A Whitney Global Media Commentary
January 7, 2021
By William O’Shaughnessy, President and Editorial Director
It looks like the shit really hit the fan this time.
In one fell swoop, President Trump has elevated Kamala Harris, MSNBC, the Washington Post, Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, Mazie Hirono, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mitt Romney, Chuck Schumer, Sheldon Whitehouse, Kellyanne’s husband George Conway, The Squad, Richard Blumenthal, Jerry Nadler, Joy Reid, Anthony Scaramucci, Noam Bramson, Peter Strzok, Rachel Maddow, Lisa Page, the great artist Robert Deyber, my high school pal Bruce J. White, my neighbor Dale DeSanto Staub, and a man of considerable means Norman Drubner. Also Flo Rosse, a great woman from Buffalo, NY.
My friend Donald, with exquisite and dazzling timing, really hit it … right … out … of … the … damn … ballpark … this time!
Even my beloved New York Times on its front page used stark black type for a headline so huge it was reserved only for a world war:
In one dazzling turn the 45th president of the United States was able to do what not even his son with dead tigers and elephants at his feet as smoke billowed from the barrel of his hunting rifle … or, for that matter, his shy, modest, retiring, lovely Kimberly Guilfoyle could accomplish up at a convention podium in a bright spotlight.
I mean he has surpassed them all.
All by himself. It was just beautiful, a home run.
But he is out at home plate.
William O’Shaughnessy, a former president of the New York State Broadcasters Association, was chairman of Public Affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington. He has been a point man and advocate for the broadcasters of America on First Amendment and Free Speech issues and is presently chairman of the Guardian Fund of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, the national charitable organization. He is also a longtime director and member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation. He has operated WVOX and WVIP, two of the last independent stations in the New York area, for over 60 years as president and editorial director.
He is the author of “AirWAVES” (1999) … “It All Comes Back to Me Now” (2001) … “More Riffs, Rants and Raves” (2004) … and “VOX POPULI: The O’Shaughnessy Files,” released in January, 2011. He has also written “Mario Cuomo: Remembrances of a Remarkable Man,” a tribute to his late friend Governor Mario M. Cuomo. His newest book RADIOactive for Fordham University Press, another anthology with interviews, commentaries, speeches and tributes was published in 2019. He is presently working on Townies, a paean to those without wealth, influence or high estate in suburban Westchester County, the heart of the Eastern Establishment.