Unfortunately, Miami is now the land of highways that look like parking lots. When you head to the streets, you are certain to have a lot of time on your hands. Over the years, I’ve become a big fan of talk radio. I’ve probably listened to more than a dozen talk radio programs on a regular basis, including the one Church member I know of, Glenn Beck. Here are some of my impressions.
Warning 1: I am a conservative, so I enjoy listening to conservative talk radio. However, I have listened to some liberal or moderate shows. They are not among my favorites, for a variety of reasons, not just ideology. If you disagree, please do so with reasoned arguments based on a history of listening to the program. Please don’t tell me you listened to Rush Limbaugh once so he is an idiot. Give me some specific examples and impressions of his style, etc. There are conservatives that I really don’t like (as you will see below).
Warning 2: Let’s only discuss national talk radio hosts.
Additional comment: I would like some input on Air America. I have never listened to it but would be open to tuning in to intelligent, thoughtful shows with a liberal slant. I get enough of the “Bash Bush” stuff at work and in the media, but if you have suggestions for Air America shows that are worthwhile, I’d be willing to listen.
Here are my favorites (and how often I listen to them).
1. Rush Limbaugh (on in Miami from noon-3 p.m. I listen to him about once a week for a half-hour but I listened to him regularly for years in the past). Rush is still the king. He is witty and always timely. He has good sources and seems sincere. He is certainly stronger on national defense and economic issues than on social issues, which are more important to me. I know this will drive liberals in the bloggernacle crazy, but I truly believe he is the most accurate and factual talk radio host out there (if you disagree, give specific examples). Of course his personal life is a mess, but he seems to soldier through, and at the end of the day I listen to him for his opinions. I will readily agree with anybody who says he could be a better role model. I also think he is too quick to reflexively side with Republicans, who have made their fair share of mistakes lately. But given a choice of one talk radio host to listen to, I would choose Rush.
2. Michael Medved (on in Miami from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. I listen to him about three times a week for a half-hour each time). Michael is often on during my drive home from work, and he is a very, very close second to Rush. His style is very different than any other host. He loves debates, and I believe he is the single best debater I have ever encountered. Simply put, he makes the liberals who call he show seem very, very stupid. It could be that he chooses easy marks, but he seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of different subjects. I disagree with him about 10 percent of the time (he is a big death penalty supporter, and I don’t agree with him on immigration, for example). But he wastes no time getting straight to the point, and I love his style. I also usually agree with him on movie reviews (in case you’re wondering, he really liked “Brokeback Mountain” as a movie, although he disapproved of the subject matter, and gave it three stars out of four).
3. Bill Bennett (on in Miami from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. I listen to him about three times a week for a half-hour each time). Bill, the former Reagan administration Education Secretary, is on during my morning commute. He has a very different type of show — very quiet and slow-paced. He almost never seems to get calls from liberals, or at least he almost never airs them. Mostly, it’s Bill and two sidekicks interviewing Republicans and presenting their viewpoints on the war on terror, economic policy and social policy. I almost always agree with him, and despite the fact that liberals hate him, I find him a very likeable guy. Yes, I know about the gambling issues, and Bill mentions it every once in a while as a big error in his life. He seems to sincerely be repenting about that, but, again, I don’t know his heart and he could be spending every weekend in Atlantic City for all I know. But again, I listen to him for his viewpoints and information. He has good access to the Bush White House and regularly provides inside information.
4. Glenn Beck (on in Miami from 9 a.m. to noon. I listen about once a week for a half-hour). Glenn is a member of the Church and will occasionally make reference to it. He will mention that he tries not to watch R-rated movies and that he is repenting from his past life, when he was an alcoholic. Just this morning, he talked about overcoming alcoholism, for example. Glenn’s mantra is that he show is “not about right and left but is about right and wrong.” He emphasizes social issues and I agree with his takes, and I love the fact that he’s not a partisan Republican. Glenn’s opening half-hour is nearly commercial free, which makes him extremely unique. Unfortunately, I am usually at work before he comes on, so I can only listen to him when I am late. He has a great sense of humor and a very different format. Liberals who hate conservative talk show hosts tend to like him because of his edgy style.
5. Hugh Hewitt (on in Miami from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.). I listen about once a month for a half-hour. I’m usually in bed when Hugh is on, but he regularly interviews the great Mark Steyn, and I read those transcripts. Hugh is way too partisan (he is a Republican first and a conservative second), but he’s witty and entertaining and a great debater. I wish he were on in Sean Hannity’s slot.
6. Sean Hannity (on in Miami from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. I listen about twice a month for a half-hour). I can’t say I like Sean Hannity that much. I usually agree with his opinions, and I love his patriotism, but he concentrates way too much on the immigration issue and comes across as a bit xenophobic to me. In addition, he spends way, way too much time cross-promoting Hannity and Colmes and reminding everybody what’s coming on later in his show. He seems to spend at least half of his air time on filler. Not much substance in this show.
7. Doctor Laura (I’m not sure when she’s on in Miami and only listen to her on the road perhaps once every two months or so). Doctor Laura used to be on in Miami regularly, and I used to listen all the time. Her style is a bit abrasive, but once you get used to it, I began to love it. She gives great advice and has great values, most of which I agree with. I miss listening to her.
8. Fresh Air on NPR (on in Miami from 8-9 p.m. I listen about once a month for a half-hour). The interviews are usually interesting despite the “lesbian poet from Bulgaria” slant. I always learn something new.
9. Laura Ingraham (on in Miami from 9 a.m. to noon. I listen about once a week for a few minutes). Despite agreeing with her politically, I cannot stand her style. Everything, and I mean everything, is about making fun of people she doesn’t agree with politically. She plays clips over and over to make fun of her political opponents, and laughs uproariously at faux pas and mistakes made by liberals. It is simply childish and churlish. I cannot listen for more than a minute without wanting to change the channel. And, yes, another conservative obsessed with illegal immigration (and I disagree with her take on the issue).
10. Talk of the Nation on NPR (on in Miami from 2-3 p.m. I listen about once a month for a half-hour). Liberal slant, but occasionally interesting. Very timely topics.
11. All Things Considered and Morning Edition. (on in Miami in the evenings and mornings, respectively. I listen about twice a week for five minutes). Very good news shows. Not really talk radio, but I wanted to mention them. And, yes, they do have a liberal slant, but most of the MSM does these days. They are not as bad as the NY Times or the LA Times, so that’s good.
12. Diane Riehm Show (on in Miami from 10 a.m. to noon). I listen once a month before quickly changing the station because of the insufferable bias and the ludicrous use of my tax dollars to support this ridiculous show). And, yes, I have listened to entire shows before. Horrible in every way. She has a horrible voice which grates my nerves. Her guests always seem to be the most ridiculous liberals possible. Yuck.
13. Air America. Never listened. It is in Miami. Too many other good things on the air. I would be truly and sincerely interested in feedback from people in the Bloggernacle on some good shows. My perspective from afar is that it is like Laura Ingraham from the left, and I certainly won’t waste my time with that, but if there are good, insightful, intelligent shows, I would listen. Al Franken is not my style, so probably not him. But if Michael Kinsley or someone of his ilk were to have a show on, I would listen to that.
14. Michael Savage (on in Miami from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. I listen for five seconds once a week hoping from an intelligent comment, and am always disappointed). The worst of the worse. A waste of air space. I cannot understand how anybody except for Pat Buchanan and militia members can stand to listen to this guy. He is not even a bit entertaining. Makes all conservative look bad because he calls himself a conservative when he is really a know-nothing nativist. Double yuck.