We hope after Rush Limbaugh’s bizarre comments regarding Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, ESPN finally realizes the folly of hiring obstinate radio demagogues. Limbaugh stepped down after receiving condemnation for his statement, “I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” Beyond the fact that a great many black quarterbacks have done exceedingly well, the more interesting aspect of this controversy is that these comments made on television pale in comparison to the incendiary comments bawled out daily by Limbaugh’s radio program – among many others.

Limbaugh is not the first radio personality to fail at television. Michael Savage, former host of MSNBC’s “Savage Nation,” when addressing a caller, said, “Oh, you’re one of the sodomites. Ö You should only get AIDS and die.” After that, it was back to the AM dial for Savage – where liberals are terrorists and suppression of women reigns. Savage has said, “To fight only al-Qaida is to miss the terrorist network operating within our own borders. Who are these traitors? Every rotten, radical left-winger in this country,” and “I’m beginning to think that women should be denied the vote.”

While radio was long one of the only bastions of widespread conservative media, new personalities are emerging elsewhere, radiating their unmistakably outlandish rhetoric. For instance, wildly popular author Ann Coulter, in her book “Slander,” flatly states, “Even Islamic terrorists don’t hate America like liberals do. They don’t have the energy. If they had that much energy, they’d have indoor plumbing by now.” 

From intellectuals to idiots, the United States is great because anyone can speak his or her mind. Despite this, reasonable opinions should counter opinions that conflict with American ideals. Fortunately, Limbaugh and Savage were deservedly kicked out because of popular outcry. Unfortunate for conservatives, however, is the continued frequency of such comments that makes all right-wingers look like nutcases.