Poll
Question:
Which one has had the biggest impact?
Option 1: Berlusconi
votes: 9
Option 2: Murdoch
votes: 8
Option 3: Oprah
votes: 2
Option 4: Ted Turner
votes: 1
Option 5: Conrad Black (for purposes of this poll disregard his influence inside his prison)
votes: 0
I'd vote for Rupert.
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.
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.
Quote from: Viking on July 29, 2009, 10:59:06 AM
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.
Quote from: Caliga on July 29, 2009, 11:33:05 AM
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.
Quote from: Neil on July 29, 2009, 12:24:45 PM
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. :)
Quote from: Neil on July 29, 2009, 12:24:45 PM
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. ;)
:yes:
Good point. Pretty much all of the enterprising Italians left Italy a long time ago, and most of them ended up here. :cool:
Quote from: alfred russel on July 29, 2009, 12:29:54 PM
Quote from: Neil on July 29, 2009, 12:24:45 PM
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.
Quote from: Caliga on July 29, 2009, 12:27:03 PM
Quote from: Neil on July 29, 2009, 12:24:45 PM
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. :(
:lol: 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. :mad:
Quote from: Caliga on July 29, 2009, 12:47:48 PM
:lol: 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. :mad:
What's more tiresome is you making this mini-rant over and over again.
I've only made it once before and I don't think everyone reads every thread. <_<
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.
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'.
Quote from: Caliga on July 29, 2009, 12:47:48 PM
:lol: 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. :mad:
You're never a Southerner. Neil is always a Canadian. My grandfather, who was probably the wisest person I've known, chose to immigrate from Canada to the American South. :)
I voted Murdoch.
Black is interesting. He did have considerable national influence, was very ambitious, tried to go international, but ran out of money financing a silly, grasping lifestyle, so he sold off his Canadian base and then got caught. He could have been.