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SUNNY Temp: 90 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 16, 2003 The radio is always on talk radio at Bryan Platt�s Medford upholstery business. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Some listeners believe talk radio exposes problems By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Nancy McAllister of Medford admits she’s a "newsaholic" who can’t get enough of conservative talk radio. While doing housework, she starts her day with Rosemary and Garth Harrington from 6 to 9 a.m., sometimes switches to Perry Atkinson between 8 and 9, then tunes in to Rush Limbaugh from 9 to noon, dials in Lars Larson from noon to 4 p.m., then catches the "O’Reilly Factor" on television from 5 to 6 p.m. She is one of many listeners in Jackson County who tune in to conservative talk radio. "If it wasn’t for talk radio, a lot of us would remain in the dark about many problems in government," she said. McAllister will often switch channels to catch a discussion about political issues, particularly a local political issue. She has listened to Jeff Golden of Jefferson Public Radio in the past, but considers him "too far left of center for me." And Michael Savage is "too abrasive for me." She likes Rush’s format because he sprinkles humor in to make his point. "Rush rules with me," she said. "If it wasn’t for Rush Limbaugh, the others wouldn’t be where they are now." Her only criticism of Larson, besides his lack of humor, is that he tends to cut people off before they finish their thought. "That’s why I don’t call Lars," she said. McAllister agreed that from time to time, Larson might overstate a point or the relevance of some fact, but generally finds his opinions thought-provoking. What she likes about Larson and the Harringtons is how they keep politicians in line and keep an eye on government waste. "Lars will give the names of legislators who are raising taxes. He is good at giving that kind of information." McAllister, who opposes abortion and believes in strong Christian principles, said she is pretty far to the right and wants a government that is fiscally responsible. "Oregon is just overtaxed," she said. "My husband’s going into retirement soon and we will have to tighten our belts. The government should do the same when the economy isn’t doing well." Limbaugh rules with McAllister, but Tustin Ellison of Applegate favors Larson. "I agree with Lars Larson on 98 percent of the issues," he said. "I’m not anti-government. I just want it to perform realistically and with great care and concern." But Ellison has his limits. When Larson was interviewing someone pushing for more taxes, he didn’t think the talk show host shut him down fast enough. "I just had to turn Lars Larson off," he said. Despite this moment of exasperation, Ellison said, "I think he does a better job than anybody else." Ellison can’t see why liberals refer to these type of shows as hate radio. "I don’t understand how liberals think at all," he said. "The difficulty is when I find a liberal, I turn them off. Why waste my time when what they’re saying is diametrically opposed to my own?" He agrees that popular talk show host Michael Savage is "crude, rude and unattractive," but he thinks it is a necessary counterpoint to a nation that has moved too far to the left. He even finds the current president is overstepping his bounds by declaring war against Iraq, while ignoring the proper protocol of filing a formal declaration of war. "We have the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence," he said. "We need to get back to that." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times