Smerconish on Jerry Springer’s Influence to Politics Today: ‘Let’s Throw Another Chair at the Opponent’

SMERCONISH John thank you ░░░░░░░░ was once a politician ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t until ░░░░░░░░ pumped up the volume ░░░░░░░░ talk TV that this ░░░░░░░░ defined today s era ░░░░░░░░ politics I m Michael ░░░░░░░░ in New York Clip ░░░░░░░░ crowd chanting Jerry Jerry ░░░░░░░░ the Jerry Springer Show ░░░░░░░░ SMERCONISH For nearly three ░░░░░░░░ that was the chant ░░░░░░░░ over the course of ░░░░░░░░ than 4 000 episodes ░░░░░░░░ unapologetically brash rowdy all ░░░░░░░░ used in the headlines ░░░░░░░░ covering the news of ░░░░░░░░ Springer s passing My ░░░░░░░░ from the BBC Era ░░░░░░░░ He truly did usher ░░░░░░░░ an era of television ░░░░░░░░ no one in the ░░░░░░░░ had ever seen before ░░░░░░░░ I argue set the ░░░░░░░░ for today s political ░░░░░░░░ Springer was 79 His ░░░░░░░░ says that he died ░░░░░░░░ today at his home ░░░░░░░░ suburban Chicago after a ░░░░░░░░ illness Reports are that ░░░░░░░░ had cancer The son ░░░░░░░░ Holocaust refugees he became ░░░░░░░░ global sensation as a ░░░░░░░░ TV host but before ░░░░░░░░ he was the mayor ░░░░░░░░ Cincinnati He was an ░░░░░░░░ He was a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ was a news anchor ░░░░░░░░ then there was this ░░░░░░░░ starts SPRINGER My guest ░░░░░░░░ says breakdowns and breakups ░░░░░░░░ hand in hand WOMAN ░░░░░░░░ am not a whore ░░░░░░░░ Jerry Jerry Jerry Jerry ░░░░░░░░ ends SMERCONISH His long ░░░░░░░░ syndicated show revolved around ░░░░░░░░ couples screaming at each ░░░░░░░░ physical confrontations cheating spouses ░░░░░░░░ racists chairs flying across ░░░░░░░░ room Yes Jerry Springer ░░░░░░░░ on raunch family drama ░░░░░░░░ stories but his ethos ░░░░░░░░ course emotion provoking get ░░░░░░░░ popcorn style of media ░░░░░░░░ exactly the same style ░░░░░░░░ programming that predominates in ░░░░░░░░ of political talk radio ░░░░░░░░ cable news Coincidence I ░░░░░░░░ not Sober and serious ░░░░░░░░ s boring While over ░░░░░░░░ top showmanship is the ░░░░░░░░ of the game I ░░░░░░░░ long been of the ░░░░░░░░ that programs like Jerry ░░░░░░░░ and that of Morton ░░░░░░░░ jr Paved the way ░░░░░░░░ the coarsening of our ░░░░░░░░ dialogue that the election ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump is result ░░░░░░░░ the empowerment of people ░░░░░░░░ microphones Having watched bombastic ░░░░░░░░ for decades by 2016 ░░░░░░░░ were ready to elect ░░░░░░░░ person who resembled their ░░░░░░░░ host Over the course ░░░░░░░░ the last three decades ░░░░░░░░ media personalities they have ░░░░░░░░ party officials and even ░░░░░░░░ representatives in their influence ░░░░░░░░ to exalted status atop ░░░░░░░░ leadership Yet they prioritize ░░░░░░░░ seemingly at odds with ░░░░░░░░ governance Compromise That s ░░░░░░░░ weaklings Let s throw ░░░░░░░░ chair at the opponent.”