A Shout Out For My Favorite Radio Jock

You see a lot in the news about conservative talk radio hosts. The stories usually show up after some offensive comment generates the exact angry response the host is seeking, mainly to affirm his relevance. But you rarely read about how someone gets the job. Well, here’s how one guy in my home state did it:

He started out as a Republican governor. But then he got bagged for corruption. Contractors doing business with the state made improvements to his weekend home. They did the work for free – in conservative circles this is known as “maintaining fiscal discipline.” And there was something about a hot-tub as well.

So he was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. I’m pretty sure the one extra day was because of the hot-tub.

Following prison he worked as an economic advisor for a mid-size city. This lasted only two years, probably because the city council got tired of trying to attract hot-tub manufacturers. He then worked as a political consultant for a woman running for congress. But the campaign wanted to keep his participation under the radar. So they funneled his paychecks through a nursing home owned by the candidate’s husband (thereby making it appear that the ex-governor was actually consulting for a nursing home):

“Hey, whatcha up to these days?”

“Oh, you know, elder-care consulting.”

So they held the primary. There were four candidates vying for the spot. The one the ex-governor was “consulting” for came in third. But around this time he also became a conservative talk radio host.

Is that a great adventure or what? Talk about having stories to tell.

I listen to his show when I’m back home (seriously). And here’s the thing — he’s not angry, despite everything, especially losing that hot-tub. He doesn’t yell or insinuate that people on the other side of an issue are stupid. He makes calm, intelligent points and is very considerate when interacting with guests. The listener can actually learn something.

I’m happy that the guy seems to have found his true calling, in part because his career path reminds me a lot of my own. His show is solid. And it’s nice to hear at least one conservative radio host who isn’t yelling all the time.