By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
Author Marci McDonald will probably wind up having a debate on an Internet radio program with a lady that she critiqued in her book. And Kari Simpson is “loaded for bear”.
Simpson, a conservative activist out here in B.C., hosts an internet radio show called Roadkill Radio. [In the in the interest of full disclosure her usual co-host on the show--who phoned in to the episode that I will be mentioning below--is distinguished conservative journalist Terry O'Neill, whom I have had great respect for since he was my editor at the various Report newsmagazines.]
Roadkill Radio for this week came out on the same day as McDonald’s book. Simpson and her substitute host (former Christian Heritage Party leader Ron Gray) began the first five or so minutes of the program by being greatly amused, in a tongue-in-cheek way, that Simpson rated a mention in The Armageddon Factor.
Later on the program, when my old editor Terry O’Neill phoned in, the three of them started to talk about the book in a more serious way. (If You are interested, this is at “Show 63, Download Part 2″, starting at the 13:56 mark here).
The three conservatives see the book as being “hysterical” and “paranoid”, but they do make a point that I think that folks beside me may be interested in.
Bene D, quoting the Bridgeway Foundation earlier this week, quoted them citing some factual errors in The Armageddon Factor. And Kari Simpson, on her radio show, spotted one too.
The second paragraph of page 214 of the book starts like this, talking about Simpson:
“Now the co-host of the syndicated right-wing webcast Roadkill Radio…Simpson…” .
The problem being, as Simpson would tell you, is that you have to log on to Roadkill Radio to listen to her show. It’s not “syndicated”.
Simpson also goes on to say that, contrary to the implication of McDonald’s section on her, she doesn’t object to homosexuality between consenting adults. ‘I don’t think it’s the state’s business,” she said.
My old boss, Terry O’Neill was led to observe that if the rest of the book has many similar mistakes: “It’s Random Facts instead of Random House.”
As I am still reading the book, I don’t want to comment on McDonald’s thesis. But Terry makes what I think is a very good point. If a writer is not careful about facts, you could fairly argue that they may not be careful in their arguments derived from the mistaken facts.
If the right fact-checks the book heavily–will it undermine what McDonald has to say?
I’m guessing that Kari Simpson will avidly read the book, pencil in hand, because McDonald has agreed to be a guest on Roadkill Radio on June 8.
Until then, conservative critics of the book will be looking for errors in The Armageddon Factor. Bet on it.
It’s not the first time that McDonald will be on at the same time as one of the people she critiques as she appeared with Joseph Ben-Ami on a CTV broadcast yesterday. But if McDonald follows through on her promise to appear on Roadkill Radio, it may be the feistiest exchange about the book yet.
[I have no part of the show, by the way. I just like a good debate. 
]
Love the headline.
Kari Simpson.
Okay.
That could get interesting, once they get ‘syndicated’ out of the way.
Either The Chalcedon Foundation supports Simpson or it doesn’t.
What a theological and politically oppressive bunch they are.
Reconstructionism at it’s most raw; a theology and belief system that as a mature charismatic Christian I believe you’ve taken a strong stand against in others.
I read your former boss’s mention on page 214.:^)
I’m skeptical it will be a good debate, you will be welcome to rub that in if I’m wrong.
McDonald is not a broadcaster, she is a Paul Wells, both are first class print journalists.
Neither one, no matter how hard they work at it, have on-air skills.
Kady O’Malley, a stellar and tireless political procedural and witty writer, same thing.
Not a TV person, but she’s working on it.
Watching McDonald on TV is painful, she is all journalist and print, and gets herself boot stomped by those good at the sound bite. Any interviewer knows how hard it is to work with a ‘not broadcast material’ interview and it’s harder than it looks. Criticizing the CBC for knowing that and giving McDonald room has been ignorant.
Radio has slightly different skills, but the same perils apply.
As a former broadcaster, I get irritated that people with something to say have to be all things to all media.
Random House didn’t even have a web page for her book.
Unless she is given time on radio to be Marci McDonald, hosts will bury her.
Pick up you pencils class, and begin.
Hi BD…
“…skeptical it will be a good debate”.
Therefore… “cage match”?
I think Kari will want to mix it up, but hopefully some light will be shed either way.
For those of us who are hopeless print jockeys…if it’s presumed we can’t get someone to co-author who is good on TV, what are some remedial measures?
(I see one point that you might make. In the CTV piece, McDonald explains her thesis and then when they talk about Kairos, Ben-Ami can interject: “What so-con group gets gov’t money?” But how to keep it short and simple on this subject?)
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Well, Simpson says she doesn’t think homosexuality is the government’s business. That implies that the government should not be doing anything to promote the rights of homosexuals either I assume.
Therefore, the section of the book in question remains accurate. Simpson railed against homosexuality in the classroom. I imagine she’d be happy if it was back to being a dirty hidden secret in the nation’s bedroom rather than an acceptable part of our fabric’s society.
If all they have so far is the syndicated mistake, that’s not saying much.
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