Batchelor and Alexander on WABC: Leaning Left (When Understandable)

December 17, 2001 | Ironword

[Ironword]

There's a relatively new talk team on WABC Radio, New York (The Mouse) in the evenings, John Batchelor and Paul Alexander, whom I admittedly was tuning into occasionally after September 11. I guess these Bloomberg news hounds now have the evening slot formerly held by Steve Malzberg. They occasionally substituted for Malzberg, and Batchelor was the guest "Republican historian" during impeachment (though I don't ever recall him actually supporting impeachment).

These fellows are no strangers to radio or politics, and do a decent show. However, I've begun to notice that every elected official (I've ever heard) brought on as a guest is -- a Democrat. Not simply a Democrat, but one from the infrared portion of the spectrum.

Whether it's the frequent guests such as the psychopathic Rep. Engel, the Queens leftist Rep. Weiner, or the odd socialite Betsy Gotbaum, "it's getting thick in here."

I just tuned in to hear Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts ("Clinton is an unusually good liar, unusually good, but I still won't impeach him"), who had little to nothing to say on missile defense except read from the DNC talking points.

I was wondering why The New York Times recently gave these two otherwise congenial and erudite fellows a raving review. Hmmmmmmmm.

In the later hours of the program, you can tune in to hear a couple of guests with thick accents who you can barely understand, and who have about as much to say as DEBKAfile.

Well, at least the BBC World Service is fed through NPR beginning at midnight.

Ho hum.

[NutmegDevil]

Bachelor is a New England Republican as in Jim Jeffords. He's originally from Maine (Snow & Collins - "moderates" according to Mike Wallace on "60 Minutes" last night). I do like the show, though - interesting guests. Bachelor & Alexander do their homework - they are super prepared always.

[OldFriend]

One of these guys calls himself a republican and the other says he's a conservative democrat. What a joke. They had Loretta Sanchez on a while back and they were having a love fest. They ridicule the President, support Jihad Johnny Walker, and are generally moving farther and farther to the left with each show.

The adore John McCain and generally support anyone who is against the president. They have that crazy Kraemer (I think that's his name) from Wall St. who hates the president and is against any stimulus that would help business. He now has a show with Larry Kudlow and it is impossible to watch them as Kraemer is a combo of carvile and begala.

[right-sidedNYer]

slot formerly held by Steve Malzberg.

Actually - they took over Dr. Laura's slot after 9/11. WABC Radio did the shuffle several months ago. They gave John Gambling the slot after Curtis/Kuby in the morning and moved Dr. Laura (who formerly had the morning slot) to the evening after "The Buzz" with Marlzberg/Bey and Marlzberg would get some time alone after that first hour or two depending on the Yankees schedule. After 9/11 Dr. Laura got the boot (I guess) - because that's when John and Paul took over her time slot. They are pretty well prepared - and I certainly would rather see them in that time slot then that awful Lynn Samuels!!!

Can you tell the dial on my radio is permanently fixed on WABC? ;-)

[RLJVet]

I used to listen to these guys every Sunday over the internet last year. They were everything one could love about (my native) New Yorkers during the Marc Rich pardon thingy. I can't get them over the internet anymore. Could someone either reassure me that I should be happy about this, or how to get WABC over the internet.

[TommyDale]

Batchelor & Alexander may lean slightly to the left of us, but their radio show is the best thing on late night...Not only are they well prepared, they have been extremely accurate, even last year when the Presidential Election was still in the air. They give a very interesting insight on politics, even if they are based in New York. They do not particularly care for Hillary, by the way. They somehow always manage to find "scoops" on such subjects as Gary Condit (when he was in hiding on Catalina Island, as the guest of California Gov. Gray "Blackout" Davis) and others.

[liliana]

it was actually sen. bob kerrey who said those wise words about clinton.

[Ironword]

I do like the show, though - interesting guests. Bachelor & Alexander do their homework - they are super prepared always.

The program is cogent; still, it's already getting to be rote, with too much Hollywood shtick.

[Ironword]

They had Loretta Sanchez on a while back and they were having a love fest.

I reember hearing them after the presidential election extolling the virtues of Donna Brazil.

Yes, they do tend to schmooze the lefties to the point of nausea.

[Ironword]

They are pretty well prepared - and I certainly would rather see them in that time slot then that awful Lynn Samuels!!!

Well, at least one knows off-the-bat where Lynn Samuels is coming from. These guys are more stealthy.

[Ironword]

Everybody was bangin' the pardon of Marc Rich, however, it was the thing to be seen doing! You can get WABC streaming audio at their website.

[Ironword]

it was actually sen. bob kerrey who said those wise words about clinton.

Uh oh, thanks for the correction (and shameful anyway, coming from either of those combat veterans). Still, two peas in a pod.

[StriperSniper]

or how to get WABC over the internet.

Yesterday I heard Sean Hannity say something about getting back on the internet 'soon'. I didn't hear if he meant just his show or WABC.

[Ironword]

Batchelor & Alexander may lean slightly to the left of us, but their radio show is the best thing on late night.

No, the best thing on late night is FR!

I can't abide the parade of socialist guests any more on the program.

[backhoe]

a Democrat. Not simply a Democrat, but one from the infrared portion of the spectrum.

Hummm.... so we'd be on the Ultraviolet side? Not bad nomenclature... probably drive the leftists nuts!

[gumbo]

Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts ("Clinton is an unusually good liar, unusually good, but I still won't impeach him")

I think that was former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska (he of inflated war hero status) who said that.

I listen to Batchelor and Alexander, though they have me gagging on their smarmy butter-ups of all kinds of sleazy pols. One of their favorites in John Edwards of North Carolina. They love him so much, you can hear them drooling.

They plumped hard for Elizabeth Dole for president (!!!); they also loooove Tom Ridge of PA -- at least, they loved him while he was a 'moderate' governor.

[Ironword]

Hummm.... so we'd be on the Ultraviolet side?

Ha, cool.

[Ironword]

I listen to Batchelor and Alexander, though they have me gagging on their smarmy butter-ups of all kinds of sleazy pols.

They do drool effusively over the nasties, don't they!?! Par for modern journalism. I mean, you should hear them gush over Betsy Gotbaum -- airhead. Now here's a woman whose greatest contribution (outside of buying political and social friends) as Parks Commissioner was a plan to change all the logo plaques of the NYC Parks Department -- thousands of perfectly good green-and-white Maple-leaf plaques on fences and posts throughout the city. Guess she preferred something more like a Ginsu leaf.

Only BBC correspondents have the ability to question politely, then just as politely in the next breath slice open an interviewee's jugular vein of propaganda.

The program format at first seemed impressive, with the mimicking of WWII-era newsreels by playing Dramatic Music just under the narration of a commentator; however, it seems that the unnamed commentators are all All Baloney Corporation flunkies, so one doesn't get anything of substance in those narrations.

It's more of a sterile, safe, old-wash-woman gossip program than a review of events and opinion.

And thanks for the correction on the quote source.

[Tymesup]

B&A have done shows on Vince Foster, TWA 800 and Jonathan Pollard. I may not always agree with them (or Sam Greenfield, who used to be on in the Tri-State area), but they make an interesting listen.

[Ironword]

B&A have done shows on Vince Foster, TWA 800 and Jonathan Pollard. I may not always agree with them (or Sam Greenfield, who used to be on in the Tri-State area), but they make an interesting listen.

I heard the program hour on the Kennedy assassination recently. Interesting and different, for sure, but the above-described, regularly scheduled Dem love fests and gushing and schmoozing is too much to bear.

If you have a shortwave, you can easily tune at night to some of the big national stations such as BBC, Radio Netherlands, Deutsche Welle, Radio Taipei, etc., and get some interesting news and events and opinions that are often ignored or minimized by the U.S. media. Of course, be mindful of "European perspective."