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....

.

.

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).

[olde north church]

Dr. Laura is a dessicated, condescending harpy.
Michael Savage is a pay-day conservative.
Sean Hannity I think is stunned at his personal success and doesn't know to stop at the company name on the pick-up truck, t-shirt and baseball hat.
Mark Levin - rapier wit, quick mind, concise analysis
Laura Ingraham - Unnecessary Restraint
Monica Crowley - Political, cultural, have heard her softball but still THE PACKAGE.
Bob Grant - (shrug) eh
Rush Limbaugh - consummate promoter, "Colonel Tom Parker" and "Muhammed Ali" combined and the greatest influence on American politics in a generation. It's not bragging if you can fill the arena.
Bill O'Reilly - American Catholic Populist. Truth, justice based upon a religious background, it's right or wrong.

[NYC Republican]

Good points. Again, I don't know enough about her to form a knowledgeable opinion.

[bootless]

Sure, he probably provides less facts and has the worst interpersonal skills of anyone. But you can't deny he's entertaining.

Well yeah, so's a train wreck, but I can't do either voluntarily. He was OK when he was local in SF, but once he went national (a few years after I joined FR), I found that a lot of his facts were either wrong, misstated, or late. We read - and write - news and comments here on Monday, and it shows up on his show on Wednesday, with the tag line: "I'll bet you people don't know this. I'm the only person who will tell you this." But it's old news to most of us. When he does present a nuanced point, it's so often drowned out by the vitriol. Sure, he has his fans, and there had been daily threads here on his shows. I just don't see much new or fresh on his show, and have too much agita during the day to listen to him yell at callers. Just not my cup of tea.

[wtc911]

You liked Monica "over" Laura? What are you holding back?

[.38sw]

I almost never listen to Savage, I pretty much stopped listening about a year and a half ago. The few times I do tune in, he's hawking his book and his event, as you said.

My husband and I were invited to attend his appearance in the SF bay area with another couple, but fortunately we are otherwise occupied that weekend. We had gone to one of his Paul revere society events a few years ago, and I must say, I was quite disappointed. Savage was consuming vast quantities of vodka while on stage, and just got more incoherent by the minute. He was just talking about whatever came into his head. He mocked people who were standing up and leaving, which was about half the audience, including my husband and me. I had since heard him talking about that event, and he seems to be under the illusion that the more he drank, the clearer his mind became. Uh, Michael, it didn't sound that way from the audience.

I know that there are a lot of Freepers who think that he is the best. I used to listen to him when he first came on the air in San Francisco, about 10 years ago, but after a few years, I just got tired of him.

[altura]

Love Levin ... wonder if he's on any Dallas stations, we have two new conservative talk stations. Just got Laura, like her. Can't stomach Savage though.

[AtavisticThrowback]

Right on, Hannity just keeps going over the same talking points over and over with seemingly no thought behind them. Compare anybobody to Colmes and they come out brilliant. What tips me off on his intelligence, or lack of it, is the lack of presence of any noticeable sense of humor or irony in his schtick, let alone satire. He gets kind of grating from time to time and ALWAYS will argue any point with a lib, even those points which are patently untrue spin and only designed to get the conservative debater off point. He seems to fall for this too often.

O'reilly is just a joke. I actually find myself rooting even for some libs when they pop his ego bubble on the air. He doesn't do enough research on his conservative positions and makes it an embarrasment to even be associated with him. He's just too full of himself and not really a champion of any issue anymore. His respect for people is more based on whether his targets agree to appear on his show rather than the character of those he interviews. His constant praise of the integrity of Charles Rangall sticks out in my head.

[Sloth]

I stand corrected. I wonder how that made it into her bio in so many places.

[NYC Republican]

http://www.wabcradio.com/ you WON'T be disappointed. Ever.

[pookie18]

Got some e-mail from a friend stating that Monica Crowley will be getting a show on Sundays from noon-4 PM. Wilcow may be gone. My favorites are Levin & Malzberg. Have spoken to Mark re the Pickering recess appointment & saved the recording. Have met & e-mail Malzberg. His best friend used to date my daughter.

[Arthur McGowan]

Sean is a TERRIBLE interviewer. I say this not because he doesn't (boo-hoo) give liberals a chance to get their point of view across, but because he has no idea how to question a guest or a caller Socratically--i.e., let them talk enough to provide the rope with which to hang them. Sean gives them just enough time to say something he disagrees with, then he launches into a monologue about the subject.

[NYC Republican]

You liked Monica "over" Laura? What are you holding back?

Laura's a little better, more polished, more entertaining (and better looking)

[bootless]

Unka Ree kicks butt. I love him. Acid for breakfast.

And I learned about the rocks-in-the-lunchbox trick from him.

[TheBigB]

Because people fail to read the first sentence :^)...

http://www.wtar.com/shows/LauraIngraham.shtml

[JURB]

Whatever happened to Jerry Lund? Is he still around?

He was pretty good, but could be an insufferable bore at times.

Although I couldn't stand him at first, I thought Michael Graham had a pretty good show going. Then he left to do a show in Washington, DC or something. It seems like WRVA can never keep a permanent host for the post-Rush 3:00-6:00 slot.

I, too, miss G-Man. He always had interesting guests on his show. The one thing that bothered me about him, though, is that he always had to interject on topics (either brought up by callers or guests) to prove how smart and knowledgeable he was. It used to bug the crap out of me.

My favorite G-Man moment was when a guy called up his show and stated that he was a prison guard. G. Gordon complete went off on the guy, stating how all prison guards are losers and wannabes and that he must be one too. Let's just say that G. Gordon could get unhinged at times.

Oh, and who could forget 'review and comment on the news', or the annual Stacked and Packed calenders? Or whenever he'd talk about Clinton: "Oh ye 43%...suckers!"?

Is G. Gordon Liddy still around? Can he be found on the internet?

[SolutionsOnly]

Bill Bennet's "Morning in America" is impressive. It raises the bar for both intelligence and civility.

[.38sw]

UnckaRee is about my favorite. Nobody can do a rant like Lee. And the rocks in the lunchbox story is a classic.

[numberonepal]

Boortz is essentially "The Man" IMHO. I believe he belongs in the Top Tier Category with Rush. He's been in the game for longer than Rush, and has a true sense of Liberty and Freedom, and touts it often. He is not afraid anyone as far as I can tell.

He's not much on guests (except here in Atlanta after 12 with a WSB reporter and the "Funch Bunch" on Friday's) and lets his producers have an open mike (unlike Rush). They happen to be very bright folks actually. I believe both producers also have their own shows (Belinda Skelton has a Saturday Home Improvement Program and Royal Marshall has a talk show late nights when the Braves or Hawks aren't playing - The Royal Treatment.)

One thing for sure, the guy is brilliant. He says he's a Libertarian, and although he's card carrying, he's a Common Sense FReeper. O'Rielly says "no spin", Boortz lives it.

[NYC Republican]

I started losing interest in Savage when he was on one of the news programs, saying that liberalism is a mental disease and is responsible for all of the ills of today's society. He had a chance to retract or modify his statement... He took a pass, and made an even more shrill comment...

Frankly, he says he's conservative, and most of his views are solidly in the conservative camp... but, he gives us all a black eye. Just like the disgraceful behavior a few of our soldiers gave the whole US army a black eye, Savage's shrill rhetoric plays right into the libs caricutures that conservatives are mean, not caring, evil, etc...

[TapsBrowning]

Hugh Hewitt is my favorite! A very enjoyable show. Knowledgely political about stuff that really matters, but without nastiness. I have to think that liberals have a very hard time disliking Hugh when in debate.

He is very good at luring an opponent into a trap and then grilling them. I also like the fact that he keeps on people who won't answer a question.

The movie lists are very enjoyable and it is tough to get out of the car. The show takes huge drop off when he is gone, although I like Frank Pastor.

weakness: too much California talk. It's interesting but I suspect this will hold him back some on growth nationally.

By far though, it is the absolute BEST I have heard.

Michael Medved. He is very very smart. Unbelievable how he knows so many details of so many issues.

Weakness: he can sound whiney and haughty at times.


Rush: Still like him but his show is a parody of itself. Not as fresh as it used to be.


Savage: Very entertaining, but I can see where his act gets old. I am not as locked in on his show as I used to be. I am not sure that most of the stuff he says is for show and effect only. Sounds like a bit to me.


Mike Gallagher: Rush wannabe, patronizing, and fake. To much false bravado.


Sean Hannity: Love him to death. Talking points type of conservative. Sounds strong in conviction but really really needs to learn how to debate. He gets eaten alive by poised liberal opponents. He has looked real bad against the Mike Farrells of the world when he really shouldn't.

Dennis Prager: Incredibly intelligent, but his show can be very dull. Sounds like a college professor at times.

Bill Bennett’s
Morning in America: Love and respect him, but he has ZERO energy or dynamics to be doing talk radio. His voice is too mumbly and this show puts me to sleep.

Laura Ingraham: Awesome show. Listen every morning. She is self depracating and has great rapport with co-hosts. I agree about to book hawking though. This show is very well produced mand moves fluidly. I could do without the daily reports on what happened on the Today show though.