Severin tried too hard to cultivate the persona of an independently-thinking intellectual, the next Brudnoy...which he is definitely not.
I personally do not care whether Severin doctored up his credentials, he was fun to listen to. In the world of entertainment there needs to be something other than vanilla and chocolate (Left/Right), and Severin bounced in directions that were as unpredictable as they were entertaining. If I were to look for hard news I would not be listening to a talk show host, rather I would be subscribing to numerous competetive outlets and absorbing it all that way. I want the lighter side of the news, and anyone has a right to a perspective. In Severin's case, as an American, he has a right to speak on the air as long as he remains entertaining enough to attract listeners.
His replacements are so darn boring that I am now listening to classical piano concertos on another station since there is nothing else worth listening to on the air anymore.