The right’s Sean Hannity problem: Conservatives loved the Fox News host until he became Trump’s...

[DonViejo]

The right’s Sean Hannity problem: Conservatives loved the Fox News host until he became Trump’s hatchet man

"Nobody calls Sean Hannity" — but everyone fears him. How a right-wing media icon became Trump's towel boy

SIMON MALOY

It’s amusing to see portions of the conservative world recoil in horror at the behavior of Sean Hannity. The mega-popular Fox News host, one of the biggest stars of the right-wing media, has been absorbing sustained criticism from certain pundits and radio hosts for his overt and unseemly activism on behalf of Republican nominee Donald Trump. Hannity’s critics view Trump (correctly) as a threat to Republican politics, the health of the conservative movement and the country itself, and for Hannity to devote his energies and influence to electing him is, in their view, beyond the pale.

As Robert Draper writes in the New York Times Magazine this weekend, Hannity’s boosterism has made him the chief target of conservative media criticism over Trump, and Hannity is responding to the attacks with defiance in equal measure. He name-checks #NeverTrump conservative pundits and warns that he’ll blame them should Hillary Clinton win the presidency. Hannity has hosted town halls for Trump, has appeared in a Trump campaign ad, and has reportedly been offering pro-bono strategic and communications advice to Trump’s team. Every time Trump makes a sexist or racist gaffe, Hannity throws open his studio doors to give Trump the safe space he needs to get his talking points out.

When Trump’s not on the program, Hannity takes it on himself to do the spinning. The candidate spent most of this week lashing out at former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, which meant Hannity, the good foot soldier, was also on the attack against the beauty queen. “She may have starred in an adult film, and available apparently on multiple free porn websites,” Hannity told his radio audience (falsely).

What’s amusing about all this conservative criticism of Hannity’s vitriol and nonsense is that nothing Hannity is saying is out of character for him, or appreciably worse than what he’s been saying for years. Hannity’s brand of venom used to be met with approval or determined silence from the same people who criticize him now. The difference this time around is that Hannity’s behavior is damaging to their own interests, so they’re finally saying something in protest.

-snip-

http://www.salon.com/2016/10/01/the-rights-sean-hannity-problem-conservatives-loved-the-fox-news-host-until-he-became-trumps-hatchet-man/

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Hannity has become for Trump

what Beck was for Romney 4 years ago.

It's wild how Cruz-supporter Beck, continues to trash Trump this election cycle!

I suppose this is why Trump had to put out the call for help -

[underpants]

2. You beat me to it

That meme cracks me up

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Haha!

I think I may have gotten it from one of your posts!

[underpants]

4. Two points

First, Hannity isn't "mega-popular" even in their circles. He is barely grasping to staying on in prime time on Fox having been bumped back an hour to put Megyn Kelly in following O'Reilly. Hannity was put on the air at the beginning of the network and has just hung on like the boss's nephew that everyone works around out of charitable kindness.

Second, taking advice from Sean Hannity. No one takes him seriously. Yes he is a good profit generator but that's about it. Trump isn't taking advise from Hannity, he listens to him so that Hannity will act as his stooge and have Trump on the air. Trump doesn't use people as much as he gets them over-the-barrel with him - he gets people aligned with him to the point that they are so invested in him that they can't let go. Trump worked banks like this for most of his career.

[Zambero]

5. Hannity: Free nightly infomercials for Trump

He can't be an in-the-tank Trump campaign staff and impartial journalist at the same time. A steady diet of set-up softballs tend to get get boring after a while, even for many Fox News viewers. Hannity is headed in the same career direction that Dick Morris was four years ago. Once his tired proclamations are discredited for all to see, he will be demoted in the same manner that "sure landslide win for Romney" Dick Morris was.