The GOP's Rush problem

[AllentownJake]

Rush Limbaugh began his career as the voice of Conservatism in 1988. Back during the Clinton years Rush was relatively new. It must have been pretty awe inspiring at first to talk to national leaders in the republican party. Only a few years back he was just another disk jockey and local talk radio guy. If Rush was getting bad headlines one of these leaders could pick up the phone and ask him to tone it down because, Rush respected and admired those leaders. He respected old man Bush and his administration, Bob Dole, Newt, the entire leadership. He was willing to be a soldier and a good soldier.

During the Bush administration Rush was still a good soldier, there were still guys around he respected and he loved W and Delay and Cheney. He got his talking points and put them out. He also got himself in trouble with pain meds.

Now you are dealing with a Rush Limbaugh where no one is capable of picking up the phone and talking to him. The guys he used to respect are all out of power. Rush has been on the airways in his current capacity longer than any of the current minority leadership with the exception of McConnel.

The other big problem is the Internet. 20 years ago if a GOP leader said something bad about Rush if it made print it would be buried in the back of the news paper. Now political websites disclose that information on their front page. Rush's listeners like him because he's brash. If Rush were to defer to any of the current leadership his listeners would feel betrayed. Rush has no choice but to go on a counter attack.

No one has control over Rush or his message anymore and if you try to distance yourself from him he attacks you brutally. This is a gift that will keep on giving for the next 2 years.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Rush is the Overlard of the GOP n/t

[rvablue]

2. Excellent post. So true! n/t

[rasputin1952]

3. It's already paying off...Gallup had him at 22% approval rating...

not just that, but as he builds his "empire", he's beginning to realize it is built on sand. There is nothing there, no ideas, no reality, nothing.

His driving force is cash...he lost a pile in the DOW today, fine by me. There are other things as well, some more sordid: 3 ex-wives, all well paid to remain silent; his "Jeff Christie" years; his "I'm embarrassed about using viagra, (not an Rx under his name); cigar boxes of cash for thousands of pills, (that's not Dr shopping, it's drug trafficking).

I am reminded the poem "Ozymandias"...:D

[AllentownJake]

4. I wouldn't be surprised if the GOP takes him out this year

drop the dime on him, let him be arrested again, he goes away and becomes a martyr to his base (Obama got him). He's doing real damage to them.

I wouldn't be surprised if Crist has been instructed to put him under investigation.

[rasputin1952]

5. He got out of the drug trafficking charge by getting his housekeeper

out of the country.

Anyone who did not have a huge amount of cash to do something like that would be behind bars for life.
This, from a guy who "demanded" that pot smokers spend 20 years in the slammer.

Notice the cochlear implant during his speech? One of the classic symptoms of serious oxycodone abuse is irreversible hearing loss. From all accounts, the amount of oxycodone he took should have sent him into serious overdose. I have to wonder if he kept a syringe filled with Narcan laying around, just in case.

[AllentownJake]

6. I'm sure the Bush family

helped him in getting out of those charges as well. I honestly believe that Rush is one call to the Govenor of Florida away from being in prison.

[sampsonblk]

7. Limbaugh has been consistent

For most of those 20 years, he has been selling old-school conservative ideology.

The current crop of GOP elected officials (I hesitate to call them "leaders") are more interested in staying in office than they are in ideology. They have changed. Limbaugh is still Limbaugh.

This is why he is more powerful than any single GOP official. He is truly the voice of the nonsense they purport to believe. And he has millions of loyal listeners who honestly believe he is sane.

[AllentownJake]

8. I agree with what Limbaugh is selling

but 20 years ago the White House or the Congressional Leadership could give Rush a phone call and he'd back off on something.

Now, it can't be done because there is no one in the leadership besides McConnel that predates Rush.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

9. What part of what Limbaugh is selling do you agree with?

[AllentownJake]

10. Mispoke...I agree that what Limbaugh is selling hasn't changed in 20 years

The difference between 1989 and 2009 is someone could reign his ass in withing the party to prevent embarrasment...they can't do that anymore.