Sadly for conservatives—this is where Nolte’s point comes in—there’s still no media personality bashing the Republican Party from the right who compels people to take him or her seriously. For a hot minute, Rush Limbaugh enjoyed that status in the ‘90s. Sarah Palin never even came close. I think the only person to do it for any length of time is Pat Buchanan, and he, like Nugent, is a relic of an era as dead as his old pal Hunter Thompson.

Unfortunately for those who complain that Nugent bears the brunt of media bias, it’s not the media’s job to make way for conservatives who can protect themselves from criticism by whacking the GOP on occasion. The media’s job is to make stars, end of sentence, end of paragraph.

Can a bona fide star today be politically right of center?

You’re right to ask. Even though the answer is probably no, the real question is who’s going to be the stars of tomorrow. Because my guess is, they just might surprise you. The thing about the power of fame is, it usually dies before you do. Whether you’re Ted Nugent or the Liberal Media, you won’t be on top forever. One day you’ll be telling yourself stories about what happened generations ago—and the celebrities of the future will be blowing people’s minds, in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.