I retired a month before the general election of 2016. For many years before retirement my XM was tuned into conservative talk radio most of my free time. Immediately after retiring it had been on just about all the time even if only for background while I was engaged in something else. I was usually up a little bit after 6 A.M. to start with Breitbart....and as the day progressed occasionally I'd stream Ingraham from the Internet....then there might be Limbaugh, even Hannity and certainly Levin at 6 P.M.
Today I still turn on Breitbart in the morning because that's when I sit at this computer. I rarely stream Ingraham....Rush usually lasts five minutes before I have to turn him off....the same with Sean Hannity.....and it depends on what mood Mark Levin is in but tonight was a good show as he gave a pretty hard critique of President Trump's Supreme Court pick.
Overall.....conservative talk radio has digressed from its mission that once was keeping us informed on Progessivism, the Republican establishment, globalists and other various and sundry issues that we needed to be kept up to date on. For a year now it's been nothing but a defense of President Trump....a necessary defense of the constitution but with no consideration on possible ulterior motives on keeping them occupied....and with little to no critiquing, balanced analysis or criticism. At times....depending on who the host is.....it's downright maudlin....even bordering on some kind of adoration.
This apparently is what they feel that they need to do to combat the deep state and out-of-control Democrat leadership....but it totally ignores some very serious concerns about Donald Trump himself of which I've written so much about that I won't list any of the problems in this post. So that which was once a source of our information and which strengthened our vigilance is all but gone.
I don't know what the ratings are for the top hosts. I presume that they are still very high but these ratings do not tell the whole story. Our minds....conservative minds....are atrophying from lack of use. There is no more any debate on these shows. If a caller is critical of something the President did....he or she is usually ushered off the air fast....if not yelled at or ridiculed....letting the host go on for five minutes on how the caller was wrong....thus cleansing the minds of listeners to anything that they might have heard that would cause them to actually think for themselves and question the President....and these calls are getting fewer and fewer.
Breitbart has a habit of bringing on one administration official after another who are then given free time to tell of the great and wondrous things that the President has accomplished.....and they are never challenged. This is a campaign season so one after another Republican candidates for this or that are paraded out....and this will go on for almost the entire year....each one praising the President so as not to lose any Trumpster votes. During these times I switch to music.
And there's also this....it has become automatic....whatever issue the President decides to bring to the forefront....whether tariffs or Nato or whatever....the hosts (Mark Levin be an exception more than anyone else) will be 100% in agreement with the President....even if previously that wasn't their position! If President Trump makes an outrageously absurd or inappropriate statement....which is all the time....they....the hosts....set out immediately to form a defense of it.....as if they are on the payroll with one responsibility....damage control.
At the core of this problem is condescension. Apparently we are not smart enough to think on our own. We have to be herded....but there is no real wisdom in this planning for eventually we would not be able to go further then regurgitating the sound bites and spin that we have had embedded in our minds. That's what over time happened to the liberal mind!
I expect that this all may change. I have to believe that even now there are many listeners who are getting a little bit sick of the new conservative talk radio. Right now Donald Trump is directing the narrative of the mainstream media and conservative talk radio! He's become a Pied Piper to us with his tweets, constant agitation and pep rallies. This has gone on for a couple of years now but it cannot go on forever....for there will come a time when the excitement and adulation starts to wear off.....and reality sets in.
Today I still turn on Breitbart in the morning because that's when I sit at this computer. I rarely stream Ingraham....Rush usually lasts five minutes before I have to turn him off....the same with Sean Hannity.....and it depends on what mood Mark Levin is in but tonight was a good show as he gave a pretty hard critique of President Trump's Supreme Court pick.
Overall.....conservative talk radio has digressed from its mission that once was keeping us informed on Progessivism, the Republican establishment, globalists and other various and sundry issues that we needed to be kept up to date on. For a year now it's been nothing but a defense of President Trump....a necessary defense of the constitution but with no consideration on possible ulterior motives on keeping them occupied....and with little to no critiquing, balanced analysis or criticism. At times....depending on who the host is.....it's downright maudlin....even bordering on some kind of adoration.
This apparently is what they feel that they need to do to combat the deep state and out-of-control Democrat leadership....but it totally ignores some very serious concerns about Donald Trump himself of which I've written so much about that I won't list any of the problems in this post. So that which was once a source of our information and which strengthened our vigilance is all but gone.
I don't know what the ratings are for the top hosts. I presume that they are still very high but these ratings do not tell the whole story. Our minds....conservative minds....are atrophying from lack of use. There is no more any debate on these shows. If a caller is critical of something the President did....he or she is usually ushered off the air fast....if not yelled at or ridiculed....letting the host go on for five minutes on how the caller was wrong....thus cleansing the minds of listeners to anything that they might have heard that would cause them to actually think for themselves and question the President....and these calls are getting fewer and fewer.
Breitbart has a habit of bringing on one administration official after another who are then given free time to tell of the great and wondrous things that the President has accomplished.....and they are never challenged. This is a campaign season so one after another Republican candidates for this or that are paraded out....and this will go on for almost the entire year....each one praising the President so as not to lose any Trumpster votes. During these times I switch to music.
And there's also this....it has become automatic....whatever issue the President decides to bring to the forefront....whether tariffs or Nato or whatever....the hosts (Mark Levin be an exception more than anyone else) will be 100% in agreement with the President....even if previously that wasn't their position! If President Trump makes an outrageously absurd or inappropriate statement....which is all the time....they....the hosts....set out immediately to form a defense of it.....as if they are on the payroll with one responsibility....damage control.
At the core of this problem is condescension. Apparently we are not smart enough to think on our own. We have to be herded....but there is no real wisdom in this planning for eventually we would not be able to go further then regurgitating the sound bites and spin that we have had embedded in our minds. That's what over time happened to the liberal mind!
I expect that this all may change. I have to believe that even now there are many listeners who are getting a little bit sick of the new conservative talk radio. Right now Donald Trump is directing the narrative of the mainstream media and conservative talk radio! He's become a Pied Piper to us with his tweets, constant agitation and pep rallies. This has gone on for a couple of years now but it cannot go on forever....for there will come a time when the excitement and adulation starts to wear off.....and reality sets in.
