Matt Drudge
Yesterday Joseph Farah posted what was billed as a tribute to Matt Drudge (The Hill tribute 5/7/15). Farah uses Paul Harvey (deceased 2009) as an example of what Matt Drudge represents to this generation of media listeners and watchers. And so in reality the tribute is to the prescience of Paul Harvey’s predictions of a future America. As Farah writes about Harvey in the middle of article entitled “If I Were the Devil …” he brings a video depiction of a Paul Harvey radio broadcast of the same title in 1965.
In Farah’s article I’ll provide the Youtube version of what Farah used of WND video. However, I believe I have found a better visualization of Paul Harvey’s 1965 message that is an eerily accurate prediction of today’s America.
Posted by scrawny2brawny
Published on Nov 18, 2012
My version of Paul Harvey's 1965 speech "If I were the Devil". Enjoy!
Let us pray this is not the rest of the story.
Now read Joseph Farah comparing Matt Drudge to Paul Harvey.
JRH 9/4/15
**************************
'If I were the devil …’
By JOSEPH FARAH
September 3, 2015
In 1965, I was 11 years old.
I was becoming aware of what was going on in the world.
My favorite news guy was Paul Harvey.
What was special about Paul Harvey, besides his cadence, his story-telling ability, his voice and his likeability, was his news judgment.
He was the Matt Drudge of his day.
I can’t say there came a moment while listening to Paul Harvey that I determined to become a newsman, but I’m sure he was an influence on that decision.
But it was in 1965, with the Vietnam War raging, riots in America’s cities and upheaval on college campuses, that I first remember hearing what became his signature broadcast.
It was called “If I were the devil.”
VIDEO: If I Were the Devil …
(Youtube link closest to WND version I could find)
Posted by dlrose10's channel
Published on Jan 11, 2014
Paul Harvey first broadcast the "If I Were the Devil" speech in 1965. Through the years, he updated the speech. This version was probably broadcast in the 1990s. This is the same speech from: http://youtu.be/H3Az0okaHig
This version adds in backgrounds to supplement the text. [Blog Editor: The quoted video description is not a part of the original WND article and the-embed is different because the similar to WND version would not allow an-embed.]
I was far from a Christian believer when I was a kid.
That commitment wouldn't come for about 11 more years, when I was in college.
But that broadcast stuck with me, made an impression; it is still indelibly etched in the synapses of my mind.
It smacked of truth.
Later, when I became a professional newsman, I thought about what made Paul Harvey so special, what gave him the universal appeal. It was clear to me it wasn't just the voice, the cadence of his speech and the repetition of keywords. It was much more than the style – which was artistic, original, creative and captivating. It was mostly the content – his news judgment.
Paul Harvey made his living sorting out the news for America – giving us a glimpse of what was really important and entertaining. Long before the Internet came along, Paul Harvey was giving us headlines we might not see in our local newspapers or hear on the network TV news.
And all during my many years running daily newspapers, I would often instruct my editors what I expected from them – Paul Harvey-style news judgment.
Paul Harvey passed away in 2009. I wondered who might take his place. Nobody did. I don't think anyone can.
Yes, he could tell a great story, as in "the rest of the story." But what I loved most about him was his ability to find those great little gems of news – stories that escaped the attention of so many of his colleagues.
I didn't really know Paul Harvey, but I felt like I did.
He was a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Even though we never met, he was gracious to me and frequently acknowledged my work. One of my great thrills in life was hearing him promote my book "Taking America Back" to his massive listening audience as a great Christmas gift in 2003.
"There is a book called 'Taking America Back' – might make a real good Christmas present for the uninformed," he said. "The book is called 'Taking America Back.'"
Just those brief words gave my book a shot in the arm only he could give. (That's not quite true. In 2009, the presidency of Barack Obama did even more for the book.)
But it was a total surprise when Paul Harvey made that endorsement. I had no idea it was coming. No one had pitched him. You could have knocked me over with a feather.
I was honored and privileged to be able to add that endorsement in the paperback edition.
I wish I had a chance to meet Paul Harvey before he died. I wish I had an opportunity to shake his hand. I wish I got to tell him how much he meant to me. But I guess saying it late is better than never.
Paul Harvey was a genius. What he brought to America in terms of daily wit and wisdom will be missed by the entire country – whether they know it or not.
Paul Harvey was an original – an icon, a unique personality and talent. He was bigger than life. No one who knew him had a bad word to say about him.
Paul Harvey would have been 97 today.
Good day!
__________________________
About Joseph Farah
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators News Service. He is the author or co-author of 13 books, including his latest, "The Tea Party Manifesto," and his classic, "Taking America Back," now in its third edition and 14th printing. Farah is the former editor of the legendary Sacramento Union and other major-market dailies.
No comments:
Post a Comment