The psychology of a "dittohead"

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Are there any Rush fans here? I don't mean conservatives. I mean people who listen to his show almost daily. Just wonder what you think of the analysis in the article below.



And whether or not you've been to therapy.



I wonder if Rush will be any different after his rehab.



http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/...ints-headlines



The coming return of Rush Limbaugh to the famed "golden microphone" of his national bully pulpit invites us to ponder the reasons for the remarkable success of his kind of radio programming. Liberals have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to create an equally popular propaganda vehicle for the other side of the ideological spectrum. What they may lack is the element of simplicity.



Limbaugh's message is usually resoundingly and blessedly simple. (One should not assume that simplicity and truth are synonymous here.) His genius lies in reducing rather complex issues into deceptively straightforward terms. For example, the challenge of crafting environmental policies that balance legitimate economic considerations with a responsible awareness of the finitude of natural resources is dismissed as the neurotic hand wringing of tree hugging "environmentalist whackos."

Any examination of gender inequities is spurned as the fascist agenda of "Feminazis." And so forth with every potentially thorny issue with which his listeners might otherwise have to wrestle.



Such concreteness and black-and-white certitude is psychologically appealing to a number of people. In an increasingly complicated world that presents the richness but also the challenges of all kinds of diversity, such a clear-cut gospel can seem like good news indeed.



Limbaugh's listeners are only too glad to circle their electronic wagons, protected by unequivocal truths, insulated from pesky nuances and grayish shades of meaning. They've got it totally right.

They live in the right country whose perpetually pure motives and universally good intentions are obvious to everyone, except for a handful of "limousine-liberal" whiners. They are even righter than right if they happen to be the correct kind of American - Republican, Caucasian and preferably male.



But their certitude consigns them to what psychoanalyst Erik Erikson called the state of psychic foreclosure. Foreclosed persons are easily attracted to the beguilingly simple, one-size-fits-all belief systems of powerful others that they adopt as their own so as to avoid the sometimes lonely rigors of personal searching. The foreclosed are the ready disciples of demagogues in every age.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 80
    northgatenorthgate Posts: 4,461member
    Double Post. Sorry.
  • Reply 2 of 80
    northgatenorthgate Posts: 4,461member
    I thought liberals weren't allowed to have their own talk radio shows. I thought liberal partisanship was outrageous, illogical and unhealthy for Americans. I mean, every attempt to create such a show has drawn fierce criticism from those on these boards and abroad, right.



    Besides, the conservative echo-chamber is too strong, too wealthy, too angry and far too underhanded to allow equality on the airways. Equality is NOT a fundamental right for ALL Americans and therefore any pinko liberal talk show should and will be systematically discredited and destroyed. Period.



    And if a show does break through it will be mocked and ridiculed until programmers ultimately relent, no longer wishing to be a laughing stock and no longer wishing to hire additional screeners to prevent Rush zombies from harrassing the host. If that doesn't work, then the conservative echo-chamber will latch onto one or two controversial statements by the host or guests and then start harassing the advertisers until they pull out.



    Say why even try? [sarcasm]



    Edited: Grammar
  • Reply 3 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    hehe... you did that a little toooo well.



    I'm tired of columnists whining about liberal critics... and partisanship. Liberals should take it on the chin because that's what we're supposed to do? And conservatives get a free ride.



    George Soros gives a measley S15 million to moveon.org and ACT and it's all over the news that "how is that fair"? Add this is what what's wrong with money and campaigns.



    HELLO! Ever hear of the Heritage Foundation? Fox News? News Corp.?



    Bush has $100,000,000 in his pocket and the big news and that progessive movements got a shot in the arm.



    And they wonder why liberals are fed up.
  • Reply 4 of 80
    I think it all stems down to, as al franken so eloquently put it, liberals and those with commen sense love our country like a wife. realizing she is not perfect but you are willing to help or put up with that which you do not agree with.



    In other words a mature relationship.



    Wingnuts on the other hand love this country like a mother. Mother can do no wrong. She is perfect. How dare you say those things about "mother"



    In others words a child like relationship.



    Rush listeners seem to love this country oedipally... that and an undercurrent of "hey wait a minute, WE are supposed to be in charge here. that's what made this country great. Its only when THEY started getting power did things start to slide."
  • Reply 5 of 80
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Nope, no dittoheads here. Does anybody here habitually follow any pundits' radio/TV talk shows? Limbaugh, Franken, Savage, Leykis included.
  • Reply 6 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally posted by keyboardf12

    I think it all stems down to, as al franken so eloquently put it, liberals and those with commen sense love our country like a wife. realizing she is not perfect but you are willing to help or put up with that which you do not agree with.



    In other words a mature relationship.



    Wingnuts on the other hand love this country like a mother. Mother can do no wrong. She is perfect. How dare you say those things about "mother"



    In others words a child like relationship.



    Rush listeners seem to love this country oedipally... that and an undercurrent of "hey wait a minute, WE are supposed to be in charge here. that's what made this country great. Its only when THEY started getting power did things start to slide."




    hahahaha so much truth in that Great way to put it...



    In a general sense anyway...



    Fellows
  • Reply 7 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    Conservatives and dittoheads are 2 different things.



    But it's people like rush, ann and hannity... who demonize the left... makes all debate meaningless.



    I don't like it when people on the left just make sh!t up... but that's not what's going on... it's politcal dissent... and it's important.
  • Reply 8 of 80
    northgatenorthgate Posts: 4,461member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by chu_bakka

    I'm tired of columnists whining about liberal critics... and partisanship. Liberals sould it on the chin because that's what we're supposed to do? And conservatives get a free ride.



    That's the world we live in my friend. A world that tells guys like you and me that we should be ashamed of ourselves.



    Quote:

    George Soros gives a measley S15 million to moveon.org and ACT and it's all over the news that "how is that fair"? Add this is what what's wrong with money and campaigns.



    The irony here is that it is a core Republican fundamental that individuals should be allowed to give to charities "of their choosing" and not public charity vis-Ã*-vis taxation. So, to complain about liberal philanthropy is a joke and blatant hypocrisy.



    Trust me, starting next week Rush Limbaugh will be throwing Howard Dean over the coals for declining matching funds. Bush, the man responsible for throwing campaign finance reform into a tail spin, will get a free pass. Again. Dean will be demonized for it.



    Quote:

    And they wonder why liberals are fed up.



    We're not allowed to be fed up. If we're fed up we're automatically labeled "Bush Haters". According to administration officials and approved ideologues, opposing the war is the same as endorsing Saddam's regimeÂ?s hideous oppression. To me, this type of spin-doctoring and demagoguery is the truest form of un-Americanism. And Rush Limbaugh takes the prize for this despicable behavior.



    See, Rush and his ilk have framed yet another word in their favor, "hate". It is an extraordinarily strong word to describe discontent and/or fundamental disagreement. If they can frame all Democrats as HATERS then they can leverage their "moral superiority" through sound-bites that will be repeated ad-infinitum on all the AM talk radio shows and Fox News. That's why you see some on these boards who like to repeat these antagonistic phrases, over and over. That's what Republicans are best at, distortion and framing the issue with hot button words and phrases. [Watch how the conservatives on this board will either ignore these facts or simply make a quick one sentence quip that neither defends or supports their behavior.]



    Until Democratic pundits grow a set of balls and fight fire with fire then we will always be considered second-class citizens in the eyes of conservatives.
  • Reply 9 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    Franken?... don't lump him in with those guys...



    Follow was the wrong word... I read and listen to the guy when I can. As I do Joe Conason and Paul Krugman.
  • Reply 10 of 80
    eh liberal media is on public radio and tv. in some restraint.. believe me its a hard sell to corporate sponsorship as its viewed *risky* to be apart of something considered far left at times. i wish there was a better moderate liberal outlet myself.



    I can't remember what the secretary of press said on CNN awhile back but it implied pretty much that extreme leftists, and liberals have utterly destroyed the democrats message.
  • Reply 11 of 80
    Quote:

    secretary of press]



    Huh? You mean the White House Press Secretary. If so he's not exactly the most neutral person to be commenting on this matter.



    And would that "message" would be the same one that has both clarke and dean at least even if not defeating bush JUNIOR if the election were held today?



    Plus, chu_bakka is talking about dittoheads. Not white house supporters.
  • Reply 12 of 80
    northgatenorthgate Posts: 4,461member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    Nope, no dittoheads here. Does anybody here habitually follow any pundits' radio/TV talk shows? Limbaugh, Franken, Savage, Leykis included.



    I try to listen or read from everyone. I listen to a little Rush, Hannity. The problem with AM radio is that it's either conservative talk or shock jock type shows. There's nothing in the middle or to the left. I don't think Franken has a show, does he?
  • Reply 13 of 80
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Northgate

    I try to listen or read from everyone. I listen to a little Rush, Hannity. The problem with AM radio is that it's either conservative talk or shock jock type shows. There's nothing in the middle or to the left. I don't think Franken has a show, does he?



    There's mention he might get a show after he wraps up his book tour, but he literally doesn't have a voice for radio.



    This is the only radio show I listen to.
  • Reply 14 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    there IS a difference between an extreme leftist and a liberal.



    as there is a difference between a conservative and a right-winger.



    I'm a liberal.. not a leftist. The right-wingers have managed to demagogue liberals... there's nothing wrong with the liberal message. Just because Rush and Ann don't like it doesn't make it unpopular.



    But they do have real power... all it takes is one week of Rush rallying his dittoheads and they can cause enough trouble to get shows dropped... or even moved to showtime. hehe. They just don't want the otherside to be heard... much less debated.
  • Reply 15 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    I think Al has a great voice. Should check out his NPR interview with Terry Gross. He's great.



    You do know that hey put Rush's voice through compression and digital processors... most radio hosts do.
  • Reply 16 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally posted by keyboardf12

    Huh? You mean the White House Press Secretary. If so he's not exactly the most neutral person to be commenting on this matter.



    And would that "message" would be the same one that has both clarke and dean at least even if not defeating bush JUNIOR if the election were held today?



    Plus, chu_bakka is talking about dittoheads. Not white house supporters.






    by the way the guy was the press secretary for fmr president clinton... not bush.
  • Reply 17 of 80
    great. your message was very unclear. BTW if that's what he said then he's wrong too.
  • Reply 18 of 80
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    Nope, no dittoheads here. Does anybody here habitually follow any pundits' radio/TV talk shows? Limbaugh, Franken, Savage, Leykis included.



    Liberals demonize the right, conservatives demonize the left. That's the way both extremeist do on both sides. Franken is an idiot, and so is Rush. Why would you care about them? Anybody who listens to them are so wrapped up in their partys that you should probably just ignore their ideas any way. I remember talking to Alchemedes and Franken said that he would move to Canada if Bush was elected....and here we are. I don't think we need to debate how retarded Rush is but people it's coming from BOTH SIDES.
  • Reply 19 of 80
    chu_bakkachu_bakka Posts: 1,793member
    That was constructive.



    Being partisan like Al is not the same as what Rush does. Not even close. Even if you don't agree with him you should at least be able to see the differences.
  • Reply 20 of 80
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by chu_bakka

    That was constructive.



    Being partisan like Al is not the same as what Rush does. Not even close. Even if you don't agree with him you should at least be able to see the differences.




    The only major difference between Al and Rush is popularity. They're both slander artists with way off-center views. You identify with Franken, so obviously you disagree.
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