National Review contributing editor John Derbyshire, writing in the American Conservative, ((which bills itself as “the premier journal for thinking conservatives,”) asks — and answers — a bold question: are there downsides to conservative talk radio?

“Taking the conservative project as a whole— limited government, fiscal prudence, equality under law, personal liberty, patriotism, realism abroad—has talk radio helped or hurt? All those good things are plainly off the table for the next four years at least, a prospect that conservatives can only view with anguish. Did the Limbaughs, Hannitys, Savages, and Ingrahams lead us to this sorry state of affairs?”

Surprisingly — even for a “thinking conservative” — Derbyshire concludes the answer is “Yes.” Read more here: