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twitterPOLITICAL MEMO:
Local conservative radio talk reflects right’s downcast state
Leila Navidi
Heidi Harris, who has a morning talk show on KDWN-AM 720 in Las Vegas, is a conservative but can be critical of some on her side, such as Sen. John Ensign, who had an affair with an employee, and former President George W. Bush, for his nation-building Middle East policy.
Sunday, July 5, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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One might expect Heidi Harris, as a conservative talk show host, to be filled with fire and fury, given the liberal ascendancy and Age of Obama.
After all, when the Las Vegas Sun visited her last summer, she questioned whether then-Sen. Barack Obama is really a Christian and sort of flirted with the idea that he is actually a secret Muslim.
(He is a Christian, having done the whole “Jesus is my personal savior” thing in a 2007 speech in Connecticut, though, in any case, the Constitution specifically forbids a religious test for office.)
So how is Harris coping with the conservative calamity?
Other conservative talkers seem to have been liberated from having to defend the policies of former President George W. Bush and have seen their ratings improve, but they are also turning off the mainstream with their shrill commentary.
This explains the White House’s calculated move to anoint Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the Republican Party — Limbaugh has a huge audience, but the vast majority of Americans would do anything to get away from him if cornered at a cocktail party.
Though Harris’ manner was, as usual, hyper, her words on air and in an interview were not as extreme as those of some other conservative talkers. She was unwilling to engage in the apocalyptic rhetoric heard in other quarters.
“I know a lot of talk show hosts who get hysterical,” she said, when the subject is Obama. “Because I’m a Christian, I don’t believe our country can be destroyed. We read the back of the book, and we win,” she said, in a somewhat esoteric reference to the Book of Revelation.
(Of course, there’s some irony here: She keeps her fears of Obama bringing the Apocalypse in check by reading Revelation.)
Nevertheless, “Is he doing terrible damage to our country?” she said. Yes, she responds, but says people should have known what they were getting.
Harris wears a diamond-encrusted cross and a sleeveless sweater, and a poster behind her reads, “Fire Harry Reid.” Conservatives hate the Senate majority leader with gusto.
Harris rises at 1 a.m. to begin preparing for her 5-to-9 a.m. show on KDWN-AM 720.
Despite her conservative tilt, Harris is clearly chastened by the right’s duress and took shots at her own. She condemned Sen. John Ensign, who recently admitted to an affair with an employee. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, too, though, as she notes, “People had zipper problems before there were zippers.”
She said she opposed Bush’s “nation building” policies in the Middle East. Conflict is inevitable there, given the history, she said.
When asked what caused the economic meltdown, she said it was greed of both banks and homeowners, with nary a mention of the right’s usual boogeymen — Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.
There was the ritual ridicule of environmentalists and universal health care, as well outrage about the tax increases enacted by the Legislature this year.
Harris also likes to mix it up, with some talk about recently deceased entertainers Michael Jackson and Danny Gans.
One odd facet of talk radio is that it has come to be seen as important political speech, but is viewed by the industry as entertainment.
Indeed, the key in talk radio, she said, is entertainment.
“There’s a ton of liberals who listen to me. That’s the highest compliment I can get. If someone says, ‘I don’t agree with anything you say, but I listen to you.’ ”
For Republicans who can’t seem to get any traction, there’s a lesson in there somewhere. Stop being the guy everyone wants to get away from at the cocktail party.
Discussion: 36 comments so far…
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heidi harris, sarah palin, ann coulter, gees you guys on the right like them dumb.
Another shril shrew with the company of Zero.
These Liberal 'name callers' (no substance - just words) crack me up. Heidi has my vote. She talks 'substance' and is a true Patriot. I'm an Independant by the way.
she's a true patriot allright like your buddy 5 time deferment former vp. send troops to battle on lies. just lovely people. but guess if it's not your kids , you don't give a darn. selfish folks.
Steve, if you are so concerned about juvenile name-calling antics - what is your take on right-wing talk show hosts like Rush, Coulter and Savage?
Also, it's pretty transparent when neocons try to hide behind the 'independant'(sic) moniker. Nice try, though.
24/7 hate radio.
Nothing is 'absolute' regardless if they are so-called 'conservative' or 'libs'. I merely ween out fact and innuendo. Don't recall saying I had a "buddy". There you go again. (Smiling)
I love debating both Conservatives and Liberals. Some could care less if we are in a deficit of trillions of dollars as long as they get a piece of the pie. It's my grandchildren I am speaking for.
Just like the parents in the Peanuts Gang...
WA WAWAWA WA WA WAWAWA...
The only reason why I listen to her is she keeps me awake since I work the night shift.
Now I really think she's only pandering to the right of the Republican party because I think she wants her head rattle. She complains about how much the government has spent money since January.
I would challenge her where was she when POTUS Bush and the gang on Capital Hill passed the so called "Patriot Act" and when some of the elected officials wanted to read the act and then POTUS Bush said to the effect. "Your with or against us."
Heidi needs someone to sit right across from her to be fair and balanced. Wait a minute, did I just write that?
listening to right wing radio brings out the best in people. cleaning and oiling up the rifle or shotgun, adjusting the arm band on the right sleeve or using the family bible for a coaster for a cold budweiser. right wing radio, gotta love it.
Is there left wing radio to listen to in Vegas other than net-streaming?
I noticed most of these "freedom and democracy" types on hate radio have supported the coup in Honduras, even though every major democracy and international organization has condemned it.
While condemning Iranian police efforts, they praise the Honduras police action against demonstrators.
Media reform should require that a least one local station is balanced, at this point we have some local hosts calling for people to "pick up arms and march against the government."
Apparently, the most obscene orgy of talk show insanity is the upcoming "Hannity-Insansanity Freedumb Concert" to be held locally. They are suffering from a lack of ticket buyers and they are "comping" them right and left.
I hope the Sun will send a reporter to keep an eye on this event.
"Is there left wing radio to listen to in Vegas other than net-streaming?"
Because there are only a few fools who would waste their time listening to such garbage.
Let's say you get the government to take money out of our pockets to pay for such a station but still only a few hundred people listened to it.
Would you then pass a law requiring that all listen to it?
I guess the next step would be re-education camps.
sgt dumb-as-a rock,
Speaking of camps, there is a bus (short bus) waiting to take you and several others to a cult de-programming camp. You may stand a chance of getting your mind back, but it may take longer than expected in your case.
The people who remain vehemently loyal to what's left of the republican party have all of the attributes of disbanded cult members, with limpbaugh, hannity, coulter and others as their voice to rally back...it's no longer funny, it's seriously disturbing.
I can only imagine what their children must be being taught. In fact, just the thought that they are creating or have created offspring is disturbing. Little neo-con, gun-toting skinheads in the making.
The Allies defeated Hitler only to have his warped ideologies take hold and flourish in the bushbag/(needs-to-be-incarcerated)cheney presidency, and you leftovers need serious psychological help.
Heidi has been on air in LV since I arrived. She was absolutely crude in her appraisal of John Kerry. Can't understand why she would be featured in a progressive paper. Especially since both Hart Kirch and Doug Basham lost their shows in the last year. Both Doug and Hart hung on with sparse sponsorship until the bitter end. And as far as I know neither was ever interviewed by the LVS. Heidi has spewed the same rhetoric as long as she has been on. She is just as opinionated now as she was at her last job. She had to "stop because she was burned out"! Now she has resurfaced on this station. I know cause I used to listen to Hart Kirch on this station when it was owner operated and much less strident than now. Anyway I didn't see the 'christian angle coming and am quite surprised. Even tho she was so broken up by comments from the left "they are so mean to me" etc. she told Ed Schultz. What a baracuda she is.
dipstick- love it, right on
Comment removed by staff.
Sgtrock, hang'em high rallies brah!!!!!
Liberals are idiots. There are no left wing shows in Vegas because they have NO listeners! If you have no listeners, you have no ratings. If you have no ratings, so bye bye to your radio show. Don't complain about having more conservative talk shows in Vegas. No Liberal actually does research about what they are talking about. They just scream and whine hoping to win some sort of unknown battle. Even if the government took over the radio airwaves (socialism, much?) and made more liberal radio stations... who is going to listen to it willingly? Not I.
dumb rock,
Bush killed Americans in Iraq
Bush killed Iraqis
that makes him what??? better than Hitler???
Does it matter which ethnic group you kill???
you need more than de-programming
Excellent statement transplanted
Hilter order the murder of millions of jews.
Yep, Bush did that.
Here.......take another taste of kool-aid.
Be sure to walk around for the next 1,000 days....shouting in the streets and wearing T-shirts...that say..."Me Democrat. Me Think Bush worse than Hilter".
You do know that the father of the modern Democratic party did 1,000x's worse things than Bush.
You do know that Obama has taken actions that are very similar or exactly what Bush did.
You worship at FDR's and Obama's feet....HYPOCRITE.
Look at the sponsors of hate radio. Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, Cato Institute, conservative books, etc.
Most of the "products" pushed on talk radio are eventually pulled from the market: vitamins, weight loss, up the nose cold preventatives, tax outfits like NADN, etc.
That's why we need the fairness doctrine.
Everyone knows she once got suspended then permanently removed for lying on the air.
Coward!
Only a matter of time before ....poof....
Political talk radio or TV. 1% truth, 99% bull. Right, left, liberal, conserative, different spins same unreality.
Oh, Caroll! Sorry to spoil the party - and the next thread of rampant speculation - but I have never been suspended nor have I been fired from any radio job. To those of you who are fervently praying for my demise - keep trying! Poof! LOL
lol just watching you on some tv shows. man your a bad image for blondes to get over heidi. dipstick said it best, these are the idiots your talking to every morning. glad to see your ego is quite low that you have to check in to what people are saying. only political person on tv or radio who is for normal folks is ed schultz. have a great mornin heidi.
Hey Heidi, we Libs don't pray or hang out at gun shows 24/7, at least have a clue. Your demise will come from us "other' ways.....watch and learn FOOL!
I'd recommend she stick to her singing career but she sucked at that too.
Hmmm My experience if a Republican claims they have never done something, like Miss Hayes says she was never fired, or suspended, I would wager she was, how about digging a little deeper Sun.
What happened to Petros and Money?
Anyone who has listened to Heidi's political observations wouldn't call her a conservative. She'd be called a Literalist, as in libertarian.
The Bush Administration deserves all the ridicule that we can pile on.. I can't find anyone that voted for Bush and he won twice. Obama will screw up worse than Bush did and all the Democrats will deny voting for him too. Lets face it , this country hasn't had a good President since Theodore Roosevelt, look it up.
Why are all the non-conservatives on here so bitter and angry? I understand that some talk radio guys are purely divisive and their shtick is to demonize, but Harris' show seems above that, with a significant focus on local politics.
The hostile crowd should follow the president's example and avoid the childish name-calling and vile partisan crap that has grown so common, and maybe this country could get take a healthier turn socially.
wears the "diamond encrusted cross"... yep--Jesus was all about the BLING! You guys need to question that type of thing... it's GROSS!
"....The hostile crowd should follow the president's example and avoid the childish name-calling and vile partisan crap that has grown so common, and maybe this country could get take a healthier turn socially....."
Espinoza, the hate radio pinheads want Obama dead. Just yesterday Rush called on Honduras rioters to come here and take out our President. And the "fat one" has said over and over again how he wants obama to fail. Sarah Palin crowds screamed hang him, Perry from Texas walked the same line, and O'Reilly nightly bashes other races. Check out last nights video of The Factor and you'll see Billo asking why blacks like Michael Jackson when he was white.
Obama must be criticized just as his predecessors were criticized for all sorts of reasons, real or imagined. It's the American way.