L-Hannity, R-Colmes

 by Denis Campbell

FOX News Network’s token liberal Alan Colmes was shown the door Friday after 12-years sitting beside and having to listen to wing-nut Sean Hannity’s rantings. Now the true colours of the right’s Sarah Palin obsessed, hate-mongering base shines through on his departure.

In a screed of comments on Alan’s Liberaland blog the right hated him as much as he must have hated himself. He’s a likeable enough guy, he just trade his spine for money (as many do) somewhere along the way. Never before has one man said so little as the Gingrich era of polarity and divisiveness tore us apart and FOX News was the right’s mouthpiece and the Administration’s talking points memo. 

Civility and decency though left the ouse a long time ago. Aah the good old days. In the 70’s we had Shana Alexander and Jack Kilpatrick respectfully arguing with each on CBS’ 60 Minutes from the left and the right. Each taped a 60 second segment during which their arguments were the basis of what seemed a tooth and nail fight (that is before Andy Rooney started talking about lint in his navel for 2 minutes). They were respectful but fought like cats and dogs for their position so much so that Saturday Night Live’s Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin lampooned them. The closest thing we have today is when Pat Buchanan and Rachel Maddow debate. It is respectful and both seem to love the game.

Now we have the Internet where nameless faceless louts can write garbage such as the below. We have lost our civility and our soul. I may not have like Colmes’ Mr. Cellophane style (from the musical Chicago – “you can look right through me, walk right by me and never know I’m there…”) very much, but I understood where he came from and the difficulty of keeping his day job. 

The tributes and lampoons have been very funny – The Daily Show having Hall & Oates come out and sing a tribute to him, Stephen Colbert having a single segment of Colbert & Colmes where Alan (who is a very tall and thin man) sits on a kiddie stool, has a list of Colbert-approved statements (“Way to go Stephen”), has graphics appear over his face most of the episode and is told to “No, sit, stay!” whilst Stephen interviews the special guest and Alan laughs all the way to the bank.

Can’t say I’ll miss you Alan, but you had a great run and congrats on your freedom, I do enjoy your blog. Maybe there is redemption somewhere for you.

The Screed (language and tone warning)

From: Mitchell
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 10:10 AM
To: Alan
Subject: Coward
The minute a liberal takes office and has to be accountable for the countries problems, you take off. What a complete chickenshit!!! Obama’s indefensible?

From: Denny
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 9:28 PM
To: Alan
Subject: Good Bye and Get Lost
Thank God your finally leaving,, I don’t know a person in Santa Barbara that can stand your ugly face. Don’t let the door hit your ass too hard.

From: Leroy
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 7:35 PM
To: Alan
Subject: (no subject)
Thank God you will stop messing up Sean and I can start watching him again. I can’t stand to hear you even talk. Get the hell on outta their.

From: Alan
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 7:53 PM
To: Leroy
Subject: RE: (no subject)
I’m sympathetic. I realize how difficult it must be to hear a different point of view.
Best Wishes.

From: Al
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 11:19 PM
To: Alan
Subject: goodbye
Goodbye - you over stayed your welcome - DO NOT COME BACK - You anti-American Fag!

From: Darrell
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 9:36 PM
To: Alan
Subject: DIRTY COMMIE RECTUM LICKER, CANCER, CANCER CANCER, EXCRUCIATING, DIE SLOW, DIE HARD. 
COMMIE MAGGOT.

From: Murry
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 9:21 PM
To: Alan
Subject: Best wishes on your leaving

Dear Alan,
Thank you for making the decision to leave H & C. No longer will you embarrass yourself. You can continue to drink DNC Kool Aid, uncompromised and unchallenged. I wish you no ill, just thanks for doing the right thing.

From: John
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 9:18 PM
To: Alan
Subject: The Great Devil’s Advocate
Alan,
I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, that you were being the devil’s advocate to all the conservative arguments, if you were, I appreciate it. If not, and the arguments are truly expressing your moral, constitutional and ethical, political conviction, then my mistake, totally misread you and take it all back. God bless.

From: Daniel
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 9:19 PM
To: Alan
Subject: Thank God!!
Thank God!
I’m watching tonight and thanking God that I’ll never have to see your smarmy face and listen to your ignorant lies again. I’ll be able to watch Hannity without the liberal garbage that rolls out of your mouth.
Goodbye and Good Riddance.

From: Terrence
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 9:19 PM
To: Alan
Subject: jan 12
Thank goodness, your last night on the show. I cant imagine how nice it will be to be able to listen to Hannity without you READING your george sorros talking points. Maybe Huckabee will miss you but I wont. Sayonara you un-American liberal jerk……….

From: Steve
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 7:35 AM
To: Alan
Subject: Goodbye
I was so happy to hear that you were leaving Sean’s show. Over the years I couldn’t stand your pin headed attitude and the fact you would never let any of your guests answer a question before you fired another question at them. I can finally watch a whole Hannity show without turning to another channel when you speak. Now it’s time for you to crawl back under that bias, liberal rock you came from. By the way, your parting gift to Sean was tasteless but I can’t think of any time you had taste or tact while you were on air. Goodbye Colmes, i’ll keep my foam brick for when you make a guest appearances and always remember it’s better to be Hannitized than Colmatose.
naa naa naa na… naa naa naa na… hey hey hey… goodbye

From: Tom
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 1:00 AM
To: Alan
Subject: GOODBYE*
“and don’t let the doorknob hit ya in ass on the way out!
If you want to know what’s wrong with this country you need look no further than the nearest mirror. Yes, it’s you and the others of your ilk: Obama, Biden, the Clintons, Gore, the Kennedys, Reid, Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, Leahy, Schumer, Weiner, Waxler, Waters et al. This country would be much better off without all of you. Move to France or Canada, you all would be a great fit there.