Media Moguls who successfully influence political opinions

[alfred russel]

I'd vote for Rupert.

[Viking]

Rupert may have "been wot won it" for Blair, Oprah may have shifted millions to vote for Obama and Ted Turner didn't really do much. But Berlusconi gets himself elected while being prosecuted for corruption, he makes the others look like amateurs.

[Caliga]

We really need to start a 'Berlusconi Watch' thread on Languish wherein we post weekly recaps of all of his hilarious behavior.  He's the funniest politician of all time, bar none.

[alfred russel]

Rupert may have "been wot won it" for Blair, Oprah may have shifted millions to vote for Obama and Ted Turner didn't really do much. But Berlusconi gets himself elected while being prosecuted for corruption, he makes the others look like amateurs.

Berlusconi may have done the best for himself, but his influence is in Italy, which isn't that big of a pond. Murdoch has an international media empire that doubles as a propaganda machine.

Obama probably wouldn't have gotten out of the primaries without Oprah, though she tends to be nonpartisan most of the time. The other names I added to fill out the list, though Ted Turner has been influential in how he has used his money.

[Neil]

We really need to start a 'Berlusconi Watch' thread on Languish wherein we post weekly recaps of all of his hilarious behavior.  He's the funniest politician of all time, bar none.

Funny like a clown.  Churchill was funny without destroying the political culture of the UK.

[Caliga]

Funny like a clown.  Churchill was funny without destroying the political culture of the UK.

So?  Do I look like an Italian?  Why would I care about Italy's political culture?

Since I'm not an Italian, Silvio is here to amuse me.

[alfred russel]

Funny like a clown.  Churchill was funny without destroying the political culture of the UK.

Italy's political culture was a joke long before Berlusconi. 

[Caliga]

Good point.  Pretty much all of the enterprising Italians left Italy a long time ago, and most of them ended up here. 

[Neil]

Funny like a clown.  Churchill was funny without destroying the political culture of the UK.

Italy's political culture was a joke long before Berlusconi. 

True enough.

[Neil]

Funny like a clown.  Churchill was funny without destroying the political culture of the UK.

So?  Do I look like an Italian?  Why would I care about Italy's political culture?

Since I'm not an Italian, Silvio is here to amuse me.

You're a Southerner, which is worse. 

[Caliga]

  On Languish, whenever I say something about being a Southerner, people tell me I'm not a Southerner.

Whenever something about the South that is at least vaguely insulting comes up, I *am* a Southerner.

IOW, I'm only a Southerner when that identity can be used against me.  When I want to be one (i.e. try to take pride in something related to the South), I'm not allowed to be.

If I was a black man, Languish would be DA MAN. 

[garbon]

On Languish, whenever I say something about being a Southerner, people tell me I'm not a Southerner.

Whenever something about the South that is at least vaguely insulting comes up, I *am* a Southerner.

IOW, I'm only a Southerner when that identity can be used against me.  When I want to be one (i.e. try to take pride in something related to the South), I'm not allowed to be.

If I was a black man, Languish would be DA MAN. 

What's more tiresome is you making this mini-rant over and over again.

[Caliga]

I've only made it once before and I don't think everyone reads every thread. 

[jimmy olsen]

Since Berlusconi actually managed to become leader of a major European country I don't see how this can be even debated. He's the obvious winner.

[Sheilbh]

I think Murdoch because his media empire's changed British politics and I think American and Australian politics for the foreseeable future at least.

But I think Baldwin was right, press barons have 'power without responsibility, the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages'.