This is not limited to Ripperger. It's something I've been vocal about lately. Williamson, Lefebvre, Cekada, Sanborn, Dimond, Walthen, etc. it is a phenomenon that is widespread among trads that is very disconcerting.
This division and idolizing of clerics is all part of Satan's game.
"Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
[Matthew 12:25]
"For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears:"
[2 Timothy 4:3]
For while one saith, I indeed am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollo; are you not men? What then is Apollo, and what is Paul? The ministers of him whom you have believed; and to every one as the Lord hath given."
[1 Cor. 3:4-5]
I listen to mainly Fr. Wathen and Fr. Hesse pretty much every day and have done so for years, but heck, I'm always open to try others that I can learn from. We become drawn to hearing the truths of our holy religion preached by priests, which is the reason for listening.
Listening to talks and sermons on cassette tape a few times a week is what we did as children to learn the faith when faithful priests were nowhere to be found. My mom would get us all in the living room to listen to the priests preaching, warning and teaching the faith, and she would occasionally pause the tape to explain or clarify some things that as children, we could relate to. Fond memories from dark days. I wish someone would have recorded pre-sede Fr. Sanborn, to this day I still have very great respect for him from his sermons way back then.
St. Paul tells us that faith comes from hearing, so the phenomenon is good in that it helps us learn and grow in the faith, provided what you're hearing is the truly the faith - no matter who is doing the preaching - and not a watered down version.
A major reason for the various different beliefs among the faithful within the Church is because there is a severe lack of *authentic* Catholic teaching by today's trad priests.