And he started as a Republican -- by various accounts, a quite conservative Republican.
Indeed, he appeared to be happy to serve as a federal housing coordinator in the Office of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of the first President Bush and he supported Bush II.
And at one time he was even very proud to associate himself with the late, former Democrat-turned-Republican Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo -- a one-time Police Commissioner who was about as tough and traditionally conservative as you can get.
But for all intents and purposes Philly-based talk show host Michael Smerconish has been a fairly liberal Democrat at least since 2008 when he broke with the GOP to support Barack Obama. And that's about when Smerconish's daily yapfest seemed to begin to loose whatever zing it may have had. Smerconish sounded near-orgasmic when he snagged interviews with Obama and his monologues increasingly appeared to become boast-a-thons.
Now Smerconish is leaving his Philly home base AM station and abandoning terrestrial radio altogether to join SiriusXM satellite radio.
Smerconish told Politico that SiriusXM offers him the "opportunity to grow a current platform." Meanwhile, he continues to bemoan the anger and polarization that he says conservative talk radio fosters. He claims the GOP caters to an audience that has become "too white, too old, too male and too angry!”
He says SiriusXM provides an opportunity for what he sees as more reasoned, thoughtful conversation.
But we would remind Smerconish that some of the biggest conservative talkers (such as Sean Hannity) are on both satellite and terrestrial radio. They've done quite well on SiriusXM, angry as they may be.
Smerconish says the inspiration for his radio program (not a show, he stresses -- a program) is Larry David. Okay, but let's remember that Larry David is: a) A liberal Democrat; b) Not a talk show host and c) Old, white, male and quite cranky.
Still, we respect Mr. Smerconish's right to see the world as he does and we wish him the best.
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