🌵 Tucson's Conservative Media Landscape Expands as "Inside Track" Goes Digital
Border city deserves better than oversimplified narratives that demonize immigrant neighbors
This is based on Inside Track, a MAGA-conservative podcast in Southern Arizona, which was broadcast by Live The Dream Media on 5/7/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🎙️ This article is about a new podcast called "Inside Track" that started in Tucson 🏜️. The host interviewed a historian 📚 about a famous war photographer 📸 who took pictures during World War II ⚔️. While they talked about interesting history 🕰️, they also said some not-so-nice things about immigrants 🚫🤝 and celebrated America's military 🎖️ without talking about the bad parts of war ☠️. The host also shared news stories 📰 that made immigrants look dangerous ⚠️, which isn't fair because most immigrants are good people 🌟. The article explains why this kind of one-sided storytelling 🎭 can hurt our community 🤕 and suggests better ways to talk about these important topics 💬✨.
🗝️ Takeaways
📸 The podcast featured historian Alex Kershaw discussing war photographer Robert Capa, particularly his photo of Raymond Bowman, "the last man to die" near the end of WWII
🇺🇸 What began as a historical discussion quickly transformed into an uncritical celebration of American exceptionalism and military might
🤦♂️ Kershaw briefly acknowledged America was "born out of genocide" before immediately returning to nationalistic praise
🧱 Host Bruce Ash used his news roundup to fearmonger about immigrants through cherry-picked crime stories
🏳️⚧️ Ash celebrated Trump's transgender military ban as "good news for our military" without explanation
🔄 The show exemplifies how conservative media acknowledges uncomfortable truths only to immediately bury them under patriotic platitudes
Behind the Right-Wing Mic: Inside Track's Digital Debut Whitewashes History While Fearmongering About Immigrants
In the harsh desert light of Tucson, a new conservative voice has migrated from the medium of terrestrial radio to the digital frontier. "Inside Track," hosted by Bruce Ash, made its debut on the aptly named "Live the Dream" media network yesterday. The podcast's first guest? British historian Alex Kershaw ostensibly discussed his book "Patton's Prayer" and war photographer Robert Capa.
But as the desert knows all too well, what appears on the surface is rarely the whole story.
A History Lesson Bathed in Nationalist Glory
The episode began innocuously enough. Ash introduced Kershaw, noting his expertise on World War II and recent works including "Patton's Prayer." What followed was a conversation about Robert Capa, a Hungarian Jewish photographer who fled European fascism to become one of history's most celebrated war photojournalists.
Kershaw eloquently detailed Capa's remarkable journey—from fleeing antisemitism in Hungary to documenting the Spanish Civil War and then capturing the horrors and heroism of World War II, including his iconic D-Day photographs on Omaha Beach.
The central focus of their discussion was Capa's haunting photograph of Raymond Bowman, an American soldier killed in Leipzig, Germany, on April 18, 1945, just weeks before Germany's surrender. As Kershaw described it:
"He was about a couple of yards away from Bowman. He was killed by a sniper. He was shot through the head. And the subsequent photographs that Cappa took are not only of the impact of the bullet and what happened to Bowman, but then the pool of blood that spread around Bowman as he lay slumped on the floor in this apartment in Leipzig."
The interview could have been a thoughtful meditation on war's human cost. Instead, it quickly devolved into a celebration of American military might and exceptionalism. As a progressive listener, I couldn't help but notice the disturbing subtext.
Are we really glorifying war photography without discussing the systemic forces that create these conflicts in the first place?
Kershaw himself briefly ventured into more critical territory, acknowledging American imperialism: "If you look at the formation of the United States, it was born out of genocide as much as it was anything else."
But this fleeting acknowledgment of America's genocidal origins against Native peoples came without exploration or reflection—a drive-by admission that was immediately overshadowed by nationalistic cheerleading.
The American Savior Complex on Full Display
As the interview progressed, Kershaw served up exactly the mythologizing about American greatness that conservative audiences crave:
"The second greatest thing that you did was win World War II. And you did it in less than the time that Biden was president," Kershaw gushed, in a gratuitous swipe at the previous administration. "And you started off that war with both arms tied behind your back. And you did an unbelievable thing for anybody who cared about freedom in the world."
Right, because nuance is the enemy of nationalist mythology.
This oversimplified narrative conveniently erases the Soviet Union's massive contribution to defeating Nazi Germany (with 27 million Soviet deaths compared to America's 400,000), Britain's years fighting alone before American entry, and the complicated reality that America maintained segregation and Japanese internment camps while supposedly fighting for "freedom."
Kershaw continued his paean to American exceptionalism: "I always say to people, if you look at 1945, they did various opinion polls around the world in different countries. And America was the most respected country on the planet. It has never enjoyed a greater moral ascendancy, moral authority than in 1945."
Funny how this golden era of American moral authority coincided with Jim Crow, redlining, and systematic oppression of people of color. Wonder why that wasn't mentioned?
From History to Hysteria: The Post-Interview Descent
After Kershaw's departure, Ash dispensed with any pretense of historical analysis and launched into a breathless rundown of conservative talking points that would make Fox News blush.
He began with fearmongering about a potential India-Pakistan conflict, using it as a springboard to advocate for American global dominance: "There's been countless of similar situations since the late 40s. And they're talking about potentially World War III because both are nuclear powers."
But it was his segment on immigration that truly revealed the show's agenda. Ash rattled off a series of inflammatory headlines:
"An illegal alien freed into the U.S. by the Biden administration was accused of killing a 58-year-old man crossing the street in a wheelchair. Another headline from Breitbart, Gun-toting Salvadorian gang member arrested after Maryland authorities’ protection fails."
Ah yes, the tried-and-true tactic of using isolated incidents to demonize an entire population. Never mind the studies showing immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans. Why let facts get in the way of a good panic?
Ash also mocked Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett, referring to her as "Daisy May Crockett" (a racist dog whistle if I've ever heard one) for criticizing a program that would pay undocumented immigrants $1,000 to self-deport.
His news roundup celebrated other conservative victories:
"Supreme Court, this is a big decision that they made yesterday. They're not hearing any further case arguments on transgenders in the military. The Supreme Court will allow President Trump to implement transgender military ban. That's good news for our military."
Good news for whom exactly? Not for the thousands of transgender service members who have served honorably, nor for a military that benefits from all qualified personnel regardless of gender identity.
Ash praised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move to "ax one-fifth of the four-star generals at the Pentagon," gleefully noting that "everybody on the left is going crazy." He added, "Hegseth and Trump are on the right course. There's more generals there who believe in politicking and butt-kissing and less about fighting the enemies of our country."
Because nothing says "supporting the troops" like purging military leadership for political reasons.
The Silences Speak Volumes
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the podcast was what wasn't discussed: the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, climate change that's making our Arizona summers even more brutal, healthcare access, or economic inequality that affects millions of Tucsonans and Americans daily.
These omissions are no accident. Conservative media thrives by redirecting legitimate economic anxieties toward scapegoats (immigrants, transgender people) while avoiding discussions about the systems that actually create hardship for working people.
The conservative playbook hasn't changed—create fear about the "other," celebrate military might, and avoid discussing the economic policies that actually hurt their own listeners.
What This Means for Tucson
As Tucsonans, we should be concerned about the proliferation of such narratives in our local media landscape. Our border community knows better than most the human reality of immigration, yet shows like "Inside Track" reduce complex human stories to fear-inducing caricatures.
Our city, with its rich Indigenous, Mexican, and multicultural heritage, deserves media that honors this complexity rather than erasing it with simplistic nationalist narratives.
This kind of programming doesn't just misrepresent history—it actively harms our community by deepening divisions and misdirecting anger away from the authentic sources of economic hardship facing everyday Tucsonans.
Questions Worth Pondering
As we reflect on what this new digital platform means for Tucson's media environment, several questions emerge:
How does selective historical storytelling shape our understanding of Tucson's past and present, particularly regarding our border identity?
What responsibility do local media platforms have to challenge narratives that demonize our immigrant neighbors?
How can we support media outlets that prioritize truth and community well-being over divisive fearmongering?
A Message of Hope and Action
Despite the disturbing launch of this digital platform, there's reason for optimism in Tucson. Our community has a long history of resistance to oppressive narratives and solidarity across differences. From the sanctuary movement of the 1980s to today's mutual aid networks, Tucsonans know how to come together across differences to build community power.
We can counter these harmful narratives by supporting independent, progressive local media. Your subscription to Three Sonorans helps us continue our work exposing the truth behind conservative talking points and amplifying marginalized voices in our community.
You become part of the solution for just $5 a month—supporting journalism that serves the people, not powerful interests. Visit ThreeSonorans.substack.com to subscribe today and help us keep this critical analysis coming.
The struggles for justice in our borderlands have never been easy, but they have always been worth it. Together, we can create media and movements that reflect our community's compassion, justice, and solidarity values.
What conservative talking points have you heard in local media that need debunking? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let's continue this important conversation.
Quotes
"If you look at the formation of the United States, it was born out of genocide as much as it was anything else." - Alex Kershaw, acknowledging America's origins before quickly pivoting back to praising American military might
"The second greatest thing that you did was win World War II. And you did it in less than the time that Biden was president." - Alex Kershaw, making a partisan jab while praising American exceptionalism
"Illegal alien freed into the U.S. by Biden administration accused of killing a 58-year-old man crossing the street in a wheelchair." - Bruce Ash sharing an inflammatory headline to fearmonger about immigrants
"The Supreme Court will allow President Trump to implement transgender military ban. That's good news for our military." - Bruce Ash, celebrating the transgender military ban without explanation
"There's more generals there who believe in politicking and butt-kissing and less about fighting the enemies of our country." - Bruce Ash, supporting the purge of Pentagon leadership
"Representative Amy Behr, Democrat of California, stated, President Donald Trump is succeeding on the border, and illegal crossings have gone down. The American public voted for that and he has delivered." - Bruce Ash, using a Democratic representative's quote to validate Trump's border policies
People Mentioned and Notable Quotes
Bruce Ash - Host of Inside Track, former RNC member, and owner of Paul Ash Commercial Real Estate.
Quote: "Don't count the Democrats out yet. I know they have some crazy people, this David Hogg, that they're trying to kick him out as a vice chair at the DNC."
Alex Kershaw - British World War II historian and author of "Patton's Prayer." Quote: "If you look at the history of the Brits, we're the quintessential imperialists. If you look at the formation of the United States, it was born out of genocide as much as it was anything else."
Robert Capa - Hungarian Jewish war photographer who documented WWII. As described by Kershaw: "Hungarian Jew, he fled fascism in Hungary, went of all places to Berlin, fled Nazism there, went to Paris, started to cover the Spanish Civil War in the mid 30s."
Raymond Bowman - American soldier killed in Leipzig on April 18, 1945, whose death was photographed by Capa
Leland Riggs - American soldier who was with Bowman when he was killed, survived until age 102
Donald Trump - Referenced multiple times, particularly regarding border policies and Pentagon leadership changes
Pete Hegseth - Secretary of Defense under Trump, mentioned for "axing one-fifth of the four-star generals"
Representative Amy Behr - Democratic congresswoman quoted praising Trump's border policies
Representative Jasmine Crockett - Democratic congresswoman mockingly referred to as "Daisy May Crockett" by Ash
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