Paul Harvey was the Norman Rockwell of radio

March 1, 2:21 PMConservative Politics ExaminerKathy Shaidle

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Listening and watching any classic "The Rest of the Story" segment, it hits you: nobody writes like Paul Harvey anymore.

No one would dare. There's no smugness, no irony, no sarcasm. Just old fashioned storytelling magic, with its thrilling sleight of hand.

But today, goosebumps aren't "cool". Neither is patriotism or paeans to hard work and dedication, and, in so many of his segments, anonymity.

Notice that most famous Paul Harvey device: not revealing the identity of the hero until the very end. Yes, it is a clever contrivance to hook you and keep you from changing the channel.

But it is something more. Whether he realized it or not, Harvey was teaching millions of listeners a valuable lesson, about doing the right thing whether you receive any recognition for it or not. Paul Harvey's secret was... the Secret.

Sure, Paul Harvey reveals the hero's often surprising identity at the very end, but for the first three minutes, that hero could be anybody.

Maybe even you.