FAIR has a new Action Alert out on CNN‘s newest political commentator: Red State‘s Erick Erickson. For some indication of why this is perhaps the creepiest move by a cable network since MSNBC hired Michael Savage–and for an email address to communicate your feelings–click here. Please leave copies of your messages to CNN, or comments on the alert, in the comments thread here.
Here’s what I sent:
I’m so glad that you’re adding Erick to the lineup. People have sometimes confused CNN with “Liberal” or “Unbiased” media. Hopefully, the hiring of this hate mongering bigot – actually quite entertaining – will help to dispel any misunderstanding of your place in the media spectrum.
Thanks again.
Can what I read about Mr. Erickson’s comments be true? Is he really that much of a hate-filled ranting politico? If it’s even remotely true, this is NOT what the airwaves need. Enough already.
Maybe it gets you ratings, but you’ll be putting profit ahead of the good of the country. You will be no better than banksters and other profiteering types driving us to ruin.
Someone will get shot someday if this ranting continues – Obama or another Democratic leader. When it happens, believe that you helped pull the trigger.
“It is in disbelief that I read that you will be hiring the racist, sexist and violence inciter Erick Erickson to be a political commentator on CNN. I urge you to reverse this decision before you face the kind of massive public outcry that finally led to your letting go of Lou Dobbs for his racist immigrant-bashing and fact-twisting. Why go through this again and tarnish CNN’s good name? You will never beat Fox by “outfoxing” it — you will do it by “out-CNN-ing” it with quality, fair and balanced reporting and commentary, not hate-filled insults and lies.”
I sent the following:
What kind of stewardship of the air waves does your decision to hire this ignorant, garbage talking, racist, sexist, and homophobe as a “news” analyst? Shame on you.
I can’t believe that CNN is participating in the national degradation of journalistic and intellectual standards , by giving a national platform and respectability to a character as blatantly racist, homophobic, demagogic, and literally seditious, as Erick Erickson. Instead of RAISING public standards of discourse, CNN is DEBASING them. You should be ashamed. Get this lunatic off the air, and re-assert the standards that once distinguished CNN from redneck propagandists.
Dear Mr. Feist,
You couldn’t have selected a better candidate than Mr. Erickson to represent your station? This man has proven himself to be racist, mysogynistic, homophobic, and a liar through comments he made regarding President Obama’s Nobel Prize win, the Superbowl commercial, gay rights, and Justice Souter. Are you trying to outfox FOX?
Erick Erickson as a political commentator? Have you lost your ability to reason? Do we not have enough hate-mongering and bigotry emanating from the media already? This decision is shameful.
Thanks for picking up Erickson. I’ve gotten very tired of explaining to people down here that the mainstream media is neither leftist nor liberal, but simply whores willing to give a public soapbox to anyone or any group that’ll draw viewers and turn a profit.
I think it’s safe to say Murrow and Cronkite would despise what their profession has become. I know I do… and I’ve been in it for twenty years now.
You must be aware of all of the inflammatory and offensive statements Erick Ericson has delighted in spewing over the years, right?
How can you, in good conscience, give him air time on a network that has prided itself on unbiased, non-partisan presentations of the news?
By making this choice you have very seriously undermined the credibility of your network.
Or have you made the bottom-line decision to turn yourselves into a direct competitor to the outrages of FOX News?
That is not a worthy goal toward which to aspire, and you know it.
Loyal opposition (if, indeed, it IS loyal) is a valuable part of the democratic process – but it needs to be civil and based on fact, not on bloviation and inflammatory bombast that is calculated to incite violence.
Haven’t we stooped already to a low enough level of discourse in this country?
Shouldn’t you be demonstrating responsibility as journalists and attempting to raise, not further lower, the bar?
SHAME ON YOU!
Dear Sam,
Apparently CNN has decided to become gutter dwellers by hiring Erick Erickson. Are you kidding?
CNN will lose all credibility as an occasionally reliable news source.
Thoughtful news consumers and anyone still capable of critical thought after the deluge of propaganda being delivered on all channels will hold your station in contempt for airing
Erickson.
Instead, why not do a series on why broadcasters are increasingly putting so many venomous creeps on the air.
Keith
p.s. Meeno – LOVE what you wrote!
Just transmitted the following:
We’re speechless that Erik Erickson is joining CNN. He advocates extreme violence and hatred. CNN is not the most trusted name in news; it is now part of the evil empire that promotes polarization of the American community through fear and hate mongering.
CNN Scrapes Bottom of Right-Wing Barrel With Erickson Hire
Since Glenn Beck left Headline News for Fox, you CNN executives apparently think your staff is short on unbalanced hatemongers. To make up the gap, you’ve just hired Erick Erickson as a political commentator.
“Prominent conservative commentator and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson will join CNN as a political contributor,” you, CNN, announced in a March 16 press release. “Erickson will appear weeknights on John King, USA, which launches Monday, March 22, as well as provide perspective and commentary to other programs across the network.”
Who is Erickson? Well, he’s a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.
(Note that the tyranny to which he was calling for armed resistance involved regulation of dishwashing soap.)
If Erickson is not beyond the pale, then CNN has no pale.
Today’s joke is me asking you to explain how hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices. The joke of course being, you’ve got the money; the government serves money. You do whatever you want â┚¬“ especially lie about all us out here who’d like to have the U.S. stop murdering people everywhere, stop hurting us all, stop hurting Earth.
But your business is doing well, so you’ll ignore this, too.
Here’s what i wrote:
I am writing to protest the inclusion of Erick Erickson as a recurring contributor on CNN. While CNN should pursue a level of balance by including voices from across the political spectrum, Erickson’s record should have disqualified him from any association with CNN, much less a recurring position. He has been a cheerleader of the far right for some time, and he is happily accepted there; however, to throw CNN’s weight behind calling the President ‘racist’, leveling personal insults against the first lady and sitting Supreme Court justices, his various misogynistic and racist comments –too many to even begin giving examples of– and his innumerable other bombastic claims and accusations goes far beyond any duty to balance or equal time.
Before you make a mistake that will tarnish CNN’s reputation, act. Dump Erickson before you’re indelibly linked to statements like his.
Thank you,
Sam, I’ve been a Red State Republican since 1978, and even I can’t believe you’d hire Erick Erickson as … well, **anything**, really.
You do realize he’s insane, right?
Right?
Good luck (because you’ll need it),
Lex
Dear Mr. Turner,
I recently heard that your network will be hiring Erick Erickson of RedState.com as a political commentator. How does CNN hope to maintain its reputation as a credible news source if you all are going to give a soapbox to one known for spewing racist, sexist, and otherwise hateful commentary, including open incitements to violence against those who disagree with him politically? Can you really not do any better than this?
Dr. Aurolyn Luykx
El Paso, TX
Dear Sam,
Have you guys lost your minds? You were my last hope among the major news channels for maintaining a standard of professionalism in news programming. But the hiring of this crude, lewd, shill of a man is an insult to all your colleagues, and will certainly keep me from watching John King or any of your other so-called news programs anymore. There are other outlets, primarily on the internet, where I can rely for genuine journalism and reporting. But CNN is now off my watch list.
Sadly, Sayonara!
Oops — I DID send that message to Mr. Feist, not Mr. Turner!
Mr. Feist;
It has come to my attention that you have decided to compromise what is left of the integrity of CNN by hiring Erick Erickson as a political commentator. I am sure you are well aware of his regard for the divergence in this country and his racist and bigoted comments on many minority issues. You must be very proud of yourself to further subject struggling groups to additional hate mongering. Instead of finding people to celebrate our diversity and its contributions to all that contributes to liberty and justice for all, you choose to join those who spread fear, ignorance and suppression. Why do you do such a thing? If you attempted to intimidate, persecute and segregate the students in the high school that I served as principal, I would suspend you and would continue to do so until you ceased such cruel and bigoted behavior. You are a very poor influence on those subjected to your thoughts and behavior… especially, if you have or will have any, your children.
Shame on you,
David Crosby
What is CNN thinking? Erik Erickson? How can CNN hire this guy. Do you want to be the next Fox? I am so disillusioned with CNN for this decision. CNN was my last vestige of sanity that I could listen to on TV. Guess I’ll switch off the idiot box and turn on NPR on the radioâ┚¬Ã‚¦Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã‚¦.
Jim Connelly
Atlanta, GA
(404) 784-7301
Dear Mr. Feist,
Congratulations on your hiring of Erick Erickson as a political contributor on “John King, USA”. If CNN was lacking one thing in it’s corral of political pundits it was a man who isn’t afraid to do the down and sometimes dirty work of researching and confirming, hands on, tough stories like that of Justice David Souter’s bestial and pedophilic nature, exposing the retired Supreme Court justice as “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”. Who knows how many farm animals and children Erick Erickson had to fuck in Justice Souters’s presence in order to gain the trust of “Goat-fucker Souter” so that this widely praised story could be broken.
CNN viewers look forward to more such commentary from Erick Erickson, no matter how low CNN’s ratings plummet in the process.
Sincerely,
Burl Ross
Greetings,
We’re wondering how CNN can stoop so low as to hire a right wing zealot as Erik Erikson. Please explain how hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices.
We need balanced, informed, and knowledgeable journalists, not biased â┚¬Ã…“journalistsâ┚¬Ã‚ with an agenda. Please reconsider this hire â┚¬“ you will lose thousands of viewers.
Kim Weichel
Dear Mr. Feist-
Although we realize “news” channels tend to have commentators from the entire political spectrum, hiring someone like Erick Erickson diminishes CNN’s status and deligitimizes it
Erickson is an extreme right-wing hate monger, racist, misogynist and homophobe who does not report or comment on anythng objectively and spreads hatred, violence and fear. His message should not be allowed on a “legitimate” station and respected news program like John King’s.
Please reconsider and don’t put him on the air. Neither I, nor anyone I know, will watch CNN if Erickson is part of your team – and some of my “must watch” programs (Fareed Zakaria, Christiane Amanpour, etc) are on CNN.. It is hard to understand how hiring him conforms to your standards and practices and is in compliance with positioning CNN as a legitimate broadcaster of news.,
Thank you.
If we want sexist, racist, homophobic, personal commentary, unsupported by facts, we can always turn to Fox. At CNN, we expect higher standards. Hiring at the EXTREME of viewpoints such as Erick Erickson’s does little in the way of providing rational, well-researched, factually supported, unbiased journalism–that is, information we can trust and that leaves us with a basis for personal analysis. Please, please reconsider this hiring decision. Representing such a tainted view of the world will do little to inspire confidence in the rest of what you have to offer in the way of good reporting. As a journalism student in the 1950s, I was given a vision of appropriate behavior for a journalist. This “commentary game” has little regard for any of the principles I was taught. Please don’t play that game. Thank you for listening to my opposing view!
CNN: Do you really need to replace racist Lou Dobbs with Erick Erickson? —
another apparent wannabe plantation owner and homophobe?
Moreover, to feature Erickson along with the gracious and bright
John King? What’s that mismatch all about?
Erickson comes, I go. To PBS. Bye.
Feist-
Really?
Why must hate mongering be propagated?
There are conservatives who don’t act in this manner.
Is it money?
I can barely believe it.
How can hate be less important than the bottom line?
How can your public image be less important than the bottom line?
Is foresight no longer a quality that corporate execs must manifest?
I’m done.
I’ll watch golf or knitting before I’ll turn CNN (or it’s sister stations) on again.
It’s an example of just one, just me, an over twenty year old relationship.
Hate in any form is violence.
Violence is not strictly physical.
You can not divorce yourself from anything that results directly or indirectly.
To choose that kind of influence is inhumane.
The violence and hate that you have chosen is disgusting.
Broadcast news works fine for me.
Good luck.
-Thomas
I can’t believe you’ve hired a person like Eric Erickson. Are you turning into another Fox News??? I know they’re scarce but try to find a thoughtful, intelligent Conservative.
How can you hire someone who has said the following?
“At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.”
I can’t believe you will deliberately incite violence by putting Erickson on the air. Will you take responsibility when someone follows his lead and attacks a politician?
To CNN:
Your choice of E. Erickson is appalling. You appear to want a violent future in the homeland. This man creates the expectation of the need to use guns soon against fellow citizens. You have crossed the line. Hiring him is tantamount to fostering violence.
Here’s my letter:
Dear Mr. Feist
I see by John King’s announcement that CNN has hired Erick Erickson as a
“political commentator”.
Are you kidding me? How is CNN planning to patrol this guy’s mouth, home
of such comments as:
“feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because
“that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged
that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” ( From Erick Erickson’s
Twitter feed:)
Those are just his nasty comments about women. He also has said many
racist and homophobic comments. Please reconsider giving this guy a
platform, because while there is free speech surely, then there is also
hate speech. Erickson qualifies as hate speech. Hate speech is NOT
protected by the first amendment. Giving him a platform would be like
supplying a can of spray paint for someone to paint a swastika on a
synagogue wall….hate speech.
Thanks for listening
(name)
(city)
Please reconsider your recent hiring of Erick Erickson as a CNN political contributor.
I am not objecting to you having conservative voices on CNN. However, Mr. Erickson’s comments have crossed the line of common decency. For example, he is racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09). He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.
Erickson’s hateful comments do not belong on a credible news organization like CNN.
Please reconsider your hiring of Erick Erickson.
Thank you,
Joshua Seff
Here’s what I sent:
Dear Mr. Feist,
I learned today the rumors about CNN hiring Erik Erickson are true. This is very sad to me. I can’t imagine how this decision is going to help your viewers during a time when Americans need honest and informed dialogue between the left and the right more than ever. We have huge issues to deal with as a nation that will impact the quality of life of Americans for generations to come.
Mr. Erickson has shown himself to be an ideologue who is unabashedly racist, homophobic, misogynistic and takes daily talking points from the GOP and/or your competitor, Fox News. I have no problem with right-leaning or left-leaning commentators as long as they are honest brokers of information and engage in respectful dialogue. Mr. Erickson will not move the dialogue forward, he is not respectful to those who disagree with him and he will continue to sow fear and misinformation to all who hear him.
It’s unfortunate that CNN doesn’t seem to care about their sacred duty as the Fourth Estate for the citizens of this country. It appears that you have squandered yet another opportunity to actually serve your viewers with actual journalism or informed comment.
Sincerely,
Dyana
Dear Mr. Feist,
Is the FAIR message I read today about your new hire, Mr. Erickson, correct? If so, can you tell me what you were thinking??!! Perhaps pining for society’s return to the stone ages? Major news networks have a responsibility in our society, and that includes careful consideration of who should get to have the ear of the country.
Sincerely,
Mr. Feist,
Please explain why CNN would hire Erick Erickson, whose “political commentary” includes a description of retired Justice David Souter as “…the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court,” and comparisons of President Obama to Hitler.
If choosing Mr Erickson was not your responsibility, who at CNN will defend the decision?
I look forward to your reply.
My email went like this:
As a Time Warner Inc shareholder, I am outraged by this hire.
This is bullhockey! WTF are you doing?
I will be selling my shares in the company Time Warner Inc due to the hiring of Erick Erickson, hatemonger!
Harvey Sachs
shareholder.
This is what I emailed.
PLEASE!! EXPLAIN TO ME HOW HIRING SOMEONE LIKE THIS SPEAKS TO THE MORAL AND ETHICAL PRACTICES AT CNN. HE DOES NOT HIDE HIS BIGOTED, HATEFUL OPINIONS, HE WALLOWS IN THEM. WE DO NOT NEED MORE HATRED ON OUR AIRWAVES. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR COMMON SENSE?? CAPS ARE ON BECAUSE I AM SPEAKING IN A LOUD VOICE TO YOU.
MARIE MARKESTEYN
Dear Mr. Feist,
Is CNN becoming the minor league team for Fox News? If possible, Erick Erickson is even more appalling than your previous minor leaguer Glenn Beck. If you don’t know who you’re hiring please see the quotations from him below. I’m sure you’ll get something similar from him on air.
Your news readers, whom I currently watch all day, are already obviously tilted to the right as are your guest commentators. You need to adjust to the left to bring yourself back to the center.
It must be embarrassing for you to become “the bench” for the “Journalists” at Fox News. Don’t you have a duty to employ some of the many talented out-of-work investigative reporters and presenters who can read a story without smirking? That’s what we used to expect from the CNN that Ted Turner created.
If you don’t want to be a serious news network anymore just fire all the people you currently have and hire more Glenn Becks and Erick Ericksons and start making up your stories like Fox does. It should be a lot cheaper.
Karen Bazemore
Re: Erick Erickson:
Who is Erickson? Well, he’s a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.
(Note that the tyranny to which he was calling for armed resistance involved regulation of dishwashing soap.)
What has happened to my beloved CNN? I simply cannot believe this. First it was Liz Cheney – there she was – on Larry King – what was that women doing on Larry King????? She fully supports her Daddy’s Lies and actions, and is now joining him to re-write History so we’ll forget that he guided the W Presidency and THEY were responsible for the mess we are in now. I could not believe my eyes when I saw her.
Then today, I was HORRIFIED that you are putting that purveyor of hate, Erick Erickson, who spews vituperative bile at our President – whom he loathes, and froths at the mouth as he rails against women, and delights other misogynists and homophobes who agree with his vitriol. Now, he will continue to sow ALL of his poison against all of the above AND our Gay Brothers and Sisters.
Because I like to hear both sides, I will watch John’s new Show, but it will be for a Trial Run. If he continues to encourage violence and eggs other Crazies on, to take up their arms and beat up those with differing views, I will no longer watch ANYTHING on CNN, so just as I eliminated Fox News from my repertoire, so shall I cut off CNN. As I said, for as long as I have voted for more than half a century, I have heard every speech and read everything I could about each candidate, but when it comes to 24/7 News – I’m cutting out those who demean, degrade, and show blatant disdain for others. Heretofore, I have loved CNN, and only skipped Lou Dobbs. I am disappointed now, because I have always been a fan of John’s. It saddens me to think I may not be able to watch his new show, John King U.S.A. after it starts on March 22nd. I will give it a chance, but if Erickson spews his normal hate – you will have lost a regular viewer, as I understand he will be on other shows as well. Many of my Friends feel the same way!
Concerned for CNN, and My Country
I am Margery
I have just read that CNN has decided to hire Erick Erikson as political commentator. I admit that I knew little about him but after reading some of the dispicable “comments” he has made, I must express my extreme disappointment. Over many years, I watched CNN as my primary source of news. It became a little more difficult after watching CNN push the Iraq War without asking the tough questions and as CNN caved to the Bush administration. But I still watched on TV and read on the web. You were still the first site I connected to. No longer. As if creating Glenn Beck was not bad enough (at least he moved on to Fox, the sewer of news), you are prepared to let yet another hatemonger pull CNN into the gutter. I can no longer ignore this. You are off my favorites and I am blocking you on cable. I am sorry to say but the “most trusted name in news” is now on par with “fair and balanced.”
Goodbye.
I have been alerted by FAIR of your hiring Erick Ericson.
What is wrong with you?
How can your reward this man?
How can you stoop so low just to attract right-wing viewers?
You can, and certainly will, hide behind “range of opinions”, “fair and balanced”
[oh, wait, that’s some other “news” source], or some other banal platitude, but in the end,
what you’re doing is totally unprincipled. The guy is a disgraceful human being, and
you’re getting ready to give him a forum.
Shame on you.
Robert Bloom
Oakland, CA
bbloom222@hotmail.com
Here is what I sent:
CNN has given me another reason for NOT watching CNN by its hiring of Erick Erickson. How low can a cable network go in order to increase its ratings. Ugh. Gag me with a spoon!
Sincerely,
Raymond Weitzman
Mr. Feist:
Your network appears to be attempting to counter its slide in the ratings by substituting vapid viewer tweets and emails (and equally vapid commentary from panels of astoundingly ignorant talking heads) for the hard-news reporting your parent company’s bean-counters have decided is “too expensive”–that is, must be sacrificed in order to maintain quarterly returns. I’m here to tell you it won’t work. Cutting back real content in favor of boring fluff, no matter how many glitzy gadgets are used to convey it, is taking CNN into a death spiral from which it will only recover by pulling up hard and reversing course.
By “reversing course” I do not mean the apparent attempt to become Fox Lite by hiring ranting sociopaths like Erick Erickson as commentators. I’ve been aware of this repellent protofascist for some time, and I am appalled that you’re considering even letting him in your building, let alone giving him a job. Mr. Stein, have you actually read or heard the vile sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic puke this man spews daily on his show? The mere use of terms like “feminazi” (a Limbaugh coinage) should be enough to disqualify someone from any position with a responsible news organization above the level of janitor.
CNN never hires anyone to the left of, say, Bill Clinton as a commentator. That excludes hundreds of articulate, knowledgeable journalists and charismatic media figures on the progressive side–with most of whose positions, if you bothered to read polls, the majority of Americans actually agree. And while you undoubtedly view, say, Michael Moore or Noam Chomsky as “extreme,” they don’t argue that gay rights are a license for pedophilia, that women are only feminist because they’re ugly, that President Obama achieved all he has through affirmative action, or that you should beat your elected representative to death for voting the wrong way–all of which Mr. Erickson has. It appears that your notion of “fair and balanced” is beginning to approximate that of your chief rival in the ever more depressingly biased and fact-challenged field of mainstream broadcast media.
Bottom line: by what possible ethical contortions, sir, can you justify hiring this reactionary, oafish, bigoted bully?
Sincerely,
We are entering into a very dangerous period in our history. As an economic historian I used to be a fan of of the Agrarian Populists. The â┚¬Ã‹Å“new’ right wing populism is particularly troubling. We must seek to find common ground and recognize and accept legitimate differences. The amplification of Erickson’s truly rabid ideas is frightening and dangerous. Revisit the craziness of the Weatherman and the Beider-Meinhof gang on the left and Hitler’s fascism on the right. I was there and part of the radical left. Intellectually, I began to see the weakness of the economic analysis underlying Marxism. Rightwing economics is also bunk and fails to grasp the deep interdependence between natural and social realms. The world’s a complex place. Such self-righteous craziness is dangerous and could be catastrophic. Paul Christensen
I am (was) a big fan and reader of CNN until I saw this post…Is it true you have hired Erick Erickson as a political commentator? Tell me it isn’t so Sam.
Jerry Jividen
Kent, Ohio
Is it not bad enough that corporate media has lost all civility and credibility? To add Erick Erickson to your news line-up only tells me that your concern is not that of reporting accurate unbiased news. To the contrary, it is clearly a measure to boost your ratings via sensationalism and outrageous “wingnut” rhetoric so characteristic of Erickson. It is tragic that you would compromise the integrity of your network based on a ratings war. The outcome of this poor judgement call may temporarily increase your ratings, as we all know that the extreme right wingers will tune to any channel that promotes smear tactics over reality based, centrist programing. If you think your ratings are bad now, watch what happens to to your network when you further destroy your repution as a non-partisan, fair and balanced news entity. You will lose your most viewers that have any interest in unbiased reality based news formats. Instead of being the “Network for News”, you will share Fox’s demographics resulting in a viewing audience of approximately 50% of their disenfranchised, uniformed, bigoted “wingnut” following.
GOOD LUCK……….my bet is on MSNBC winning this ratings war.
16 Mar 2010
Mr. Sam Feist
Political Director
CNN
Dear Mr. Feist:
As a long-time viewer of CNN both on TV and online, I am puzzled by the announcement of Erick Erickson as a commentator. Does CNN really require the services of someone who claims that Justice David Souter was “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”? (One would assume there is not much competition.) Or who espouses violence as part of the political process, and encourages people to “march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him [or perhaps her] outside, and beat him [or her] to a bloody pulp for being an idiot”?
One respects CNN’s desire to have conservative political commentary; that is part of the give and take of an honest and comprehensive news source. But with all the available talent, why choose someone who exhorts to violence, racism, and misogyny?
The network that practically invented 24/7 news can offer us better than this. A conservative yes; hatred, violence and bigotry; no. Please keep shopping.
Harrison White
Dear CNN/Sam Feist:
“At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
“At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.” (This in response to legislation regulating that icon of the free market, dishwashing soap. DISHWASHING SOAP!)
“Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
[David Souter is] “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”
These are the words of your latest hire: Erick Erickson. He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens.” He’s also a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas.”
This hatemonger has NOTHING to do with reporting. Please explain why you would give such a cretin air time. Is this the kind of “journalism” CNN supports?
We await your response.
David & Judith Laws
Mr. Feist:
CNN claims to have a balanced and unbiased presentation of the news and issues. There are conservative commentators and then there is Erick Erickson, whose writing and comments show that he is a man who is a racist, homophobe, sexist, etc.
1. He declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09).
2. He suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
3. He suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10).
4. He is a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
5. Upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, he called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09).
6. He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House health care shop” (TPM, 10/12/09).
7. He’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
“At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?”
“At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.”
I may not always agree politically with (all) your (or any other network’s) commentators’ views but at least I should be able to respect the person. The hiring of this man gives listeners the clear message that racism, sexism, violence, homophobia, etc. is not only acceptable but promoted by CNN. This is a disgrace!!
CNN has fallen to journalistic low point that it really is not journalism any more. Glenn Beck really says it all. You are not in the business of reporting anymore. I understand that is expensive. So you just hire shock jocks to try and get people to watch. I have pretty much given up on CNN but do occasionally surf by because you usually have the local time on the screen. It is appalling that I never see a story that has been done by reporters who go out and work a story. I don’t know if you where ever a journalist, but if you where you know what I”m talking about.
Sorry for my subject heading. CNN has been dead for a longtime. You where once important to our democracy, now you just undermine it.
Sad
Gordon Quinn
Artistic Director, Kartemquin Films
As requested in FAIR’s appeal for letters to CNN, here’s what I’ve just sent them at http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form6a.html. The first sentence refers to their web form’s specification “Type of error: (Wrong information, editorial slant, information left out, etc.)” in the field for comments.
* * *
The types of error in this case include editorial slant, unprofessionalism, incivility, racism, and the like.
I understand you’re considering hiring redstate.com’s Erick Erickson for a news program that once merited the attention of civilized and reasonable people.
With all due respect (i.e., exactly the amount of respect that is properly due in this case), and in language Mr. Erickson and his knuckle-dragging cheerleaders would comprehend: Exactly when did you lose what’s left of your fucking minds?
CNN was once an honorable journalistic organization, which means it will never attract the thuggish audience that follows Erickson, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, et al. and confuses Fox News with actual news. Do not attempt to. Such an effort is beneath you. It wastes your time and that of intelligent viewers and readers. Please return to the practice of factually based, nonpartisan news reporting. The nation needs quite a bit more of that at the moment, and quite a bit less exposure for the Ericksons of the world.
Please also ignore and resist charges of “elitism.” Reporting the news intelligently isn’t “elitist”; it’s meritocratic, and there’s a difference. It shows respect for your audience. Everyone, not just a supposed “elite,” deserves better than what Fox News and redstate.com pump out at them.
My email to CNN: Please dismiss this hatefilled, violence-inciting, racist and misogynist. Stop trying to prove you are not liberal. You are yielding to the right’s tactic of pushing everything futher to the far right, and by doing so creating a dangerous imbalance in our political culture. You have noticed the rash of violence perpetrated by right-wingers over the last few years, haven’t you? Are you waiting for someone you know personally to be hurt or killed by one of these nuts? Are you afraid of them? Maybe you think the people who are injured or killed deserve it. I hope not. Please dismiss Erickson, return to the business of news investigation and reporting, and resume working in the public’s interest.
The more I watched CNN, the more I realized that MSNBC was a fairer and more balanced network. On report after report presented by your network, you posed the questions of today so the answers would slant toward the negative.
Or approached the argument from a positive view of the Republicans. The Democratic view always had to be proved or was “Suspect” and subservient to the Republican one.
Over the ‘Test” period of time that I reviewed your network you committed nomious errors that were easily traced and found to be false on ‘Factcheck.com” but rarely if ever corrected.
The errors were out there for even a plebeian like me to find so it is incomprehensible that a network with the worldwide resources that you have could not uncover and correct them.
You, like much of the “Free Press” has and continues to fail your responsibility to the public, but mostly to the reason you were created in the first place, to protect, inform, fairly and truthfully the general public.
This is a great republic founded on the highest principles and ideals but even it can and will fail if it’s citizens and institutions fail their responsibilities to it.
A new MSNBC viewer
Robert L. Stevens
If Erickson really said the things that the FAIR blog reports him as saying (And FAIR is amazingly accurate), then your choice of him lowers the standing of CNN completely. That kind of speech hardly deserves a microphone. Name-calling is not reporting.
Jeanie Keltner,
Emeritus professor, CSUS
916 444 3203
From: Margaret Copi, Oakland CA
3/16/10
“Prominent conservative commentator and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson will join CNN as a political contributor,” CNN announced in a March 16 press release. ”
REALLY? Is this the same man who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” ? REALLY? Is this the same man who said “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.”? REALLY? IS this that prominent voice who called Justice David Souter “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” REALLY?
Why are you giving this objectionable human being a platform? You want to make it easier for him to incite ugly mob violence? Isnt this the same man who said “At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?” REALLY? REALLY?
If Erickson is not beyond the pale, then CNN has no pale.
Can you please explain how hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices. REALLY?
I’m shocked. CNN is supposed to be mainstream, right?
Please, make some kind of stand for quality and at the same time protect the public from this dangerous rabble rouser.
thank you for your consideration
CNN was the standard bearer for a cable news program but attempts to cover news from a left and right basis leaves viewers wanting information without the bias filters. I’m disappointed with your decision to hire Erick Erickson.
It’s now obvious to me why the country and Congress can’t work together or mediate to solve the many challenging issues that face our country. The media must always have someone who wants to give the last word – it’s just panels of participants raising their voices for the last say . . . sadly Erick Erickson’s comments won’t ad to CNN’s credibility.
L Schreiber
Sent to CNN 3-17:
Dear Mr. Feist,
I am in shock to hear that CNN has hired a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk. Have you caved to the ratings game to the point you’re willing to compromise CNN’s reputation–even integrity–by allowing an extremist like Erickson to air his vitriol?
He’s a hate-mongering racist, who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, when Justice David Souter retired, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
If you’ve really sunk to that Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck level of gutter sniping, you will certainly lose me as a regular viewer. And it will just be a matter of time until your reputation will be irretrievable. I urge you to strongly reconsider allowing Mr. Erickson to be emblematic of CNN’s worldview.
Dear Mr. Feist:
Instead of the announced Erick Erickson, I urge you to hire for this slot a human being with a rational mind who is not an opportunistic ideological clown. If you persist in the Erickson debacle, you will discredit CNN and American journalism more, you will add to the risk of armed lunatics committing acts of terror in America, and you will drive away that part of your audience, people like me, who are so offended by the very idea of hiring Erickson that we will under no circumstances ever again have anything to do with your network.
Sincerely,
—
Dear Mr. Feist,
I am incredulous that CNN would choose for political commentator Erick Erickson.
As you must be more than aware he is not only bigoted but prone to incite violence.
Political commentators have more latitude than news journalists, but that doesn’t mean they can be continually unprofessional.
In my opinion, this is nothing more than an attempt by CNN to try to keep up with the entertaining demagoguery of Fox’s Glenn Beck.
Are you not aware of the tragic and violent polarization of this country that commentators like this are cultivating?
Your professionalism in making this kind of choice is completely undermined.
Please reconsider this decision and do your best to restore CNN”s professional reputation, which is taking a severe hit wit this choice.
Pedro T
A copy of my communication to CNN:
From: bobbythelip@aol.com
To: sam.feist@turner.com
Sent: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 8:15 pm
Subject: Erick Erickson
My dear Mr. Feist:
It’s not just that Erick Erickson brings a right-wing point of view. It’s that he is a racist, a homophobe, a vicious and dangerous advocate of violence. Obviously, losing Glenn Beck has unhinged the powers that be at CNN. What other conclusion can possibly be reached after they’ve decided to bring Erickson on board. Hire all the right-wingers you want, who cares? They have a right to be heard and be subject to refutation in the marketplace of ideas. But hire a psychopath such as Erickson has too many times shown himself to be and be assured that I, among many, will never watch CNN again.
Yours truly,
Robert Lipton
Holyoke, MA
Sam,
HOW could you hire Erick Erickson as a political commentator??? You guys are truly desperate. Reaching out to the same audience as FOX targets? You’re pathetic.
Frank K
My comments:
I figured it was a matter of time before CNN would find an extremist to put on your network. With the exit of Dobbs, I guess you guys figured you had to appease the right-wing. Congratulations. I knew there was a reason I stopped watching CNN months ago.
Completing the form, “What type of error?”:
Lending CNN respectability to a commentator (Erick Erickson) who does not deserve it. Since when does CNN offer air time to racists?
Sam,
You just CAN’T be serious. Hiring Eric Erickson?
A sample of his writing:
….The incidents of late with Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Dick Cheney, and others is why I raise this. Putting it bluntly, were these guys on the left, their fellow leftists would at best be cheering them on and at worst silently nodding along. There wouldn’t be any on that side rushing to the nearest microphone to condemn them…. Peter denied Christ three times. Our goal should be to not deny Christ and also to not deny the valuable members of our own movement. Embracing them does not mean we embrace every word and every deed. But it should likewise mean we don’t race to the nearest microphone to condemn our own when they do something [indiscreet]. The people we should shun are the ones who are quick to throw the rest of us out for daring to stand up for our friends.
Rush Limbaugh – Mark Levin – Dick Cheney – as Christ? And YOU wan’t this guy on your “news” channel.
Good luck with that.
Seriously,
Donald Smith
Battle Ground, WA
Mr. Feist,
You’re just loving this, right? Any publicity is good publicity. People are paying attention to your network. Ratings is the name of the game.
How about a good, old-fashioned, consumer boycott of your advertisers.
Dear Mr Feist,
Hiring this guy only serves to erode CNN’s credibility as a serious source of news commentary.
As Edward R Murrow used to say, “Good night and good luck.”
Adios,
Howard Deixler
Mr. Sam Feist
Political Director
I have been watching CNN for quite a long time. But I have to say that your hiring of hate monger, racist, misogynist, homophobe, violence agitator, foul-mouthed Erik Erickson makes my mind up for me….very quickly that I no longer will be watching CNN at all anymore.
How low can CNN sink? Obviously, very very low. You are disgusting!
Ms. Aggie Monfette
Michigan
Perhaps the answer is to stop watching CNN. And Fox, too, for that matter.
This is what I sent:
Is it really possible that you will have this vile hatemonger appear regularly on CNN? Someone who called Justice David Souter “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” ? Are there no limits to your rapacious pursuit of ratings? How do you sleep at night?
Sincerely,
Carol Wheeler
I am very disappointed with your decision to hire Erick Erickson, and will boycott all of your advertisers.
Dear Mr. Feist,
Erick Erickson! You must be kidding!
CNN the new FIX NEWS: â┚¬Ã…“Fairly Unbalancedâ┚¬Ã‚Â.
Bill Chappel
Newark. NJ 07102
here is what i sent:
Dear Sam Fiest,
How can the hiring of Erick Erickson possibly conform to CNN’s standards and practices?
Erickson is among other things:
1) A rascist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas”.
2) A misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens”.
3) A homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning”.
4) An all around nasty person who called Supreme Court Justice David Souter “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” upon his retirement.
5) He also had compared President Obama to Hitler saying, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”.
6) An advocate of political violence
Someone like this does not deserve to work at CNN. If you think he does then obviously you don’t want me to watch your network (Not that I watch it anyways). I hope you will reconsider his hiring.
Dear Mr. Feist:
Erick Erickson called Justice David Souter “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”. So this is the color commentary you want prime time at CNN? I won’t be watching!
Dear Sir –
I understand that CNN has hired Erick Erickson as a political contributor.
CNN should not compromise its reputation as a serious news provider by giving air time to Erickson’s foul-mouthed, racist, homophobic, hatemongering opinions.
Please terminate his contract before CNN lends credibility to his biased, divisive rhetoric and before he, predictably, embarrasses and discredits CNN.
Sincerely,
C. Cramer
Billings, MT
I’ve heard that Erick Erickson will join CNN as a political contributor. Just how low are your standards? In addition to his racist and mean-spirited comments about anyone associated with the current administration, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
“At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot? At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.â┚¬Ã‚Â
Yes, that’s what CNN needs: their very own Glen Beck. Congratulations!
here’s what I sent
Dear Sam,
I just read that CNN was hiring Eric Erickson as a commentator. I am not only appalled by this decision but a little embarrassed as well. As a freelance journalist, it pains me to see the lack of credentials or simple intellect on display from your latest hire. There was a time when to be on TV you needed some sort of training, experience and proof that you knew what you were talking about. Erickson has called a Supreme Court justice a “goat-f**cker” and basically advocated physically attacking our lawmakers. That doesn’t make him a journalist or a pundit. It makes him and whatever program he is on a freak show. Perhaps that’s what you want — something akin to Jerry Springer. Just know that I will discontinue watching CNN if this racist nutjob is given a microphone there. If I must watch pundits, I at least need them to give me something intelligent and not just angry, unfounded rhetoric. If I wanted that, I could go watch Fox. Whether you think so or not, there are a lot of people out here who are crying out for more news and more facts, not more talking heads. Unfortunately, hiring Erickson shows me the direction you want to go.
Thank you for letting me give my feedback.
Edward Long
Miami, FL
In 3 words: DON’T GO THERE!
The little credibility you still have as a news network will deteriorate completely if you impose Erick Erickson, a right wing bigot, on the few viewers you have left. A Limbaugh/Beck wannabe, have you chosen him to try to get some ratings away from Fox? You’re pathetic.
Nobody I know takes CNN seriously, except maybe to see a snowstorm.
Last night Anderson Cooper promo’d an upcoming segment that I didn’t stay to watch: he and another CNN female competed balancing cookies on their heads! Wow! That’s what passes for news at CNN! Disgraceful.
I am appalled that CNN intends to hire a lowlife hatemonger like Erick Erickson. What Americans don’t need is another Glenn Beck or worse to foment hatred based on prejudicial ignorance. Please retract this hiring now, or join Fox news in the halls anti-democratic infamy. We’ll be watching, or not.
This is the comment that I left on the CNN comment page:
“I am writing to ask you to reconsider the use of “Prominent conservative commentator and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson” on John King, U.S.A. or any other venue. In a time of political partisanship and extremism that threatens to cripple any progress in the profoundly vital issues that this nation faces. A corrupt legislative branch, financial institutions that engage in Ponzi schemes instead of investment in American industrstrial strength and infrastructure, the most expensive and inaccessible medical system of any developed nation, the worst recession since the Great Depression and the accompanying unemployment do not create a scenario in which national media outlets should employ inflammatory extremists. Your employment of such a person in the role of a political analyst/commentator does a great disservice to the political discourse of this great democracy at the worst possible time. Please, think of Edward R. Murrow, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, and Walter Cronkite, and don’t pollute the airwaves and the body politic with the kind of bigotry that is the stock-in-trade of “Prominent conservative commentator and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson.” “
Hiring Erick Erickson Proves CNN is NOT a News Organization anymore than Fox is! At Least MSNBC backs up its opinion with Fact. ENOUGH of the “Liberal Bias” Crapolla that was seeded by Cons Years ago. That was so effective they had Liberals believing the Propaganda! I gues they are still laughing, because the USA is still buying it. Maybe one of these days we will get a Real Journalistic News entity!
I can not believe that after the CNN debacles with Beck and Dobbs you have now decided to do it again!
Please explain to me and to the nation how hiring racist, homophobe, hatemonger, … etc Erick Erickson as a commentator can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices. More importantly, how can CNN responsibly participate in the nations present political debate hiring someone with such extreme views as Ercikson? You’re not contributing to the people’s need for truth, honesty and decency, you are now collaborators with those with dangerous views and opinions that will eventually contribute to violence like we have not seen before in our nation.
Please reconsider your selection
Thank you
We have enough of one cable tv station Fox News that is there for the purpose of dividing the country I do not watch them any longer and now that you are going to have an Hannity look alike IE.. Erick Erickson you have lost me forever.
So let’s see…there was Lou Dodds, Glenn Beck, Tony Perkins, and now Erik Erickson.
I’m curious, do you use Jerry Springer as a media consultant?
Dear Sam Feist,
The hiring of Erick Erickson at CNN sullies the entire reputation of the network and undermines all of its credibility. How can anyone possibly take seriously a network that provides a platform to a delusional, hateful, homophobic misogynistic rascist?
According to FAIR.org,he’s a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?â┚¬Ã‚Â
Erickson does not represent real Republicans. He is a voice of hate speech and twisted rhetoric. Is this really the person you want as the face of your network?
Ashley Riegel
Los Angeles
How can hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk possibly conform to CNNs standards?
I thought CNN stood for fair-minded journalism.
I would suggest that the sampling of Erickson’s comments below indicate an outrageous predisposition for prejudice:
– He stated that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09).
– He suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain” and that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters,2/8/10).
– He’s asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
– Upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, Erickson called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09).
I will no longer remain a CNN viewer.
To fellow commenter Oscar A. Campos, when I read how you called Fox “the sewer of news,” I nearly fell off my chair laughing. I’m only disappointed that I didn’t think of that first– good stuff! And sadly, so very very true.
Dear Mr Feist,
If you are wanting to “balance” your show with a conservative, I just want to say that what i read of Erickson in the recent FAIR posting do not describe a conservative.
My father-in-law was a conservative and a Republican. He was a fair-minded business man who insisted on racial justice in hiring when he was in charge of building the Kaiser Center Building in Oakland.
When I worked for Shell’s research plant in Emeryville, some of my colleagues were conservatives but they did not exhibit any signs of the misogyny Erickson shows.
A true conservative conserves and does not advocate murdering people he disagrees with. A true conservative does not use the kind of foul language Erickson used to describe Justice Souter.
People have come to rely on CNN to show them the truth in what is happening in the world. I will not have confidence in CNN when you have someone of Erickson’s bent (and I mean bent) on your staff.
You have to do better. If you want a conservative find a decent, honest person who respects all the people of the community.
sincerely yours,
Carolyn Scarr
I can assure you that if you put Erickson on with John King you’ve lost me as a regular viewer. I’m a retired vet with 30 years in the military, who really enjoyed your programing, and the class you guys have shown in trying to be impartial. esp. Wolf. You guys are stooping to a new low unless you put someone on to counter balance this right wing nut. You won’t be able to do this because the left doesn’t have any nut cases that are as bad as Erickson. How sad you guys have to start stooping this low, is it just to boost your ratings? If you guys want to go down this road, just let Fox buy your company. Adios, Msgt John Koscelansky USAF
CNN Scrapes Bottom of Right-Wing Barrel With Erickson Hire
March 17, 2010
Please I write to CNN and ask them to explain how hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices.
CONTACT:
CNN Political Director Sam Feist
Email: sam.feist@turner.com
Telephone: 202-515-2852
Web form: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form6a.html?2
Mr. Bobbie Dee Flowers/U.S.A.
Type of error: Poisoning the well of civic discourse. I can only speculate at the line of reasoning at CNN: Erickson is a rabid anti-semite, an indiscriminant purveyor of hate speech… conclusion: he must be good for ratings. The bottom line is profit, making a profit indemnifies any activity, is that the CNN credo? When media bigwigs are accused of contributing to the coarsening of intelligent civil discourse through this kind of hire, they feign surprise and claim they are providing what the people want. I find it hard to believe the management at CNN doesn’t know better… but then; money talks. Shame on you.
Dear Mr. Feist,
I’m sure in the short run the hiring of a corporate, republican shill like Mr. Erickson might have an economic benefit. In the long run however your race to the bottom is a poor business decision. It is not the corporate, republican bias that bothers me as much as the complete repudiation of any shred of journalistic integrity.
You long ago lost me as a viewer. Your programs are boring, inaccurate, superficial and destructive to the civic fabric of our country.
You should be ashamed of the product you produce and the repercussions for our country.
Thomas Wynn
I can’t believe you are hiring this racist homophobe. What are you thinking??
My entry:
Mr. Feist,
I guess CNN, in pursuit of the glorious capitalist ideal: THE PROFIT MOTIVE, has abandoned any semblance of journalistic integrity in giving this awful person, Erik Erickson, a larger platform than he already has. If people want to listen to his hate speech, they can seek him out already. Why would CNN feel the need to offer a mainstream platform to the ugliest demographic niche of our society….for ratings? Why not give David Duke and the Aryan Brotherhood a 30 minute slot? No wonder people are turning to the internet for their news. Me included, and more so now, I assure you. CNN just keeps lowering the bar…heading for FOX News territory!
I am disgusted and outraged by your hire of this crackpot, equal opportunity hate monger Eric Erickson. What happened to the responsibility you have as journalists? If you are looking for a conservative commentator, can you not look for someone who is a serious one with a shred of integrity?
If this is the depths to which CNN will sink, then I will never watch your programs again. And I will boycott your advertisers and encourage all my friends and colleagues to do so as well.
Your lack of judgement is inexcusable. And you tarnish whatever is good on CNN. Serious journalists working for you should resign, so as not to be muddied by your bottom feeding mentality.
To Whom It May Concern:
The time I spend watching CNN has already declined, due to the inability of CNN to provide truth-seeking journalism (instead of “he said…,” “she said…” stenography), but I admit that I watch on occasion.
The latest act of several made by US news media, this time CNN, to appease the insatiable appetite of the right-wing establishment to combat the “liberal” media, is a bit more than I can stomach, considering the racist, misogynistic, uninformative, and unproductive statements made by Mr. Erickson.
With that said, rest-assured that I will not be checking out CNN on occasion, as I currently due, because this is just too much, and I have a limit as to how much I’ll accept.
Take care,
Daniel Garcia
My wife and I regularly watch CNN, but if the reports are correct that Erick Erickson is to be a commentator on John King’s show, then we can no longer tune in to CNN. There’s no place for a bigot on your network.
Robert Denham
The kind of hate mongering attributed to Erik Erickson is beneath the caliber of political discourse on CNN. Please reconsider this decision. Mimicking the same irresponsible, potentially harmful provocation practiced by Fox will not garner higher ratings; it will only turn away level-minded viewers. It doesn’t seem CNN can run that risk.
Eric Erickson is a racist and a misogynist
This is in protest to CNN’s hiring Eric Erickson. Mr. Erickson a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” He called a Supreme Court justice a “goat-fucking child molester” and he called First Lady Michelle Obama a “Marxist harpy.”
How can such a person possibly add to the integrity of CNN?
I am very disappointed in CNN’s decision and if Mr. Erickson appears on CNN in the role of a “journalist,” my family and I shall never watch CNN again!!!!
Sincerely,
XXX XXXXXXXX
Mr. Feist,
A number of years ago as a blogger, I engaged Erick Erickson on his Red State blog. I was respectful in my commentary and never used expletives or personal attacks. Unfortunately, that was all I got in return from Mr. Erickson before he banned me from commenting on his blog.
The fact that CNN has hired Mr. Erickson in spite of his long, detailed history of offensive remarks – that bear no resemblance to thoughtful Conservative ideology – is sad, but not surprising. I have seen your on air talent go out of their way to enable misinformation and not do the fact-checking your audience deserves.
This is the reason I no longer watch your cable network. The ‘Dept of Jihad?’ debacle was proof you no longer have any credibility. Mr. Erickson’s hiring only solidifies that sad fact.
THANK YOU FAIR!!! My note to Mr. Feist:
Dear Mr. Feist,
I see that CNN has not only forgone the art of journalism, but you have actually gone the OPPOSITE direction away from factual reporting and TOWARDS opinion media.
While America is in its current state of crisis, we need to make sure that we are a populace which is FULLY-INFORMED. In this time, America has watched as CNN has abandoned its drive for factual reporting. Your programming the last year or so has been nothing short of a disgrace. I check every now and again, but am ALWAYS, literally ALWAYS, disgusted by your pathetic hyperbolic, breathless “reporting” which is clearly not based on facts or doing the responsible thing as a professional journalist, but on controversy to win viewers.
(In other words, your profit motive outweighs your journalistic integrity).
And yet, despite your record of horrific malfeasance as a news organization, and when you are in the middle of miserably failing in your DUTY as a member of the 4th Estate to inform the American populace, you hire an extreme partisan to offer not substance but just more spin. That decision on your part, alone, is enough to make me write this note.
But on top of that, what else is abundantly clear is that Mr. Erickson is guilty of profoundly insulting and demeaning commentary.
Obviously you know this and support everything the man has said.
So, from now on, I am going to associate ALL of his remarks — past, present, and future — with CNN.
That makes you and your company:
Anti-woman
Anti-immigrant
Anti-environment
Anti-social justice
Anti-Latino
Anti-African-American
Anti-minority
CNN: The Network for Misogynists and Racists!
This decision to hire an extremist like Mr. Erickson was the Death Knell for CNN.
I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens.
You are not interested in journalism. You are interested in controversy. Well, you just found it and it’s going to hit you where it hurts YOU the most: IN YOUR BOTTOM LINE.
I hope CNN is forced to fire this insulting individual in disgrace, but more importantly, I hope you see that your pathetic, disturbing tactic of forwarding spin over factual reporting is going to cost CNN significant amounts of money and profit.
By the way, I am copying this email and sending it to every newspaper and media organization so they write stories about how pathetic CNN has become.
Good riddance to CNN and your abject failure as a news institution.
You should be ashamed. I know you’re NOT ashamed — because you have no conscience and no soul — but you should be.
I will be urging sponsors to boycott advertising on any Erick Erickson CNN broadcast. Shame on you for re-hiring the likes of an idiot like Glen Beck. The concept of 24 hour news has degenerated into some sort of sideshow for the Jerry Springer crowd. I won’t purchase any product that pays for this idiocy.
Dear Mr. Feist:
I am writing partially out of disgust and partially out of scholarly curiosity about your decision to hire one of the more
offensive commentators in the shout-media business, Erik Erickson, as a political commentator on CNN.
I teach in the communication field, so I understand a little about marketing, etc., and the so-called “Fox effect.”
But what I don’t get is this. What happened to the breed of journalists and news producers who felt at least some obligation
to the public and the democracy they serve? Where are the executives who believe the mass media can play a role in
educating and elevating the civic discourse? Have they all retired? Or were they sent to some reeducation camp to learn
the new ethic – only the bottom line matters and we will feature Neanderthals delivering the news with clubs (now there is
a marketing idea), if it brings up the ratings?
Is there no semblance of journalistic responsibility left? Cable has, since its inception, insisted on and largely won, the same
First Amendment protections that are enjoyed by subscription publications. It has claimed exemption from regulation under
the “public interest, convenience and necessity” clause of the 1934 Federal Communications Act. But CNN was founded on the
premise that democracies need more information, and that your network would enhance our population’s understanding of the
world and its ability to deliberate intelligently on important policy issues. That was once the soul of CNN.
Is this hire the last nail in the coffin? Is that soul dead? Does anyone at CNN care about the potentially illuminating role
of journalism, or does it now seek only the incendiary, the sensational, the dumbing down of discourse?
Sincerely,
Thomas N. Gardner, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. of Communication
Westfield State College
tgardner@wsc.ma.edu
Mr. Feist,
As a long-time viewer of CNN, I have relied on your network to provide me with daily news coverage and political commentary that I have come to trust and respect. I love Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown and Anderson Cooper. However, I was very alarmed to learn that you have hired Erick Erickson to appear on John King, USA and other programs on your network.
I understand that ratings are an important aspect of your business, but to sell out your network to stay competitive with despicable networks like Fox News is beyond reproach. In doing so, you risk losing a significant number of your viewers because we know Erickson’s track record. According to FAIR, Erickson “is a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of ‘affirmative action quotas’ (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He is a misogynist who suggested that ‘feminazis were enraged’ by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because ‘”that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain,’ and he urged ‘ugly feminists return to their kitchens’ (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that ‘the full gay rights agenda’ means that ‘men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning’ (Media Matters, 10/9/09). And he’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him ‘the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court’ (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09).”
Hiring someone like this to join your respected network will only damage CNN’s credibility and cause untold viewers to turn to other networks like MSNBC, CNBC, or heaven forbid, even Fox News.
Please reconsider this disastrous decision. Until Erickson no longer appears on your network, I will be getting my news elsewhere (e.g. Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, etc.), and encouraging everyone I know to do the same.
Regards,
“TD”
Former CNN Viewer
Dear Mr. Feist;
Unbelievable. Erick Erickson on CNN. Is this the state of the American cable news media–that someone who called a retiring Supreme Court justice (and I quote) a “goat-f*cking child molester” is hired by CNN to provide political commentary?
Unbelievable.
Please reconsider your decision to hire Erick Erickson. I thank you in advance for your consideration.
Here’s my response:
CNN’s hiring of Erick Erickson as a political commentator undermines any claim your network has on being fair or fact-based. Judging from the comments by Mr. Erickson that I culled through, it appears that you’re trying to “out fox” Fox News by hiring a venomous non-thinking loudmouth entertainer. He’s certainly no journalist.
Maybe hiring this type of talking head will get you some viewers, but I don’t see how and, frankly, I’m not sure why your network would want to appeal to the sort that watches that kind of personality or listens to that brand of sensationalistic vitriol.
At any rate, your continuing and successful quest to lower your journalistic standards ensures that reasonable (and reasoning) viewers of any political stripe will migrate to other news outlets.
Here is mine:
I am dismayed that you have hired the hatemonger homophobe Erick Erickson at CNN. Just this morning I completed an online survey asking me to rate media outlets according to the degree of trust I place in them. CNN scored “do not trust at all.” Welcome to the cellar where FOX dwells.
Hiring hatemonger Erick Erickson? Have you no sense of decency? Just what “small town values” does this vile man bring to CNN? You have sunk to a new low and you will pay for it.
What can you be thinking? How can you hire Mr. Erickson and still be a responsible news organization? Or are you waiting for a tragedy to bring you to your senses. Your job is to inform people, give them all sides of an issue so they can come to some conclusion – not incite them based on hate filled language having nothing to do with reality. You have responsiblity for making democracy work – not tearing it apart by enabling the “bottom feeders.” What we need more of is integrity and common sense and raising the level of information and discourse. Thank you for your consideration. Olivia Koppell, New York, NY.
Mr. Feist,
I am very disappointed in the recent hire of Erick Erickson. You state on your press release that he is “right of center,” but when you look at his online comments, he is a far-right extremist. He’s among those right wing extremists who have compared President Obama to Hitler. In fact he’s suggested that Obama is worse than Hitler because Chicago’s Olympic bid failed, whereas Hitler was successful.
Erickson’s stated that President Obama only won the Nobel Peace Prize because of “affirmative action quotas.” As if the World has affirmative action policies in place?
Erickson is against the progressive woman, who he calls feminazis who should just spend their time at home in the kitchen, suggesting that a woman’s place is in the home being subservient to their almighty husband.
He’s also called for political violence. Though he stated a recent call to political violence in the form of a question when he stated that people “march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot.”
I just don’t understand why CNN would hire a hate-mongerer, violence insiter such as Erickson. You made a big mistake with Glenn Beck and this seems like an even bigger mistake.
I urge you to reconsider Erickson’s hire. Don’t just hire a center-left commentator to bring so-called “balance” to your channel as some have called for. Remove him from your line-up completely.
Thank you for your time Mr. Feist.
Ryan Speer
Utah
Please reconsider hiring Erick Erickson as a political contributor. What positive prospective and commentary can this man add to CNN. He is a purveyor trash reporting and political commentary.
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” . He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop”. Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
Does this man qualify to be hired by CNN. Did you actually check his history. Why would you hire him?
Here’s what I sent to CNN on their email link page:
“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around Political Director Sam Feist hiring Erick Erickson as a commentator on John King’s show.
This is a person who called a justice of the Supreme Court “a goat-f***ing child molester” and called the First Lady of the United States of America “a Marxist harpy”.
Have you no respect at all for this country and its institutions? There is no way such disrespect can be said to represent ‘small town values’ (in the words of Sam Feist).
I would like to see more balance and less extremes in your reporting. A thoughtful conservative like David Frum would add more light than heat to the conversation. The promotion of extreme points of view may be seen to help ratings, but it does nothing to raise the level or increase the depth of political discourse in this country.
The decision to hire Erick Erickson was wrong and does a disservice to broadcast journalism. I will no longer watch CNN as a result of this decision.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.”
Here’s a copy of my message to CNN:
It is unconscionable that you would jeopardize the reputation of CNN by hiring right-wing nut Erickson to spew extremist and inflammatory language over our airwaves. The kind of demagoguery which incites lawlessness and violence constitutes a danger to and threatens the safety, security and stability of the American people. The assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were devastating to this nation. Do not return America to That Sad Era. If You as a broadcaster irresponsibly hire someone who yells “fire” daily to the listeners in his theatre—-You are liable for those trampled in the stampede. I implore you, dump Erickson.
E.B. Miller, Ph.D.
My comment to CNN:
Attn: Mr Sam Feist
Dear Mr. Feist, given the volume of response comments around the web to your announcement of the hiring of Erick Erickson as a conservative political commentator, I’m imagining CNN’s accountants are beside themselves with joy, thinking about how many new viewers will want to keep an eye on this homophobic, violence-inciting, all-around creep. Congratulations on what will no doubt be seen as an astute business decision.
Oh, and, CNN’s reputation as a fair and balanced media outlet? Who needed it? All FOX had to do was *make* that claim – they didn’t actually have to EARN it. So, CNN can now shuck off the responsibilty of earning it as well.
I was glad to see Glenn Beck go from Headline News. His show doesn’t fit in with the journalist standards and spirited conversations the CNN-family hosts. However, adding Erick Erickson to your programming hurts your credibility as a serious new network. His bigoted opinions have no place in a national discussion of what is important to this country.
I don’t understand how Erickson could possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices.
Mr. Feist.
I can’ believe grown people talk the way Erik Erickson and others talk and
get rewarded for it. It’s disturbingly inappropriate. If I called someone that you
respect a “goat-f*cking child molester” or some other completely out-of-line
comment, I guess you’d be inclined to hire me. You, my friend, are as bad as
Eric – perhaps worse. CNN is joining Fox and the rest to do their best to bring
this nation down. What pathetic people! No shame.
I’d like to here a response, but I’m sure there are just too many e-mails like
this one to possibly answer. Good day!
Correction to the previous post. I can’t believe…
Long live NPR and the “NewsHour with Jim Leher”! Viva!
That’s news.
Here’s what I sent:
OMG. That’s ALL I have to say, really. You get rid of Glenn Beck from Headlines. A good thing. Now this? This guy is so hateful, he makes Glenn look like a nice guy. And believe me, that’s really hard to do (too bad Fox picked him up!). You supposedly are a news organization. Okay, I can even understand having SOME right leaning advocates. But Glenn and Erick take it to the limits of civility. Erick’s a misogynist, Glenn is well…just nuts! Neither ONE of them belongs on a “news” or talk channel of any sort (TV or radio!). That’s just MY opinion, of course. And yes, I do understand listeners and viewers tune them in. That sir, does NOT make it anywhere near right. NO WAY! If THEIR opinion counts, so does MINE! The “stuff” that they advocate vociferously is mean-spirited as well as looney. It is in fact destroying the fabric of our democracy. How? YOUR job (the media that is) in a democracy is required to not “spin” the news but to deliver it. In a cogent fashion. With NO agenda. Is this happening? Um, NO. If a large percentage of our population is getting their “facts” from morons like Glenn (and Erick), then they are not rightfully being informed. How on earth are they supposed to make an informed decision? Vote? Understand policy? Yeah, I DO mean health care! It was smeared, and YOU know it! That’s just ONE (of many) example of the effects of this trash. Erick Erickson is just one member of this elite club. Does he belong on your network? Absolutely NOT!
Could you please enlighten me as to which particular unique set of “small town values” Mr Erickson brings to his new job?
The last time I checked, bigotry and hatred and a general meanness were not confined to small town blog owners.
Thanks
How disgusting that CNN has caved into trying to appease right wingnut extremists by hiring racist and hate/violence mongering Erick Erickson as political commenter. This ill thought out move definitely does not “balance” out your news staff, but provides an unchallenged public platform which unbalances it in a destructive way. Here again, big media is playing into hands of extremists minority, giving viewer the wrong impression that this represents a mainstream or legitimate voice in our complex society. CNN held our enthusiasm and hope for awhile as “mainstream” alternative to the all pervasive Fox, but now apparently trying to emulate the propaganda station,–and we definitely will be tuning into other news sources.
For heaven’s sake! What kind of standards does CNN represent by hiring a racist hatemonger like Erick Erickson? Makes me glad I don’t subscribe to Cable TV.
Maggi Sullivan Godman
Sutter Creek, CA
Below is my letter:
Sam Feist,CNN Political Director
Dear Mr.Feist:
CNN has a reputation for credibility in its broadcasts. Your additiion of Erick Erickson to your staff calls that credibility into question. When a journalist/commentator approvingly counsels or excuses acts of violence against political officeholders, their network becomes incredible to most listeners.
His disgusting description of the former Supreme court Justice Souter in blatantly sexual terms was very bad taste- It gets worse.
Ericson described his endorsement of violence as follows:
As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.
(Note that the tyranny to which he was calling for armed resistance involved regulation of dishwashing soap.)
Your network has something to defend and not be the object of mistrust and ridicule.
He might make some headlines, but you will have to explain his provocative comments.
Sincerely,
Arnold Gore
My message to CNN:
Mr. Feist,
It was devastating to me personally to see that you have hired Erick Erickson. His hate-filled rants and hyper-partisan rhetoric have damaged me and my family in a very intimate and personal way.
It will be my pleasure to not only boycott this show and those companies that advertise during this time slot, I will also boycott CNN, wholeheartedly, for the shear short-sightedness of such a hire. Erick Erickson’s speech, protected by the First Amendment, will find its way into the public forum. Should it be at the expense of the CNN watching public? I think not.
Goodbye, from a viewer of over 25 years,
Kevin D. Townsend
Dear Mr. Feist,
Gosh, I had no idea that CNN was owned by Rupert Murdoch. From what I gather from my pals at FAIR, you are trying to be more outrageous and idiotic than Faux News. Well, good luck with that.
Frankly, I can’t stand to watch anything that CNN puts on the air anyway. I like my corporate PR straight and undiluted, thank you very much.
You are grabbing a Mr. Erick Erickson to replace Glenn Beck. After Justice David Souter’s retirement, Erickson called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09).
Man, I can’t wait to hear Mr. Erickson topping quote that on CNN. Talk about Headline News!! WOW!!
Way to go CNN!! You are going to win the race to the bottom!!
Regards,
Scott M.
Eugene, OR
Really CNN?
I’m sorry, I would have assumed having the ‘best political team on television’ would allow some insight to the fact that he’s a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas.” He suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
Really CNN?
He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens.” That is your guy? You’re gonna stand behind that?
Really CNN
He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning.” You see that he equated homosexuality with pedophilia but THIS is your guy? You’re totally cool with that? That’s YOU now?
Really CNN?
Upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, Erickson called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court.” I’m no big SCOTUS fan but, “GOAT-FUCKERS?” THIS is your guy? Standing behind him?
You thought you could quietly exit Lou Dobbs and then sweep in Erickson without much fuss? You think the Tea Party Wingnuts are the viewers to pander to? You want to suck away a few Glenn Beck viewers? Get in on the corporate windfall making it’s way down from Citizens United?
REALLY?
(my e-mail to CNN)
Shame on CNN. I used to respect this station. How can you put someone like this on the air? It’s what we expect from Fox.
I can’t believe that a reputable organization such as yours would hire such a divisive person. John King even said he welcomes him to his line up. Ed Henry asked me on twitter, “You REALLY think a network shouldn’t have diverse voices?” I was surprised that someone would ask such a question. Since when is hate a diverse voice? I think its sad your selling your MSM soul for ratings. Bottom line, this isn’t a good journalistic decision. This decision is about money and trying to reclaim your number 1 spot as a news organization. You are no longer unbiased, because if you were, this man would not have a job with you. Over the past year, your organization has been so focused on what the Republican/GOP perspective is, that you can’t see your hurting your brand. Your unbiased approach to news telling is a joke! You’ve been biased since you became embedded journalists around 2003. Gossip and infotainment is what you’ve become……if you look through all the bs, you can see the green!$$$$
I regarded your network as one of my reliable main sources of news. That all ended the day you announced bigot Eric Erickson would be joining CNN. Did you people not dig up & scrutinize the ignorant, hate speak from this monster? He may not be a clone of Beck & Rush but he’s not far behind them either. I’ve noticed that your choice of words & spin language are beginning to mimic right wing talking points. Having diversified pundit views is great, giving this monster a star role on his own program is irresponsible. Where is the liberal & progressive voice to balance Eric’s conservative views? You have occasional liberal pundits but what about giving them their OWN shows too! You will lose thoughtful, compassionate & intelligent viewers with this decision & you will probably pick up the type of fear & hate monger viewers that watch Hannity & Beck on Fox news. I am deeply disappointed that this is the direction you’ve chosen to take your network. You have destroyed a lifetime of trust that I had for your network & I am no longer tuning in to CNN & Headline news.
Are you out of your GD minds. Erick Erickson (that can’t be his real name) is a freak. Is that what you are putting together here a freak show. CNN should not be trying to compete with Comedy Central. Besides this guy is not funny. He’s sick. If CNN puts this disturbed man on the air a lot of viewers will turn their backs on CNN for good.
I wrote:
Dear Mr. Feist:
As CNN have given up any pretense of being an actual journalistic organization, evidenced by the hire of Erick Erickson, I’ve given up any pretense of being a viewer of your networks.
Goodbye,
Geoffrey D. Wessel
About time you have some alternative opinion on your network. Most sane people watch Fox News because of the great coverage of issues that are never shown on MSM, perhaps because of fear of hurting the grate O’messiahs feelers. Don’t be swayed by this ultra left wing radical ranting…you are doing the RIGHT thing by bringing more balance to your programming. I actually look forward to the prospect of watching CNN again for the first time in 9 years. If you keep up the more common sense approach to what Americans really want in their News, you may eventually catch up to be second only to Fox.
Networks like MSNBC are the best at one thing only: Hate. You see it on every program…so vile the anchors are actually spitting mad…literally spitting…(even more obvious since HDTV). LOL! They can’t shut those pie holes without making “teabagging”comments. It is a sick addiction of the anchors ironically brought on by the fact that they are the “teabaggees”. Not a good picture, and the ratings appropriately “suck” because of their narrow minded focus on FOx News and Olbergirls kindergarten Worst People in the World nonsense. Whats up with that? Educated people don’t bother watching that boring crap.
Yep..I’m talking here about MSM “sucking teabaggees “. I hope that CNN sees the light finally, and gives America what they really want..fair and balanced reporting. Unfortunately MSNBC will go down soon like the vile and foulmouthed tool fools at AirAmerica. Good Riddance to them and Good Luck to CNN.
Anyone who has made as many erroneous and slanted, bigotted and vile comments as this man can only drag CNN farther from objectivity, honesty, and reliability in their reporting. It is a sad day.
Copy of sent letter
Mr. Feist,
Can you explain how hiring a commentator of Erick Erickson’s ilk can possibly conform to the network’s standards and practices. I am dissapointed now not to be able to support John Kings new show and wish him good luck. I will also not be watching any of the shows on CNN that I have enjoyed for years. E.E. is truly a vile person!
Carol
I suppose Erickson is the “MiniMe” version of Beck. You can groom his already vile temperament into something really scary and perhaps gain some of those Foaming at the Mouth Fox demographics you are hoping for.
Too bad the more credible Journos in your organization will suffer from the association as you turn CNN into a mindless noise machine. Hope it is worth it to you.
Hey, bet you can get Dobbs back… I mean,you don’t have to pretendto not be racist, fear mongering noisemakers any longer. And, it is a formula that has worked for Roger Ailes. And we all have so much respect for him and the vile smell he has brought to the airwaves…
With a little practice, you can become just like him–just like Fox.
Mr. Feist
If you want to hire bigots at CNN go ahead but I wont be watching your channel and I’ll avoid your sponsors too. What happened to fair and balanced reporting? Maybe you miss Glen Beck. What kind of a bonehead decision is this?
Dennis Mooney
I can’t understand why CNN would sully its reputation by putting someone like Erick Erickson on the air. There is no excuse for allowing this hateful and bigoted speech to represent one of the major networks. It’s just one more reason to turn off the TV.
Margaret Thomas
1000 21st St.
Rock Island IL 61201
309 786 6944
Has CNN lost it’s mind? What would inspire an otherwise respectable news
network to hire the likes of Hatemonger Erickson? If it is to get a
“Conservative” point of view this reflects very poorly on Conservatives if
no one could be found within their ranks who still sticks to the actual
facts and does not drip ugly racist and sexist venom all over the place.
CNN was ever so much improved in our eyes when Glenn Beck moved to Fox.
Prior to this move we carefully avoided watching CNN during his time slot. I
might add that we, as early cable subscribers, have been CNN fans since
CNN’s inception and often recommended CNN to friends as a reason to get
cable. Presently we have been recommending CNN as a more balanced option
than some choices. If Erickson is to be inflicted on us, we will quickly be
ex-viewers and our positive recommendations to others will certainly stop.
Thank you,
Ann Black
Cincinnati, OH
Political Director Sam Feist
Cable News Network
Turner Broadcasting Company
Atlanta, GA
Dear Sam,
I am writing to you regarding the proposed hiring of Erick Erickson. I would like you to give serious thought to reconsidering this hire.
I realize that news media continues to believe it must entertain viewers and that the ability to stimulate consumers who are fed increasingly shocking doses of entertainment requires driving the bottom line ever lower. While I consider that concern incredibly misguided, I recognize that it is a common perception among news agencies (and their stockholders whose interests are considered paramount) given what I see on television and hear on the radio. Given that consideration, a racist, misogynist and homophobic shock jock who advocates political violence is a perfect fit.
But I would like you to consider the fact that at one time CNN was actually a respectable news medium. Wisely or not, people actually trusted what they heard on your station. CNN provided at least the appearance of accuracy, fairness and newsworthiness in its reporting if not a modicum of substance. Clearly the Limbaughs of the world were already with us, but they were seen by most people as the fringe, especially in comparison with CNN.
I believe any remaining social capital you may continue to command as a news organization is endangered by this hire. Not only has this man demonstrated an incapacity to present ideas in a credible â┚¬“ not to mention civil – fashion, he is in effect little more than a hatemonger. The idea that your organization would use public airwaves to inflict this misanthropy upon the public ought to give you second thoughts about this hiring.
If you are not willing to consider the public interest and the common good here, please consider the lower levels of moral reasoning that speak strictly to your own interests as a business. Fox News has its niche and its viewers. But the chances it will ever expand to a larger viewing public are limited precisely by its insistence upon imposing folks like Erick Erickson upon a public who may demand stimulation but are probably a bit more thoughtful if not civil than the fare they receive at Fox. Why would CNN want to follow suit?
Clearly the decision is yours. But I would suggest that it is ultimately in the best interest of all parties concerned to reconsider hiring Erick Erickson.
Sincerely,
Harry S. Coverston, Ph.D., J.D., M.Div.
Orlando, FL
Sir,
The once respected CNN is beginning to look too much like FOX with the hiring of Erik Erickson. Have you checked out this man’s ramblings? Please reconsider before jumping into the pool of the screaming right-wing fringe. This situation is worrisome at best.
I hope you are listening.
Thank you.
Dear Mr. Feist:
It is hard for me to understand how Erick Erickson can be considered an appropriate political commentator on CNN. His comments are so vicious that it is hard to know how to characterize them. What do YOU say about his calling a White House spokesperson â┚¬Ã…“Josef Goebbels?â┚¬Ã‚ How do YOU characterize his saying that â┚¬Ã…“ugly feminists should return to their kitchens?â┚¬Ã‚ Even if you can find some way to rationalize these, what do YOU say about his calling Justice Souter a â┚¬Ã…“goat-fucking child molester?â┚¬Ã‚ If CNN is so desperate to â┚¬Ã…“competeâ┚¬Ã‚ with Glenn Beck that it has to find somebody worse than him to fill the â┚¬Ã…“shockâ┚¬Ã‚ niche, it may be done for. How about this â┚¬” offer a really smart, well-spoken, persuasive commentator who actually knows something and can build an audience over time? In any event, not to know that Erickson is beneath CNN makes any CNN executive responsible for hiring him unfit for the job.
Sincerely,
Frank Couvares
Why are you hiring RedState.com editor Erick Erickson as a “political commentator”? Do we really need one more inflammatory idiot on TV comparing Obama to Hitler??? You had the sense to drop Lou Dobbs – then you do this? Show some real guts and stop giving air time to people who are only interesting in stirring up lynch mobs.
Dear Mr. Feist,
When I was growing up in a small suburban town in the 50’s, there was a young man up the street who lived with his mother and who was born with some mental deficiency. He frequently had angry outbursts, called people ugly names, used profanity and said hateful things about those on the block from other cultures/religions. When he wandered off, the neighbors would see him back home; when he came by and the other kids were eating, we would offer him food and make sure he was all right; the other mothers on the block would watch out for his mother. The things he said, I’m sure, were things he heard around the town and around his family and he was just repeating them a little louder. While everyone was concerned about his wellbeing and did their best to make sure he was safe, no one put him on our street corner to call people names and say hateful things to a crowd.
I urge you to error on the side of reason in your choice of political commentators and make hiring choices that will intelligently illuminate the issues and different points of view rather than mirror the hate and prejudice that may well dwell in Mr. Erickson’s “…small-town America…”. I’m sure hate sells, but there are plenty of other media outlets filling that need.
I have been a faithful watcher of CNN for years. I don’t have much respect for most other networks(especially FOX) because they are unbalanced. CNN gives always both sides of a story.
Now, you have decided to let a hatemonger be a political commentator on one of your programs. I wonder how John King feels about this decision? He seems to be too much of a gentleman to feel comfortable with that decision. I think you are being unfair to John King. His program might not even get a chance to succeed with a person like Erick Erickson. Do we really need people like that on CNN?
I might just give up watching CNN for good when you don’t reconsider your decision.
Dear Sam,
From what FAIR has sent me concerning Erick Erickson, I am puzzled as to how he was selected to be on CNN? I thought CNN had more class than that or has Erick been misquoted?
“He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an advocate of political violence (Yglesias, 4/1/09):
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to Hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator’s house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It’ll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It’s not a partisan issue…. Were I in Washington state, I’d be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation.
(Note that the tyranny to which he was calling for armed resistance involved regulation of dishwashing soap.)”
Sincerely,
Mares Hirchert
Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. . . We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make ungrudgingly for the cause of war.
— Albert Einstein
Politically conservative is welcome, as are all reasonable points of view. But Venomous Bigot and Hatemonger? They should be outcasts in our society — certainly not provided a forum with the prestige of CNN as a backer. Unless the reputation of CNN is not important to you.
CNN has apparently come a long way. And now the Wrong Way.
Bob Armao
bob_armao@yahoo.com
Subject: You have *GOT* to be kidding…..
Erick Erickson? A newscaster? This does NOT fit well with my hopes of CNN returning to real news. Erickson is a KNOWN racist, boor, and mysoginist, with no apologies for any of it. This is not the type of man I want to tell my friends to watch.
You can now officially change your name to Fox(2) News. It suits you so much better with his hiring.
An EX-viewer,
Don XXXXX
Dear Sir,
We cannot believe that CNN would hire someone as far off the political mainstream as Mr. Erickson. Not that he represents an extreme position, positions that we need to be aware of from time to time. Rather his expression is of the intolerance that we associate with the town hall meetings where reason takes a back seat to fear, disinformation, and hate. Where yelling participants would not grant to others the rights they demand for themselves. CNN enhances the public debate when it educates, not smears, when it informs, not denigrates.
Surely CNN can find a conservative representative that does his cause proud. Please don’t contribute to the coarseness of the public dialog and the cynicism of the electorate.
Sincerely,
Donald Hartley, Warren Stetzel, and Ted Cope
Subject line: missing Message: the days, long ago, when CNN was the news station of choice and I actually turned to it first. Erik Hatemongerson? Please let me wake up from this nightmare and be able to watch CNN once again â┚¬“ l left when the smiley couples and the right wing idiots who must have seemed like the way to build audience to you took over. Maybe there will be enough teapartiers out there to keep your rantings â┚¬“ I mean ratings â┚¬“ up. For your sake I hope so. For America’s sake, I hope not.
As a former resident of New Hampshire, your hiring the jerk who called David Souter â┚¬Ã…“”the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” to hold any position at all at CNN is beyond comprehension.
Alex Pirie
Somerville, MA
Please Don’t hire Erick Erickson
…
Fri, March 19, 2010 11:27:02 AM
From:
R. S. Murray
…
View Contact
To: sam.feist@turner.com
Dear Mr. Feist:
My husband and I now enjoy watching many CNN news programs at different times of the day. We are extremely disappointed and upset that you are hiring Erick Erickson to join your political staff.
If he goes on, we go off of CNN.
Mr. Erickson has proven by his statements to be a hate-monger. He is racist and rabidly against our President, Barak Obama. Anyone has a right to disagree vocally with our president, but Mr. E. takes it too far by being racist and accusing this administration of being Natzis.
His rude, crude comments against women (especially feminists) prove that he is a hateful misogynist who has zero understanding of women’s situation, talents and needs.
He also is homophobic. In addition, he encourages physical violence and murder against politicians.
Mr. Feist, if you hire Erick Erickson to join your staff, Many, many others and I will wonder, “Where are your standards of professionalism and excellence, which we now enjoy?”. We will also change our channels away from CNN and rely on MSNBC and others to supply our news and political updates and opinions.
Our country needs more cooperative persons and those who spread good will, not hate- and violence-mongers like Erick Erickson. For everyone’s sake, including CNN’s, please do not hire him.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully yours,
Rebecca S. Murray and Joseph Paradise
Mr. Feist, You’ve gotta be kidding me! Has CNN lost its sense of probity or have you all gone insane?
How could you give such a racist misogynist who referred to a retiring Supreme Court judge as a “goat-fucking child molester” a forum to spew his hatred to an unsophisticated public? I’m just reading a book by Frank Gruber/Gerhard Richter “Alltag im Dritten Reich, So lebten die Deutschen 1933-1945” (Daily Life in the Third Reich, How Germans lived 1933-1945) and let me tell you, Erickson with his hateful utterances has nothing on the SA and SS goons that were rested and ready to take over right after Hitler gained power in January of 1933. It really creeps me out that you would even consider hiring such a creep to use up your airtime. Too bad Ted Turner no longer runs your network; he must be aghast what has become of his creation.
Gisela Koestner
Poway CA
Mr. Feist,
Are you really serious? Eric Erickson is a perfect fit? What type of audience are you trying to reach? As if Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck weren’t enough hate-mongering for your listeners, you bring in the king of all bigots to affront the sensibilities of decent Americans. I assume that you are trying to attract the hate-filled Conservative listeners from Fox. I can only hope that the bulk of your listeners, which I believe to be thinking moderates will show their appreciation by turning somewhere else for their information. I, for one, am done with CNN.
Mike H
Dear Mr Feist,
What are you people thinking? Apparently, it’s anything for a buck, in this case any sense of responsibility to your audience. How in the world do you think Erick Erickson is going to conform to your standards – or are you willing to ‘adapt’ your standards to market demands? Already in the US we have the least informed electorate in the western world, and you seem all too happy to dumb it down ever further. After all, an uniformed market is easier to fleece. In my view, there is no longer any reason for CNN to continue to exist, other than as revenue generator for a greedy and untalented corporate troglodyte that has no other choice. What you seem bent on is nothing short of continuing the noble tradition of NewsCorp in dividing and destroying the intellectual fibric of American culture and consensus.
Incredulously yours,
Steven Smith
My submittal:
Mr Feist,
I’ve read Erick’s commentaries for years â┚¬“ you couldn’t have picked a more empty headed person to work for your news company. He promotes violence and hateâ┚¬Ã‚¦and he’s rather scary. When the next tea party guy shoots a doctor, a government official, a liberal, or one of the older ladies I work with in the League of Women Voters â┚¬“ it is your hands that the blood should be smeared on. He’s NEVER had an original thought â┚¬“ perhaps that’s why you’ve chosen him â┚¬“ to be the talking head for your owners. At least Glenn Beck was funnyâ┚¬Ã‚¦.
Jonnie Hamdan
Business owner
To CNN:
How does hiring Erick Erickson conform to CNN’s standards and practices? He called Justice David Souter “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”.
dear Mr.Feist:
WHY on Earth would you feel the need to put one more far-right
ideologue, like Erick Erickson, on CNN??? His undeniable racism,
grotesque sexism and blunt homphobia are better left to right-wing radio
“shock jocks” than a nws network. I may have to DROP CNN as my
“mainstream” tv news source iof you’re gong to become like FAUX News.
What CNN actually LACKS is even ONE SOLID PROGRESSIVE analyst–not the
spineless liberals making excuses for the Democrats no matter how lame
they are—-: here’s some suggestions of people that have appeared as
guests or on Larry King Live* or should: John Nichols&, Katrina vanden
Heuval* (of The Nation), Michael Moore* (he’d BOOST your ratings for
sure!), Anne Wright (retired military), Glenn Greenwald (Constiutional
lawyer who writes on many current issues), Bob Herbert (NY Times
columnist), Eugene Robinson*(Washington Post columnist),–to name just a
few. If you looked on the progressive website COMMON DREAMS you could
find plenty of witty & eloquent progressives to tap INSTEAD OF Erick
Erickson.
Lydia Howell, Minneapolis,MN
Your hiring of Erick Erickson is a spit in the face to every rational, intelligent American.
Are you kidding me ? CNN must really be hurting for ratings . Hiring Erickson as a political commentator
on John King’s show has just demoted Mr. King’s program to a freakish side show. No longer will I think
of him as an unbiased reporter with substance just a Glenn Beck wanna be.. So sorry for John King’s
career.
What CNN lacks is NEWS and we need another analyst from either side ( and only 2 sides fighting ea. other is part of the left V Right paradigm designed to distract viewers ) to create more cheap political theater .
I hear accusations THAT CNN is nothing more than PSYOPS and I’m beginning to agree .
Here’s my case . Abe Vreis dutch journalist discovered that CNN hired military psychological operatives FROM fT. BENNING AS ” INTERNS” in late 90s . Around same time there was a report that Larry King has set up interview with a Serbian General , literally pulled out at last minute and the Serb General unfortunately was recipient of a missile on his head .
Amanpour puts picture of Afghan kids and says , ” They don’t believe it’s an occupation ” Silly and amateurish propaganda , but propaganda nonetheless . What do kids know about history of occupations ?
Selling the war and Invasion of Iraq with Generals taking talking points from Rumsfeld .
Censoring Cynthia McKinney’s abduction by Israel was NEVER reported on CNN , which is part of the long track record of covering up for Israel as well as Goldstone Report never reported as part of regular news cycle , as well as the numerous of Palestinian killed on a daily basis , goes unreported .
Gratuitous coverage of Iranian protesters for they are ” worthy victims ” but Africans bombed by Drones in middle of a desert goes unreported . Hondouran protesters , Afghan or IRAQI OR EVEN U.S. PROTESTING u.s. WARS & OCCUPATIONS MANY TIMES GO UNREPORTED .
I had never heard of this gentleman before FAIR called him to my attention. I am sure you have seen FAIR’s report on this man:
Well, he’s a racist who declared that Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because of “affirmative action quotas” (Think Progress, 10/9/09). He’s a misogynist who suggested that “feminazis were enraged” by an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad because “that’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain.” He urged that “ugly feminists return to their kitchens” (Media Matters, 2/8/10). He’s a homophobe who asserted that “the full gay rights agenda” means that “men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning” (Media Matters, 10/9/09).
He’s an all-around nasty human being who, upon Justice David Souter’s retirement, called him “the only goat-fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court” (Crooks and Liars, 5/1/09). He declared that White House spokesperson Linda Douglass “really is the Joseph Goebbels of the White House healthcare shop” (TPM, 10/12/09). Meanwhile, he suggested that Obama might be worse than Hitler, writing, “Does it say more about the IOC or Obama that the IOC gave Hitler the Olympics, but not Obama?”
Are these allegations correct? If so I see no reason why you could put him on your broadcast in any capacity. He can’t be a ‘journalist’ because he is obviously a strident partisan. He can’t be a ‘commentator’ — or at least he should not be, on any respectable program — because he is a foulmouthed slanderer with nothing to contribute but spittle.
Why would you want such a person in your building, much less on your air?
You’re hiring Erick Erickson?!?!? How in the world does hiring a racist, homophobe, ultra right-wing conservative to become your political contributor lend ANY sort of credence to your network? I use to watch CNN because FOX is just absurdly ridiculous. Now, you’re trying to compete with Glenn Beck?! The man that even FOX’s own reporters are upset with because he paints ALL of the FOX reporters as fakes?!
Good luck with that. I’ll stick with public radio and just avoid TV “news” altogether.
As a devoted watcher of CNN, I’m concerned about the hiring of Erick Erickson as a political commentator. Erickson has a history of extremely right-wing views which I feel would degrade the journalistic balance CNN has shown over the years. This man also has a history of racist comments that degrade the quality of CNN reporting and journalistic integrity. I feel that this man would not be a useful contributor to the quality of CNN reporting, and in fact would bring down the quality of the excellent journalism CNN has done over the years.
RE: CNN Hires Erick Erickson (Copy of Message Submitted to CNN)
It’s really a sorry state of the Amerikan Conglomerate Mediate Apparatchik that the most newsworthy items are provided by comedians, i.e.Harry Shearer’s Le Show (News Outside the Bubble), Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, & Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Report,.than the pablum that the 24-hour news channels air. Now CNN has disgraced itself to hire a (another) right wing hate-speecher to replace Glenn Beck (or for CNN to train for Fox to hire)? To “balance” which left-winger on CNN?? (Are there any?) Given the some of the quotes credited to your new addition -Erick Erickson – CNN really is showing it’s ass.
Come out of the “he said/she said” gutter, and fire all your overpaid “newsertainment” anchors and use that money to hire many, many real journalists worldwide that would produce real news. Your corporate overlords at Time-Warner won’t even consider it, right?
To quote Colbert, “Facts have a liberal bias”. That’s what CNN has to “balance” with a hater like Erickson?
[sent to CNN]
Dear Sir ~
To this journalist with 50 years’ experienced in newspapers, radio and TV, I find the increasingly rightwing tilt in US mainstream media to be close to alarming. Surely more reason, adherence to fact, and civility are needed in dealing with the many and serious problems faced by your country, my country and the world, as opposed to more overheated rhetoric and, frankly, hate mongering.
Don’t you think people all over the world haven’t noticed that US â┚¬Ã…“politicsâ┚¬Ã‚ increasingly is going off the rails -â┚¬“ by way of the proliferation of maliciousness and outright lies? Fox â┚¬Ã…“leadsâ┚¬Ã‚ the way. It shouldn’t be aped. It should be shown up by vigorous, reality-based people and programming: real competition. Right now Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are providing more thought-provoking opposition to know-nothings and hate mongers than CNN seems willing to provice.
CNN occupies a privileged position on the first tier of Canadian national cable TV. Bringing on Erickson will tend to sully your contribution and your reputation.
Providing him with clear guidelines such as avoiding name-calling is the least you should do. And to make these guidelines serious, he should be told that three strikes and he’s out. And if he strikes out, watch your stock go up -â┚¬“ among thoughtful people everywhere.
Thank you for listening.
Barrie Zwicker
Toronto, Canada
Join the facebook group to protest
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=114314268582880#!/group.php?v=wall&gid=114314268582880
Dear Sir
How does hiring a died-in-the-wool right-wing commentator fulfill ANY of your claims for independent, journalistic quality news coverage?
More corporate, bloated propaganda as news?
Give us a break.
It is about time that CNN saw that it needed SOMEONE who is in touch with the American people. Good for them for recognizing it!
I’m so glad that Jennifer Love Hewitt broke up with Jamie Kennedy. He is this kind of a wierd guy!
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