# Air America: Bankrupt Again. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 23, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111 "2010-01-23T14:34:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/161 "2010-01-27T06:09:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Al Qaeda will be flying planes into any building with Rosie O’Donnell in it. She’s that annoying. Carville would be good, Janeane Garofalo might work. Oh, God, no. Garofalo is almost as bad as Amy Goodman, just not as smart or informed. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/162 "2010-01-27T06:10:34Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I actually prefer to hear debate over issues than just one sided spin. One of my favorite radio shows ever was one that Pat Buchanan hosted in the early 90’s. He had rotating liberal cohosts, including Bob Beckel and Chris Matthews, who were strong opponents for him (Buchanan’s no Hannity – he’ll go toe to toe with anybody), and the show had a lot of genuine, fact oriented, meaty discussion of issues, not just shouted talking points or cardboard opponents. The show was even prone to one side being able to concede a point once in a while, or admit they were wrong, or admit something unflattering about their own party. > > I actually called my local station to complain when that show got cancelled. It was my kind of show. It was like a Dope thread every day. That sounds interesting. I could go for a show like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/163 "2010-01-27T07:54:26Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I actually prefer to hear debate over issues than just one sided spin. One of my favorite radio shows ever was one that Pat Buchanan hosted in the early 90’s. He had rotating liberal cohosts, including Bob Beckel and Chris Matthews, who were strong opponents for him (Buchanan’s no Hannity – he’ll go toe to toe with anybody), and the show had a lot of genuine, fact oriented, meaty discussion of issues, not just shouted talking points or cardboard opponents. The show was even prone to one side being able to concede a point once in a while, or admit they were wrong, or admit something unflattering about their own party. > > I actually called my local station to complain when that show got cancelled. It was my kind of show. It was like a Dope thread every day. It sounds like the old version of _Crossfire_, back when Buchanan was on the right and Michael Kinsley on the left. The two of them would each pick their own guest to help them with their side of the debate, and then the four of them would have a quiet, substantial debate on the issues. Bill Buckley’s old _Firing Line_ show was like that. Buckley wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with the heaviest of heavyweights he could find on the other side. We need more shows like those, and fewer shows like Hannity and Beck (and Olbermann and Maddow). Here’s [Buckley and Noam Chomsky debating on Firing Line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlMEVTa-PI). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/164 "2010-01-27T09:07:03Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > That sounds interesting. I could go for a show like that. I’d go for that too. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/165 "2010-01-27T11:16:10Z")
I just watched the Firing Line clip, who do you think came out on top especially now since we have hindsight? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/166 "2010-01-27T16:31:45Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I never heard Franken’s show, so I can’t comment on it. I have heard Jim Hightower, and he’s pretty good. He’s a polished radio professional with a distinct voice and personality. He’s well informed and fairly grounded – not pointlessly hostile, and does not tend towards overcooked accusations or outrage. Good sense of humor. Not a jerk. Argues his points without being strident. > > I like Bob Beckel, but he’s a little bombastic and is best paired with a righty. > > I think Rosie O’Donnell would probably just annoy the shit out of everybody, and I don’t think she has any kind of unique insights. She’s one of those cranks I was talking about. > > I actually prefer to hear debate over issues than just one sided spin. One of my favorite radio shows ever was one that Pat Buchanan hosted in the early 90’s. He had rotating liberal cohosts, including Bob Beckel and Chris Matthews, who were strong opponents for him (Buchanan’s no Hannity – he’ll go toe to toe with anybody), and the show had a lot of genuine, fact oriented, meaty discussion of issues, not just shouted talking points or cardboard opponents. The show was even prone to one side being able to concede a point once in a while, or admit they were wrong, or admit something unflattering about their own party. > > I actually called my local station to complain when that show got cancelled. It was my kind of show. It was like a Dope thread every day. I listened to Buchanan daily during windshield time back then and IMO it was the best radio program on the air, or close to it. For a good while he had Barry Lynn as his left counterpart, and they went toe to toe every day. They covered topics of every sort, rationally and civilly. (unlike O’Reilly who isn’t just dumber, but more combative) It was great radio. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/167 "2010-01-28T02:24:28Z")
As for my oversimplification I’m sorry. It is a bit premature. Deeg way to go on helping Brown beat Coakley! That sure took the wind out of someones sails. I really don’t see any party lines anymore. I consider myself a conservative but the conservatives I help elect are anything but once they get to Washington. It does make for good talk radio debates to feel like there is great division between the Republicans and Democrats. I have a hard time taking it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/168 "2010-01-28T05:26:12Z")
My mom was a political journalist for years, and covered a lot state and national politicians. She saw them with the cameras off a lot, and said that a lot of what happens on camera is like professional wrestling. They have their “sides” that they play – fiery liberal, staunch conservative, etc, and they argue with each other and work the audience for heat when the cameras are on, then as soon as the show is over and the cameras are off, they switch back to their real personas, and they’re going and having drinks together, talking about their common lobbying interests, etc. It’s largely theater, with really only about a dime’s width of sincere ideological difference between them. At least, that’s the way it used to be. I think the rift might be becomong more and more real in the past few years. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/169 "2010-01-28T15:59:05Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > At least, that’s the way it used to be. I think the rift might be becomong more and more real in the past few years. Perhaps it’s a younger generation of politicians (and in general) growing up and seeing the theatre, but taking it to be real? If wrestlers never broke kayfabe, anyone getting into the business might well expect to do everything they saw on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111/170 "2010-01-28T20:22:51Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > Perhaps it’s a younger generation of politicians (and in general) growing up and seeing the theatre, but taking it to be real? If wrestlers never broke kayfabe, anyone getting into the business might well expect to do everything they saw on TV. You two may have hit upon it. When I was young no sane person would behave like the Jerry Springer show crowd yet I am seeing this more and more in public. I just witnessed the most egregious behavior in a bar the other night that was every bit the Springer show. Granted alcohol was involved but WOW. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-america-bankrupt-again/526111.md?page=8)