I hope others can pick up on Harder's nationalism, and tweak it just a
bit so that it's more palatable to the average voter. GOP chairman Ken
Melhman is right: Anger, paranoia, and conspiracy theories don't win
elections (just ask Ross Perot).

better still ask John Kerry

Although I have (or at least had) lots to say -- mostly negative --
about Chuck Harder's nationalism, for the purposes of this post, that
is beside the point.
The point I've made over and over again (dating back to Chuck's
accident in May 1999) is that, for lack of a better metaphor, the Chuck
Harder era -- which began in late 1991 and persisted until early 1995
-- is long gone. I'm talking about the pervasive anti-government anger
and disgruntlement that existed back then, especially on the Right. OK,
there's lots of talk about the same thing today, but (again, to employ
an old, worn aphorism) that's comparing apples and oranges.
Today, whatever "anger" or "disgruntlement" exists centers around the
Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which (in my opinion) are being completely
distorted by a Bush-hating MSM (mainstream media). There is not this
overarching, Timothy McVeigh-style anti-government hatred that we
unfortunately had to deal with in the early 1990's, the period when,
not surprisingly, Chuck Harder saw his biggest successes and largest
radio audiences.
Look at the numbers: In 1992, on average, only 15 percent of voters
surveyed thought the U.S. on "on the right track." Today, that number
is in the low 30's -- not good, but not catastrophic either.
Today, we have the so-called "Minutemen," trying to keep illegal
immigrants from sneaking across the border. Compare these folks to the
citizen militias of the early '90's, who were trying to overthrow the
U.S. government (again, not surprisingly, Chuck supported the CM's back
then). The Minutemen are trying to help the government; the militias
were trying to destroy it.
Oh, I forgot to mention crime. In the early 1990's, it was out of
control, with about 2,000 homicides per year in New York City and
almost 500 in Washington, D.C. Today, those tragic figures are down
dramatically (under 600 in the Big Apple, under 200 in D.C.).
Runaway crime was, to many angry voters, a symbol of American decline
and an uncaring, elitist, "New World Order" globalist government
unwilling to do anything about it except trot out Dane Quayl [sic] and
his goofy tirades against Murphy Brown.
That was the environment that nurtured and grew the likes of Chuck
Harder. It's gone now, but, like your appendix, Chuck Harder somehow
hangs on.
I guess Chuck just likes hearing himself on the radio, and gets a rise
out of talking to influential conservatives (Cliff May, David
Silverstein, Jed Babbin, Peter Peterson, Josh Block, Kenneth Timmerman,
etc.). In a way, I can relate to that. Hell, I'd probably feel the same
way Chuck does, were I in his position.
But -- and I've said this over and over and over again -- it's time for
Chuck Harder to smell the coffee and do the right thing and retire
(there I go again with those worn-out sayings). Let someone else more
in tune with the times take over. It's only fair.