Fred: Kucinich Is Chavez Lite
Normally I'd put a post about the Fairness Doctrine in the First Amendment category, but not this one. Fred Thompson serves up more red meat, this time on Dennis Kucinich's back, by comparing the Democrat's efforts to revive the speech-limitation legislation to Hugo Chavez' media clampdown in Venezuela:
I had planned on talking a bit today about Venezuela. The president there doesn’t like the way his media is covering him, so he’s doing away with the free press. He’s established rules on what he thinks is fair, and he’s denying licenses to television and radio stations that don’t play by government rules.I can’t criticize him now, though. After all, how would it seem for me to complain about another country, when our own congressional leadership is trying to put the same sort of rules in place here? To do so, they’re pulling the Fairness Doctrine out of the dustbin of history. ...
The real issue here is not what you “can” see or hear — which is what the Fairness Doctrine was about originally. It’s what you’re “choosing” to see or hear.
Insiders say it was the collapse of the radio station “Air America” that led to this attempt to retool the Fairness Doctrine as a form of de facto censorship. I guess the idea is that, if you can’t compete in the world of ideas, you pass a law that forces radio stations to air your views. In effect, it would force a lot of radio stations to drop some talk show hosts — because they would lose money providing equal airtime to people who can’t attract a market or advertisers.
Fred hits all the right notes in this broadside against the Democrats. The Fairness Doctrine isn't about fairness at all -- it's about their unhappiness over the choices made by talk-radio listeners. Conservatives have built an industry on talk radio because they have developed talented hosts who produce shows that garner listeners and attention -- and influence. It turns out that the liberals couldn't buy into that market, and now their Representatives want to kill the market altogether.
None of this is news. We all have watched Air America die slowly, and some of us understood its implications. If the liberals could not get market penetration, some of them would attempt a dog-in-the-manger ploy to ensure that conservatives could not use it. That's why I started talking about the Fairness Doctrine three years ago.
However, this column and the sudden flood of missives from Fred Thompson securely indicates that he's running for the Presidency. Fred has spent the last few years in Hollywood, far from the political fray, engaging only occasionally. Since the beginning of the year, though, Fred has treated us to a stream of well-written essays on a broad range of public policy, and has emerged as the rational voice of federalism among the Republican cognoscenti. He has issued video statements and ensured that he provides commentary on every major issue that arises. He's even engaging the blogosphere to a level that surpasses even some declared candidates.
At some point, though, Fred has to actually get in the race. He needs to build an organization and start raising funds. He needs to appear at debates and make his case explicitly. When will he do that? Hopefully soon, before people tire of his attempts to play coy.
In the meantime, though, enjoy this essay against an attempt to stifle free political speech. It should remind everyone of the stakes in elections, and why principled non-engagement harms freedom in the long run.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on May 18, 2007 9:08 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (3)
Comments (17)
Posted by SteveM | May 18, 2007 10:27 AM
Ed,
I forget where I read it, but Fred can't jump in until Law and Order finishes its season. The minute he declares NBC would have to stop airing the new episodes with him in them.
Posted by CalabasasWinger | May 18, 2007 10:27 AM
Sources tell me that Fred has a Mini-Series coming up on HBO at the end of May, and will announce AFTER the Series runs. He doesn't want any equal time issues to come up, even though it is Cable, but wants to be sure.
Fred has also not been picked up to reprise his role on Law and Order next year, another sign that it is just a matter of time to enter the Race.
He is such a strong Candidate (potential) that a Summer entrance will not hurt at all.
Besides, he is much needed, along with Newt, to seperate the Men from the Boys.
Posted by CalabasasWinger | May 18, 2007 10:30 AM
Sources tell me that Fred has a Mini-Series coming up on HBO at the end of May, and will announce AFTER the Series runs. He doesn't want any equal time issues to come up, even though it is Cable, but wants to be sure.
Fred has also not been picked up to reprise his role on Law and Order next year, another sign that it is just a matter of time to enter the Race.
He is such a strong Candidate (potential) that a Summer entrance will not hurt at all.
Besides, he is much needed, along with Newt, to seperate the Men from the Boys.
Posted by jay | May 18, 2007 11:06 AM
I wouldn't call Denny K, Chavez Lite. Denny aspires to be a new Lenin.
Posted by Patrick McGuire | May 18, 2007 11:33 AM
Playing coy isn't such a bad thing. I remember a few females in my past who excelled at playing coy. Only made me want them more. By the time Thompson jumps in the water, the conservatives will be begging for someone, anyone, to represent their values and Fred Thompson will be that person.
He will be the next President.
Posted by Anthony (Los Angeles) | May 18, 2007 11:39 AM
Hi Ed,
He needs to appear at debates...
If you mean the Republican debates are currently formed, I think he's been brilliant to avoid something that's little more than a quiz show, not a real debate.
Posted by Okonkolo | May 18, 2007 12:04 PM
It's all honeymoon for Fred right now. Making contact on Kucinich is about as challenging as slow pitch softball.
Posted by Brad Elam | May 18, 2007 12:22 PM
100 years from now, will his essays be known as the Fredalist papers?
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Posted by Gary Gross | May 18, 2007 1:55 PM
This fight is shaping up as Fred Thompson vs. Dennis Kucinich, which figures to be quite the smackdown.
The tone to Fred's missives (missiles?) has been almost Reaganesque.
Posted by Paulina Hunter | May 18, 2007 5:38 PM
Dennis Kucinich surprised a lot of us at the Democratic Convention in San Diego. He spoke before the Native American Caucus and one of our people briefly spoke to him about the issue of tribal disenrollment that has destroyed many lives here in California.
The Pechanga Tribe of Temecula, for instance has disenrolled 25% of their tribe so they can get larger per capita checks. During the disenrollments, members were not allowed counsel nor even writing implements.
Kucinich immediately understood that this was denial of civil rights and when he spoke he lambasted those tribes doing that. The look on the Pechanga Tribal Council was PRICELESS. He really spanked them.
He gets extra props in my book. Take a look at www.pechanga.info or my URL for more information.
http://blog.myspace.com/paulinahunterofpechanga
Posted by Carol Herman | May 18, 2007 6:59 PM
Nobody knows what the future holds.
Guiliani might get sick. And, McCain looks old, just from the pressures of performing his ritualistic dance to the nomination.
But Fred Thompson has to attract more than one constituency.
As a matter of fact, back in 1980, the "right wing" of the republican party were the John Bircher's. Yes. Real money. California's wealthiest. But when Reagan won the nomination; and the journalists tried to make an issue "that Reagan got co-opted by the Birchers, Reagan replied "no." He had not adopted their agenda; but rather they have come to like his. Which wasn't right wing. As Reagan's history was as the governor of California. Where in 1970, he signed California's right for women to seek abortions. A full two years before Blackmun, from the Supreme Court's bench, lifted all the bans across this nation.
You could probably see who Reagan looked as a republican governor of California, by looking at Schwartzenegger, now.
I also suspect that up ahead the bigger states are gonna qualify better. Instead of letting the South, and Iowa. And, New Hampshire, have such an overstated reach when picking through the primary candidates.
On the other hand, you can't just run around this country, without major contributors donating lots of money. Can, at some point, Fred mimic Dean? Where Dean seemed able to raise $40-million right off the Internet. From people who sent him cash in $20 and $40 amounts.
Back in 2000 I was surprised. But Joe Trippi seemed to have found the Internet mother load at that time; and Dean, at least had the cash to travel.
Then, the donk's internal political machine took hold. Dean was cast aside by the big players; and Wesley Clark was pushed up on stage. He lasted ten days.
Presidential politics is rough, tough, and tumble.
With what's dimming for all the candidates? Boosts they'd get from long-time members of Congress.
Since in races, in each state, a candidate does better when the introductions come off the power lists that are controlled at each state's level.
Me? I have no idea, yet, how the field will set up. But each day, in the 613 ahead, with Bush in office; look like there's a lot of anger rising.
Now, if you know anything about sales. And, the public. When they get angry they like to do stuff. (Like not buying French wines, or ordering French fries, comes to mind.) But there's lots of ways an angry public mood can hurt the GOP. And, not just the top of the ticket, either. But everybody who benefits from coattails. Reagan had that!
Though coattails can help, you could look at it another way. If hillary is the pick? Hips aren't coattails. And, lots of Americans when they are unhappy, and they go and vote, tend to "split the tickets."
And, what happens on the diplomatic scene? Where it seems Tehran has sent their own goons into gaza. To add fire power. And, to watch Abbas doing nothing at all with the troops American trained at costs ranging above $100-million-dollars.
Those things are not "holding steady as she goes," ya know?
And, for good measure? The Saud's could think throwing us another 9/11 would perk up Bush's popularity at this late date. Would more terror do that? Or would it just leave bush holding his family business; where it gets buried in INFAMY?
You're going to need a massive turn out for the guy who gets the GOP nomination. Not enough to get labeled the "flavor from the right." Or the kooks from the arab block.
Then, you add in that half your population won't read a thing. And, have average to below average IQ's.
Personally, if hillary gets the nod? I think she'd be left on the showroom floor. Just like the Edsel.
Which side's gonna make the mistakes?
And, which side will look for somebody strong enough to appeal to at least the TWO PERCENT riding out there, that have given the donks their current advantage? Beats me. I'm just watching.
Posted by SlimGuy | May 19, 2007 4:46 AM
Paulina
Did you notice at all how you walled yourself off into a hopeless minority.
Yes I have empathy for them and other minorities of the true type I have seen, but this is not the way to approach it.
Posted by ralph127 | May 19, 2007 6:04 AM
Fred’s essays might not be the Federalist Papers but they provide something that has been missing since the Gipper flew off into the sunset almost 20 years ago. Fred is making a bid to be a leader who will assault the core tenets of the Left with wit and verve. The tenets of the Left must be confronted because they erode our fundamental Rights of individual Liberty.
Note, defining the immigration debate as no amnesty, no animosity is not going to do it.
What city do you think go Muslims will nuke first?
Posted by Always Pechanga | May 19, 2007 9:40 AM
Slim Guy, I was also a member of the Pechanga tribe of Temecula, Ca.
We were kicked out of the tribe, in a process called disenrollment, on flimsy evidence that would not stand up in a real court of law.
The Pechanga tribe and other wealthy gaming tribes have been thinning their ranks in order to increase remaining members' share of the profits.
Frankly, I don't support Dennis Kucinich's definition of fairness in the media and I am opposed to his bill but on my issue, Native American civil rights, Mr. Kucinich went to bat for us.
He took a stand where most other politicians are just looking at the economics of Indian gaming.
Wealthy gaming tribes just strip people of their tribal citizenship as they see fit and the tribes hided behind tribal sovereingty.
Where are the conservatives, other republicans, and a lot of democrats when it comes to the violation of Native American's rights?
Posted by ralph127 | May 19, 2007 3:26 PM
Fred’s essays might not be the Federalist Papers but they provide something that has been missing since the Gipper flew off into the sunset almost 20 years ago. Fred is making a bid to be a leader who will assault the core tenets of American the Left with wit and verve. The tenets of the American Left must be confronted because they grind down our birth right of individual Liberty.
Note, defining the immigration debate as no amnesty, no animosity is not going stem the raising tide of the American hating Left.
What city do you think go Muslims will nuke first?
Posted by Paulina Hunter | May 19, 2007 4:18 PM
Slim Guy,
We are always looking for advice on how to present our issues to the public.
PLEASE help. Which way would you approach this?
Schwarzenegger only cares about the money that is brought in, he doesn't care that over 2,000 people have been denied their civil rights.
HOW should we approach things in your opinion?
http://blog.myspace.com/paulinahunterofpechanga
Posted by mrlynn | May 20, 2007 1:07 PM
Can we rely on President Bush to veto any attempt to reinstitute the unFairness Doctrine?
Can we?
I hae me doots. After touting this illegal-alien amnesty bill, after signing Campaign Deform, I just have no confidence that he will do the right thing.
Can we rely on the Republicans in Congress to stop such a bill in its tracks, by fillibustering if necessary?
Can we?
/Mr Lynn