Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Streiff and originally published on Redstate.com.
One thing this campaign season has shown us is who the real conservatives are and who the cynical opportunists are, no value beyond their own financial performance. One of the biggest offenders is Sean Hannity. I never thought Hannity was the smartest tool in the shed, BUT I always admired his work ethic, his diligence, and I considered him “one of us.” Now there is evidence to the contrary. I hate to quote ThinkProgress, but in this case, the disgusting Judd Legum hits the nail on the head:
(*41*) has appeared on Hannity 41 times since he announced his campaign last June, often for a full hour. (Five times, Hannity rehashed immense portions of (*41*)’s previous appearances.) In other words, you can watch Hannity interview (*41*) about once a week.
Hannity’s role is less of an intelligence officer than that of a (*41*) campaign staffer. In his appearances, Hannity tries to defuse controversy, boost (*41*)’s poll numbers and promote his own policies. Hannity’s (*41*) is a reliable conservative with concrete ideas who is not afraid to confront the culture of “political correctness.” (*41*)’s critics in the media, Hannity says, are “stupid,” “idiots” who don’t understand what’s going on in America.
Hannity managed to conduct an hours-long interview with (*41*) without ever once becoming a news flashpoint.
Hannity gave (*41*) something unprecedented in American politics: a serialized commercial lasting almost an entire year, aimed at the Republican Party’s most reliable voters but presented to the public as “news.”
Here’s a sampling of Hannity’s powerful reporting. Some of it almost made me puke:
Hannity Asks (*41*) to Explain Why He’s So ‘Right’ on Terrorism
I’m sure you wish I were wrong, Mr. (*41*), but you were right. What did you see that others may not have seen in what was happening in Brussels and Belgium? [3/22/16]
Hannity on the peaceful nature of Trump’s rallies and the ‘uneducated so-called journalists’ who suggest otherwise
I don’t see any violence at (*41*) rallies.
Hannity on whether Trump’s campaign is talking enough about what a great guy he is
I hear a whole other side of you. I’ve known you for over 15 years. And I can feel the real pain there, how bad things are. Do you think maybe you’re communicating that enough to people that you’re — that this is — that your campaign is about people? [3/11/16]
Hannity asks (*41*) how he’ll feel if he wins every state
If you win Florida and Ohio, you’re well on your way to being the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. How would that make you feel? [3/9/16]
Hannity takes a deep dive into Trump’s business dealings
Is there any state where you don’t own property? [3/9/16]
It’s basically the radio equivalent of BuzzFeed cat videos.
It’s really depressed. Both Hannity and Rush have shown they’re willing to leave their conservatism at the door if it gets them better ratings. They didn’t have to. Since RedState went anti-(*41*), our readership has tripled. Rush shows signs that he began to realize what he had done to himself. Hannity has not. He has become, for all intents and purposes, part of the (*41*) campaign apparatus. That is the only way to describe forty-one interviews that have presented no newsworthy information.
