I recently interviewed radio host Leslie Marshall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Marshall
Leslie is a nationally syndicated radio host.
She is also different from most people I interview. She is a liberal.
For those wondering why I would cross party lines to interview a liberal radio host, it is not because she has the looks of an underwear model.
Although for the sake of ethics, she absolutely does.
I saw her appearance on Bill O’Reilly, and was impressed.
She expressed that she gets in trouble with her liberal friends for saying positive things about him.
I disagreed with her political stances, but respected her graciousness. I began corresponding with her by email. While our politics could not be further apart on many issues, her emails reflected her to be funny, pleasant, and downright charming.
The world is a better place when we do not let politics get in the way of potential friendships.
Comity does not mean compromising one’s values. Comity merely means better holiday experiences with relatives at the dinner table. In the spirit of comity, I present my interview with Leslie Marshall.
1) What is the Leslie Marshall story? What led you to enter the radio arena?
LM: My “story” well…I got into radio as a step before television. i had wanted to be a news anchor. One night, working in Miami at WNWS, the talk host got sick. I filled in for him and got hooked. I’ve been doing it ever since.
2) What 3 political issues are you most passionate about?
LM: a) Healthcare Reform
b) Education
c) Terrorism/Dispelling the myths of Islam
3) Is the War on Terror real or a slogan?
LM: It is a slogan.
4) It is one thing to ask people to have faith in God. It is much tougher to ask people to have faith in government. What does our government do right? What does it need to do better so people can start believing in their government again?
LM: I think there is a lot our government does right. We’re not being attacked on the level of a 9/11, the highways still are there and lights are on, etc. I feel the problem is that our government’s “good” is not presented accurately as the majority of the media is conservative and the message they send is that the government is bad, wrong, and cant be trusted. For years we have watched too many lies and secrets and we are less trusting. Transparency and results I believe will get the public to start trusting the government again. It is about getting things done and working for the people, not their party/platforms.
5) What Americans call 9/11, Israel refers to as every day life. Israel is then asked to show restraint. What is your view on Israel taking preemptive action, including a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities if necessary? What about with regards to the disputed territories such as Gaza? What about against Damascus, who funds Hezbollah?
If Israel preemptively strikes, then they have invited that nation (Iran, etc.) to attack them. Israel can’t launch a missile and then cry about the ramifications of their actions. Regarding the disputed territories: the Palestinian people were in Israel first, and although Israel did win the land, they better than anyone know what it is like to be thrown out of your country based on religion, culture, ethnicity, being different, and being hated. The people in Gaza and the West Bank aren’t going to leave; Israelis know this. The two party state is the only solution. Israel needs to accept this, work toward this and move on. For the sake of PEACE for Israel and Palestine and the children of both; the future, there must be an establishment of a Palestinian state.
6) Who are your 3 political heroes, American or worldwide?
LM: a) Ghandi b) Yitzak Rabin c) Bill Clinton
7) Outside of another 9/11, what can be done to reduce the acrimony and polarization in America?
LM: Accepting our similarities rather than focusing on our differences. Stopping the hate, needing someone to blame. Education is key.
8.) You have succeeded in a tough industry where many have failed. Why do you think Air America failed?
LM: I think AA failed because of funds obviously and also because they started with a lot of celebs. I think that good, sound, experienced radio talk hosts are always the way to go when putting together a network or lineup.
9) What is your stance on the Fairness Doctrine?
LM: We need the Fairness Doctrine. Americans need to hear all sides of an issue and then figure it out for themselves. All right-wing all the time is not only dangerous and unbalanced; but it makes people lazy to let the hosts think for them.
10) Many conservatives dislike National Public Radio for its perceived liberal slant. Given that you and other liberal radio hosts have succeeded in the marketplace, and given the thousands of choices available, is there a justification for shutting NPR down? Why should taxpayers pay for it?
LM: NPR is privately funded last time I checked. NPR isn’t liberal. It’s probably truly the only fair and balanced station in my opinion. Every time I hear an issue, they have both sides. I think NPR is great and should remain.
11) Without delving too deeply into your personal life, what would you want Americans to know about Leslie Marshall the person? 100 years from now, what would you want people to remember about you, and what would you hope the history books say about you?
LM: Wow- I hope that my tombstone says: Here lies one of the best talk show hosts America had (I’m not there yet, it’s a goal obviously). I hope people remember me for making a difference, although I doubt I’ll be written about in history; unless I run for office someday and do something really really good or really really bad!
12) Do you get bored with the marriage proposals that you get inundated with on a daily basis, and does your share of 18-30 year old male listeners decrease when they find out you are unavailable?
LM: My numbers are always good 18 plus and I’ve never checked if they go away when they find out if I’m married. Funny question. I don’t get marriage proposals daily; from time to time and of course, I must decline. It’s flattering obviously if anyone likes your work, as well as what you look like. I’m female and am on television. A marriage proposal beats the heck out of “You’re fat, you’re ugly!” etc….both of which I have also been told!
While Leslie Marshall has amazing (redacted) and (redacted), I genuinely give her credit for substance to match the style.
I am going to make an assumption that the people who referred to her as fat and ugly were people who disagreed with her politics. Either that or they were homosexual. After all, Marc Antony rejected Cleopatra.
Ms. Marshall is not fat or ugly. Despite her having views that occasionally make me think obscene (angry, not sexual) thoughts, that does not make her ugly inside either.
I have views that most likely cause her to feel the same way. Yet rather than hurl bombs at each other, we just communicated in a calm rational manner.
Republicans and Democrats are opponents. We are not enemies.
When we communicate with people we disagree with, we learn things that we cannot learn by conversing with those already on our side.
Leslie Marshall understands this. Watch her appearances on the O’Reilly Factor and judge for yourself.
Bill O’Reilly gave her a platform to enhance her already successful entity. She then turned around and did the same with me.
I would like to thank Leslie Marshall for her time and her pleasant nature.
I wish her well always.
eric
I can certainly understand her citing Ghandi as a poltical hero. I can kind of understand Rabin. But Bill Clinton??? Really??? This is just as goofy as conservatives who cite Reagan as some kind of great “hero.” What the %$#@ did Cliton ever do? He was just another seat filler, floating the boat of state for eight years, and so he did perhaps an average-to-above-average job of that. But that’s about it. That’s not bad, I suppose, but not great either. I mean, he wasn’t an unmitigated disaster like our last “president.” But I can’t think of anything Bill Clinton ever did that I would consider great or heroic.
JMJ
The fact is that Jordan is Palestine., something she apparently doesn’t know or refuses to know.
She may be a handsome women, but I wonder how much she has upstairs?
If her take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict AND Islamic-fascism is
genuine, she has a lot to learn. This is not just a slogan, it’s WW4.
A few relevant facts: Israel and Jordan were part of the British Mandate
for Palestine., which came into existence when Turkey lost WW1.
The area west of the Jordan River was called Western Palestine.
In 1947, two states were created in that part, a Jewish and (another) Arab. Jordan had been formed illegally by the British, who promised
it to the Jews (Balfour Declaration) as a homeland. This was done as a favor to the Hussein family. These same Brits sealed the fate of my people in Europe to the Holocaust (see White Paper). Had the Krauts invaded
the USA, well, I would not be writing..neither would Eric.
Jordan today has 36,000 square miles…and a populaton of about
5.5million, mainly Palestinians (the real Palestine). Some of these people
did leave Western Palestine, after 6 Arab countries in the Arab League attacked the newly former (UN) state of Israel. Over 700,000 Jews were forced from their homelands in the Arab world concurrently. The rest are their offspring.
Jordan has accepted THEIR Palestinians, but many are still in refugee camps.
No other Arab country acted similarly, Palestinian Arabs being pawns in this
conflict since 1948. They fully expect to return to Israel, something
which everyone knows is futile.
Israel has about 8,000 square miles..w/o the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. Including, it has about 10,000 square miles.
The Gaza Strip was relinquished to the Palestinians who voted for a Hamas (terrorist) government, which absolutely refuses to accept Israel’s existence, and has treaties with Iran and Hezbollah (defense).
Both of the aforesaid, have vowed to end the existence of the Zionist
state and continue to arm themselves for the “Final Jihad” to make
Palestine, “Judenrein”, without Jews.
This is no secret and repeated every day from these entities.
So, Marshall is both wrong in her history and wrong in her
assessment that 2 states will answer this 100 year old conflict.
There is already a Palestinian state. It is called Jordan, a monarchy
with a representative government and a viable economy and relations with the entire Arab-Muslim worlds.
As far as other items mentioned, I refer anyone interested to
an interview given by Charlie Rose on his PBS TV show.
He interviewed Dick Armey…former leader of the House and
an admitted member of the new Tea Parties.
He summed it up when he said, our President is shallow and the worst ever. He went on to criticize Democrats in the legislature, the economic
stimulus and the TARP. He viewed our mission in Afghanistan as plausible,
but decried our involvement in Iraq. ( I disagree with that ).
He wants government only when necessary, as an aid to private
iniative and capital., roads, education, the military, etc. He wants social security voluntary.
I would like to see a debate between him and Mrs. Marshall, who, in
my opinion, simply doesn’t know right from wrong, left from right,
and that the sun rises in the East. She is wrong on about everything.
good looks notwithstanding. She is your typical liberal.
She is one reason why I, a former Democrat, am now an Independent
who votes for moderate to Conservative candidates. I want to save America.
Dan, Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine. Get over it. She’s right. The Palestinians were there before the Jews – heck, they were always there. Jews and Palestinians share the same common ancestors. The only difference is that the Palestinians never left (or were forced out).
JMJ
“wasn’t an unmitigated disaster like our last “president.” But I can’t think of anything Bill Clinton ever did that I would consider great or heroic.”
Heh, he took on the monsters Clinton let go for so long after only one attack and kept us a hell of a lo safer after one attack than Clinton did after numerous ones.
Clinton only got re elected cuz he kissed conservative a$$.
Bush got re elected because the country approved and he obviously knew what he was doing as opposed to that idiot that almost ended up in Iraq because he had no education.
Bush will go down as one of our countrys greatest heros.
As long as the liberals stay saway from the text books
It’s true, Clinton (and don’t forget Newt’s useless “Contract” congress), should have done more to secure our country against terrorist attacks. By the early 1990’s it was clear we were on the Islamists $#@! list. We had already entangled ourselves too much into the Middle East. Clinton (and don’t forget Newt’s useless “Contract” congress) should have secured our seaports and airports. As for killing one terrorist or another, that wouldn’t have made any difference. In fact it may have made things worse.
As for Bush, I’m afraid your ego just won’t accept the truth, so you just go ahead and keep on believin’, Micky.
JMJ
Sorry, but presidents dont get re-elected for screwing up the first term.
like or not at this point he was a hell of a lot more popular than Obama on both personalty and policy.
Its Obama that you guys need to stop BSing yourselves about.
Totally inept full of sht lying theiving full of himself POS president I’ve ever seen
MY ego ?
Thats the last thing that has anything to do with it. It was how well i slept at night.
Sleep just hasnt been the same in the last year. And its getting worse