“Write it down”: Revisiting radio hosts' warnings about the consequences of Democratic victories

On the heels of Democratic electoral victories -- both nationally and in Colorado -- Colorado Media Matters revisits some of the warnings Colorado's conservative radio personalities issued about the potential consequences of Democratic or “liberal” control of various branches of government.

“Gunny” Bob Newman

  • On the October 30 broadcast of his Newsradio 850 KOA show, host “Gunny” Bob Newman claimed that if House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), becomes speaker of the House after the November 7 congressional elections, she would attempt to "[l]egalize gay marriage and polygamy." Newman also claimed that Pelosi would, among other things, attempt to "[m]ake illegal aliens eligible for Social Security," "[t]erminate most surveillance of suspected terrorists," and "[s]ubstantially reduce aid and assistance to Israel."
  • On his October 5 show, Newman warned, “If the Democrats retake the House and/or the Senate, and then, if they take the White House in 2008, I predict carnage for the American people because of Democratic negligence and dereliction of duty when it comes to the war on terror and national security with those efforts projected globally.” He added that if Democrats “get into power while we're fighting a global asymmetric war on terror, my prediction is carnage for the American people. Write it down: 10:27, on the 5th of October 2006.”
  • On July 26, Newman said: “If the liberals seize control of the House, the Senate, the Congress, the White House -- and if the Supreme Court tips further to the left -- this nation will see gay marriage, soon to be followed by legalized polygamy and possibly human/fur-bearing-mammal marriages.” Newman added: “You know, like with a mink or something like that. I don't really know. They're soft and cuddly creatures, but they also bite.”

Dan Caplis

  • On the October 19 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show, co-host Dan Caplis declared, “If you want America to surrender in this war [in Iraq], then vote for the Democrats. You have a shared interest at that point with the terrorists.” Citing an October 18 column [subscription required] by New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, Caplis later asserted that “the reality is, if Friedman is right -- I believe he is ... then by electing Democrats, you will be encouraging the terrorists to use this tactic again.” Caplis added, “You will be encouraging the terrorists to kill lots of innocent people in the run-up to our next election. So that is a real-world, practical dynamic do you factor in.”

    Friedman argued in his column, “The jihadists want to sow so much havoc that Bush supporters will be defeated in the midterms and the president will face a revolt from his own party, as well as from Democrats, if he does not begin a pullout from Iraq.”

Mike Rosen

  • On November 7, Election Day, Newsradio 850 KOA's Mike Rosen stated, “Radical environmentalists, feminists, trial lawyers, the ACLU, nannyists, minority activists, gun controllers, illegal immigrants, socialists -- all those who want something from government at someone else's expense, will go to sleep tonight with visions of political sugar plums dancing in their heads if Democrats sweep the field.” Rosen's remarks mirrored those in his November 3 Rocky Mountain News column, “Gut-check time for GOP.”