Yes, it is possible: read this which doesn’t rule it out. Also be SURE to read the fourth paragraph: it is totally written from the viewpoint of someone immersed in the talk radio political culture (Hannity is as likeable as Ronald Reagan? Which Ronald Reagan did he SEE I will ask as a then-Democrat who voted for Ronald Reagan). It’s unlikely that many independent voters, moderate Republicans or centrist Democrats or former Ronald Reagan Democrats would agree with those statements. Hannity has kept Media Matters very busy with the accuracy inaccuracy of his comments.
But a Hannity candidacy would certainly be the logical extension of 21st century America where sneeringly saying the name “librruls…” or “conservatives… or “Democrats” or “Republicans” or “moderates” or “centrists” is what now passes for political discussion.
Forget about studying debating or issues; brush up on your mockery and irony. Whipping up resentments, fanning rage and in some cases accentuating pure hatred of those who see things differently is how it is trending and those who don’t do it seem oh, so 20th century..
Question: Just what does this say about what we are likely to see by mid 21st century?
ON THE OTHER HAND DEPARTMENT: Note that this article is about Hannity not ruling it out.
I wouldn’t rule out my growing railroad tracks on my feet and becoming a route for Amtrack. I wouldn’t rule out my one day listening to Rush Limbaugh and concluding that he has constructive ideas on specific policy and respects those who don’t belong to his political party (or ideology). I wouldn’t rule out winning the lottery, being given my own TV show next week as an entertainer, being invited to have my own column on Newsweek or Time starting next Monday, or seeing a month go by without getting emails containing the phrase “how can you call your site a moderate site?” each time someone who is clearly on the left or right doesn’t like a post on TMV written by one of TMV’s zillion or so cobloggers (or even a Guest Post labeled as such). I wouldn’t rule out a week going by without someone insulting or negatively characterizing a TMV writer or commenter in comments (well I would rule that one out..).
UPDATE: Hey! I’m growing railroad tracks on my feet!!!
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.