“Drink Beer.” - Yeticus Rex
Ok…where’s my spot?
The girdle-maker is the youngest female billionaire in the U.S., and a truly staggering number of the women in the U.S. are wearing her product at any given moment. Based on the number of people whose lives have been directly impacted by her, I’d say she’s certainly one of the most influential people – the only thing I might quibble with is whether her influence is worldwide – but give her time.
I’m sure Stephen is on the list not because of his ratings, but because of the impact his SuperPac has had on media coverage of campaign finance issues (which also won him a Peabody). Besides, as a non-Time reader, he’s the only reason I’ve even heard of their list.
There’s also a shortage of right-wing political figures on there-- The only ones I noticed were Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Marco Rubio. No Rick Santorum, or Newt Gingrich (OK, he wasn’t influential after all), or Chris Cristy, or John Boehner, or Mitch McConnell, or the Koch brothers, or Sheldon Adelson, or Rush Limbaugh. I’d argue that any of those is more influential than a flavor-of-the-month entertainer or athlete. I might not like their influence, but they undoubtedly have it.
I’m curious which omission was the one the OP found notable.
He’s in your list…which one of them do you think is the most influential?
Depending on which kind of influence we’re talking about, I’d say Santorum, Boehner, or Limbaugh. Santorum, because he had a plausible shot at the nomination, despite apparently coming out of nowhere, so he clearly resonated with a lot of people. Boehner, because he’s actually currently in a position of high power. And Limbaugh, because all of the Republican politicians fall over themselves to be sure not to offend him.
The answer is … Limbaugh.
For the reason you mentioned, the fact that millions would be less likely to be exposed to certain facts without his show (not that he is right 100% of the time…
…and also because many on the left fall all over themselves in an attempt to marginalize him.
Where? I think on specific points, they may argue that the majority of people do not agree with him.
I think more often than not they’ve attempted to demonstrate that he’s not merely an entertainer and that he commands more attention from Republican politicians than is merited.
Edit: At least, from what I’ve read on this board.
I guess attempts to force him off the air would accomplish that:eek:
The what?
Let me ask a serious question (at leat, I THINK it’s serious).
ARE there any political or ethnic “leaders” any more who can really sway large numbers of people?
Is there ANYBODY who can order thousands of followers either to start OR stop a protest rally?
Is there ANYBODY who can give an edict or offer an opinion that will change the minds of thousands or millions of people who are SUPPOSED to be his followers?
I ask because, honestly, I can’t think of any. There are lots of people with devoted fans… but if Rush Limbaugh took an unexpectedly liberal stand on an important issue, or if Jon Stewart took an unexpectedly conservative stand on a hot button issue, would they change any minds among their fans? No- they’d alienate their fans.
You’re NOT influential if you win popularity by telling your base what it wants to hear. And yet, that’s what most of the “influential” people seem to do.
Jon Stewart is a pretty vocal opponent of abortion and Bill Maher believes in homeopathy or something.
My opinion of Mike Huckabee was softened after seeing him in human form on Stewart’s show and I was convinced that Doubt would be a good movie after watching an interview with Philip Seymour Hoffman. So they are sort of influential.
The attempts to marginalize Limbaugh…see #27.
Jon Stewart is NOT vocally anti-abortion, unless you consider “Well, nobody LIKES abortion, so why don’t we put our differences aside and pass out more prophylactics together” to be a ringing denunciation of abortion.
But again, humor me: IF Rush Limbaugh came out in favor of gay marriage, would his allegedly mindless, sheep-like dittohead fans fall in line and agree with him? NO! Rush is very popular, but that popularity would fade fast if he got on the wrong side of a hot-button issue. WHich means he’s NOT really that influential.
And if Jon Stewart ever DID proclaim “Abortion is murder” on his show, he wouldn’t sway a single one of his fans. Those fans would abandon him in droves.
Limbaugh and Stewart are popular so long as they tell their fans what they want to hear. That’s NOT the same as being influential.
Oh yes, I can think of one very influential leader like that. I’ll give you a hint: He wears a funny hat.
Speaking as a conservative Catholic… oh, how I WISH that were true.
But even the Pope isn’t nearly as influential as his critics imagine or his supporters would like.
I can’t remember who I first stole this observation from, but I’ve repeated it many times over the past 30 years: “To modern Catholics, the Pope is like a beloved grandfather or a favorite elderly uncle. Everyone is happy to see him, everybody rolls out the red carpet when he comes to visit, but NOBODY has the slightest intention of following his advice”
Most American Catholics support both abortion AND the death penalty, things the Catholic Church opposes. The Pope demonstrably CAN’T get conservative Catholics to oppose the death penalty and can’t get liberal Catholics to stop supporting abortion. He can’t get EITHER group to stop using birth control.
I wish the Church were more influential- but even people who go to Mass don’t seem to care much what the Church teaches.
Limbaugh’s influence includes presenting info that his audience isn’t going to get on the nightly news or their daily paper.
But the biggest measure of his influence is, as I’ve mentioned before, the rabid efforts of the left to take him down whenever they see an opening.
Is it just me, or are the clear majority of the people who wrote these 100 influential finalists’ bios actually more influential than they people about whom they’ve written?
No love for Zombie Steve Jobs?
I some cases, certainly. Stephen Colbert (sorry to keep harping on him) is no more influential than Garry Trudeau.