Happy Trails: My Homage To Neal Boortz

Neal Boortz, the "Talkmaster", will sign off for the last time tomorrow. This saddens me. Neal was one of the few rational, intelligent voices in political talk radio. And he's a libertarian. Well, for the most part. But, ideological purist or not, Neal introduced me to libertarianism more than a decade ago. And then, throughout the years, he sparked within me the flame of activism. Indeed, if it weren't for Neal's on-air brilliance, I doubt that I'd be publishing this blog. And I certainly wouldn't be attempting to follow in his footsteps on the radio. Although I've never met him, I consider Neal a mentor.

Yeah, he was a blowhard on the air. That was his act. Unfortunately, that's the way popular political talk radio hosts have been since Rush Limbaugh came on the scene. That's what conservatives like. Hopefully, that will change as more liberty-minded voices rise to prominence. But, with Neal, the vitriol was interspersed with impeccable logic. Boortz, you see, is a highly-intelligent man. He wasn't the Talkmaster because he was good at talking over people. He was the Talkmaster because he was good at overpowering people with well-formulated arguments. (He even co-authored a revolutionary tax plan. What other talk radio show host has done anything of the sort?)

Unfortunately, Neal strayed from his libertarian roots for several years. For some reason, he became seduced by neoconservatism. I don't know what he was thinking. Thankfully, he eventually saw the error in his ways, and he's ending his storied 40+ year career with a healthy disdain for the Republican Party. In the wake of the party's 2012 electoral disaster, he penned an epic diatribe about the GOP's social conservatism, and he recently posted some great anti-Republican messages on his Facebook page. It's great to see Neal end on a high note.

Speaking of high notes, his last show isn't to be missed. (Listen live here Friday from 8:30 to 1 ET.) He's sure to tell it like it is, and who knows what he'll say now that he can basically say anything he wants without having to worry about being fired:

Me love you long time, Neal! If I ever get famous, I hope for the chance to finally meet you. 

(Afterthought: Neal wrote an excellent farewell article that nicely sums up his career. I urge you to read it.)