84 WHAS MANDY CONNELL RACIST?

Most of you know by now I am not a PC kinda guy. Too many people get hung up on the silliness of meaningless words or intent these days. Sorry we can't make everyone happy all the time so welcome to free speech in America. You may not like what others have to say but they do have the right to say it. Well usually anyway.

So if you are a radio voice that reaches a few thousand and get paid by the media conglomerate of your choice, in this case Clear Channel, what do you do when your on air personality you are spending megabucks promoting, has a brain fart and uses what some would call a derogatory word such as "half breed." Was this a slip up by Connell?

I can say as someone who has experience hosting a live radio broadcast that sometimes in your efforts to keep the show flowing you reach without thought to make a point you feel relevant to the discussion. Sometimes that thought seems unthoughtful, but hey you didn't mean it that way right? What's the big deal? It's a tough spot to be in but when you are a public figure or voice words have meaning.

I can't speak for Mandy Connell but history is very telling sometimes as it sheds light to a thought process or pattern of behavior.

Look at the microscope we put our political candidates under in the public eye. I do it, Connell does it, and most in media do, so are we exempt from scrutiny for our outrageous comments in the public eye because we are just "discussing" issues?

No we are not and Leo's Phillip Bailey is as good as anyone out there at piecing together a pattern of behavior by a public persona. Read this for more from Bailey: Tweets could shed light on ‘half-breed’ comment - FatLip

I have to admit I don't consider the Mandy Connell show a must listen regardless of who her guest is. I don't see Mandy as a person who is interested in the discussion and working to find the middle ground. Maybe because she is not the local personality WHAS promised they were seeking. Maybe because I just get sick of the self aggrandizing personal agendas that it seems we are stuck with in Louisville by the likes of National syndicated programming folks like Rush Limbaugh, or Michael MedVed. I feel like in many ways we are being force fed an agenda and not a discussion of issues in Louisville.

It is the single biggest reason I started MyViewMatters Radio Show with partner Ed Martin.

Of course I could be biased here as well. I will be accused of it anyway.

Admittedly, I loved Francene and felt she did a great job after transplanting here and taking over the WHAS morning show. No doubt Francene would be a tough act to follow but Mandy falls short in that attempt in my opinion. Where Francene would ask the tough questions she also sought a middle ground and was respectful.

Perhaps I think WHAS let the community down when they went out of their way to make us believe they were sincere in their efforts to find a "local" on air personality then went to Florida and hired someone I believe falls in line more with the Rush Limbaugh, or even Michael MedVed crowd then the local crowd really does.

Many believe when WHAS eliminated the nightly Joe Elliot show for yet another syndicated National program (Michael MedVed) that they showed they just were not that concerned about local issues or programming. While Terry Meiner's show is a great success, and a he is a great guy, his show is geared for entertainment purposes and not a serious discourse on public policy, or issues of the day.

Perhaps I feel we have more local people that can carry on a daily show with lively content that most of us can relate to. In this political season Connell does not seem up to speed to what is important to our local community and our voters. Perhaps she hasn't been here long enough to get that "feel."

Or perhaps her personal views go beyond what we in Louisville want or need. Especially when those views come from someone who came here from outside our community. Though the views Connell shares may have worked in Florida they will not necessarily reflect on the values or opinions of Louisvillians and Kentuckians.

And perhaps Mandy's style just isn't the right fit for Louisville. It happens. But one question is being asked daily right now.

Is Mandy Connell a closet racist? I can't answer that one. I don't know her on a personal basis to judge that.

Read the LEO story by Bailey to see a pattern of behavior and make up your own mind. In the meantime, I can say that I don't believe Mandy is a good fit for what we in Louisville are searching for in local talk radio right now, but who knows maybe she will be eventually.

Time will tell.