Neal Boortz
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Neal Boortz (born April 6, 1945) is a popular and controversial American talk radio host. His self-given nicknames include: The Talkmaster, Mighty Whitey, America's Rude Awakening and the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth.
Life
Boortz was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, but, since his was a military family, he was raised elsewhere, in many locations throughout the country. He was a self-described "marine brat." In his pre-radio life, he was a speech writer for Georgia Governor Lester G. Maddox. He began his radio career in College Station in the 1960s at WTAW-AM. Boortz also practiced law from 1977 to 1992. His syndicated show originates from WSB-AM 750 in Atlanta, and currently has about five million listeners nationwide.
He has a wife named Donna, with whom he has one daughter, Laura. Mr. Boortz is an avid golfer and aviation enthusiast. He is an accomplished pilot with over 3,000 hours flying as pilot-in-command. He holds single-engine and instrument ratings, and is also certified for hot-air balloons.
Politics and radio
A self-described Libertarian, Boortz is often accused of being a "Republican in sheep's clothing." He has recently been described using the term neolibertarian. This refers to his tendency to advocate Republican party platforms, and his frequent (but not exclusive) support of Republican politicians, especially George W. Bush. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks he has supported controversial measures at home, such as the Patriot Act, and an expansionist foreign policy. His tendency to side with liberals and Democrats on social issues such as abortion (the forbidden topic that nobody is allowed to discuss but him), same-sex marriage, the war on drugs and what he deems broadcast media censorship, is more in line with the traditional views of the United States Libertarian Party; however, he has said that those issues are not of the greatest importance in the current world environment in which terrorism has dominated since the 9/11 attacks of 2001. On the air, and on his website (http://www.boortz.com), he admonishes people, "Don't believe anything you read on this web page, or, for that matter, anything you hear on The Neal Boortz Show, unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or unless you have taken the time to research the matter to prove its accuracy to your satisfaction." However, paradoxically, on numerous occasions Boortz has cautioned his listeners to take no heed nor place any credence in anything he says, as he is merely an “entertainer.”
Among his listeners in The South, Boortz has often caused controversy for his staunch support of gay rights and his negative comments regarding Southerners, Baptists, and Confederate references and images (especially the Confederate flag).
Boortz is the author of a book entitled "The Terrible Truth About Liberals." His latest book (co-authored by Georgia Congressman John Linder) on the FairTax proposal to restructure the federal tax system is due to be released the first week in August, 2005, to coincide with the release of the report from the President's Tax Reform Commission.
External links
- Neal Boortz website (http://boortz.com/)
- 750 WSB Radio (http://www.wsbradio.com/) - Boortz's "home" station