Shortly after right-wing conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck announced plans to step away from his on-air role on Fox News, Fox Business’s libertarian host Judge Napolitano invited him on to chat about what’s next.

Instead of the typical Beck conspiracy narrative, they both took the opportunity to hurl a few rather straightforward shots at President Obama, taking time along the way to pat each other on the back for years of hard work together.

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And that’s when Beck dropped the bomb: “Let’s make you the replacement for me at 5 p.m.,” he said.

Napolitano seemed a little shocked. “I hope our bosses are watching!” he replied.

The move might actually be a logical one, as Beck’s core constituency is comprised of libertarians and tea party Republicans.

Napolitano, while not as prone to spinning wild conspiracy-driven fictions like Beck was so famous for, shares in this appeal to libertarians and tea party Republicans, but also attracts a third large demographic — dissatisfied progressives.

In recent memory, he’s explored topics like: why an anti-immigration stance could damage Republicans; why he believes President Bush should have been indicted; what’s really happening between the U.S. and Iran; and why it may be a good thing to see progressives and libertarians unite behind a series of common issues.

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While Napolitano certainly sounds Republican enough on any given night, he may have exactly the amount of wiggle room Fox News is looking for, and could even bring in a whole new audience for the conservative network.

Of course, whether Fox News executives will agree with Beck on his potential replacement remains to be seen.

But with a media landscape politically repositioning for optimal ad sales during the upcoming presidential election, Beck’s pending departure could be their shot at cracking a whole new market — a fact they’re surely aware of.

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This video was broadcast by Fox News on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, as snipped by Media Matters.