19. Sean Hannity

It might be said that Sean Hannity falls in the shadow of his Fox News counterpart, Bill O’Reilly—an assertion supported by ratings, not to mention the two men’s respective places on this list—but to disregard the significant influence wielded by Hannity is to ignore the political trends on this island and in this country. Hannity has thrown his weight behind boyhood friend John Gomez in an attempt to unseat five-term Democratic Rep. Steve Israel (and it just might work). The TV host’s connection to the Tea Party has been downplayed: Last month, he was scheduled to broadcast from a Cincinnati Tea Party, but his involvement was canceled after News Corp honcho Rupert Murdoch said, “I don’t think we should be supporting the Tea Party or any other party.” Still, as a charismatic Conservative with a sizable audience (like O’Reilly, Hannity puts up ratings that shame most other cable networks, and stand alongside broadcast networks), Hannity’s words are heard by millions. And millions feel the same way, too.