Mike Cernovich proposes a Left VS Right Battle Royale headlined by Keith Olbermann and Alex Jones

I'll donate $100,000 to charity if @KeithOlbermann shows up to debate @RealAlexJones. One hour. Neutral moderator. https://t.co/vMrLhAOtPM

— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) 12 May 2017

Expounding on an earlier tweet, Mike Cernovich proposed a Left VS Right PPV showdown headlined by Keith Olbermann and new boss and partner, Alex Jones. I’ve been meaning to update the PunditFight roster with today’s current stars, the hype behind this hypothetical superfight might just be the inspiration.

Original 'American Pundit Fighting' roster (2007)

In the 10 years since it's founding, the APF roster has changed dramatically, escalating within the past year during the recent changeover in administrations. Jon Stewart stepped down from the 'Daily Show'. Stephen Colbert broke kayfabe to replace David Letterman on the 'Late Show'. Ratings juggernaut Bill O’Reilly was stunningly axed over sexual harassment claims. Alex Jones has arguably become the most influential pundit whilst the audacious Trump has effectively made the likes of Rush Limbaugh and traditional media obsolete.

It's telling of the times that the roster Cernovich offered to represent the Right is made up of independent personalities that don't occupy mainstream news outlets.

Cernovich Series PPV:
Team Republican (Cernovich, Weaver, Molyneux, Jones and Watson)

Cernovich Series PPV:
Team Democrats (Maher, Stelter, Olbermann, Harris, Tapper)

ALEX JONES — 2017-MAY-26, FRIDAY 
MIKE CERNOVICH: (3h 15m 08s) I predicted that people on the Right could do it better than people on the left. This a point that is being missed by the media. This is not a threat. I don’t want violence, I want a debate. Again, show me anyone on the left who has ever offered $100,000 to charity to debate me.
Alex Jones, big name. We can raise a lot of money for charity. We can livestream it, have a superchat going. I bet you we can raise a million dollars if we had a big —like a WrestleMania. Wow! I wish Alex were here right now so we could brainstorm off each other. I envision like a major UFC event. A major boxing match promoted by CNN, co-promoted by Infowars. Maybe get Breitbart, Daily Caller, Cernovich Media. Get all of us in a room and we can have an undercard leading to a main event.

So the Left, they can have Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher, Sam Harris, Jake Tapper, Brian Stelter. All these guys on the left can come in. Like a big battle royal. And then we can have people on the Right: Alex Jones, Paul Joseph Watson, Millie [Weaver], [Mike] Cernovich, Stefan Molyneux. We could have 5, 10 people on each side and this could all lead — God! Where is Alex right now when you need him?

This would be an amazing, amazing event, we could cut up a promo for it. I bet you we could do a million for charity. I would put up a $100,000 of my own money from Cernovich media to see this event happen for charity. It would be the Battle Royale, the Left VS the Right. Who has the better ideas? Who can gauge with free speech with the most tenacity, the most ferocity. Who has the better argument? Who's more logical, who's more cogent? Millions of people would watch this. We could air it on every network. Air it live on CNN, air it live on NBC, ABC, Fox News, MSNBC. Air it live on everybody’s social media, on everybody's YouTube. Crowdfund donations. Livestream it. All money would go to charity. Why isn't this happening?

Cernovich Series PPV: Team Rep VS Team Smack'Dem

The 5 on 5 matchup is perfectly set up for a team showdown, traditional Survivor Series style. It’s worth noting that only Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann are existing APF pundits. Expect more art to come for this dream fight.

The 2016 Vice Presidential Debate Wallpaper: Tim Kaine VS Mike Pence

NXT Arrival: Mike Pence VS Tim Kaine

Keepin' it 1600 | Ep. 38: VP Debate React and State of the Race

JON FAVREAU: (16m 50s) It was jarring to see normal candidates talking right?
TOMMY VIETOR: In full sentences about issues
FAVREAU: The same way that watching the Clinton debates in the Primaries against Bernie were sort of boring and a totally different feeling than that involving Trump. This had that feeling again. Normal Politics was suddenly back. We were talking about issues. It was almost depressing because as entertaining as the other thing is, its horrible.
VIETOR: What it makes you realise is that there is hope for us after Trump. We can get past Trump. Politics is still really f*cked up but we can go back to debates like that. Except there is a lot of lying, lying with impunity is still a problem

The only Vice Presidential debate took place Tuesday, sandwiched between the First and Second Presidential showdowns. Most political watchers see the VP debates as only marginally consequential especially in contrast to the outsized personalities involved at the top of the ticket, the Main Event. Being that both Hillary and Donald are the oldest nominees to contest for the Presidency some lip service was paid. The VP debate offered a seemingly singular opportunity for the public to be introduced to Mike Pence and Tim Kaine head to head with under 40 days left before voting.

Kaine is trying to win the argument, Pence is trying to win the audience.

— Marc Duvoisin (@MarcDuvoisin) October 5, 2016

The general consensus among pundits was that Mike Pence won, largely on presentation. He was measured in his tone, sidestepping many of the charges Tim Kaine laid at his feet. Kaine whilst being more substantive was mostly dismissed due to his constant interruptions of Pence and the moderator, a mishandling of the permitted "discussion" format. Mike Pence' credentials as a former Radio Talker often cited for his deftness on the stage.

Inforwars: Live feed of the VP Debate

LA Times: Scoring the Vice Presidential Debate

Several outlets employed the Combat sports analogy, de rigeur this election season and moving forward I suspect. Infowars used a boxing graphic to accompany their live election feed. The LA Times went with a Greco-Roman wrestling motif, complete with Judges' scorecards.

'Review America' a limited podcast series on American Politics through the prism of Wrestling

Wrestling fans have a unique way of viewing the world. A perspective with elements from media studies or observational comedy, they see the superficial presentation whilst taking into account the layers of meta-reference and insider jargon. The culture has moved towards a better understanding of this through the popularity of 'The Daily Show' and the rise of independent media challenging and unpacking mainstream news.

Review America  – Episode 1: The RNC

Which brings us to today, where we can have an audience receptive to a show discussing American politics through the prism of wrestling. 'Review America: Wrestling with democracy' is a limited series podcast hosted on the 'Fight Network', a Canadian media station dedicated to combat sports. Hosted by Americans Brian Mann and Nate Milton, its a spin-off from a 2012 episode where Canadians John Pollock and Wai Ting departed from their regular format of reviewing Wrestling PPVs to investigating the compelling presidential showdown between nominees Governor Romney (r) and Senator Obama (d). Not unlike my own fascination with America's brand of politics as an outsider all those years ago. Host Brian describes the zeitgeist which birthed the show in the show's opening address:

Review America with Brian Mann & Nate Milton – Episode 1: The RNC
BRIAN MANN: (2m 37s) This really does feel like a convergence this year where a lot of the world is kinda becoming hip to the Pro-Wrestling way of doing things unfortunately. You and I, we obviously have no shame when it comes to liking pro-wrestling but its interesting how our entire society has kind of unknowingly adapted to the same framework of thinking. A couple of months ago the New York Times wrote a really great article... and I just want to share a quote from it...

'Is Everything Wrestling' by Jeremy Gordon
If a story is told well, if its history seems consistent, then the machinations putting it into place can be temporarily overlooked or turned into a fun story of their own. And why not? In the end, we're all marks for a world we want to believe in.

And I think that really puts this election into focus, the reason Nate and I are going to spend a couple of weeks and really months until this wraps up in November is because I think there is a uniquely pro-wrestling way of looking at this entire election. So this isn't going to strictly be a political show, we are going to be tying it into that. We will be viewing this through the framework of "Marks" and "Smarks" and "kayfabe"* and everything that I think our audience is conditioned to think and that's why we want to bring the show to you on this platform (The Fight Network) rather than putting it out through a different party. This is a show about Politics but for Wrestling fans even though we're not necessarily going to be making Ted DiBiase jokes every second.

*Glossary for wrestling jargon:
Mark - Fan who enjoys and consumes Wrestling at face value
Smark - Fan aware of Wrestling's artifice and appreciates its meta layers. Short for "Smart Mark".
Kayfabe - Preservation of the illusion that Wrestling is real

My blog's initial focus on the pundit class was because they were more compelling (read: entertaining) political personalities with arguably more influence on voters. They were unfettered as private citizens and not beholden to the usual journalistic constraints of objectivity and decorum. Pundits were establishing fiefdoms through their media empires, effectively fashioning their own voting blocs to leverage or rival the politicians.
This election, the rise of Donald Trump as the "rogue" nominee for the Republican party represents the convergence of wrestling, punditry andpolitics. With 10.8 million Twitter followers, coupled with his unrivaled ability to engulf "free media", Trump is a one-man noise machine.
Nate Milton expands:

Review America with Brian Mann & Nate Milton – Episode 1: The RNC
NATE MILTON: You talk about relating in the way you and I... look at pro-wrestling you can easily apply it to the world of politics and I think in this election in particular where you have two oversized characters. One in Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side and Donald Trump, the guy we're gonna be focusing on most this week on the Republican side. Someone who has dabbled in the world of pro-wrestling. He's a WWE Hall-of-Famer so he's no stranger to the world of "kayfabe" but I think its gonna be an interesting journey for us because as you've mentioned politics is something that we often talk about and to our credit its something we enjoy talking about and to the listeners' credit something that they didn't mind when we went down that road so I think we're gonna have a lot of fun and get to some insightful places... and I think the tagline "Wrestling with democracy" is very appropriate.

I founded this blog in 2007, at the close of George W Bush' presidency and gearing up to the 08' presidential race. The politics is wrestling meme had been forwarded in sprinkles but the "Pundit Fight" premise of the blog was only possible with the advent of Air America Radio. The Progressive radio network provided a stable of liberal talkers to counteract the "Right Wing Noise Machine". This allowed me to pit Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter against the likes of Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow, the incubation of the politicised media marketplace today.

Its a telling state of affairs that a presidential nominee has usurped all of the pundits combined, not only in bombast but his ability to manipulate the media and the masses. Its worth noting that 'Review America' never had to mention the pundit class in relating American politics to wrestling. Donald Trump has seemingly made PunditFight obsolete by becoming the living incarnation of it. Sad.

Pundits TRUMPED!

Links to the 3 'Review America with Brian Mann & Nate Milton' episode so far:
- Episode 1: The RNC
- Episode 2: The DNC
- Episode 3: Diagnosing Donald

Bill Simmons & Jon Favreau on Trump as a performer and American Politics as Pro-Wrestling

I came up with the American Politics is pro-wrestling analogy in 2007, finding commonality in the showmanship and psychology in both.
I primarily made comparisons in the world of punditry where similarities were more ripe. Personalities were larger and less constrained, the hours of daily TV and radio time providing a forum for feuds and angles to develop. Politicians cut their promos on the senate floor and on cable news shows, election season being the political equivalent of the run-up to Wrestlemania.

In the near decade since starting the blog, I've tracked instances where the media has used the analogy. For a time former wrestler and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura was the perfect representation of the meme. This election cycle, the politics as wrestling analogy has turned into conventional wisdom as Donald Trump rampages his way to the GOP nomination. A WWE Hall-of-Famer, reality TV star and political influencer, Trump as Presidential candidate has distilled the meme into a winning formula for ratings and votes.

The Bill Simmons Podcast | Ep. 75: Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer
JON FAVREAU: (10m 24s) My theory on Trump is, he's basically what you'd get if you had someone who just watched cable news all day, specifically FOX and listening to right wing radio
BILL SIMMONS: Like if TV created a candidate or had a baby
FAVREAU: He knows just enough. Because its all surface level, its all bad news. Its all about how everyone in Washington on both parties are a bunch of crooks and liars. Its all punditry. Its all talking about poll numbers. This is what he does. He's better at political punditry and reciting poll numbers and reciting who's up and who's down and all that kind of stuff than he is talking about issues. And you could see like in the debate last night, every time you press him past... He's like an inch deep and a mile wide on knowledge on just about everything. So you press him more than 5 or 10 seconds on any given issue. He can't, cos he doesn't know.

'Sports Guy' Bill Simmons is a wrestling fan with the privilege of recording the first podcast with a sitting U.S. President (Maron later recorded the first long-form podcast). In conversation with fellow Holy Cross alumni Jon Favreau, former director of speechwriting for President Obama they illustrate the politics as wrestling analogy and how Trump perfectly embodies it.

Bill Simmons at SummerSlam 2015,
with President Obama recording a podcast in the White House.

BILL SIMMONS: (20m 15s) I'm not positive what the debates are supposed to accomplish because its a totally unnatural interaction and somebody like Trump who's a performer, he's such a better performer than anyone else on stage and he's just blowing everyone away in these debates until they finally started coming back at him. But in the first couple of ones, he was just being a bully and it worked
JON FAVREAU: Trump has realised what most candidates, including my old boss Barack Obama never realised which is that they are complete performances, these debates. Obama was terrible in debates for a long time. He got better during the primary the more he did them...

SIMMONS: Why was he terrible? Was he overthinking it?
FAVREAU: Because he thought they were on the level. And he told us that. I though you get up there and debate issues with other people
SIMMONS: ...And it's pro-wrestling
FAVREAU: *agreeing* And it's pro-wrestling
SIMMONS: You're grabbing the mic and you're yelling at Stephanie McMahon, getting the crowd going
FAVREAU: and the way you have to, the way you're taught to answer a question in the debate is soundbite first, main message and then you sort of go backwards. So its not like you answer a real question where you build a logical argument from beginning to end which is what Obama does. He's a professor, a lawyer. In a debate you yell, scream, you ignore the question. It's WWF.
SIMMONS: *imitating Trump* "That's why Marco, that's why you're losing". Its like your opener. "That's why Ted Cruz is a liar". This is my point on that.
FAVREAU: That's like Trump the pundit again too right? The best moments in the debate is when he just says what everyone on cable has been saying anyway. "You're at the end of the stage Jeb because you suck".

SIMMONS: That's one of the few defensible things about what Trump's done these last few months. The debates are ludicrous anyway. They are pro-wrestling and everybody kinda danced around it and Trump was the first one that was like - This IS pro-wrestling!
FAVREAU: Right, I'm just gonna go with it.
SIMMONS: Insulting everyone and that's how you win this. His messages are basically just this big, black and white headline. This, that, this. You're a liar, You're a jerk. You're losing
FAVREAU: Low energy
SIMMONS: You're low energy. Its really tough. Poor Jeb Bush he just didn't know what to do
FAVREAU: Well Jeb is just -- he looked like a candidate from another era... the last time he had campaigned was a decade ago maybe. So he had been out Politics for so long he hadn't realised how much it had changed. So he still thought that people were having debates like they used to back in the day. He was so not prepared for what Trump was...

Donald Trump has been welcomed by some as Frankenstein's monster revealing what the GOP has become. In a similar vein, Trump's rise has also laid bare the values of News Entertainment. The Presidential Donald persona birthed from the resentments of the Tea Party and the bombast of cable news. Both astutely manipulated by Trump as an apparatus to deliver him to the White House.

Conservative Pundits and the "Great Unwashed": Comedian Russell Brand with Sean Hannity. Rock Star Andrew W.K with Glenn Beck

Comedian Russell Brand VS Sean Hannity.
Rock Star Andrew W.K. and Glenn Beck

Rock Star Andrew W.K. in conversation with Glenn Beck, invited after his empathetic commentary on the 'Village Voice' resonated with the Conservative Talker.

VIDEO: Glenn Beck Interviews Andrew W.K. | "Glenn Beck Program"

GLENN BECK: How do we get people to shed the argument of Politics and also shed the cynicism that "You can't change, you really believe that. You were part of the problem!". Yes we all were, how do we get there?
ANDREW W.K: It's very good question and perhaps the pondering of that question is one of the best ways to get there. Staying in touch with the puzzle that it is to be alive and connecting with other people in that way. The confusion that we feel in trying to decide what we think, what we believe. That's natural and I think its actually very healthy to dive as deep as we can into beliefs, ideas and opinions and allow them to make us passionate and inflame us at times but to never let them replace who we really are deep down inside which is a person. And at the worst we lose sight that other people who have different feelings than us, that they're not people

BECK: The problem is people think that you are surrendering your values cause I still believe the things I believe. I still believe they're important... That's what I felt I was fighting for but I got lost in being part of the problem. But people will tell me "You can't give up!". I'm not giving up, I still believe in those things but I don't believe in the way we were trying to attain those things or to defend those things
W.K: I completely agree and I think its very noble to be able to recognise that in oneself. Its very easy to get lost in your passion and to be humbled occasionally doesn't mean you're a weak person... to be weak in terms of being open-hearted and open-minded isn't a flaw. In fact to be too proud to have moments of being humbled that's more flawed than anything. Its a way to hold on to who you are but not let define you in a way that cuts you from the rest of humanity.

Comedian Russell Brand in a firefight with Fox News' pundit Sean Hannity

VIDEO: Israel/Palestine, Russell Brand/Sean Hannity: Round 2 (The Trews E114)

CLIP OF SEAN HANNITY (3m 20s): But apparently Russell can't get that through his thick head and possibly fathom that this is the reality
RUSSELL BRAND: Its not reality, its a combination of speculation, conjecture and highly contextualised, selected information. That's not reality, that's piecing together a narrative that fits in with Fox News' World view and his own bigoted World view. That's not reality, that's a tiny aperture through which bigoted and particular information is glimpsed, That's sort of the opposite of all-encompassing, wonderful, unknowable reality

Avengers assemble! Glenn Beck's 2014 Summer Rally with Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and possibly Rush Limbaugh

VIDEO: RWW News - Glenn Beck Teases Pre-Election Conservative Summit 

Beck Teases Pre-Election Conservative Summit with Hannity, Levin & Limbaugh
GLENN BECK: I wrote to Sean about a week before I went on vacation and I said "Sean, I do these summer events and this summer, we haven't announced it yet, but I would like to consider doing the first night of a three night event with you and Mark and possibly Rush [if anybody has the guts to ask Rush] and he wrote back immediately "I'm in. I'll talk to Mark"...
This summer event, we hope to announce in the next couple of weeks. I'm thinking it'll be in June... coincidentally this is the summer leading into the Midterm elections...
PAT GRAY: It'd be weird to be united leading into the Midterm elections... It'd be really sad for the other side

Glenn Beck's Summer Rally 2014:
Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh

Glenn Beck used a cartoon reference to describe this union of Pundit heavyweights, "when Wonder Twins activate… Something big is happening". I would have preferred a wrestling reference but I feel another set of comic book superfriends are more apt - The Avengers!

Glenn Beck's Summer Rally 2014:
"Avengers Assemble!" edition

Ann Coulter as The Black Widow
A femme fatale, perennially in Black. Ann is tasked with coaxing the powerful Rush Limbaugh into the fold.

Sean Hannity as Captain America
Sean is a "Great American" and a leader in his own right. He is a patriot with a throwback style.

Glenn Beck as Iron Man
A wealthy industrialist and recovering alcoholic, Glenn Beck is the head of this motley crew of conservative pundits

Mark Levin as Thor
Wielding his hammer of justice, Levin is a lawyer with a thunderous voice. Despite fighting alongside Iron Man [Glenn Beck], they have had their battles in the past.

Rush Limbaugh as The Incredible Hulk
You wouldn't want to see him angry. A one man wrecking crew, Rush is the Lethal Weapon crucial to the Avengers winning the war.

Play with the new APF animation below. Toggle the button on the corner left to see the "Avengers Assembled":

- War is over: Sean Hannity and Mark Levin call truce with Glenn Beck

Shaun Micallef's MAD AS HELL, American Punditry done Australian style

Australian funnyman Shaun Micallef parodies American style pundits for his new ABC show, 'Shaun Micallef's MAD AS HELL'. Micallef's second foray into satirical news after 'Newstopia' in 2007

Shaun displays impressive improv chops reminiscent of Stephen Colbert whilst carving his own path, the program owning its Australianness and preserving Shaun's signature absurd style. The show's title comes from the movie 'Network' (1976). News Anchor, Howard Beale famously rouses his discontented audience with an impassioned "I'm Mad as Hell" speech. APF pundits Keith Olbermann and Glenn Beck have channeled Beale in recent years, Micallef similarly has modeled his comedic Anchorman after him.

All Pundit parodies will forever be judged on the gold standard that is Colbert and Micallef holds up capably as the following monologue shows. Stephen Colbert parodied the bravado and naked passion of punditry with lines like "I speak straight from the gut, okay? I give people the truth, unfiltered by rational argument" and "The 'truthiness' is, anyone can read the news to you. I promise to feel the news at you".

Read Micallef's own fresh take

MAD AS HELL Intro. Episode 4 

SHAUN MICALLEF: What's all the whooing there. Are you out of your minds? Your sounding very American. You know I don't like that. It's crazy, its the start of the show. Its completely uncalled for reaction in my view. I'm sorry about starting the show in this way. Gun's down, the gun's down. I'm sorry I've never pulled a gun on an audience in my life 

I'll be honest with you, I'm very angry this week and I'm not sure why. I feel a certain way about something but when I actually think about it I get just as angry but for a completely different reason and that makes me mad. So my anger this week is unfocused and double what it would be normally. So when how we feel and what we think are on the same road but are traveling in opposite directions you're on a collision course with blind fury and I don't like blind fury. It makes me furious! That's right I'm talking about...

Watch an excerpt of the show, featuring Sean's regular offsider Francis Greenslade.

VIDEO: Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell - Positivity and Growth Rate

The Chaser’s Empty Vessel at the 2012 Sydney Writers' Festival

The last time I was at the Sydney Writers' Festival I had the privilege of seeing the late Christoper Hitchens.
The 2012 Festival offers a similarly juicy treat for Political junkies with the The Chaser’s Empty Vessel, what they've described as "A Variety, Talent show without the variety or talent".

@danilic "I'm at The Chaser's Empty Vessel it is like an intellectual gang bang #tcev #swf"

The maiden (Wednesday, May 16) show for 'The Chaser’s Empty Vessel', featured Chaser Muckrakers, Julian Morrow, Chris Taylor, Andrew Hansen, Chas Licciardello and Scott Dooley as they welcomed three authors on stage. Joe McGinnis and Nick Bryant were particularly interesting because of their anecdotes on American Politics. Mcginnis spoke of his friendship with Fox News president Roger Ailes, sharing his blunt appraisal of employee Sarah Palin. Joe is the author of 'The Rogue', a book he wrote whilst being next door neighbors with the the Palins. He shared a few stories proving there's no love lost between himself and the diminutive Todd and revealed having photos that could be gamechangers for the Palins.

Nick Bryant, an Englishman now living in Australia shared his experiences working with the Daily Mail. He offered anecdotes of his time covering Bill Clinton for his uni paper when he was a candidate and being a part of the Lewinsky circus in proceeding years.

There was an interesting exchange where Chris Taylor posed the question if the blurring of politics and entertainment was detrimental, the trivialising of politics is something this blog constantly wrestles with. The authors replied that likability has always been crucial to garnering votes citing how presidents like Nixon and Clinton had used Light Entertainment TV to appeal to the electorate.

The Chaser’s Empty Vessel will be on every evening from May 16th to the 20th  for the Sydney Writers' Festival, featuring authors Joe McGinnis, Glenn Carle, Michael Hastings, Jeffrey Eugenides, Walled Aly and Marc Lewis.

'The Chaser' began as a satirical newspaper but are best known for their TV shows 'The Chaser's War on Everything' and faux news show 'CNNNN'

VIDEO: The Chasers War On Fox News

Townhall Magazine: "100 Americans the left hate most!"

If one's mission were to "win friends and influence people" they would most likely do their best not to criticize, condemn or complain and act in a friendly manner. You may be mistaken for thinking this is what Politics is about, not quite. Winning elections is about having more votes than your competitor, its not necessarily about winning everyone over. If you're able to impassion a majority to victory it would almost be wise to cut your losses, sometimes having a constant opposition as a bogeyman can be the best motivator.

The world of wrestling is built on the very notion of "Us vs Them". Wrestlers orient themselves as either 'Heels' (villains) or 'Faces' (heroes) by their actions and their words. Their appeal however is based entirely on how they connect with the audience and not their orientation. Its not uncommon in wrestling to find that you root for the villain and loathe the hero.

Identity politics is built on proudly distinguishing oneself as part of marginalized group, insisting on such a narrative is a source of empowerment, a badge of honor. Its a tactic used by politicians and pundits with Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck arguably being the most effective proponents. Not surprisingly the marginalisation angle works best for the pundits when their ideological side is out of power and their supporters most engaged. As evidenced by the introduction of Liberal radio station Air America and pundits like Randi Rhodes, Sam Seder and Al Franken during the Republican Bush' second term. Also seen in the emergence of Glenn Beck and his brand of restoration during President Obama's first term.

Its not uncommon for these "marginalised" groups to glorify their status by identifying their biggest targets as TownHall Magazine have done below. But these lists can easily be recontextualized so the positions of strength are inverted as seen in these set of ranking  - Top 10 list of anti-Barack Obama conservatives

100 Americans se left hate most!
The more effective the voices that oppose their agenda, the greater the venom the Left spews in their direction. It’s this out-of-control behavior from our fellow citizens who are sold out to the ultraliberal progressive Obama agenda to “radically transform” the United States that led us to create this list of “The 100 Americans the Left Hates Most.”

The Townhall editorial staff compiled a massive list of those we believe have the largest bull’s-eyes painted on them by the Left and the Democrat-dominated government...

Download the PDF here - The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most

The usual suspects of PunditFight conservatives appear on the list, you'll have to go to TownHall magazine to find their respective rankings:
Hugh Hewitt, Bill Kristol, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck

Watch how marginalised heel personalities negotiate between each other to elevate themselves

VIDEO: WWE Over The Limit 2010 Randy Orton Vs Edge

JibJab's latest creation - Never a Year Like '09

We here at the APF are big fans of JibJab. The cutout aesthetic. Their world-famous political toons, with pundits always getting major screen time. Their kickass animations and brilliant sense of humour. Not to mention JibJab's comprehensive behind-the-scenes blog features. What's not to like?

Unveiling their latest animation commemorating the year just passed. Go to their Making of “Never a Year Like ‘09″ feature page here.

VIDEO: JibJab - Never a Year Like '09

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

John Gibson appears on 'The O'Reilly Factor', calls out Jon Stewart

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly And John Gibson: Conservatives Upset About Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

A new look John Gibson was a guest on the O'Reilly factor to talk about President Obama and his new book 'How the Left Swiftboated America: The Liberal Media Conspiracy to Make You Think George Bush Was the Worst President in History'.

The O'Reilly Factor (12/09/09)
BILL O'REILLY: Who is the biggest villain in your opinion in the media today?
JOHN GIBSON: One of the most influential is Jon Stewart
O'REILLY: Yeah - Jon Stewart. The Daily Show?
GIBSON: He influenced a huge number of young men, who probably wouldn't have gone out and voted the way they did...
O'REILLY: That's interesting
GIBSON: ... cuz they thought he was a real newsperson
...
O'REILLY: How about the dopey guy Colbert?
GIBSON: I don't bother with him...

Expect a follow up in the coming days from either Stewart or Colbert as this is perfect fodder for a continuing feud. A likely calculation on Gibson's part to generate attention for his new book.

PBS Newshour's feature on "Talkers Shaping Political Discourse in U.S."

PBS Newshour had an illuminating feature examining the role Talkers are playing in American Politics.

Some of the most poignant comments came from Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers Magazine

On why Talk Radio is the way it is and why it always has been

TV, Radio Talkers Shaping Political Discourse in U.S.
MICHAEL HARRISON: Radio, popular radio in America, all the way back to the '30s, has been a street medium. It's always been the medium of the street, reflecting populism.

So, what you hear on radio and what you're seeing now on cable news talk television, which is really an extension of talk radio, is just the First Amendment in action.

On the misleading estimation of the influence of Talkers

MICHAEL HARRISON: We have these nationally famous people who really have much smaller audiences than the awareness of them would indicate or make you believe. What happens is, they -- they talk to their faithful in terms that the faithful expect and understand. They preach to the choir. And some of the things they say are repugnant to people who have other choirs.

- Download the audio from PBS Newshour's report airing Nov 4, 2009

Newest APF member, Introducing Dennis Miller

In anticipation of his eventual GM guest hosting spot on WWE's Raw, I proudly introduce Comedian and Radio Talker Dennis Miller to the 'American Pundit Fighting' roster.

Dennis Miller first made a name for himself as a comedian and SNL cast member, moving on to host popular talks shows on HBO and CNBC. He currently hosts a daily three-hour radio show nationally syndicated by Westwood One, covering culture, current events and politics.

As a talker Dennis is distinctly known for his flowery way of speaking and use of obtuse references, which stylistically is not to dissimilar to fellow comedian (but political opposite) Janeane Garofalo. In recent years much has been made of Miller's "drift" rightwards to conservatism after 9/11.

Dennis Miller address these matters in an illuminating interview for The Politico

The Dennis Miller interview
How would you describe your political beliefs: Republican? Independent? Libertarian?

Well, I’d say it’s eclectic pragmatism at some point. I’m a moderate in some degree because I have wildly swinging opinions but through some sort of ideological feng shui they end up in the middle. Some swing far to the left, others to the far right. I’m for the war, but I’m also for gay marriage. I don’t care if two folks with the same genitalia want to get hitched, I just don’t want some a—hole from another country coming over here and blowing up their wedding to make a political statement.

In just the past few minutes you’ve referenced obscure figures ranging from a '60s-era general to a vintage talking doll. Given your audience on conservative talk radio, are you too hip for the room?

I never signed up for anything called "conservative talk radio." I’m on Westwood One, and my boss Norm Pattiz is a liberal. I’m just on talk radio. I don’t think I’m too hip for the room at all. I’ve got 194 stations after just 16 months, which I’m told is good, and my mind is boggled at just how wise and funny my callers have been. On occasion I’ll get someone who is off the grid and I’ll feel like I’m on the phone with [Ted] Kaczynski, but for the most part it’s a pretty urbane crowd. I don’t think I’m too hip for the room. People always say ‘it’s so eclectic,’ but I’m making references to the Jetsons’ robot maid — not exactly Ted Cooley or Bucky Fuller.

Newest APF member Dennis Miller:
Note: Like all new Pundit animations, click on the button on the bottom left to see an alternate costume for Dennis.



- Go to Dennis Miller's official website
- Find a glossary of Dennis Miller's favourite quotes and references

Marc Maron and Patton Oswalt talk about Right Wing pundits and bad comedians

After the abrupt cancellation of 'Break Room Live' on Air America, Marc Maron has resurfaced alongside his long-time Producer Brendan McDonald on their project 'WTF with Marc Maron'. It is a podcast dedicated to Maron's brand of comedy.

Whilst I would encourage people to enjoy the show starting from the pilot episode. For those unfamiliar with Marc, Episode 3 featuring an interview with comedian and friend Patton Oswalt is a perfect distillation of Maron's unique voice.

In a wide ranging interview discussing Maron's favored themes of success, obsession and acceptance. Patton Oswalt makes an interesting observation of Right Wing pundits likening them to comedians.

'WTF with Marc Maron' - Episode 3 with Patton Oswalt and Lawton Smalls
PATTON OSWALT: ... Have you noticed that a lot of right-wing pundits especially on AM radio are former failed comedians? I think that a bad comedian just wants the audience cheering for the 8 things that they say... the good comedians and the same with the good pundits, good broadcasters are that they're always out there asking questions. Of themselves. Of the audience. Whereas the bad comedians are like "I want to know that there are 11 to 12 things that I can say and get surefire applause and get my cheque and that's as far as I'm willing to go...

- Go to 'WTF with Marc Maron Podcast'
- Go to 'Break Room Live', Maron's previous project with friend Sam Seder on Air America
- Find my interview with Marc Maron in 2008 here

Child prodigy edition of the 'Pundit Pit' - Jonathan Krohn takes on challengers

Fox and Friends proudly presents a pint-sized edition of the 'Pundit Pit'.

It's a triple threat match with child prodigies
- 11 year old, published author Adora Svitak
- 14 year old conservative columnist Jonathan Krohn
- 11 year old College Graduate With 4.0 GPA Moshe Kai Cavalin

VIDEO: Prodigy Pundit Pit

STEVE DOOCY: You know we talk to grown ups all the time on this show about issues that affect kids, so today we decided to go straight to the source. It's our special child prodigy edition of the 'Pundit Pit'...

This segment featuring highly developed kids, particularly Jonathan Krohn who has clearly been influenced by Right Wing talkers has been parodied in comedy sketches like "The Lil O'Reilly Factor".

With that said mimicry is nothing new for kids who are developing their craft. It is not unlike young athletes being influenced by their favourite players like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. What makes it slightly cringeworthy and ripe for ridicule is when the mimicry is simply hollow aping without any real world understanding or earned wisdom which only comes with age.

Rather than the comparison of a young basketball player imitating the moves of Michael Jordan. I would liken the "kids as pundits" segment (particularly Jonathan Krohn's performance) to Backyard wrestling; undeveloped youngsters, attention seeking and a little hollow but with a conviction that still might lead to a career in the big leagues.

VIDEO: Back Yard Wrestling 20/20 ABC

Glenn Beck interviews Rush Limbaugh over the phone

Earlier this year the APF predicted that Rush Limbaugh might be usurped by Sean Hannity as the leading talker in America. I later withdrew that prediction once Sean Hannity interviewed Rush Limbaugh.

Since then, Glenn Beck has emerged as a formidable force in Political commentary, confirmed by a CPAC straw poll as the #2 "media personality" behind Rush Limbaugh. Like Hannity before him, Rush Limbaugh grants an interview with arguably his closest competitor in Glenn Beck.

VIDEO: Glenn Beck interviews Rush Limbaugh Pt 2


All told, Rush Limbaugh as the Michael Jordan of Talk Radio will likely never be surpassed. I've stated previously that Glenn Beck's is more a direct challenge to Bill O'Reilly's dominance both in medium and aesthetic rather than Rush'.

GLENN BECK: Rush help me out on this cause you always get thrown under the bus, well where were you when George W Bush was spending etc. etc., address -- cause I have to tell ya the Republican Party doesn't get it... George Bush, this compassionate conservative movement has got to die a violent death
RUSH LIMBAUGH: Yes! Glenn let me tell you something... Personally I don't mind people asking me that question "where were you when all the spending..."

Janeane Garofalo VS Ken Pittman, Fox News, Griff Jenkins and Sean Hannity

Janeane Garofalo stalked by Fox News' Griff Jenkins

There has been some excitement today surrounding liberalism's Top heel (villain) Janeane Garofalo, lingering fallout from her provocative charges against the Tea party protesters. Appearing in Somerville Boston, for the 'Alternate Comedy Festival', Janeane Garofalo was stalked and ambushed by two separate conservative critics - Fox News' Griff Jenkins and local Talk Radio host Ken Pittman.

Ken Pittman, the self proclaimed "voice of reason in Massachusetts" made news for a planned protest of the comedian.

Janeane Garofalo gig sparks protest in Somerville
A group of steamed citizens led by conservative radio talk host Ken Pittman of New Bedford’s WBSM-AM plan to protest outside her gig tonight at the Somerville Theatre.

"She has exposed herself as a bigot" Pittman said.
About 20 to 40 people are expected to show up, he said.

Janeane's former co-host, Boston-raised Sam Seder stands up for his embattled friend and has some fun at the expense of Ken Pittman and his underwhelming protest.

VIDEO: Conservative Talker Ken Pittman gets ambushed by Sam Seder @ BreakRoomLive.com

SAM SEDER: Do you think its gonna be awkward when he goes on Fox for him to just say that it was just him at that protest or what?... Well because I read in the Herald, I saw on Hannity that there were going to be people inside, that they were gonna have a real big surprise. It just turned out that he went out there with a Fox camera man and just recorded her

Friend and fellow comedian Marc Maron interviews Janeane Garofalo to get her side of the story

VIDEO: Janeane Garofalo Interview @ BreakRoomLive.com

Ken Pittman shares his side of the story on his blog - Garofalo unapologetic and

Garofalo on Ken Pittman:
Basically, she is right about the protest. I was technically the only one there but on the bright side, I am tied for first for the smallest protest ever... I felt compelled to stick around for a few in case someone wanted to ask me anything or even tell me anything.

Watch the footage of Janeane Garofalo confronted by Griff Jenkins shown on Hannity's program

VIDEO: Fox News Griff Jenkins' confronting Janeane Garofalo

McCain Calls Out "Extreme Talk Show Hosts"..."Shameful"

VIDEO: McCain on CBS' 'Face the Nation, labels "Extreme Talk Show Hosts" as "Shameful"

Face The Nation (April 26, 2009)
BOB SCHIEFFER: Vice President Cheney says he wants more of these documents made public, so the public will understand that these interrogation methods worked
JOHN McCAIN: Well as you know the [former] Vice President and I strongly disagree on the fundamentals of this issue... but the Vice President of the United States has the right to weigh in on this discussion if he wants to...

and when extreme talk show hosts say that he wants another attack on the United States, I think that's shameful.

John McCain referring to Dick Cheney's call for a release of memos to highlight the results of the Bush Administration's contentious interrogation methods

Cheney Calls for Release of Memos Showing Results of Interrogation Efforts
Cheney said he's asked that the documents be declassified because he has remained silent on the confidential information...

"I've now formally asked the CIA to take steps to declassify those memos so we can lay them out there and the American people have a chance to see what we obtained and what we learned and how good the intelligence was."

Cheney says he doesn't find it surprising that he's still asked for his views on administrative policies and thinks it's appropriate for those with a different point of view to be able to express it -- and give the American people the ability to evaluate.

Stephen Colbert on torture and Shepard Smith swearing

Hot on the heels of Bill O'Reilly's cuss during a discussion on torture, comes his Fox News stablemate Shepard Smith. Stephen Colbert takes Shep Smith to task:

Shepard Smith Swears (April 23, 2009)
SHEP SMITH: We are America (banging table). I don't give a rat's ass if it helps. We are America. We do not f*cking torture! We don't do it.
STEPHEN COLBERT: Shepard Smith, we are America. We do not swear on camera. We don't do it (banging on table).

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Shepard Smith Swears
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Ellis Helican VS Bill O'Reilly debate on Waterboarding and Torture

Video: Ellis Helican VS Bill O'Reilly, April 22 2009

ELLIS HELICAN: ... Expediency don't justify doing something that's wrong
BILL O'REILLY: Expediency huh to save your life (pointing) I would have dunked that guy that guy into water
HELICAN: You're comin' out for water now?
O'REILLY: Torture my ass. Bleep that board
HELICAN: Torture!
O'REILLY: Alright Ellis, calm down. We'll waterboard Ellis in a moment

Steve Young of DailyKOs gleefully uses the "Pundit Fight" analogy to describe the shouting match between Bill O'Reilly and Ellis Helican on the definition and effectiveness of torture. It is a rematch of this battle, proving that even when the match is heavily weighted favouring O'Reilly the Independent Helican is a formidable opponent.

Bill O'Reilly Gets The Bleep Beat Out Of Him
If it were a boxing match, it would have been stopped. Bill O’Reilly kept trying to clinch, interrupting nearly every sentence Fox News contributor, Ellis Henican threw that wasn’t going the way Bill wanted - which was pretty much every one of them. Bill O’Reilly was bloodied to the point he had to be bleeped - "torture, my ass." The only thing that saved Bill was the commercial bell.

Read comments on this exchange at 'Crooks and Liars': - Why are you scared of the facts?' Bill O'Reilly finally meets his match in Ellis Henican