It all began several months ago. I'd had a hard day at the office, and I didn't feel like doing anything productive around the house that evening, so I sat down in front of the television and started channel surfing. There wasn't anything good on, but flipping channels, I caught a glimpse of Don Shuckster on one of them. I didn't like Don then; I thought he was one of the most outrageous of the right-wing tabloid journalists who preyed on the gullible. Yet his influence was growing. Though his politics were primitive and simplistic, more and more people seemed to be swayed by the opinions he expressed in his reports. But he was, it must be said, a very good-looking man. Maybe that was part of the reason for his success. I flipped back to the channel he was on, so I could admire his handsome features. If I didn't like what he had to say, I could always turn the sound off. Maybe he'd seem more intelligent that way, I rationalized.

"A Don Shuckster Special Report," said the glaring headline on the screen. "Hypno Hype: Healers or Hucksters?" I groaned inwardly at the hackneyed title. This was a rerun of the report that seemed to have marked the beginning of his notoriety. It seemed that it was always being repeated, though I hadn't watched it before. It sounded like a bunch of exploitative sensationalism, but on the other hand, it might be amusing. I settled back on the couch to watch. The letters on the screen started swirling; they formed themselves into a spiral and drained away into the center of the screen, to be replaced by Don's handsome face. I especially admired his strong, square jaw.

"We've all heard about hypnotherapy," he said. "Maybe you have a friend who's spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on a course of treatment. Does it work? In this special report, we'll investigate the hype about hypnosis, and you'll be able to judge for yourself. And exactly what is hypnosis? We asked Dr. Stephen Condon, a certified hypnotherapist, to explain to us."

The scene changed to show Don sitting in an office with a distinguished-looking man with grey hair and glasses. "Hypnosis," said the distinguished man, "is a natural state of mind in which the centers of critical judgement are suspended, almost as though the subject is asleep, but the subconscious mind remains open and receptive."

"What does that mean, Doctor? Will the subject believe anything the hypnotist tells him? Is the subject forced to obey any commands the hypnotist gives him?" asked Don.

"Oh, no," said the doctor. "That would depend on the motivation of the subject, and the degree of rapport the subject has with the hypnotist. For instance, a man who wants to give up a bad habit like chewing his nails would be motivated to obey suggestions against nail-chewing. And it's much more subtle than merely giving commands. The hypnotist could implant a suggestion making some unpleasant association with nail-biting; the subject doesn't have to believe anything at all to be reminded of the unpleasant association the next time he tries to bite his nails. To build up good habits, to reinforce behavioral patterns that you want to establish or encourage in the subject, you would suggest a positive association, of course, like sexual pleasure, for instance."

"And how easy is it to hypnotize people? Can you hypnotize strong and independent-minded people, or can only the foolish and weak-minded be influenced?"

"Everyone can be hypnotized. You enter this state of mind all the time; whenever you become engrossed in a movie, and you experience what Aristotle called 'the suspension of disbelief,' you are essentially in a state of hypnosis."

"So people watching TV are also hypnotized?"

"Oh, yes, most of the time."

"So I don't even have to go through the 'look into my eyes' rigamarole," said Don. The camera zoomed in on his handsome face, while lighting directing attention to his eyes, and a strange buzzing noise began to whisper quietly in the background. "Those of you watching this program at home are already relaxed. Your guard is down, because you are sitting passively, absorbing my words. It's a natural part of watching TV. But that's okay. Don't worry about it, it's perfectly natural and happens all the time. Just sink back into your chairs and enjoy the program. You don't have to think about what I'm saying; it's all merely entertainment. Let the words flow right through you. You don't have to think at all. The critical part of your mind is asleep; in fact, your mind is growing completely empty, except for the sound of my words, flowing directly into your subconscious mind."

This was becoming boring. He went on and on in a droning voice with more monologue like what I've recorded here. I stopped concentrating on what he was saying. I just watched his eyes. He had long, dark lashes that were very attractive. That was all that mattered. His dark-stubbled jaw moved as he talked, but I was no longer paying any attention to what he was saying. His words flowed right through me.

With a start, I awoke. Almost the whole hour had gone by. I must have fallen asleep because I was so tired. "That's all for this program. Thanks for watching," Don was saying. "I hope that you have enjoyed this show, and are feeling much more refreshed now. Be sure to tune in next time, when I'll investigate taxes. Remember, investigation reveals the truth; you now possess the truth. The truth makes you strong. Join the other strong-minded people online at W W W dot Don Shuckster dot Org. Until next week!" The credits started rolling.

My sleep had been very refreshing. I felt wide awake and alert now. Out of curiosity, I went online to the website Don had mentioned. The screen was full of little frames full of text that didn't look very interesting. But there was a large, hi-res image of Don that I downloaded and made the background for my desktop because he was so nice to look at. Suddenly I looked at the clock. I was supposed to call my boyfriend this evening, but it was too late now. Oh, well, I'd call him later.

A week later I suddenly realized that it was time for Don Shuckster's program again. I turned on the television, thinking I'd catch a glimpse of his handsome face again. I laughed to myself, thinking about the silly program I'd slept through the week before. What a big fuss he'd made about hypnosis. Who really cared if a few unscrupulous quacks made a couple of bucks off the rubes? Strong-minded men like me (or Don, for that matter) would never fall for their insignificant schemes, and the ignorant got what they deserved.

The credits appeared on the screen. "A Don Shuckster Special Report," the words said. "Taxes: Too High, or Too Low?" The credit music played for a while; then Don appeared in a small inset in a corner of the screen, saying, "Those of you who watched last week's program on hypnosis will get a kick out of this. Watch closely!" The inset disappeared, and the letters started moving. As they did the previous week, they formed into a swirling spiral that seemed to expand and fill the screen. In fact, by some optical illusion, it seemed to expand beyond the edges of the screen and fill my mind. I stared in fascination at the trick. I tried to figure out how it was done, but it was too beautiful; I gave up and just watched. Eventually, the dancing letters drained away into the center of the screen as before, to be replaced by the image of Don Shuckster. I felt completely relaxed and passive. I sank into the couch and prepared to enjoy the program.

"Taxes," said Don Shuckster. "They're as inevitable as death, they say. Or are they? Where does all that money go? We asked liberal economics professor Dr. Everard Webb to explain."

Dr. Webb gave the usual liberal story about the greed of the rich, and the needs of the poor. I spaced out for a moment or two, since this line was so familiar to me.

"Next, we'll hear from conservative think-tank expert Christopher Furey."

This was much more interesting. Mr. Furey talked about how business creates jobs that help the poor more than any bleeding-heart liberal give-away programs, and how philosophically that made more sense than stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Robin Hood, after all, was a thief, and condoning his crimes was inconsistent with true justice. I'd never heard it put quite that way before.

After that, I must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing that I remember is the closing credits. "Thanks for watching the program," said Don Shuckster. "I hope that I've changed a few minds this week. Remember, the truth makes you strong. Tune in next week, when we'll discuss energy and the environment, or join us online before then. Until next week, this is Don Shuckster saying good night."

The theme of the show I had just watched, as it happened, was especially relevant, because later that week there was a special election in my hometown to vote on an increase in property taxes to pay for repairs to one of the local elementary schools, which had been damaged by rain. I stopped off at the voting center on my way home from work. Normally, I'm very conscientious about this kind of thing; it seems like it's everybody's duty to contribute to the community by voting for the common good, even when it's something as trivial as school levies. I stepped into the voting booth, and I saw the two buttons, YES and NO. I thought about the Don Shuckster program. I experienced a moment of dizziness and the spiraling credits appeared before my eyes. I hesitated with my thumb over the YES button. Don Shuckster was so handsome, and so strong. Even if I didn't always agree with him, he always had good reasons for his opinions, and he was so firm in his convictions. Maybe that's what I admired most about him: his aura of confidence and his masterful attitude. He was so strong-minded. If I yielded to his strength, if I let him take me, I could belong to him. My penis began to stir in my pants. My thumb moved to hover over the NO button. My vote didn't matter all that much anyhow, there were so many other people voting too. The school didn't matter all that much either, when you came right down to it. I thumbed the NO button. It gave me a little thrill to know that I had done it for Don. I came to full erection. It was embarrassing; I couldn't go out in public like this. I tried waiting a few minutes, but it wouldn't go away. I had to leave the booth eventually. I hoped that the elderly women at the registration desk didn't notice the profile of my enormous hard-on as I left the voting precinct. When I got home, I booted up the computer and put his picture on the screen so that I could jerk off, thinking about what I had done for him. It was unusually satisfying.

The next week I was glued to the set for Don Shuckster's program. The dancing credits formed into the now-familiar spiral, and I sank back into my couch, staring glassy-eyed into the screen. I always felt so relaxed and happy when I watched Don Shuckster, and I woke up feeling so refreshed when I fell asleep during the program. This week's program was about energy and the environment. There were some guests who talked about the dangers of global warming, the international debt built up by over-dependence on foreign oil, the environmental damage caused by oil drilling, and the poor performance of SUV's in rollover tests. However, what caught my attention most during this program was the advertisements. All the big car manufacturers had bought commercial time on this show (I realized, despite the fogginess that filled my brain, that this was part of the way business created jobs, as I had learned in the previous program), and they showed strong, handsome, athletic men having fun driving gigantic SUV's on mountain roads. I realized that I wanted to be like that too! You may not believe it, but I went out that very week and bought myself the largest SUV I could find. I'd never made that kind of impulse purchase before, but I knew that this was the kind of strong-mindedness that would make Don Shuckster proud! I felt so butch driving it around town. I especially enjoyed taking up two parking spaces at the grocery store. Everybody stared at me, but I didn't care. I wasn't about to be influenced by anybody else's opinion!

The following week, I read in the paper, there was going to be another repeat of Don Shuckster's program on hypnosis. That made me remember that I hadn't talked to my boyfriend in quite a while. I called him up and invited him to come over and watch some TV with me.

"Don Shuckster!" said my boyfriend. "He's good-looking, but that reactionary drivel he spouts! How can you stand to listen to him?"

"You don't have to agree with what he says," I said. "But I think you'll see that he's very intelligent and strong-minded, so you're left with a feeling of respect for the man, even if you disagree with him. What counts is the open exchange of ideas, and the attempt to expose the truth, whatever that turns out to be."

"You sound like you are practically a Shucksterite!" he said.

I had to backpedal furiously to convince my boyfriend that I was not one of those air-headed groupies that follow Don Shuckster like cultists. In the end, I persuaded him that the show was worth watching just for the entertainment value. "Besides, it's important to know the enemy, so you can refute his arguments," I said.

Soon we were sitting side by side staring glassily at the television set. I spaced out almost at once, since I had heard it all before. I remember almost nothing of the program. At the end, both our minds were full of Don Shuckster, and neither of us felt like doing anything else, so we gave each other a little peck on the cheek and said goodnight. I knew that my boyfriend agreed with me now that Don Shuckster was worth watching, and that he would be tuning in again. After he was gone, I jerked off, thinking of the good work I had done for Don.

"... Join the other strong-minded people online at W W W dot Don Shuckster dot Org," he said in his next closing monologue. I went to the computer and logged on. I always felt sorry now when the program ended; it left me feeling so relaxed and contented that I wanted to prolong the enjoyment. The web site suddenly seemed like a way to do just that.

There was the image of Don that I had downloaded so many weeks ago. This time, however, I started to read all the little frames filled with text. I followed all the links, and learned Don Shuckster's opinions on just about everything. Some of them I now agreed with; other frames were filled with ideas that made me think a lot; and others I knew I didn't agree with, but the idea of supporting Don's way against my own better judgement turned me on so much that I got a hard-on right away. In particular, I read a long article Don had written about nuclear energy. I didn't agree with everything he said, but as soon as I finished reading it I fired off an e-mail to my senators supporting Don's position. It was hard to write the letter, because I was so sexually aroused that I could hardly keep both hands on the keyboard. The truth will make you strong, and his opinions were so strong and masculine that in the end, I knew that I had done the right thing to trust Don's judgement. Yielding to the power of his mind was almost as sexual as yielding to the strength of his body would be.

When I clicked the send button, a new window popped up. CONGRATULATIONS, it said. YOU HAVE MADE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO DON SHUCKSTER'S EFFORT TO KEEP AMERICA STRONG. The acknowledgment that my service was to Don rather than America made my cock throb. ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN HELP IS TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE OTHER STRONG-MINDED PEOPLE AT DONSHUCKSTER.ORG? My cock twitched at the idea. One hand flew to move the mouse to the YES button, and the other flew to my crotch. How MUCH MONEY WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE? asked the web page. I hesitated for a moment. Any token amount would demonstrate my devotion to Don and his cause, but a larger amount would more truly further Don's work. Moreover, the larger amount would require sacrificing my own interest for Don's benefit, and would represent a true act of submission. With that thought, my hesitation ended; I entered the larger amount, clicked the appropriately labeled SUBMIT button, and jerked off frantically.

Now I truly was a Shucksterite. In the days and weeks following this action, my e-mail box started to be filled with letters from Don Shuckster dot Org. Some of these contained personal information about Don, or pictures of him, which I pored over avidly. Others contained long articles expressing Don's opinions and his reasons for them. These I read carefully, and tried to memorize. Finally, there was a third kind of letter that included instructions to perform certain political activities. At first they required little effort on my part. For example, some instructed me to write letters to various government offices. In obedience to another instruction, I bought the Don Shuckster dot Org bumper sticker and placed it proudly on the back of my SUV. Voter's guides followed too, at the appropriate times; and later still, the letters instructed me to start volunteering at the local chapter of Don Shuckster dot Org. I gradually started getting more and more involved, attending rallies, canvassing door-to-door for candidates supported by Don, and so on -- but that, as I say, came later.

The following week Don Shuckster's program on foreign policy showed. The familiar credits swirled before my eyes, and brought me to the relaxed and receptive state in which I could truly enjoy Don's program. "American Foreign Policy: Wimpy or Macho?" was the title of the program. One of the guests talked about sensitivity to the rights of other peoples, international law, confidence in our sources of military intelligence, and so on. The other guest, a handsome military man with short steel-grey hair, talked instead about the need to project an image of strength. "America must project the appearance of strength," said this man, a general, "or we will only invite the scavenger nations of the earth to test our strength."

The sensitive human rights man did not appear again. The rest of the program was devoted to the general showing Don the strength of the military. He showed Don the weaponry produced by strong-minded businessmen with access to huge sources of cheap energy. It made me proud to see how strong our military was. The military's greatest asset, of course, was its men. The general showed us strong, athletic men working out and training their bodies to the peak of physical perfection. When the general first appeared on the scene, the men would snap to attention; and that, too, was a form of strength, for obedience allowed men to work together, the whole being stronger than the sum of the parts.

"Obedience is strength, and strength is freedom," said Don.

"And the other nations, when they experience our way of life, will see how good it is, and join with us, the strong-minded, the free," said the general.

"That's the truth," said Don.

"And the truth shall make us free," said the general, nodding his head.

I nodded my head at the screen too. It all made so much sense. But I was half asleep, and it all made sense like a dream.

When I woke up for the closing credits, Don was saying, "Remember to support our troops. This is Don Shuckster reporting. The truth makes us strong; serve the truth. Until next week."

I really liked what I had seen of the troops in this program. They seemed like the ideal of American manhood. Feeling awake and refreshed, I decided to go out to a local bar that I knew was frequented by military men from the base nearby. There I soon met a tall marine who introduced himself to me as Stan. Stan was incredibly handsome, all buff and tan from all his physical training. When he smiled, the whiteness of his teeth against the darkness of his skin made me want to swoon.

We chatted, and our talk naturally turned to military affairs. Stan's opinions were a lot like Don Shuckster's. He was in favor of an aggressive foreign policy. "The others, they want to take what's ours. The only just response is to be firm, but gentle." His dominant attitude turned me on. He was so strong and masculine. I longed to yield to his superior strength. And that night, I did, in mind and body.

I've been with Stan ever since. I don't always agree with his opinions, but I always defer to his strength of mind. That's hot, even better than just agreeing with him. And, of course, he has the use of my body whenever he wants. (Sometimes he even shares me with some of his buddies.) And so, thanks to Don Shuckster, I found my own way of serving the military, serving my country, serving the truth.

So that is my story. I think you'll agree that it explains a lot; and without it, it's hard to understand why America has taken such a hard turn in the right direction. It's our collective thoughtlessness, now harnessed for the good of society, instead of for individual selfishness.

Oh, and by the way, don't forget to tune in, the next time Don Shuckster's program is on!