Posted on 07/17/2012 6:53:53 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
Former Washington Post columnist William Raspberry has passed away. The obituaries in both the Post and the New York Times noted that while Raspberry was generally considered a liberal, he often expressed opinions that defied easy labels. Perhaps the most famous such case of an unconventional Raspberry column, which neither newspaper mentioned, was when he publicly changed his opinion of Rush Limbaugh after listening to his program. This was described through the years by Limbaugh as the Raspberry Effect:
The Raspberry Effect, William Raspberry, a former columnist of the Washington Post, he wrote a piece highly critical of me based on things he had heard people say. Then one day he decided, "you know what, I'm gonna listen," and William Raspberry listened to the program and basically retracted the criticisms that he had offered, saying, "I didn't hear anything that sounded like the criticisms I had been told." So the Raspberry Effect, if you actually listen to the program, you have a far different impression of it than if you just listen to people describe it to you who have never listened either, who have an agenda.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
Nice article! I have listened to Limbaugh long enough to know about the Rasberry Effect.
I am amazed that Mr. Rasberry’s Mother is 106 years old and still alive!
I asked the mod to delete my thread and use yours.
I was able to meet William Raspberry two doors down from my dorm room in my Freshman year (’82-’83). He was certainly liberal, but not a knee jerk liberal. He also seemed to general grow in wisdom as he aged. He had none of the smugness of a Clarence Page. A decent man, and I wish the best for him and his family. R.I.P.
Raspberry’s dead? I thought he was dead?!
William Raspberry was a native of Okolona, Mississippi. A little town in Northeast Mississippi. About 10 - 15 years ago Mr Raspberry spent considerable time, effort and money into trying to improve Okolona and especially it’s schools. I think he failed due to the fact that the citizens of Ololona have been for too long the the victims of the government’s largess. Sad real sad. Like other such towns in Mississippi the citizens have no pride, no self reliance and no sign of ever getting better. Much like damn near all of the Indian Reservations. Just enough handouts to keep them from doing anything to advance themselves.
I remember this when it happened, BTW. Rush thought very highly of Raspberry.
>”Raspberry’s dead? I thought he was dead?!”<
Just like other Democrat Voters, there’s dead and then there’s Dead.
Reminds me of a rabbi (perhaps self-styled)who, based solely om what his liberal friends had said about Limbaugh, because he had never heard him,expressed a wish to grind a broken glass into El Rushbo’s forehead.
Sure he often brings up problems without offering solutions. But is this journalistic heresy?
Limbaugh's is often (for many of us) the hated opinion, but that doesn't, by itself, make him hateful. Having spent long years holding forth against the various orthodoxies of the age, I ought to understand the difference.
Prayers for the family and loved ones of Mr. William Raspberry - one of the few thoughtful,decent liberals. He has passed on. He'll be missed.
I enjoyed reading Rasberry. Even though he was a left wing guy he sometimes stumbled onto some truth.
I didn’t realize that Mr. Raspberry had died. May he Rest in Peace. And God Bless his Mama!!
bump for later
There's a few others - very few... Nat Hentoff formerly of the Village Voice, Okrent - former ombudsman New York Times, Jonathan Turley - maybe five or six others...
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