Got a call this afternoon from Charles Goyette, who heard about my terrorist behavior on the Washington subway and wanted to get me on the air before they take me away.
I will be on his show 10:30 AM Eastern time Wednesday (11/14). Charles is one of the best libertarian hosts in the country; his political courage and humor have helped make him the most popular talk show host in Phoenix. He is on the dial at 1100 am in Arizona and surrounding turf. You can listen live on the Internet here.
Jim,
Goyette is great. He really does get the most interesting guests instead of using the usual rolodex of fellow neocon talk radio hosts and ideologues from the AEI or the Bush administration. I look forward to hearing you.
Too bad you can’t appear on Hannity’show. That would be sheer entertainment.
Being on Charles’s show is a real treat because he is quick and well-informed. Nothing worse than a political talk show host who doesn’t enjoy sarcasm.
I was on Hannity’s TV show back in June talking about the Bush administration’s illegal financial surveillance. The appearance generated some lively if grammatically flawed hate mail.
(I would love to hear a libertarian radio host, like Larry Elder or Neil Boortz.) To Mr. Ryan, it is a shame that you didn’t see Mr. Bovard’s appearance on Hannity and Colmes. It was a classic example of the intellectual dysfunction that sets in when libertarians or paleo-conservatives meet conservatives or liberals. Bovard’s appearance on H&C was like Neil Boortz on Cavuto’s World, or Larry Elder on H&C: the setting immediately goes from civilized debate to “Albert Einstein meets the Cavemen”
Republicrats are literally incapable of understanding that too much of a bad thing (i.e. government) is a bad thing. Libertarians are called right-wing socialists, absolutists, anarchists, political nihilists whenever they peep up. It just goes to show that you don’t win the debates with drawn-out logical discussions; you win by hissing at and cursing out your opponent, honking his nose, and punching him in the gut, satirizing his positions, before putting him on a rotisserie to let him baste in the contemptible estimation of a rabid audience. I shall now have to go out of my way to listen to Mr. Goyette’s show. I would like to get the facts for once, and not an ideology that appears to be factual.
I will, of course, be listening. 🙂
Jim,
That he is. He is a rarity among talk radio types– someone who actually knows his subjects unlike his ignorant peers whose main qualifications seem to be snarling and yelling over a guest unless they simply kill the other person’s mike. Most of these clowns could learn something from Charles when it comes to callers that disagree with him, particularly the nasty ones. Charles can make an intelligent argument.
Adam,
I’m sorry I missed that. I have a feeling Mr. Bovard won’t be back on, for Hannity can’t handle intelligent guests. He can only deal with those dumber than he is. He had Cong. Ron Paul on one time and got so mad at Paul that I haven’t heard of him being on the show since.
A classic moment for me was when Ron Paul was on Cavuto’s World (that sounds so much like Wayne’s World)to explain why we shouldn’t get involved in Iran. He was paired opposite a Democrat from New York who argued from a lack of evidence relating to 9/11. Paul argued from an isolationist perspective: it’s not our business, what did they do to us. Naturally, Cavuto waved off Paul’s commentary and retreated to Iran’s bullying people in the Gulf (irrelevant). I have learned that modern
conservatives have code words like “isolationist” or “anti-Semitic” “Isolationist” (e.g. Pat Buchanan) means you don’t believe in imposing your nation’s will on other people unless explicitly attacked in war. “Anti-Semitic” means that you are critical of Israel (see Norman Finkelstein’s book “Beyond Chutzpah” for an extrapolation of this) So one can also see the same with the use of the term “liberal”, by which they should use “socialist”, but they bastardize to mean “anything not Left-Center” Conservatives throw these terms around and apply them to people who speak the ugly truth about the right, like Buchanan, Paul, and the few remaining conservative Democrats. This is why it will always be useless for people like the aforementioned to appear on Fox News. The host will drop these code words and automatically make the viewer tune out.
Isn’t that funny, Adam S.?
Republican “conservatives” often complain about liberals playing the PC (politically correct) card, but they themselves play the PC card too!
Here is an example:
When conservatives argue against affirmative action… When they do this, they complain about how liberals use the PC card against them to try to shut them up. (Liberals use the PC card and call the conservatives against affirmative action “racists.”) They talk about how this shows that liberals can’t argue against conservatives on this issue and thus liberals resort to name-calling.
But isn’t it interesting when it comes to foreign policies? The conservatives will use the PC card of “Anti-Semitism” (and things of this nature).
Recently I was listening to a neocon talk radio program and Pat Buchanan’s name came up. The host insinuated that Buchanan is “anti-Semitic.” Therefore, according to this host, we can’t put any stock into anything Buchanan says or thinks. Talk about using a PC card to shut up people! They are just as bad as liberals.
PS — Good interview, Mr. Bovard!
George – thanks for listening to the interview.
Goyette is lots of fun to be on with – he gives a guest plenty of room to roam, humor-wise. And the callers were excellent as well.
I am going to really have to go out of my way to listen to Mr.Goyette, if he is as free-flowing as people say. I have learned that Liberals and Conservatives, whatever those terms mean, never seem to get anywhere because they fundamentally embody bad ideas. And nothing is as irrefutable as a bad idea. One is forced into a tawdry either/or scenario, when the real answer is neither.
Both of the major factions have nothing to offer us. Liberals are anymore full of “tone-deaf ,champagne populism” and anti-capitalist hysteria. Conservatives have only unending pessimism that relies on political action to solve the world’s problems. In fact, I recommend one read John Kekes to see why conservatism is a flaming wreck. His book “Against Liberalism” confuses liberals with libertarianism and treats Hayek like a conservative. Just the same, he faults liberalism for not being pessimistic about human nature. (Martin Luther King said “I have a dream”; George W. Bush says only “I have a nightmare” )
Adam,
Here’s something written by Goyette about his trials and tribulations as a talk radio host in a neocon environment you’ll enjoy.
http://www.amconmag.com/2004_02_02/article3.html
Jim,
As always, you did a fine and entertaining interview with Charles. In regard to that one questioner who ask why folks didn’t get more outraged over this stuff I have my own idea. Clinton used to be damned on the radio by the Bush lovers of today for using the SS to arrest protestors for wearing shirts or holding signs showing their disagreement with him. Say one thing for Bush, he’s learned well from Clinton when it comes to this sort of harassment. He does the same thing and even though they’ll probably be released without charges, most folks simply don’t relish being locked up in jail for a day for making a political statement.
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Charles,
I know you read this blog. Thanks for getting the management to change the traffic report music from that gawdawful “Jetsons” theme music they used to use. Something like that could run off listeners.
Ryan – thanks for the feedback. That question on why folks don’t get more riled was excellent – my answer could have been more on point, but the initial caffeine injection was wearing off at that point.
The arrest of the guy who spoke to Cheney recently should have gotten far more news coverage than it did.
When I saw the picture of Charles Goyette, I did recognize him. He did an interview with Frontline after he was sacked explaining the politics of dissent. That was a decent piece of writing that matches the caliber of his show, that I finally heard. I will now try to listen to him when I get the chance.