(upiphotos/newscom)
Too much Obama coverage? Some TV viewers have had enough!
By Jimmy Orr | 01.18.09
Remember the big hoopla over the McCain robo-calls during the campaign?
Well, they’re back. No, John McCain isn’t getting a head-start on 2012, but robo-calls talking about Obama have made a comeback.
Unlike the McCain calls, these automatic phone calls aren’t casting doubts on whether Barack Obama is experienced enough to lead. Rather these calls are promoting all of the Inaugural coverage.
Robots
Huh? It seems that some TV viewers aren’t big fans of Verizon right now. They claim the company is mass robo-calling their customers promoting wall-to-wall coverage of Obama Inauguration events.
Not everyone’s happy about it.
Upset
Take Brian Maloney over at RadioEqualizer. He got one of the calls and is steaming mad.
The blogger recently switched from Comcast to Verizon FiOS and was pretty happy about the switch. That is until a robot called him.
“[Verizon] left a rambling, pre-recorded message on my home answering machine imploring me to watch his “historic” inaugural, using a tone that assumed we are all liberal Democrats and Obamists,” he fumed.
“That’s the worst aspect of the Obama cult/fad/American Idol victory (or whatever you believe this is really about): we are all compelled to participate,” Maloney wrote. “Like it or not, Obama is being shoved down our throats through a daily pressure campaign that permeates every aspect of our lives. Resistance is truly futile.”
Doom
Gulp. Resistance is futile?
It gets worse, according to Maloney. You know what’s really happening here, he says? We’re going the way of Turkmenistan!
“That’s EXACTLY how it’s done in North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Cuba and other assorted basketcase banana republics across the globe,” he says, apparently having knowledge of robotic calls in third-world countries.
“Is this still America?’, he asks.
Not alone
Turns out he’s not alone. Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr has had enough of it too.
“It was the all-Obama Comcast channel that drove me over the edge,” Carr begins.
“Finally, I thought, this was the last straw. I would cancel Comcast and switch my cable service to Verizon. But before I could make my move, somebody called and told me that Verizon was robo-calling its customers and telling them to watch their Obama-mania special”.
Carr says he’s had it with the Obama-mania and he’s only turning his TV on once today and that’s to watch football.
We’re predicting an Arizona - Baltimore Super Bowl by the way. On second thought, make that Philadelphia - Pittsburgh. No. It’ll be Arizona - Pittsburgh. Unless it’s Philadelphia - Baltimore. Well, it’ll be one of those.
Rundown
Anyway, for those of you who aren’t quite convinced we’ve turned into the United States of Turkmenistan and might want to tune into some of the festivities, here’s a lineup of events today (thanks to TV Guide):
Sunday, January 18
- 2:30 pm/ET: HBO presents We Are One, a star-studded celebration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Beyoncé, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx are among the well-wishing celebs expected to be on hand to perform and read historical passages.
- 7 pm, ET/PT and 11:30 pm, ET/PT: The show will be rebroadcast to cable and satellite subscribers as an open feed.
Monday, January 19:
- 8 pm/ET, Disney Channel: Kids’ Inaugural Ball: We Are the Future. Michelle Obama will host the concert honoring military families. Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers are among the night’s big performers
Tuesday, January 20:
Expect all major networks to broadcast festivities throughout the day:
- 10 am/ET: Inaugural festivities kick off, including invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren and a performance by Aretha Franklin. Biden will be sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, followed by musical selections of John Williams
- Noon ET: Obama takes the Oath of Office, delivers inaugural address
- 8 pm ET/PT, ABC: watch the action at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, where Beyoncé will sing the first song when the new president and first lady take the floor at their first stop on their party circuit. Performers will include Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5. At 10, programming will turn to inaugural balls
- 8 pm/ET, BET: The pre-taped Yes We Will: BET’s Inauguration Celebration, hosted by Nick Cannon
- 9 pm/ET, CBS: Katie Couric hosts a special on Obama’s road to the White House, followed by a live webcast reviewing the day’s events on CBSNews.com and CNET.com
- 10 pm/ET, MTV: will broadcast the Youth Inaugural Ball
- 10 pm/ET, NBC: Brian Williams takes viewers into several of the night’s inaugural balls
Comments
2. Casey | 01.18.09
Its a two way street. For eight years the liberals/democrats were forced to listen to all the republicans praising Bush. We had witness 8 years of a president that some would say is one of the worst commander and chiefs this country has ever seen. I’m personally more tired of a society that victimizes itself.
3. Corro’ll Driskell | 01.18.09
Obviously, All have forgotten that the Bush administration’s policies is why we are here today.
5. Heather | 01.18.09
I am just waiting to see how this economic stimulus plan works out. Obama plan has money for unemployment, food stamps and welfare. While I am sure these are needs, I do not see how putting money into unemployment, food stamps and welfare creates jobs!
I thought they asked for our tax money to create jobs?
6. Sara | 01.18.09
Sounds like we’ve got some sour grapes going on here. With Obama having a close to 80% approval rating right now, it makes sense for these cable networks to offer this programming right now. Obviously, people are interested in it. If you don’t like the Obama programming, don’t watch it.
As much as I can’t stand the right wing news station, Fox, my cable carrier still carries it. Get over yourself and change the damn channel.
7. Turkmen | 01.19.09
Guys, Turkmenistan is not a banana republic, for your information bananas do not grow here. You say Turkmenistan is a “third world country”, and which countries are in the list of “first and second world”? I do not like this racist approach from a nation which honors the saying “all people are born equal”.
8. Carlos Thomas | 01.19.09
We in Latin America are surprised at the way the USA is promoting Obama-mania.
It is like the Chinese and North Korean and Soviet celebrations of goneby eras. This action is to blind and mesmerize the American people into believeing that ALL IS WELL and that the new president will fix it all and magically make things easy and smooth and we will all live in Paradise. (Is it a personality act like Mao in China and Fidel in Cuba?). The inauguration should have been frugal and not “hoopla” and “fun and fiesta” at this time when millions of half starving Americans are suffering and don´t know what will the morrow bring. The USA should be more realistic and not living on “HOPE” but on the “REALITY” of enforceing the hardworing ethics of its founding fathers. The world will see the result of these actions within 2 years time. Let´s “hope” for the best.
9. RealityCzech | 01.19.09
Coming from someone how actually lives in Turkmenistan, I suggest you choose your words wisely.
“Is this America?” Yes it is. Giving the people what they want, which for this moment in time happens to be Obama. [At least that’s what your cable providers think.] Just be thankful that when the people change their minds, they’ll be free to vote him out, and the corporations will be free to change their tunes. But let’s not ever, ever, compare American pop-culture politics to the imposed personality cults of Turkmenistan.
10. SalemCat | 01.19.09
Wait a minute…
1: Obama compares himself to Lincoln every chance he gets.
2: Lincoln was a Republican.
3: But all you mind-dead Zombies have been told Republicans are evil, racist, stupid, full of hatred and greed.
4: So why does Obama want you to think he’s the Second Coming of Lincoln ?
11. AverageJill | 01.19.09
I am sick of the Obama worship. He is just a man. I did not vote for him but don’t wish him any ill will. Casey, if you want to talk about victimization, perhaps you need to look at the democratic party. Almost everyone aligned on that side of the aisle enjoys playing the victim. It’s high time people stopped blaming everyone else because they are too lazy to take responsibility for themselves.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Butch | 01.18.09
I think it’s a great time for our country no matter what your views are. We had an historic overthrow of our government with out fireing a single shot. Only in American can we have a revolution like this, and remain peaceful throughout it! God Bless America, and good bye republicans!!