Random thoughts on the Imus affair

Don Imus (pictured) has been beaten up in the media for the last several days.

After CBS fired him, Imus said: “I've been dishing it out for a long time, and now it's my turn but I'm not going to whine about it." Sounded like whining to me.

Who are the winners and losers in the Imus affair?

The Winners:

The biggest winners are Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Especially Sharpton who was the leader of the Imus lynch party.

The Losers:

Without the exposure provided by Imus, a large number of Democratic politicians will lose a favorite soapbox.

A recent Los Angeles Times article (found here) says the Imus show helped many Democratic politicians reach a national audience of white males -- a crucial voting bloc.

Sadly, the biggest losers may be the children with cancer and other serious illnesses who attend the Imus charity ranch in New Mexico.

An Associated Press article (found here) says that banishing Imus from the airwaves also “deprives him of a critical platform to raise money for the sprawling Imus Ranch, where children with cancer and other illnesses get a taste of the cowboy life.”

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A classic Imus quote: “I talk to millions of people every day," he said while riding home in a limousine after one show. "I just like it when they can't talk back."

CBS chairman Les Moonves fired Imus after first meeting with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

As Mark Steyn said in his Sunday Chicago Sun-Times column this morning:

I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where a white guy can be fired for racist remarks without his employers having to prostrate themselves before clapped out professional grievance mongers and shakedown artists.

In spite of the rantings of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, look for Imus to return to the airwaves in a relatively short time and he will probably be more pupular than ever.

They won't keep Imus off the air very long. He is a cash cow for the networks. Commercial sponsors will be back in droves after a brief symbolic pull-out to pacify the bleeding-heart followers of Jackson and Sharpton.

What do I think about Don Imus? I’m still trying to determine if he is a surly comedian masquerading as a talk show host or if he is a crusty talk show host who occasionally tries his hand at comedy.

The Mark Steyn Sun-Times article is here.