Rush has been a fairly dull cheerleader for the GOP status quo for years. It makes his program fairly difficult to listen to. He is at least quick witted and fairly intelligent & funny.
Same goes for Sean Hannity, though he isn't as quick witted as Rush. He is a good & sincere guy, though.
Probably the best conservative spokesman on the radio, in terms of intelligence, quick wit, precision of argument, and quality of contentious guests, is Mike Medved. He will also call the GOP to task when they deserve it and he is not a shill.
When it comes to unique combination of brains, savvy, cunning, street smarts, and life experience, G Gordon Liddy ranks highly, also. Again, not a GOP shill (see a pattern?)
Right behind Medved (and Liddy) in terms of natural brains, I rank Mike Savage and Laura Ingrahm.
Savage's weakness is that he clearly doesn't prep much, but gets by on natural great intelligence and quick wit. He undermines his credibility with his occasional explosions, but that's park of his marketing, I think. Savage's greatest strength is his ability to raise personal and historical anecdotes, and dovetail that day's news into the anecdotes and come to what are genuine flashes of brilliance. (I am an unusually tough critic and don't say 'brilliance' cavalierly or lightly).
If Savage did his homework, he would be an A+ radio guy. As it stands, he gets by on his natural brains and is at the B/B+ level (which I am simpatico with since that was my approach to studies until I hit law school!).
Laura is very good - she is bright and fairly quick witted. I enjoy her show and don't find her deficient in the braions or content department at all.
Savage and Ingrahm are not shills for the GOP either, I think.
Prager is awesome - the heart of the conservative radio. Excellent for micro-cultural analysis (while Medved is more into macro-cultural analysis). More people should listen to this guy.
My Wizard of Oz theme of the best hosts are:
Brains- Medved
Heart - Prager
Courage - Savage/Liddy
Ingrahm would be the Glenda, and probably tie with Tammy Bruce, who offers excellent insight from her background that includes being a leftist operative for years. She saw the light - she is on our side on many issues now and has a great show with a very valuable opinion. Very smart, very tough, very sincere - "The Tammy" is cool.
If he was not so reactionary to heresay he would help himself out. I listened to a caller a couple of weeks ago claim that they heard Mark Levin use Micheal Savage's term "9th Jerkit Court of Schlemiel's" while being a guest on either Rush or Hannity's show. The caller to Savage was wrong - Levin never said that and thus never plaguerized him (I heard the whole interview). But Savage went off on an attack anyway. taking some anonymous, stuttering caller's word before even looking into it.
I don't know about that. Sometimes when Rush brings up something he finds funny and starts laughing about it, I feel like he's the only one in America laughing.
The other thing is, ANYONE can be quick witted when they have hours and hours to prepare for a response to soundbites that are at least a day old.
That's why I wish he'd have more people on that disagree with him. I want to hear him mix it up with the opposition. But he avoids that like the plague. He's never on the talking head shows, never debates with anyone, and you'll never see him on 'Crossfire' or 'Hannity & Colms'. He won't appear on with Bill Maher, either (who has stated over and over that the invitation is open).
Once you think about it, you wonder if Rush is that quick witted after all. Bill Maher would probably wipe the floor up with him.
bumping your plug for Liddy.....we love him here on the Oklahoma plains!