There's an element of the 'Showman' in every person who has elevated or been elevated to any kind of iconic stature. Whether its Rush Limbaugh or Barack Obama. There's no doubting Obama's P.T. Barnum-esque abilities. I mean, c'mon? Look at his attempt at JFK's "Ich bin ein Berliner" moment. Look at his acceptance speech, with all the trappings. His self insertion, into my quality time with my Super Bowl.
Let's face it. Those who have their own piece of the big stage...their own bully pulpit also have the need and the ability to generate buzz and publicity and sometimes, dominate news cycles, to further their views and with these two examples, their ideology. I think what the difference is...or what the perception is, to 'any thinking person' (and that phrase has meaning for me but more on that later) is that, for many years now...what Rush Limbaugh has talked about or believed in or railed against -- came from his own mind. His own sensibilities. Ideas and beliefs that he formulated and articulated on his own. He's never had a moment, lets say, of articulating some hard and fast view of opting out and renegotiating NAFTA and then held his hand over his mike and stretched his neck all the way up beyond the country's border and into Canada and whispered in their ear, "I didn't really mean what I just said...everything's cool with us." What he's saying and has said, spouted in some people's view, lo these many years..has not changed. And that carries substantial weight, to a lot of thinking people. And Rush should know a thing or two about substantial weight.
He's not saying anything for anyone else or for any group, though the Right will rise up and proclaim that Rush speaks for them. He says what's on his mind and in his heart and his words have struck a chord for millions and so he is now someone who wields an element of power, based soley on where he stands on his unflinching and unapologetic views of the way things ought to be. And he holds a distinct advantage over Obama, believe it or not with his already 'sainted' status...and any other Politician, for that matter, in that he is not beholden to anyone, where his views or stance on issues are concerned. He also has the benefit of being able to dodge the bullet of having to be elected and re-elected, to remain relevant.
There truly has not been a politician of note, in our recent history, who has engendered that perception,of having views and an ideology that's based on and evolved from the basic tenets that this Country was founded on and has the potential to be embraced by millions, since Ronald Reagan. In today's political world, I don't know if that's even possible to find, anymore. Rush's popularity and enormous following and the abject fear he stirs in those on the other side (and they do fear him) is a direct result of his 'words' and 'thoughts' and 'ideals' and the ability he has to spread that across the land, into the hearts and minds of a huge swath of the population.
Barack didn't have that. His massive appeal and his being foisted up as 'the way and the light', wasn't based on his fundamental principals and ideals. You can't tell me they were. When his annointment was assured, late in the campaign, I saw as time after time, when asked of, what supposedly was, 'any thinking person' from the left as to what Obama stood for and just what he was all about...the only thing they were able to sputter forth was, "Change...I think he gives us a chance for change." And you Madam? "Oh...Barack is the agent of Change. I think he'll bring a definite Change to America. What kind of Change? "Of course, um...(breathlessly)..Change we can BELIEVE in!"
"Any thinking person" -- I believe a strong majority of all Americans, Left, Right, Center, Straight, Gay, Black White, etc... fall into this category, for the most part. The trouble is, is that our Country is HUGE man! Those that don't quite register on the Think-O-Meter, may be in the minority...but, that's still a 'poop'-load of people! On either side. And, usually...especially in todays civic and political landscape, those off the 'Meter' are usually the most engaged and radically involved in political causes.
That's where Talk Radio and the Fairness Doctorine come into play. The Left has George Soros to throw millions if not billions at everything and anything on the Right and see what sticks and they have John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and the like, of whom the Left would love to be viewed as the News of record. Though they do have much of the Mainstream Media carrying their water. But, with these Comedy/News shows...they have their hooks in what they believe to be a large block of voters who will vote, leaning decidedly Left. These outlets are where the Hierarchy of the Left believe that this young, hip, vital and eligible voter base, get's all their news! They don't, obviously. Because this group , as well as any other has within it, a majority of 'thinking people' among its ranks. And the Left's response to Talk Radio and its power to influence people and events through it's sheer popularity throughout America today? "Shut it down." Well, that would be the eventualy result if you forced radio stations across America to provide for an equal amount of time for an "opposing" viewpoint. The failed, humorless voices of Air America, perhaps. Look at Al Franken. I was an adult, in 1975. I was there when he came on the scene. He did things that were funny. Franken and Davis. I remember them. Al even did some funny stuff, when he came back to SNL for a time. But, the more he bacame 'visibly' and unabashedly Left...he lost his humor. He replaced hia humor with disdain, loathing...maybe even hate, for the other side. His books..."Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them". "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"? These could be catchy, cute or marketable titles. Definitely aimed to grab his core audience. But, more so...those titles and the books themselves, are rooted in...hate of some degree. Anyway, it wouldn't be long before these radio stations would have to fold for lack of listenership or at least switch over to playin' the Oldies, 24/7, to be commercially viable. Either way...the Left would get what they wanted. No more Talk Radio...which really means...no more voices of the Right to pollute the airwaves, win friends and influence people
So, for now...the Left will seek to marginalize the Right and the Republican party, in the infancy of the Obama Presidency, by holding up Limbaugh as defacto head of the Party. This, in hopes that it might alienate folks away from the Republicans. Grabbing hold of things, such as Rush stating that he hopes that the policies of Obama will fail. 'Thinking people' know full well what he was saying and what he meant. Surely, Harry Reid, et al...when they were delcaring the war in Iraq a failure and finding it hard to contain their glee at the blast of the latest IED -- they weren't hoping for America to lose the war in Iraq or any loss of America's treasure...right?. But, you know that they wanted George Bush and his policies to fail...in the worst way. They were against the war and the policies that put us there and for that, they would accept nothing less, then that 'failure' be directly attributed to Bush. The only other thing higher on their list, then that failure, is that any semblance, whatsoever, of success in Iraq also not be attributed to Bush.
But, they'll parse words. Highlight, 'Wants Obama to Fail!' With none of the other words or reasoning or explanation that went along with it. They'll try to place Limbaugh at the forefront of the Republican party, in hopes that it will be good for them and bad for the Republicans and it appears likely that focusing on him will be the current strategy or maybe it's an unhealthy obsession...who knows? But, after watching Rush's performance as the closing speaker at the Conservative Political Action Comittee this week...
As the old saying goes... Be careful what you wish for.
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