His broadcasts since the Newtown shooting are an apt illustration of his self-contradiction and lack of intellectual integrity.

Reuters

There's been a lot of talk about the "national conversation" these last few days. If you're like me, it's something you observe and engage on the web, via Facebook, and on Twitter. Many Americans watch TV news. There are, finally, the Americans who get their information via talk radio. Regular readers know that I delve into that world sometimes. As in any medium, there are good and bad talk-radio hosts, but it happens that the most popular of all, Rush Limbaugh, misinforms his audience on a daily basis through a combination of inaccurate facts and poor reasoning. His intellectual heirs, guys like Mark Levin and Sean Hannity, unfortunately aren't much better.

Tens of millions of people frequent the information ecosystem that these guys create, so they can't be ignored. Fortunately, the Internet has helped to diminish their credibility. Once upon a time, a Republican who didn't himself listen to talk radio or tuned in only briefly could dismiss its critics as disgruntled leftist partisans without having to confront any of the most indefensible rhetoric. Today, talk-radio nonsense doesn't just drift off into the ether. It exists in transcript form on the web. It's hard to imagine today's hosts retaining their influence as the web generation ages. Their minimal success with the 35-and-under audience bodes well for our but not their future.