
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you are expecting me to give all the good reasons why FOX News’ Tucker Carlson stands so high in the ratings, you will be disappointed. I pose the question because I simply cannot understand his appeal to anyone. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Obviously, my opinion of Carlson is not very favorable. It never has been. ; I used to cringe when he appeared as an occasional guest on FOX’s morning show. ; Whenever he appeared, I knew I had time for a potty break – or grab the remote to another news outlet or even a TCM movie. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I was honestly shocked with the folks at FOX gave him the primetime evening spot held by Bill O’Reilly. ; Surely that would turn out to be a bad decision and corrected as ratings fell. ; Boy, was I wrong! ; Carlson actually rode the crest of the rating wave as cable news’ top-rated program – occasionally taking over the spot held by Sean Hannity. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to some of the ratings, Carlson has been replaced as king of the news mountain by shows like The Five, Watters World, or Gutfeld – FOX’s successful competition to the so-called “late night comedians.” ; Maybe that is because Gutfeld is actually funny, and the others have been undermined by both their own humorless woke standards and biases. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Regards of his relative position, Carlson remains a staple in the cable news top-ten list. ; It still mystifies me. ; So why do I not like Tucker Carlson? ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It started when he first appeared on those morning broadcasts. ; I found him pompous, arrogant, and snarky. ; It was not always his opinion on a subject – with which I often agreed. ; It was that grating personality. ; His language exuded condescending arrogance. ; His tendency is to go into his squeaky chipmunk voice when he gets overly excited with his own words. ; And then there is that contemptuous mocking cackle. ; ; ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Carlson seems more interested in creating controversy by outrageous statements that are not necessarily true or logical. ; He seems to have his greatest appeal among the rabid more than the rational. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But it is not all a matter of style. ; Although he holds and expresses some solid conservative views on occasion, Carlson is not a full-breed conservative. ; He manifests too many traits of an authoritarian nationalist. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I should explain that while many on the left link authoritarian nationalism with conservativism, the two political philosophies are juxtaposed on the political continuum. ; No authoritarian philosophy – none – comes from the conservative right. ; We are the folks who hate big powerful central governments of any kind – communist, socialist, monarchy, dictatorship AND nationalist. ; We are small-d democrats … period. ; We want laws and policy to be the manifest will of the people, not the judgment of an elite ruling class. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Authoritarian nationalism is closely tied to isolationism. ; But America First does not mean America alone. ; Furthermore, conservatives know which side to be on in terms of the Ukraine War. ; That is a fight between a democratic Republic (not perfect, perhaps) and a maniacal authoritarian madman – and conservatives will always be on the side of democracy and individual rights over an evil dictator. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Nowhere are Carlson’s opinions more inconsistent with conservativism than his pandering to Putin. ; ; The madman of Moscow invaded a recognized independent and sovereign nation without cause – and is carrying out an unjust war with serial war crimes. ; Putin’s actions are founded on an evil madness – and no good person or committed conservative can remotely approve or even acquiesce to Putin’s invasion. ; Yet, Carlson uses every opportunity to justify it – and to condemn American opposition to Putin’s dirty little war. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Perhaps the best example of Carlson&#8217;s wrongness and irrationality is when he opposed American involvement in Ukraine – posing the rhetorical question, “What has Putin done to me?” ; He went on to say that those on the left have done more against him personally than Putin. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I mean, how effing stupid is that? ; Using Carlson’s argument, he could call for the release of all MS13 killers on the bases of … what did they do to him personally? ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is part of my obligation to cover all the news – from all perspectives. ; That means tuning into Carlson occasionally. ; I usually wind-up cringing. ; ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Perhaps he bothers me even more than Rachel Maddow or James Acosta – who bothers me a lot &#8212; because Carlson is alleged to be on my side of the political divide. ; I know many of my readers are going to take strong exception to my criticism of Carlson. ; After all, he does have millions of viewers – about one percent of the American people. ; ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is just that I do not understand why. ; I have always pointed out – correctly – that FOX presents far more balanced news, with panelists on both sides, than any other cable news network. ; That can be empirically proven. ; But it is a show like Tucker Carlson that creates the wrong image and gives rise to unjustified criticism of the network as a whole. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I am not sure why they keep Carlson on the air – other than his high ratings. ; And I have never understood how he rose to that level in cable news. ; If I had been running FOX, Carlson would have been dropped from the morning show way back when. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, it is what it is. ; He is pulling down high ratings – and I am left to wonder why. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis. ;</p>

Why is Tucker Carlson So Popular?
