I've been listening to MP3 files of Al Franken's new radio show and I have to say I'm impressed. I don't agree with all that Franken says but unlike a lot of Talk Radio shows I've heard, he is often willing to engage in a genuine back-and-forth exchange with others. The last few times I've tuned in Limbaugh, I felt there was a desperate, underlying need to not allow non-Rush viewpoints to be fully expressed. The minute some caller (apparently pre-screened and selected to serve as prey) got thirty seconds into presenting a contrary opinion, he'd be cut off and then Limbaugh would spend five minutes dismissing what little the guy got to say. I've never been half as bothered by Rush's views as I am by how fervent he always seems to be not to let anyone else even state the case against them. Has this man ever appeared in a debate format where he couldn't cut the other guy off?
I guess I was expecting Air America Radio to be the Liberal implementation of the same practice…and the show hosted by Randi Rhodes comes close. Even when I agree with her, I find myself repelled by the theatrics and the demonization of the opposition. The other day, she spent about 10 minutes yelling at Ralph Nader, who was on the phone and eventually hung up on her. There may be valid reasons to yell at Ralph Nader but at best, what she was doing was letting out emotional frustration and at worse, trying to entertain by being rude to a guest. In either case, no one got to say anything of substance…and, well, I don't think I'll be listening to Randi Rhodes in the future.
I also sampled Janeane Garofalo's show and while I think she's a smart, outspoken lady, I don't find her compelling on the radio. Maybe she'll grow into the job but I thought she did some fairly uninteresting interviews with some interesting guests. I'll check back in a month or so if she's still there.
But so far, I like Franken. I just listened to a long discussion with David Kay, the Weapons Inspector, who strikes me as a very informed, non-partisan gentleman. It aired on 4/6 and if Air America ever gets their archives page up and running (it doesn't work yet), I'd recommend a listen, at least to that segment. Kay did not engage in wholesale Bush-bashing and did defend the administration on many points…and I can't imagine any right-wing radio show giving so much air time to a learned, rational official who would speak as well on behalf of Bill Clinton. Franken and Kay agreed on some points and disagreed mightily on others, which is how a debate ought to work but on radio or television, seldom does. Kay cited errors and misrepresentations in the Iraq invasion but without trying to score electoral points. Franken did try to spin him to say Bush was a liar, Rumsfeld was wrong, etc., but he gave Kay ample time to make all his points and showed him great respect. I actually felt I came away from the exchange a little more informed about the topic than I'd been before, and not in the sense that I was propagandized into the host's point-of-view…because I wasn't. I also liked that it was a long discussion, or at least somewhat longer than one usually gets on television.
I have no idea how this approach will play with the radio audience. They may simply reject it for lack of fireworks and I still think that Air America has much going against it, just trying to establish a new franchise, regardless of content. Conservatives are already eager to declare it a flop and to sell the idea that there's no market out there for Liberal viewpoints, which may be true…or the whole enterprise may fail for other reasons. I'm still afraid that in search of ratings, the whole thing's going to have to get more theatrical…or at least, think it has to.