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).

[mbraynard]

I did read it. He does not say anything about his own infidelity. Do you have any documented proof?

[uncitizen]

Les Kinsolving

YES! That's him.

[NYC Republican]

You're referring to Flipper. Sean got rid of her months ago.

[Bluntpoint]

The whole thing about the warden taping his phone calls to his mistress is in his book about the time he was in prison.

And as far as documentation. Look he said it on the radio. While I found it distasteful, I was not so upset that I transcribed it.

[NYC Republican]

That's a scary picture... Is she no longer an active member of the "elite" press?

[kevao]

It's silly to criticize talk-radio hosts for self-promotion. After all, what is the talk-radio industry all about?

[genghis]

liberalism is a mental disease and is responsibile for all the ills in sociey.

[RightWhale]

He has the kind of genius barbers and taxidrivers used to have. I don't normally talk back to the radio or react much at all, it's like elevator music, but one time Phil actually got an inadvertent chuckle out of me. Mere mention of the topic of the skit would probably get me banned from FR, maybe even banned from the Internet.

[NYC Republican]

Come on, you can't really believe Savage's rant, can you?

[Bluntpoint]

I believe she is now in a "League of Her Own."

[exile]

I think Mr. Bluntpoint is right on this one. In "Will," he mentions a female "friend" in passing. What caught my eye was that he didn't deny anything.

Don't get me wrong, the G-Man has a great show, but he's no saint.

[NYC Republican]

I believe she is now in a "League of Her Own."

I was so glad not to see her mug at President Bush's press conference.

[genghis]

Hugh Hewitt- more strengths
Awesome interviewer for partisan hacks. He sets these softball questions up and the guests just cream them and i just smile.

[NYC Republican]

I've got to check this guy out, via the net. Thanks

[Moose4]

I did hear Sean's newest producer--who sounded a lot like Flipper, actually--jumping on Ted Nugent a few days ago because he hunted for wild turkeys instead of just going down to the supermarket and buying some.

Maybe WABC makes him hire young female New Yawker liberal producers as some kind of affirmative action thing? :)

BTW, somebody up-topic mentioned Neal Boortz' producer and screener getting open mikes...they do and they are good. Royal (his producer) fills in for him sometimes and is not a half-bad host in his own right. He's a black libertarian/conservative, articulate and funny--it wouldn't surprise me to see him get at least a shot at a local Atlanta show, if he hasn't already.

}:-)4

[BombHollywood]

Good analysis. I like listening to Laura lately. I like the way she trashes leftists and Hollywood the way they used to enjoy glibly trashing conservatives and the right with impunity and knowing that any conservative response would be rare if not impossible at all.

BTW, do you recall a talk-radio personality named Jay Diamond? He was on in the NYC area from the late '80s to the mid-'90s. He was great while on WABC when he was a conservative. He was a superb debater and had a wide and diverse vocabulary which he would use quite creatively to defeat his liberal detractors. He always spoke of a great respect for Bob Grant and considered him to be his main influence. He left the airwaves for a while and later on showed up on WOR radio for a while as a "liberal"(!) It sickend me to here him espouse views that were an anathema to him while he was a "conservative" at WABC. It still mystifies me to no end how someone as sharp and logical as Jay would suddenly begin supporting the left.

[Allan]

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

WCBM 12-3 EST.

[macrahanish #1]

Is that man alive?

[NYC Republican]

I started listening to talk radio about 5 years ago... I used to listen to classic and modern rock before I woke up and smelled the coffee. No turning back now.

[bootless]

I think Dr. Laura can be counted as a conservative host. She does address political issues from time to time before she starts taking calls, and is quite conservative and supportive of the President.

I read her new book (Care & Feeding of Husbands) and think it's very conservatively-oriented. It rejects the notion of women-as-victims/men-as-useless and clueless perps.