Al Franken was right
But more importantly, David Frum is right:
“A man who is aggressive and bombastic, cutting and sarcastic, who dismisses the concerned citizens in network news focus groups as “losers.” With his private plane and his cigars, his history of drug dependency and his personal bulk, not to mention his tangled marital history, Rush is a walking stereotype of self-indulgence…”
Frum wrote this week’s cover story in Newsweek – “Why Rush is Wrong” – and I applaud his courage. It’s high time that a known conservative spoke out against Rush Limbaugh as the de facto leader of the Republican party, and I’m just praying – in my own, godless heathen-like way – that he has big enough balls to stand by his statements and not apologize for them so as to get back in the good graces of Limbaugh and his listeners.
I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh. Hell, I sat in the audience of his now-defunct TV show – twice. I used to think that he had some intelligent thoughts on the topics of foreign and fiscal policy – the issues on which my views aligned with the Republican party.
But my priorities have shifted somewhat – with the increasing (and improper, in my view) role of religion in government, social issues figure more prominently in the votes I cast – and Rush’s tone has grown increasingly combative and his tactics have become cringeworthy.
Frum poses this analogy: “Rush is to the Republicanism of the 2000s what Jesse Jackson was to the Democratic party in the 1980s.” I think it’s an excellent one. In the 1980s, the Democratic party didn’t appear to have a clear leader, or even rising stars with great potential. Mondale, Ferraro, Dukakis, Hart – they weren’t unifying figures. Hence, there was room for characters like Jackson to gain a foothold, despite the fact that they were very much on the political periphery.
I think the same is true now with the Republican party. According to poll data, the consensus is that there is no clear leader. Look at the array of presidential primary candidates – none of them were unifying figures. The closest one was probably Mitt Romney, but his religion worked against him. And if the Republican party is as extreme as the one advocated by Rush, then Mike Huckabee should have won the nomination handily.
But he didn’t, and the party isn’t. And long-time Republicans – like me – are leaving the party – like I did. Frum cites these examples:
“Republicans are losing their appeal to voters with whom they’ve historically done well…in 1992 Ross Perot led an exodus of the college-educated out of the GOP, and they never fully returned. In 2008 Obama beat John McCain among college graduates by 8 points, the first Democratic win among B.A. holders since exit polling began.”
“Between 2004 and 2008, Democrats more than doubled their party-identification advantage in Pennsylvania. A survey of party switchers in the state found that a majority of the reaffiliating voters had belonged to the GOP for 20 years or more. They were educated and affluent. More than half of those who left stated that the GOP had become too extreme.”
Too extreme. I’ve felt that way for years. I’ve reached the point that I can’t focus on fiscal and foreign policy messages when at the same time, Republicans are injecting religion where it doesn’t belong – in schools and in scientific research, among many other public policy areas.
Furthermore, fallout from the previous administration hasn’t exactly given voters confidence in GOP foreign and fiscal policy. As Frum writes:
“ that do not deliver economic improvement for the typical person do not get reelected. We Republicans and conservatives were not delivering. The reasons for our failure are complex and controversial, but the consequences are not.”
Rush may bring his listeners together, but he alienates many more people: “Rush Limbaugh is a seriously unpopular figure among the voters that conservatives and Republicans need to reach. Forty-one percent of independents have an unfavorable opinion of him, according to the new NEWSWEEK Poll.”
Frum notes that since Rush isn’t a politician, it’s not as if those who oppose him can do anything to Rush himself besides not listen to him. “But they can vote against Republican candidates for Congress. They can vote against Republican nominees for president. And if we allow ourselves to be overidentified with somebody who earns his fortune by giving offense, they will vote against us.”
I have. I’ve changed my party affiliation, and while I disagree with much of the fiscal policy of the Democratic party, I disagree far more strongly with much of the social policy of the Republican party.
I realize that for many Republicans – past and present – fiscal and foreign policy are still the ruling issues. I realize that many conservatives, unsurprisingly, are socially conservative and have no argument with the party’s official positions on social issues. But I don’t believe that these differences mean that we can’t find common ground, even though Rush and his listeners seem to feel that way.
As Frum concludes: “Should conservatives be trying to provoke or persuade? To narrow our coalition or enlarge it? To enflame or govern? And finally (and above all): to profit – or to serve?”
With Rush Limbaugh as the de facto leader, it’s unlikely that the GOP will be enlarged. Because there will be no persuasion, only bullying.
Ignore Rush, and perhaps someday he’ll go away.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:58 am
The very sound of Rush’s voice makes me angry.
March 11th, 2009 at 7:02 am
I just bought that copy of Newsweek yesterday. How on earth this pig of a man can get away with calling out others on their physical unattractiveness or criticize drug addicted people when he’s still flying on the Oxycontin high…is beyond me. He’s a stone cold fool, but the people who kneel at his feet are ten times worse.
apathy lounges last blog post..Life on "Planet Erf" and Other Tales From Kindergarten
March 11th, 2009 at 7:10 am
You beat me to the punch! But I think I still might have to chime in on this one.
Seriously, I think it speaks volumes that some are starting to see Limbaugh for what he is. Ignoring Limbaugh is exactly the right thing to do. Now if we could convince the ratings-hungry cable outlets on that one.
PunditMoms last blog post..John McCain and the Tale of the Earmarks
March 11th, 2009 at 7:18 am
I was impressed by David Frum’s willingness to come forward on this issue, too. Rush seems to be trying to just plain bully himself to the top to fill a power vacuum, and I’m sure David Frum is aware.
Even though I’ve been a liberal since I was capable of understanding politics, it has saddened me greatly to see the fall of INTELLECTUAL conservatism. I think that we as a country could USE some reasonable, reasoned voices calling for fiscal conservatism right now. We face enormous, mystifying problems at this time, and the best way to solve enormous, mystifying problems is generally to get a whole bunch of smart people with differing views together to have an adult discussion on how to fix things. That is not happening in our government right now.
I know it must be hard to consider compartmentalizing themselves into an even smaller minority, but I really think the intellectual Republicans need to split into their own group to revive their integrity.
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March 11th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Jules this is great! And NOT because I agree (although I do) but because it’s such a thoughtful look at what’s going on. I have to admit Limbaugh always made me sad more than angry; he’s too cruel and vicious for me – and blustery. The drug thing, and its non-impact also was troubling.
But as someone who supported Obama partly because of the ugliness of contemporary politics (I’ve covered them for a long time and believe they really have been far uglier for the past 16 years) I long for a collaborative, patriotic nation, not bickering, self-interested windbags.
Nice, nice, job. (No surprise that that’s true though.)
Cynthia Samuelss last blog post..Blogging Boomers Carnival #107! At Least as Good as It Usually Is
March 11th, 2009 at 8:49 am
You know I am so with you on this. Intelligent debate and constructive criticism I can handle, but not hate speech.
mayberrys last blog post..WW: The show must go on
March 11th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I too used to watch Rush’s tv show with my husband. I am neither Republican nor Democrat and at the time I found him to be very insightful and agreed with a lot of what he said though I didn’t agree with counting the days until Clinton was out of office. I have since ceased to pay any attention to him except in a case like this when I come across a post or video. I just told my husband a few days ago that I think Rush is going off the deep end. I don’t know whether he’s still on drugs or just high on his own ego but you have to question the intelligence of anyone who listens to him and believes and agrees with all he says. It’s a mystery to me no matter how good of a showman he is. Bravo to those who are speaking out against him!
momranoutscreamings last blog post..Alone and surrounded
March 11th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I think that a fiscally conservative, socially liberal political party would win handily in this country. There isn’t one.
Miss Graces last blog post..I swear it’s all related
March 11th, 2009 at 9:37 am
You know, I have to wonder if Rush actually believes what he says, or if he just says whatever he thinks will get him higher ratings/more followers.
RockyCats last blog post..Oh, and I sure hope the mechanic takes Visa …..
March 11th, 2009 at 9:56 am
@RockyCat – that’s actually something Frum mentions too. The worse off the GOP is, the more attention Rush gets. So it’s in his interest to weaken the party.
Controversy = ratings. Rah-rah good news doesn’t sell.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I agree with Rocky Cat on this. People like Rush Limbaugh (or Ann Coulter for that matter, just the general EXTREME in media broadcast) earn their living by making ridiculously, obscenely right-wing crap. There’s left-wingers like this too, of course, but I just come back to the fact that if it is a part of your job, a part of what boosts your pay, you’re going to do it and say it, the party or your personal beliefs be damned.
I don’t think there’s much of a controversy there, I just think that people are ultimately fairly self-serving. Myself included.
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.coms last blog post..Forgive me, bloggers, for I must sin.
March 11th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I’m not an American but I waved to give a big A-MEN to this. I read the BlogHer post a few days ago defending him and was pretty appalled.
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March 11th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Hi Mom
I’m an old guy who has been parenting for 30 years and am still continuing the process. As a middle aged (still barely middle) white male I probably should agree with Rush more than Al, but yuck!
For many years I wondered what sound fiscal conservatism had to do with born-again Christianity. For years I never saw the connection, but now I figured it out. The answer is: Nothing.
Here is the way it is: The powers of great wealth are smart and organized, marching lock-step like the Republicans in congress. This is in stark contrast to the liberals who are always squabbling among themselves and going seven ways from sundown.
Now, there are probably just as many athiests among the oligarchy as there are among the great unwashed, but they hang together and speak with one voice to swell their ranks with those born-again middle Americans who won’t benefit from tax cuts or corporate give-aways, but who belive strongly that abortion is wrong and that George W was a good, Christian man.
Using this technique, the right wing (sorry I forget, which is red state and which is blue state?) manage to increase their voting numbers to compete with the vastly larger numbers of people who KNOW they will never benefit from tax breaks or non-bid contracts, and who perhaps tend to agree that the crime rate declined in the 90’s more due to Roe vs. Wade in the 70’s than to Giuliani’s get-tough policies.
It’s a numbers game.
Give ‘em hell, Al. You’re number 59, we just need one more convert!
March 11th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Oh yeah, one afterthought in the name of relevancy — let’s not forget that Rush, Ann, Sean and Bill O all make their living from advertising. This means that their producers can hire survey teams to convince ad agencies to convince their deep-pocket clients that somebody is watching. Therefore, there must be somebody out there in sync with those guys. Fortunately for me, I don’t happen to know any of them…
March 11th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I’m with Miss Grace – I think there are more of us in the middle than solidly left or right. Why we continue to run on this two party system is beyond me.
I always enjoy reading your political posts because I share similar viewpoints, and usually wish I’d said it just like you have.
Robyns last blog post..At least I’m not like Sam the Butcher.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I’m looking forward to reading the article. But I don’t know if I hate Rush as the face of the GOP. That sure bodes well for the demos.
Mom101s last blog post..Not so crafty
March 11th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I read Frum’s article yesterday and I’m about as liberal as you can possibly be, and I thought it was brilliant. It made me understand more about the “new Republicans” vs the old “right is the only way” Republicans. I can’t abide Rush, and I was thrilled to hear from an avowed conservative (Frum) that he feels similarly. Warmed my heart!
margalits last blog post..What a day this has been!
March 12th, 2009 at 12:39 am
[...] Al Franken was right. A former Republican explains why Rush is so wrong for the party: It’s high time that a known conservative spoke out against Rush Limbaugh as the de facto leader of the Republican party, and I’m just praying – in my own, godless heathen-like way – that he [David Frum] has big enough balls to stand by his statements and not apologize for them so as to get back in the good graces of Limbaugh and his listeners. [...]
March 12th, 2009 at 6:30 am
As a former GOP member you have an interesting perspective here. It’s easy for me as a socially liberal democrat to hate Rush Limbaugh and I’ve always been unable to see why Republicans llisten to him.
When this issue showed up in my mailbox this week, I was excited. Haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I look forward to it.
TBs last blog post..Epiphany, nee I Need Reinforcements
March 12th, 2009 at 9:56 am
so well put. as always. i’ve said for years that i wish there were a party to join (that actually had some credibility and oompf) that was like the republican party minus the religion. it’s really hard to be an atheist republican. really.
MommyNamedAprils last blog post..Zoo Love.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Wouldn’t it poetic if Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh had Rosemary’s baby? Either that, or Rush Limbaugh impregnates Ann Coulter, leaves her to be a single mother that she so incredibly dispises, while he has to roam the streets as a homeless drug addict, begging for Democratic social progams.
March 14th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Amen. And welcome to the Recovering Republican Born Again Democrat group:)
April 4th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
OK, as Mr. Frum did, let me give my own framework. I am mostly a libertarian, but libertarians can’t win an election to save their lives, sadly. So, if I want fiscal conservatism, that means that I vote republican. And, for the record, I’m not quite sure what W was, but it sure as heck wasn’t a fiscal conservative because tax cuts + increased spending = deficits (duh).
I do try to stay out of political discussions, but I fail to see how anyone can really believe that Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the republican party. Democratic talking points are just talking points; they are spin, and this is nothing more than Chicago politics at its best. I’m saddened that the republicans haven’t treated this straw man as I treat my daughter’s tantrums (I ignore them for the most part). And I have been very impressed how well this has has been working, and I mean that sincerely – hats off to these excellent politicians for being so convincing on the Limbaugh front.
But – the promise was no taxes – OF ANY KIND – for anyone making less than $250K per year, not just payroll taxes. Was everyone so distracted by the “Limbaugh is the leader” discussion that they didn’t notice that the taxes on cigarettes increased tremendously this past week? I don’t smoke (I quit years ago), but I do know that the largest percentage of current smokers are poor people, and this is a tax that they will bear disproportionately. Perhaps it will get them to quit, and yes, that’s a good thing. But what if your guilty pleasures are next as these smokers stop smoking? The secret of a magic trick is in the set up – you are so focused on the distraction that you don’t notice the essence of the trick has already happened right under your nose, before the showmanship has begun.
I do wish Limbaugh would have said what Frum has suggested (and these are his words, not mine): “I hope the administration’s liberal plans fail.” Or (better): “I know the administration’s liberal plans will fail.” Or (best): “I fear that this administration’s liberal plans will fail, as liberal plans usually do.” That is what Limbaugh meant, and anyone who would stop and think for a moment would realize that. He used the words that he did because he is an entertainer. (I am not a ditto head, and I wouldn’t ever have sat in his audience.) Shame on the republicans for being so afraid to respond that way.
I also agree with Mr. Frum when he states: “Political parties that do not deliver economic improvement for the typical person do not get reelected.” And when we are paying over $3,000 per year in both taxes and the increased cost of goods as a result of cap and trade (which most people that I know who voted for the democratic ticket haven’t ever heard of, but hello! it was approved in different forms by both houses last week), and when we are paying $3-$5,000 more per year in taxes on the employer-paid health insurance benefits that most Americans still enjoy, I think that message will resonate with the general public.
I wonder, at that point, who will step forward to lead us out of double digit inflation and a tax burden so heavy that it makes our grandchildren sigh.
midlife mommys last blog post..Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out
April 20th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
[...] her per se. She’s a talk show host, for Pete’s sake, and certainly not a hateful windbag. She’s likable enough, but I’ve just never seen the [...]