Why Rush?

Posted on 03/04/2009 at 10:12 am by Bob Cesca

by Lee Stranahan

Power abhors a vacuum and the lack of leadership in the Republican party created an opportunity for someone to step up and take over. Enter El Rushbo.

He has a built-in constituency of 20 million listeners a week and knows how to get them to act; make phone, send emails, send faxes. He can modulate his communicate styles the way no other Republican can. And most importantly, he’s unafraid to act like a leader, make bold statements and push the outer edges.

I think it’s a mistake to take on all the stupid stuff he’s said that aren’t related to his ideas for two reasons. Number one, he’s broadcaster who talks for three hours a day on public airwaves and has done a show for year and years. Al Franken’s record as a comedian was used against him constantly and I thought that was a sideshow, too. But the much bigger reason is that Rush’s reign at the top ultimately won’t last and so those criticisms of Limbaugh personally will fall away when the next dude or dudette (wink wink) steps up.

The problem with Limbaugh is his main ideas about the proper role of government in our society. Stripped to just that debate – lose the fat jokes, the drug jokes, the attacks on his motivations and everything but-the ideas he’s still massively vulnerable. That’s where to beat him…and the Republicans…in a real, lasting way.

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  • theghostsong

    I’m sticking with this being Tzeentch’s plan all along. Why do you think O even mentioned Rush? You couldn’t pick a better person to lead the gop than one who likes to frame his arguments in a racist manner.

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com Kyle W.

    I think it’s a mistake to take on all the stupid stuff he’s said that aren’t related to his ideas for two reasons.

    A contrary point of view? I didn’t expect that! (I jest, Lee!)

    Number one, he’s broadcaster who talks for three hours a day on public airwaves and has done a show for year and years. Al Franken’s record as a comedian was used against him constantly and I thought that was a sideshow, too.

    Al Franken = Comedian
    Rush Limbaugh = Political Commentator

    Al Franken never went on air as a political commentator and spouted racist comments or made fun of people with diseases. BIG difference. To my knowledge, Rush has never claimed to be a comedian (though I’m sure we’ve all gotten a laugh at some point).

    But the much bigger reason is that Rush’s reign at the top ultimately won’t last and so those criticisms of Limbaugh personally will fall away when the next dude or dudette (wink wink) steps up.

    His show has been on the air for 20 years, and he has been influential throughout almost every one of those years–and with Democrats likely in control for the next decade, I would expect his cult to grow. There is not a good reason to ignore the fact that, at this moment, the GOP answers to (for now–and once it’s over, we’ll say “answered to”) a pill-addicted, racist windbag. It should be pointed out at every opportunity. The only good reason not to is if you are wanting to avoid hurting Rush’s feelings.

    Aside: remember when being a fan of Rush didn’t mean you were a pompous dick-bag? It just meant you liked pot, Canada and synthesizers.

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com Kyle W.

    Addendum: the stupid stuff he says does relate to his ideals. The two are intertwined. And a few words from Turd Blossom:

    “He helped set the agenda.”— Karl Rove, about Limbaugh’s influence on the 1994 Republican Congressional landslide and the “Contract with America.” The New York Times Magazine July 6, 2008

  • Klaus

    theghostsong,

    You get points for mentioning Tzeentch. I am not alone in my geekdom ;)

    Lee,

    Yes, Rush broadcasts 3 hours a day, and anyone of any stripe would say some pretty stupid things over time. However, I don’t think that painting the GOP as a gaggle of moneygrubbers in thrall to a drug-sucking racist is necessarily bad. Either it enables the GOP to continue its downward spiral, or it forces them back to the center. It strikes me as win-win, unless there’s an angle I’m missing.

    Trouble is, there isn’t going to be an honest debate with Rush or the dittoheads. I’d love to see that happen, but Rush isn’t going to abandon a venue where he controls the mic in favor of an open forum to be eviscerated by anyone with a modest education.

    Yes, we win when ideas are compared. But pointing out that the emperor (in this case, the whole GOP) is as naked as a jaybird isn’t a negative for us.

  • http://www.politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com politicalpartypooper

    I’m interested, Lee.What IS the proper role of government in our society. Does anyone know?

  • ElMystico

    >>>He has a built-in constituency of 20 million listeners a week and knows how to get them to act; make phone, send emails, send faxes.Rush make phone?

  • http://www.bobcesca.com Bob Cesca

    Then goddammit, Lee, blog about his bad ideas! Why are you wasting your time telling other people what to blog about?Sheesh.

  • JeremyB

    But he loves America and we should respect his leadership style anyway, right?The most surprising part of this to me: We can blockquote in the comments?

  • 24hourjack

    but isnt it a mistake to attempt to use rational,serious arguments on a man who is so obviously irrationale and unserious.attempting to engage him on a legitimately intellectual level merely provides him with an aura of respectability and legitimacy he would otherwise have never been able to achieve with his all his sweaty madman posturing laced with personal insults and factually bankrupt propoganda.

  • http://annette-justmylittlepieceoftheworld.blogspot.com/ Annette

    Fine.. you don’t want us to vilify him.. here… draft Rush.. make him put his money where his mouth is then.http://rush12.org/

  • http://www.windonwater.net QueenTiye

    Lee – I appreciate the Jeremiad, but I’ll have to agree with Bob here. At some point,you probably should just set the example… ;) QT

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com Kyle W.

    @JeremyB: You just have to manually do it with HTML, and then you have to wrap your paragraphs with a ‘p’ tag

    …or your text will come out tiny like this.

  • gypsy

    i wasn’t aware a person’s crazy words/behavior and bad ideas were mutually exclusive?they are rooted in the same “worldview” of that person and are absolutely indistinguishable!

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com Kyle W.

    @24hourjack:Who’s engaging him? Michael Steele? I only advise that we mock him and keep Republican officials on his defensive. It only hurts them.

  • J

    But, why use Al Franken’s “record” as a comedian to criticize his job…as a politician? Criticizing the things Rush has said on his radio as he continues to host his radio show seems pretty logical to me.

  • Lee Stranahan

    Rush isn’t a ‘political commentator’ solely – his show has ALWAYS had a LOT of ‘comedy’ – skits, bits, song parodies, and so on. He’s filling three hours a day.

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com Kyle W.

    But, Lee, all of those “bits” are presented in the context of a political commentary. What did Franken’s “Stuart Smalley” skits have to do with policy?

    And how many of Rush’s controversial comments have taken place outside of these comedy bits?

  • lib4

    Lee point of fact. Rush has bled 30% of his audience since his high of 20 million listeners earlier in the decade. He now stands at 14 million listeners on average. Just saying.Do you think Obama et al would ahve the stones to pull him off Armed Forces Radio for his treason talk??? Something to ponder

  • http://annette-justmylittlepieceoftheworld.blogspot.com/ Annette

    Does the President have the authority to do that?? I am not sure that would gain the Prez any popularity if he tried to take him off.. I think it would be better to leave him there. Let everyone see his stupidity for its own sake.

  • http://unrelatedcontent.com Travis D

    So if Rush’s show was 2 hours (like Hannity’s) it’d be ok to reference THINGS HE SAID? You fucking knob.

  • TruthSerum

    Dear LibTards,The economy is drifting into the netherworld. The Russians just bitch slapped O-Blame-a regarding the missile defense system, Iran is one breath from making a nuke and you are focusing on Limbaugh?Its no ownder our country is in the shitter after 43 days of LibTardness!!!

  • http://www.thenewwearsoff.com/ Kyle W.

    @TruthSerum: We’re focusing on Limbaugh? We invited him to be the Kingshit of CPAC? We decided that all Republicans must issue apologies if they criticize Rush?I think that was your side. Now troll along elsewhere.

  • C

    I heard an interview with Al Franken several years ago where he said (paraphrasing): “On the day my fried Jerry Garcia died, Rush went on the air and said ‘Oh well, just another dead druggie.’ So I wrote a book called Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot.”Of course, the stunning hypocrisy that Rush was a drug addict at the time was not yet known. When truth and logic have no effect on the rabid followers of such a racist wrongheaded shitbag, how can you possibly criticize fat jokes?Fight fire with fire. They don’t understand anything else.

  • D. C.

    Wait. Rush has ideas?Since when?

  • steve b

    All those ‘ridiculous things he’s said and done’ are EXACTLY who Boss Limbaugh is. That is why you can’t take him seriously….do you take ‘hot tub’ Tom Delay seriously?how about Micheal Medved, Ben Stein, Micheal Savage?