Yes, they are still number 1 and 2 respectively. Since November of last year, Rush Limbaugh has suffered a 33% drop in listeners and Sean Hannity has endured a 28% drop. Many on the left are trying to lay claim that right-wing radio is dying out and since Rush and Sean are the most prominent host of “right-wing” radio it is easy to conclude the people have grown tired of conservatism.

I do not think that is the reason. This slide began last November, a time when the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in a landslide election. It would stand to reason their ratings would rise. Why the drop in ratings? If you have followed this blog you will have noticed my own discontent with these two pundits and I admit I used to listen to them on a fairly regular basis. Well, I listened to Rush, I always enjoyed his humor. Sean I could only take in very moderate doses before I would find myself mumbling “self-righteous prick” as I hit the radio button.

What, you may ask, was the motivating factor causing my reduction of listening to these two individuals?

Really, I heard you, although, you were not as polite. It sounded more like “Yea, so why the @#*! are not listening to them you jerk!?”

I think I may have also heard a few “who cares?” I’ll just do my impression of the President listening to Republican ideas on health-care and ignore them.

The catalyst for their decline began with one act. It was their support for Christine O’Donnell. That woman did not only cost the Republicans a Senate seat in Delaware, but she hurt the credibility of these two radio personalities. I am not getting into a debate over their credibility prior to O’Donnell. I am talking about what they did in regards to her. On Election Day both of them said on their shows that O’Donnell’s opponent in the Republican primary, Mike Castle, voted to impeach President Bush. Castle did not and many voted for O’Donnell because of that lie. Worse the next day, Limbaugh denied saying it.

When Karl Rove had the temerity to call out O’Donnell’s weaknesses and advise what she needed to do to overcome them. Both Rush and Sean attacked him.

Here is an analogy. Did you ever try to tear a piece of cheese cloth? It is a very tough piece of fabric, extremely difficult to tear apart. If, however, you snip it ever so slightly with a pair of scissors, tearing the same cloth is easier to do then cutting butter with a hot knife. Limbaugh’s and Hannity’s support of O’Donnell was the snip in their credibility with independents who listened to them.

Finally, their conduct since has become increasingly unsuitable to anyone but a staunch conservative and a “radical” Tea Party member. During the budget crisis, I wrote “Time to Grow Up” . While people like Rush and Sean were calling for a Government shutdown, most understood it was not the time.

Can Limbaugh and Hannity regain their listeners? Not with their current behavior. As a matter of fact, if they continue down this path they may very well become responsible for the splintering of the Republican Party and the re-election of president Obama. Of course, as with their continued denial of responsibility for Christine O’Donnell, they will never see their role in the splintering.