CNBC's Joe Kernen on Friday took New York Times columnist David Brooks to task for statements made in his recent column.
As my colleague P.J. Gladnick previously reported, Brooks accused conservative talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity of hurting the Republican Party:
The Republican Party is unpopular because it’s more interested in pleasing Rush’s ghosts than actual people. The party is leaderless right now because nobody has the guts to step outside the rigid parameters enforced by the radio jocks and create a new party identity. The party is losing because it has adopted a radio entertainer’s niche-building strategy, while abandoning the politician’s coalition-building strategy.
Hours after Brooks's piece was published, Kernen went off on the Times columnist (video embedded below the fold, h/t TVNewser):
Everyone at these town hall meetings was a plant or a nutcase? Everything's written off, there's really no one that disagrees with the edicts of [liberals]?...How can Fox News double MSNBC and CNN combined? How do they have the top ten?...Air America can't sell an ad. There's no one that wants to listen to them...Let me guess: liberals are so cerebral and erudite that they don't, they don't, they're at the opera. They're at the opera, they don't listen to talk radio or watch TV. They're reading Sartre. Is that what you're telling me? I love that, David Brooks is a conservative? Well you tell Rush that his 100 million a year, or whatever he makes isn't real. Those are, those are fake 100 million. David Brooks, I mean is he a wolf in sheep's clothing? Who is this guy, I mean, really, he's the conservative? You know what, he is conservative for the Times.
Delicious!
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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Home run! The Rocky
October 3, 2009 - 10:19 ET by wiwfHome run!
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
He is right
October 3, 2009 - 10:20 ET by richb313He IS conservative for the Times.
I loved the part when he
October 3, 2009 - 11:02 ET by buddycI loved the part when he said in essence that "the town hall meeting protestors were not real, the tea baggers aren't real, the millions that listen to Rush/Beck/Laura/Hannity/O'Reiley/Etc are not real. Nothing is real. But hey the $100 million that rush makes because stations know how many listen to him is real."
That was classic, covered the point very well.
I wish there were more conservatives who would go out of their way to bash Brooks. He is what he is but when he calls himself conservative, that requires a push back.
It's Early
October 3, 2009 - 11:09 ET by slickwillie2001It's okay to be leaderless at this stage, it's early. The democratics are frustrated with the lack of a leader on the Republican side because it means they have no one to "target, freeze, personalize and polarize." This is why the TEA protest movement is so successful, it's somewhat leaderless so they have no one to attack.
We have to master counter-Alinksy tactics.
I agree...it frustrates the other side no end that they have no
October 3, 2009 - 11:35 ET by traderjamessingle figure to demonize. Remember, back in Feb they tried to ascribe such leadership to Rush, and he said, 'huh ?? Who made me the leader? I want nothing to do with it'.
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
October 3, 2009 - 11:30 ET by Anneke9When I was at university, majoring in Poli Sci, Leftist students would use David Brooks's writings as the "balance" for their use of liberal research sources. You know, where the professor tells you that you have to consider many sources with different points of view. Instead of reading a real conservative or a Republican, students would quote Brooks or something from the Cato Institute to prove that they were not being biased in favor of pro-Democrat policy sources. This is not a compliment, David.
Brooks and Frum are both faux-conservatives... RINOs at best. What frightens me is how McCain and Lindsey Graham are suddenly reasserting themselves as "leaders" of the Republican Party and how they are on a mission to makeover the GOP (http://www.politico....). In this article, Graham says "[McCain] has an understanding that the party is in trouble with certain demographics and wants to have a tone that would allow us to grow." It's obvious that the new GOP "leadership" is more interested in demographics than principles.
I go to NASCAR races and to the Opera. Guess us gun-loving, evangelical, social conservatives aren't quite as monolithic as people would like to think.
Camouflage conservative in Baghdad-by-the-Bay
Who is in charge of the
October 3, 2009 - 11:40 ET by ThatDudeWho is in charge of the GOP? Why must they continue trying to focus on groups and demographics? That's what one does when one intends to conquer. The Republican party is supposed to be the alternative to collectivism. Conservative principles appeal to the individual and if they truly ran with the ideology they are supposed to hold, they just might win the support of individuals. I hate politicians treating the American people as groups and demographics to be won a chunk at a time. If they would stick up for solid principles they could more honestly gain support. They seem to forget that voting booths only hold 1 individual at a time, not a whole demographic.
You're right ThatDude, I
October 3, 2009 - 15:33 ET by rockyracoonYou're right ThatDude, I never thought of it they way you put it. Always knew that the Dems, like to catagorize everyone by race and gender, though.
"In this article, Graham
October 3, 2009 - 16:48 ET by ckc1227"In this article, Graham says "[McCain] has an understanding that the
party is in trouble with certain demographics and wants to have a tone
that would allow us to grow."
Yes....the collectivist, something-for-nothing-nanny-stater demographic.
OUCH !
October 3, 2009 - 11:32 ET by traderjamesI like both of these guys...but Carl got the smackdown this time ! I also heard Joe the other day go off on the NYT for burying the Acorn story. I was half asleep, so I don't remember the exact day...but it was nice.
X
October 3, 2009 - 11:42 ET by serfer62Help Chris Simcox get rid of the nasty reach-across-the-isle idiot. My Friends we need conservatives not fools in congress.
Who is this David Brooks?
Re: Reach Across Aisle
October 3, 2009 - 13:07 ET by slickwillie2001Here's one to keep you up nights:
John McCain's Mission: A GOP Makeover: http://www.politico.com
"Fresh from a humbling loss in last year’s presidential election, Sen. John McCain is working behind-the-scenes to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image."
Look at the contradiction in that single sentence. We know the Republican Party needs work, but McCain is the main problem and not a solution.
I always liked Kernan. He
October 3, 2009 - 13:19 ET by Radical1979I always liked Kernan. He comes from a science background from which you take data and make it meaningful (not take meaning and make data to support it).
GOP Leader
October 3, 2009 - 13:20 ET by mad53PAThis has been the ongoing MSM talking point, the GOP has no leader and is just floundering. I would point out that the Dems were able to find Obama, who had history, a friendly media and the ability to shine up the same old "rusty car" agenda. Beside him, who do the Democrats have? Pelosi, Reed, Dodd, Biden, Rangel, give me a break. They are as much in the dark now than ever before. Republicans will find there "Obama" (figure of speech) and ride the tide of good old kick ass politics in 2010 and 2012.
Remember Popeye "I's has all I's can stand, and I's can't stands no more"!!
I will try again
October 3, 2009 - 13:31 ET by ROSSMANWho cares what msm says and what all politicians think? Its not about them. Its about what the majority of the " We the People" think and want. Don't read, or listen to, or vote for the people or words that don't match your personal Idealology. Vote them out, and as for the media watch and read for a good laugh only. I ask myself. if we all stick with our own ideas, when we are with the majority we are likely right, and when we are in the minotity we must live with it, and speak out if we feel it will make some folks cange their mind. Now (YELL) yell at me!!!
Ratigan, the host of Fast
October 3, 2009 - 13:41 ET by jdhawkRatigan, the host of Fast Money on CNBC, was an outspoken seemingly conservative until they fired him from his show. Months later, he emerges, seemingly from some CNBC reeducation camp, as a liberal slamming conservatives and their positions. Since then, he has been featured on this site for his shenanigans. .
Does this foretell, Kernan's fate?
Nevertheless, with the likes of the queen at the Huff n' Puff, and the ex DNC chief as regular "contributors" on CNBC - what the hell they know about business, finance, and economics, beats me - the overwhelming content of the show is from a liberal prospective.
What is hilarious, unless you have actual money in the markets, is their chief economist that opines no matter what the government numbers - they are "good." For example, he even spun the recent unemployment numbers as being "good." Unbelievable . . .
The shame of it is that Fox Business is so weak in almost all areas starting with their bottom of the screen "ticker" that CNBC still is the best for breaking economic, business and market news. Sorry, Fox B . . .
There's always Fox Business
October 3, 2009 - 14:26 ET by Free StinkerThere's always Fox Business Channel . . .
How do they have the top ten?
October 3, 2009 - 14:01 ET by ThisnThatWhen Joe says Fox News has the top ten -- he doesn't mean they're in the top ten. He means that Fox News has all of the top 10 news shows. All of them. And 13 of the top 15.
His other zinger was great: "Air America can't sell an ad".
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"mmm, mmm, mm. Barrack-Hussain-Obama." - The liberals cool-aid drinking song
I love this
October 3, 2009 - 14:20 ET by charlietexasWe should all memorize this exchange and use it to the detriment of the libs. I just had a similar exchange this week that libs all think they are the smartest people in the world and if you trump them with facts, they are reduced to either name calling or go into outer space and either blather about conspiricies or just blame it on Rush or Bush. I love this. Get this libs.....your fantasy will become reality next November when the "people behind the curtain are real".
They're LIberals and only want to help
October 3, 2009 - 22:12 ET by ghblogI love when liberals try to help conservatives. Ok not really, but it makes me more resolute when I witness their smugness.
I know conservatives and David Brooks in no conservative...
True conservatives don't
October 5, 2009 - 18:38 ET by liberal_bug_zapperTrue conservatives don't have leaders... we have proxies. True conservatives/republicans (not GOP but small 'r' republicans)/libertarians do not have leaders, we have representatives who sit in for the rest of us who cannot... i.e. proxies. Only liberals need leaders. Liberals are sheep.
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"I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." ~ Ayn Rand
lbz...good to see you back here
October 5, 2009 - 18:40 ET by BlondeDon't stay away so long next time.
I hope he fails, too.