WaPo’s Erik Wemple has put together an A-to-Z guide explaining why Sean Hannity is the country’s No. 2 threat to democracy, “right behind his phone buddy in the White House.”

Wemple’s overview on why Hannity is such a grave threat:

Long a merchant of false and harebrained lines of attack against Democratic politicians, [Hannity] has moved to a more alarming perch: advocate for disenfranchising voters. With each errant utterance, Hannity pushes his viewership closer to a breakup with U.S. democracy.

So when the next presidential candidate tries to hijack an election, the “Hannity” base will be primed to believe whatever random allegations about fraud and irregularities get tossed into the public square.

The problem, as Wemple lays out, is not just Hannity’s anti-democratic rhetoric but the power of his platform. Here are a few excerpts from the A-to-Z guide:

Denial: The Post surveyed congressional Republicans and reported Dec. 5 that 220 GOP lawmakers “will simply not say who won the election.” 

Stunning? Only if you don’t watch “Hannity,” where a Trump electoral college victory is always around the legal corner. Rudy’s working on it; Kayleigh has some important updates; Newt has insight on the corruption in Georgia; and more challenges are coming up the pike! Why should a Republican lawmaker throw in the towel when the show that he most wants to get on says it’s still a contest? If you declare Biden the winner, what are the chances that a booker from “Hannity” will call?

…

Gravitational pull: Fox News’s Bill Hemmer was part of the news team on election night that put Arizona early — and correctly — in Biden’s column. Done deal, right? Not on “Hannity.” The next night, Hemmer appeared on the show to game out the possibility that Trump could still take Arizona. “Maricopa County is something to keep an eye on throughout the night. We’ll see whether or not a case can be made for the White House to argue that Arizona really is still in play with 11 electoral votes on the line,” said Hemmer.

…

No comment: Fox News called the race for Biden the morning of Nov. 7. Thirty-eight days later, one of the network’s top personalities continues defying it. Why do network bosses allow this guy to trample the organization in this way? Still awaiting an on-the-record response.

I highly recommend the whole column for a fuller picture of the threat.

This is far from Hannity’s first assault on democracy and the rule of law. Aside from his promotion of birtherism, an illegitimate attack on Barack Obama’s presidency and his attempt to frame murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich for the Russian leak of DNC emails to WikiLeaks, Hannity’s previously most outstanding attempt to undermine America was his promotion of armed insurrection against the U.S. government.

But deliberately working to thwart a presidential election is Hannity’s worst strike against America yet.

(Hannity image via screen grab)