, so to speak).

Sensational eliminationist talk has given Michael Reagan most of the high points in his professional life in recent years.

In 2008, Reagan got some headlines in blogs like BlatherWatch, and a Worst Person out of Olbermann for announcing he'd like to stick a grenade up the butts of Palestinian babies named after Hezbollah by their mothers, and "I'd light it."

In 2008, after deluded Truthers sent letters to troops stationed in Iraq claiming that 9/11 was  perpetrated by the U.S. government. Reagan said,"We ought to find the people who are doing this, take them out and shoot them. Really. You take them out, they are traitors to this country, and shoot them.... I'll pay for the bullets."

In 2005, he told a listener, "Howard Dean should be arrested for treason and either hung or put in a hole until the war's over."We've asked over the years: What does it take -- short of child molesting -- to finish a career in talk radio?

Reagan tried everything but settled on mediocrity, and ungrammatical, dumbed-down, right-wing rhetoric with a target audience of those with his own lack of sensibilities.

You'd think such a formula would work -- and it did for a while.

But he was never able to grow a major audience despite the built-in advantage of his name which he whores continuously --we've counted the times he said "my father" in one hour -- it averages over 30.

(Ron Reagan speaks only about his father, the president in the most intellectual terms; Michael whines about how neglected he was by Ronald and Nancy on air. Listen to him complain about never getting any parental mail at summer camp here, it's pathetic).

In 2004, The Republican National convention committee asked him to give the countering speech to half-brother Ron 's pro-stem cell research one at the D's Convention.

After all that, plus lots of face time on Fox News, and CNN you'd think he might have a better than average chance, but it hasn't helped -- his new network is the tiny, rabid Christianist/right-wing American Family Radio network, of Tupelo, Mississippi.

The network has few stations in major markets, and no major stations anywhere. 

AFR is the media "arm" of far-right goofball and eliminationist Christian Donald Wildmon's American Family Association (AFA) a network of about 165 radio stations. that depend on evangelists and vitamin salesmen who pay for their own shows.  

Mike Reagan will be by far the biggest name on their little Christian stations scattered mostly in the South, and the Midwest. God and Donald wildmon only know what kind of financial arrangement Reagan's got: he might have to sell some vacation packages to make ends meet.

(Catch AFR's Today’s Issues show broadcasting live Jan. 30, 10a from the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky)

Reagan hasn't been heard in the Seattle market for several years: for that we are grateful although his show was sometimes good for comic relief. Mike might do well to follow the suggestion of a few commenter on his unlively web forum:

I think that it would be really great to have a lively discussion/debate about modern techniques that could be employed in the harvesting of redwood trees. Compare and contrast this with the planting and harvesting of corn in Nebraska.

Comments

[joanie]

I always thought Reagan had a good voice for radio and kind of a good personality - an easy way of talking- sort of laid back. But I never listened to him really. Maybe too much whining? That's a turn off.

Still, kind of sad to see someone take that humbling fall.

Then I remember that a real family - mom, dad, three kids - died as a result of losing their jobs and I think what a dick Michael Reagan really was.

This is a very sad time. Thank you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rove.

[SeattleJew]

M Reagan, Ann Coulter, Hannity, M Savage, Glen Beck ...... toss all these folks together and what emerges is nothing much.

In the early days I enjoyed Limbaugh, O'Reilly's cl;own act rivals Groucho, Wallace does a good job of imitating a vacuous anchor, and Heraldo proves that porn is NOT about clothes.

All I am saying is that the pool of talentless hate mongers on the right has done a lot of harm, they have degraded some real intellectual content of the right to a level that has little respect.

Our side needs to worry about the same thing. WADR, Oberman has become formulaic. Does he really need O'Reilly as a foil? Ithink Oberman should replace that Howdy Doody character who used to couple with Hannity. That is an idea ... we need an Oreilly...Oberman show!

or do we?

[Duffman]

'Our side needs to worry about...'

WADR, I believe as POTUS Obama implies that the definition of 'our side' needs to be expanded to refer to all 'Americans' instead of political factions. Just sayin...

[rozskat]

Michael Reagan has always been a “local” talk show kind of person. He was popular in San Diego where in the 80’s it was “Reagan Country.” In recalling the Gipper’s funeral I saw more of Patti and Ron Jr. than I did of Michael.

[asdf]

Michael reagan: meager end to a meager radio career

You stay classy, Mike & Geov! (and tell those kids to get of your lawbefore you get the hose on 'em!)

[Nevets]

"This is a very sad time. Thank you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rove."

Monkey see, monkey do. Did the first graders teach you this.

"Maybe too much whining? That's a turn off."

And yet she still listens to Randi, Peter B, Rachel, Malloy, etc... Thats all they ever do is whine.

[Nevets]

Talk about whining

The libs will do anything to get your hard earned money. Do like I did, give Rush a compliment and see if it gets through. And no, I did not contribute to this socialist propaganda machine.

[Duffman]

Speaking of 'meager'; a bit off-topic but certainly Something To Think About.

[rozskat]

Seattlejew – Those you mention were afterthoughts and wannabees of Limbaugh. The only originality they share is the demagoguery they spew. You forgot to add Michelle Malkin to that list. She is quick to use her ethnicity (Filipino) that there are conservative women of color. She does have a point but a proof of an equal opportunity demagogue.

I will have to go to the library to check out and read her book that supposedly justifies FDR’s internment of Japanese-Americans during World War Two which interestingly was supported by then Governor Earl Warren. Aside from security and safety what were other reasons.

Seeing Olberman and O’Reilly debating in the same studio? I don’t think there is a studio big enough to fit both their egos. The best gunslingers of the old west rarely faced each other. What is going to become of the Uncle Tom of liberals, Alan Colmes?

[Coiler]

The "Creation Museum" in Kentucky. That just screams Reagan's ilk. Instead, they should just broadcast from a WalMart.

[Puget Sound]

rozskat
you may find it interesting to note that in addition to the japanese americans placed in the internment camp we also went down to Peru and had Peruvians of Japanese Descent sent to America and placed in the Internment Camps. Peru had a number of Japanese-Peruvians due to the fact that it was the first Latin American Country to establish relations with Japan around 1870.

After Pearl Harbor:
"The United States State Department reached an agreement with the government of Peru; and Japanese Peruvians were rounded up and transported to American internment camps run by the U.S. Justice Department.[6]
The Peruvians were initially placed in amongst the Japanese-Americans who had been excluded from the US west coast; but later they were interned in the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) facilities in Crystal City, Texas, Kenedy, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico[7] The Japanese-Peruvians were kept in these "alien detention camps" for more than two years before being offered "parole" relocation to the labor-starved farming community in Seabrook, New Jersey.[8]"

I read the Malkin book and took from it that good people can make bad decisions. I also look at what FDR did on the behalf of Security and find it makes Bush 43 look like a member of the ACLU.

But, of course, that's history and as you know if it isn't happening now at least one of the School Teachers who post on this blog say it is unimportant.

[Puget Sound]

Remember, these are citizens of Peru -some of them third generation- that because they have Japanese heritage were deemed to be suspect and sent to America to spend time in the American Internment Camp. All this under the direction of FDR.

Oh yeah, no Japanese Americans that lived in Hawaii were deported. Go figure....

[Puget Sound]

rozscat
this topic has always interested me -my wife is of japanese descent- and a better book to read is the one by greg robinson. it really delves into both the internees and FDR. side note, the highest ranking american in our Gov't that argued against internment: J Edgar Hoover. Go figure...

better than Malkin's book

here is a review from The Economist
"What Greg Robinson shows, in this careful and fair-minded study, is that Roosevelt himself, far from being the scourge of racism portrayed in New-Deal hagiography, had a long history of racial prejudice against the Japanese, which had been exacerbated by the Japanese attack on China...Robinson indulges Roosevelt somewhat when he absolves him of the charge of racism, and convicts him only of a blend of weak administration and deadly indifference, which, he says, was informed by racial hostility but not synonymous with it.
--The Economist"

[sparky]

The vast majority of Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents in Hawaii were not interned because the government had already declared martial law in Hawaii and this allowed it to significantly reduce the supposed risk of espionage and sabotage by residents of Japanese ancestry. Also, Japanese Americans comprised over 35% of the territory's population, with approximately 150,000 inhabitants; detaining so many people would have been enormously challenging in terms of logistics. Also, the whole of Hawaiian society was dependent on their productivity.

There were two internment camps in Hawaii, referred to as "Hawaiian Island Detention Camps". The Hawaiian camps primarily utilized tents and other temporary structures and few permanent structures.One camp was located at Sand Island, which is located in the middle of Honolulu Harbor. This camp was prepared in advance of the war's outbreak. All prisoners held here were "detained under military custody... because of the imposition of martial law throughout the Islands". The other Hawaiian camp was called Honouliuli, near Ewa, on the southwestern shore of Oahu. This camp is not as well-known as the Sand Island camp, and it was closed before the Sand Island camp in 1944. Overall, 1200 to 1800 Japanese nationals were interred both in Hawaii and in mainland camps.

[joanie]

Monkey see, monkey do. Did the first graders teach you this.

More deep discourse, Steven?

[Nevets]

Yes Joanie, so glad you can follow along. Did the children teach you anything new today?

[Puget Sound]

Oh Sparky
Nevets warned me you were 'tricky' at times but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt.
I think you forgot to put your comments in quotes. Normally when people pull info from other sources they attribute the source. For example, when I first read your learned comment about Hawaii I thought 'wow, very impressive' and then I go to google and your comment was word for word from Wiki.
No doubt just an oversight on your part.

But, how about answering the harder question on FDR and civil liberties. I know that W is the bad one but I would contend that he is nothing like FDR in terms of suppression of civil liberties in time of war.
(I'll pause as 'Coiler' comes in to dump on me)
Anyone out there want to take the side that FDR was better with civil liberties during War than Bush 43? Lots of good, intelligent liberals out there. Surely -and yes Andrew I am calling you Shirley- one of you all can answer that question. Bonus points if you use quotations when coming up with material that isn't your own.

Here's what wiki and we can compare it to your comment above:
"The vast majority of Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents in Hawaii were not interned because the government had already declared martial law in Hawaii and this allowed it to significantly reduce the supposed risk of espionage and sabotage by residents of Japanese ancestry. Also, Japanese Americans comprised over 35% of the territory's population, with approximately 150,000 inhabitants; detaining so many people would have been enormously challenging in terms of logistics. Also, the whole of Hawaiian society was dependent on their productivity.
There were two internment camps in Hawaii, referred to as "Hawaiian Island Detention Camps". The Hawaiian camps primarily utilized tents and other temporary structures and few permanent structures.[citation needed] One camp was located at Sand Island, which is located in the middle of Honolulu Harbor. This camp was prepared in advance of the war's outbreak. All prisoners held here were "detained under military custody... because of the imposition of martial law throughout the Islands". The other Hawaiian camp was called Honouliuli, near Ewa, on the southwestern shore of Oahu. This camp is not as well-known as the Sand Island camp, and it was closed before the Sand Island camp in 1944."

[sparky]

First you tell Joanie not to post entire passages, only the link, and then you turn around and post looooooong passages, none of which are attributed to anywhere or anyone, then you tell ME I have to use quotes?
Are you this controlling at home? No wonder your wife makes you sleep on the couch so often.

[Duffman]

Yeah, when I read that I knew it was pulled from Wiki...but I didn't want to say anything.
But herein lies yet another example of how Puts demonstrates more creditability. His post(s), for the most part are his words and analysis of a subject (having apparently been somewhat well-read on the subject) and if he quotes - you know it and or he links appropriately. He has all the goods and presents it in a very logical fashion and usually in a polite manner. I know that frustrates those with opposing views and reduces many to resorting to ad hominem attacks or disparaging remarks. Revealing, isn't it. And I'm not sucking up to Puts or anything like that because I many times disagree with him...but I'm just stating what I believe to be readily apparent to any intelligent poster herein.

[rozskat]

Sparky and Puts – Thanks for the reply and interesting information regarding the unfortunate incident during World War Two. I took an Asian-American studies class a long time ago and dropped it after the course context consisted of emotional ridden, excuse my term with no racism intended, “kill whitey” context. It was a night course I signed up for while in the Navy stationed in San Diego and “Roots” was very popular then, so the textbook had more of a “me too” format but too militant for my taste. I wanted to study history and not be manipulated without reading both sides. I will have to list Malkin’s book to read for the upcoming season.

Interesting point about Sand Island in Hawaii, before NOAA moved its research ships to Ford Island two years ago, we docked at Sand Island. Normally associated with docks, it isn’t in the best part of Honolulu and the neighborhood is blight, crime ridden and one road leading to other docks and Nimitz Highway is lined with parked cars and vans and people calling it their home. For many tourists heading to Waikiki they pass by this neighborhood knowing that Hawaii isn’t all paradise. I will have to do some research when I sail back to Hawaii next week.

Also there was a Japanese merchant in Tijuana, Mexico a while back that lived in the US before the war. The family fled to Mexico when the roundup started and stayed there ever since. According to the senior matron of the family, it was during the war that Mexico passed strict legislation on Americans owning land in Mexico as many Mexican-Americans who resembled Asians were detained as well. How true this is, I am not sure but several Americans who lived in that area during that time in Mexico told me the same.

Fascinating about Peruvians of Japanese descent too as I read about the fear of the “yellow peril” of the time. It also worked in reverse after the war too. There were many half-Japanese boys (especially those that were half black) who were “deported” to Indonesia, Brazil and other places in South America. Their fathers were young American servicemen and many of those were denied permission to marry their Japanese girlfriends by senior military officials whose war memories were fresh as well as by Jim Crow laws back in the US. The study course for Japanese war brides who did marry GIs stated their mulatto children would not be accepted in the US with no future. Cooking of American foods as the stereotype was that Americans will not eat Japanese dishes.

Thanks again and my computer time has competition now as the wife is learning how to use it. The desktop had to be translated into Samoan. It’s OK as last year I could not get her inside the Internet café in Apia. So we did make a lot of progress. In addition, my laptop took a dive. Apple, here I come.

[Duffman]

Thanks roz...good post, I'm sure joanie will greatly appreciate it.

[joanie]

Always interesting, Roz.

[Puget Sound]

no sparky
i got on joanie for posting long passages that linked to her story. but that's fine. as long as she is sending blam in the dough, right?
the stuff i put on that isn't attributed means it comes from my peabrain. if it comes elsewhere, i will put it in quotes or otherwise attribute same or link it.
is that a novel concept?
not controlling, just trying to be a little honest.

thanks duff.

[Puget Sound]

rozskat
i've found that mac has a better software set up for japanese. not sure how it works for samoan but as a apple person since 93 i can tell you i prefer it over my work pc.

[Habu]

Reagan may be going down but he has company.

The spitting guy with the tingle down his leg isnt in the ratings.

The weird looking dude with the outrageous haircut, huge John Boy moles on its neck, and small breasts may have to resort to cleaning carpets full time.

OBAMA BOOM AT FOXNEWS... RATINGS SOAR... NIGHT OF
1/28/09... VIEWERS...

FOXNEWS OREILLY 3,891,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 3,034,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,306,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,299,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,155,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,581,000
CNN COOPER 1,559,000
CNN KING 1,420,000
CNN BLITZER 1,490,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,435,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,398,000

[Duffman]

Oh No...sparks and joanie & company are NOT going to like those numbers. I'm actually surprised at Maddow's numbers...w/have thought better..especially NOW with the White House on 'her side'.
Man...if you can't beat Nancy Grace....OUCH!!!!

[Habu]

Duff et al-remember the bars dont close until 2:00am so be patient awaiting the response from the resident wino.

[joanie]

I couldn't wait to post this so haven't read anything yet.

Listening to Randi a few minutes ago and heard this gem:

Lose your company MILLIONS and MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars and YOU, too, CAN BECOME A CEO.

Liberals are so entertaining.

[Coiler]

Here's how it works: It’s a truism that neoconservatives have a talent for failing upward: for repeatedly getting important things wrong and not seeing their careers suffer—for, in fact, being handed new opportunities to pursue their work (see, e.g., Kristol, Bill; and Hayes, Stephen).

[joanie]

Congrats to "proud papa" Coiler (real name: Henry) and "matronly mama" Sparky (real name: Mildred) who have welcomed their first child into the world!

This is why you knuckle-dragging neocons will lose, because we libs procreate like the dickens and we don't have all the sexual hangups and insecurities of you ludites. GO TO HELL, DUFF, PUTS, HABU AND THE REST OF YOU MORONS!

[joanie]

You all know that's not me. Maybe Habu or Gary or who cares. It's too bad they need my name to get attention, isn't it? :)

[joanie]

Anyway, if the trolls can go back under the bridge, I'd just like to veer this conversation to the topic at hand: Michael Reagan. Didn't he act as apologist for the spate of right-wing domestic terrorism incidents in the '90's? Ironic to think that these are the people "patriotic" conservatives think are helping America?

[joanie]

Well, kevin, I'd know you anywhere. Or is it Gary. Same person so I guess it doesn't matter. How many computers do you have anyway?

Actually, the people on this blog will begin to tell us apart because you're actually a little nicer than I am. Sometimes. At least you've learned to use a lower-case J. Gonna be harder for me to keep my identity. Maybe I should start posting as Kevin or Gary...

Of course, since Puget Sound thinks we should all post as each other anyway, maybe I'll call myself Puget Sound.

No, I can't sink that low.

BTW, Kevin, Gary, Saxi, Other Kevin...are you the guy who shut down the KIRO chat room? Just curious. If you are, why not take credit for it? You obviously like attention.

[Kevin - the other]

Anyway, if the trolls can go back under the bridge, I'd just like to veer this conversation to the topic at hand: Michael Reagan. Didn't he act as apologist for the spate of right-wing domestic terrorism incidents in the '90's? Ironic to think that these are the people "patriotic" conservatives think are helping America?

[Puget Sound]

"Didn't he act as apologist for the spate of right-wing domestic terrorism incidents in the '90's? Ironic to think that these are the people "patriotic" conservatives think are helping America?

Posted by: joanie | January 29, 2009 at 09:40 PM"

So you are accusing Michael Reagan of being an apologist for Terrorism. Realllllyyyy.
Okay, lay out your proof or theory on that.
The world awaits this one.

[gary the gay]

rozskat
i've found that mac has a better software set up for japanese. not sure how it works for samoan but as a apple person since 93 i can tell you i prefer it over my work pc.

[Puget Sound]

First I tell joanie not to post entire passages and then I do it myself. I'm soooo funny. That's the kind of comedy we do on the right.

[sparky]

I have never listened to him...but didnt he say something recently that got him in trouble and he had to apologize???

I knew it wasnt you, joanie.

[NOT Joanie]

"neoconservatives ... for repeatedly getting important things wrong and not"

C - some of the people you mentioned are paleocons and traditional conservatives. Did you mean to say neoconservatives or was that a typo?

(Please don't scream in your reply and keep the saliva in the mouth. Thanks!)

[Puget Sound]

Didn't he act as apologist for the spate of right-wing domestic terrorism incidents in the '90's? Ironic to think that these are the people "patriotic" conservatives think are helping America?

Posted by:Puget Sound | January 29, 2009 at 09:40 PM"

So you are accusing Michael Reagan of being an apologist for Terrorism. Realllllyyyy.
Okay, lay out your proof or theory on that.
The world awaits this one.

[duffman]

Talking to yourself again puts?

[Puget Sound]

Spot on, guys. This is fun. I've never been so loose in my life. Don't you know numbers-crunching gets mind-numbing? Let's roll here...Coils, B'lam, Sparks, chucks, even joanie... let's rock and roll...

I can dig this. This is groovy.

[Puget Sound]

very spot on.

[Puget Sound]

i think we may have jumped the shark on this blog.

[Duffman]

For what it's worth the above post at 09:58pm last nite was not me.

[Puget Sound]

i know that duff.
maybe someone didn't like someone being found out about being a little too casual with passing off the work of others as their own.

[chucks]

Stopped in for a visit last night. Have been on my donkey with a bug this week so have not posted much. I just wanted to throw out some snarky conservative stuff. Too much ID theft. I haven't read all threads yet, but if I posted anything, it wasn't me.
As for sparky and coiler, yeh, right. Sparky is a flaming lib, but she still has taste.