Talk Show Host Ratings - Levin, Rush, Hannity, Ingraham, Crowley, Grant, Savage, O'Reilly (VANITY)

5/5/04 | Self

[NYC Republican]

I can only comment on the talk show hosts that are on WABC or WWOR radio in the NY Metro region, all can be heard live here http://www.wabcradio.com/ (except for Rush). Feel free to add your comments.

Top Tier:

Rush Limbaugh - Strengths -incredible insight, extremely politically savvy, good listener - patient, educational... solid conservative credential on all fronts, can be funny at times, excellent at satire. Weaknesses - can be full of himself at times. Even though many of his comments (talent on loan from God, maja-Rushdie, the all-knowing...) are said tongue-in-cheek, it gets a little old... his self-promotions can be a bit tough to digest, especially when his book was released.

Rush is the cream of the crop.

Mark Levin - Strengths -quickly becoming my favorite. NO self-promotion, shoots from the lip, says exactly what's on his mind... is EXTREMELY bright (constitutional lawyer), NOTHING politically correct about this guy - unlike Hannity, who tends to play softball with some of his guests, Levin only serves up hardballs. He actually seeks out liberal callers to destroy their logic... GREAT sense of humor... He's a fellow FReeper!!! Weaknesses: can definitely be VERY abrasive at times.. short temper.

If you haven't heard Mark Levin, treat yourself. Especially after a bad political day... He's a breath of fresh air (ABC from 6-7 EST).

Very Good

Laura Ingraham - Ok - NO apologies for having a bigger pic of Laura. She's hot! Strenghts - Very bright, sarcastic (in a good way), intuitive, enjoyable program... humorous, insightful, love the way she blows away the libs and their platforms, stoic delivery is fantastic IMO. Weaknesses - shameless promotion of her book... awful at mimicing others (her British accent during Travelocity ads is atrocious).

Sean Hannity Strenths- Huge exposure -can, and does, make a big dent in getting the message out... the hardest-working conservative around... right on target on all major conservative issues... will confront most libs head-on, though on occasion will play softball... DESPISES the Klintons more than just about anyone I know, does not hold back in expressing his outrage at libs... isn't afraid to challenge the J. Jacksons of the world... excellent at tearing apart libs like Kennedy, Dean, Huffington, etc... excellent at staying on message, and breaking it down to a level that the average non-political soccer-mom can understand... gets the TRUTH out, and exposes the LIB lies!... Weaknesses - shameless self-promotion of his book - thankfully that's ended... not the most informed (yesterday he was calling Kosovo a city)... throws softballs at people like Specter, other libs... Needs to improve his interview skills - needs to become a better listener.

Monica Crowley Strengths- very knowledgeable about international events... forceful, energetic conservative - no holds barred, shoot from both barrels, take-no-prisoners assault on libs... STRONG supporter of the War on Terror, enjoyable program, frequent contributer to the Batchelor (and formerly Alexander) show weaknessTends to spend an inordinate amount of time on the same topics. While Israel is important, the amount of time she spends talking about them is overkill IMO... not a very good interviewer -loses patience quickly.

Good:

Bob Grant StrenthsHas always had solid conservative credentials... not afraid to stand up to, or go head-to-head, with anyone... Excellent at discussing local issues... huge supporter of the WOT. weaknessesSadly, his best days are behind him - he's made a few strategic verbal blunders that have turned off his listeners, and had him PANNED by the media... can be VERY abrasive on the phone... Voice can be very grating, sounds like he's 85 (he's not that far off).

Below Average:

Bill O'Reilly strentgthswhen taking on the conservative side of an issue, can be very forceful, attacks the libs without mercy... HATES the Klintons and Franken as much as anyone... Very good speaking voice, speaks very clearly and fairly eloquently, is fairly patient with callers weaknessesA blowhard... tries so hard to shake the "conservative" label, that he bends over backwards to support liberal issues where ever he can... shameless self-promoter- of his book, of his various shows, etc

Poor:

Michael Savage Strengths - very conservative (though libertarian on other issues) on most issues - excellent views on immigration, despises the libs, Hollywierd... can be very funny and entertaining... very bright guy overall weaknessesThe most shameless self-promoter I've EVER heard. He brings up his book constantly, MONTHLY after its release, he offers tickets to his shows if callers answer questions correctly, he says that he, and HE ALONE, takes credit for having Bush elected, because of his "Passionate Conservative comment"... Is overly shrill - after President Bush proposed (note proposed, it's DOA), Savage called for Bush to be impeached... VERY nasty on the phone, interpersonal skills are awful... Had a caller yesterday say that he's sick of the Right-Wing Propoganda/Bias on talk radio, the same way he used to be sick of liberal bias. Savage agreed!!! He's part of it! He could have said that talk radio doesn't claim to be fair and balanced!... biggest ego I've EVER heard on the radio....

.

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I'm sure I'll be flogged for some of my opinions, but they're just that, my opinions... Please enlighten us on any other talk show hosts that we should listen to (Melved, etc).

[cyborg]

Levin just got a second hour too WOO! HOO!

[cyborg]

Andrew Wilcow on Sundays at 12 is pretty good too... Steve Malzberg is good when I'm up late or on Sundays

[martin_fierro]

I listen to Tony Snow's show online on Fox News Radio out of Beaumont, TX. It's pretty good.

[NYC Republican]

I heard him yesterday from 7-8 - is that temporary, or permanent???

[NYC Republican]

Malzberg is great, but he's on too late for me. 1-5.

[cyborg]

I liked Larry Elder when he was on, but I suspect he was taken off WABC for being too 'Californian'. I listen to him from the KABC website but now that Mark Levine got a second hour it's hard.

[quidnunc]

I would place Michael Medved on a par with — or even a bit above — Rush Limbaugh.

[cyborg]

Permanent... BTW, Steve is on Sundays 9-12 lots of interviews too.

[NYC Republican]

I haven't heard Tony Snow's program, but I'd bet he's pretty good... Is he a solid conservative though, or a "populist" like O'Reilly?

[NYC Republican]

If that's permanent, who loses out? Laura's from 8-10? What about Monica's show?

[rdb3]

Is overly shrill - after President Bush proposed (note proposed, it's DOA), Savage called for Bush to be impeached... VERY nasty on the phone, interpersonal skills are awful...

Re: Savage.

I agree that he is overly shrill. It was like listening to someone scrape their fingernails across a blackboard.

I said "was" because his local affiliate here in Dallas (570 KLIF-AM) dropped him for some reason. No other AM station has picked him up yet around here.

A.K.A. Sleepy Brown

[NYC Republican]

Do you have a web-link to his show? Thanks!

[Atlas Sneezed]

Hannity is a self-loving blow-hard. He just adored himself, and adores being adored. And sometimes he does a poor job with smart liberal interviewees. (Robert Reich has embarassed Sean on occasion, and a smarter host could have handled it.)

Sean is more pretty-boy than brilliant.

O'Reilly is obsessed with teen sex, and is not a conservative (he will jump for populist big-government plans when they appeal to him.

Hannity is most like a politician, Savage is least.

[NYC Republican]

I stopped listening a while ago, and tried him last night. I quickly realized why I stopped listening to him a while ago.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Basically, Sean is a Bush-bot of the worst order.

[cyborg]

Monica Crowley is off during the week, and is still on Saturday mornings. I just looked... that's sucks. Laura Ingraham is OK but I liked Monica Crowley over her.

[ken5050]

Good essay..sure to stimulate comments. UMHO, Bib Grants' career started downhill when Cuomo left Albany. Talk about loathing another human being. Grant's disdain for "Cu-mo" was dripping. He lost his besttarget..never found a replacement...

[Odyssey-x]

Yup, I'm sick of Mike Savage. I listened to him for years but he just started getting to repetitive, always going back to the same themes, over and over again. He also always tries to say that he's not with anybody that he's totally independent and overdoes this to death, like he has to prove it because the listeners don't believe him.
That's the death of a talk show host, when they stop coming up with new ideas. Rush is great because he can always find some new angle or some new dynamic.

[martin_fierro]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "populist like O'Reilly" (IMO Laura Ingraham adopts populist positions, and is pretty good, while O'Reilly sucks), but I'd color Tony fiscally conservative and socially right-of-center.