Rush: Two Rights Make a Wrong
My first introduction to Rush Limbaugh was over 15 years ago. My buddies and I were driving our way out to Bushnell, Illinois, for the annual Cornerstone Rock Festival (put on by Jesus People USA and not Granny church music. It was hard-core alternative and rock and roll. The show by Undercover that went way past bed-time still ranks as one of the top 5 shows I ever saw and heard and I have seen my share of great bands. I was at Woodstock...only kidding...I am not that old).
Since the trip took many hours (I think 17 or 18, we listened a lot to the radio) and thus heard the whole Limbaugh show going there and coming back. I thought Rush made many good points but I hardly became a "Dittohead." In fact, whenever I listened to Rush since then, I came to view him as kind of a "Mad Lib" commentator. Although there were new names and words, the basic storyline of the show..."Liberals stupid" was recycled over and over again. There was nothing new under the sun and through the microphone. Limbaugh's script got old...like a Vaudeville actor.
At times I have forayed into listening to Hannity, Savage (an appropriate name for that misanthrope), and others in the Pantheon of Conservative Radio. Mostly all the same...cry babies, loud mouths, even clowns. Rush is still Zeus. He reigns over the Auditory Acropolis, crumbling as it is.
As was in the news, Obama called Rush out recently...naming names, in his appeals to Republicans to repudiate the Rush rhetoric. In doing so, Obama--it is said--leveled the playing field--and made Rush his rhetorical equal. A tactical mistake. I agree that Obama is best to ignore Rush. For all of his gregariousness and wit, Rush is essentially like the know-it-all who used to dominate classroom discussion in college, thinking that he was smarter than everybody else. And, there were enough of his constituents in the class who agreed, plus the shrill opposites...Liberal equivalents...to make the class both interesting and irritating.
No, it should not be Obama take on Rush. It should be evangelical Christians. Too often, we have secretly and even openly savored the wounding of our enemies ideologically. We like the taste of blood that is drawn through the lash of words. Rush and his most of his ilk, are not Christians. They seem to parrot talk that supports the faith but they show little evidence in their words and actions. I think they view Christians as useful idiots of their listening audience.
The sad thing is that Rush is right about many things. Attitude-wise, his smarmy self-righteousness though, is all wrong. He actually said that he wants to see Obama fail as a president. May the country be damned as long as my ratings hold strong and I can sell advertising for my show and keep getting fat contracts. God does not rejoice over the death of the wicked, neither should we. How about tears instead?
There is one thing that really annoys me about being a conservative. It is that liberals think that all conservatives fall rank in file behind people like Rush; that we vote a straight ticket down the line on anybody who calls themselves a conservative. That gross simplification is a perception that is incorrect. I work in the public school which already should qualify me as a non-Rushite. How is it that our voices are ignored? May this blog entry be my lame attempt to have my voice heard.
Rush is right but he is wrong. Two rights make a wrong.
Click the title above "Rush: Two Rights Make a Wrong" to read a good article.
Since the trip took many hours (I think 17 or 18, we listened a lot to the radio) and thus heard the whole Limbaugh show going there and coming back. I thought Rush made many good points but I hardly became a "Dittohead." In fact, whenever I listened to Rush since then, I came to view him as kind of a "Mad Lib" commentator. Although there were new names and words, the basic storyline of the show..."Liberals stupid" was recycled over and over again. There was nothing new under the sun and through the microphone. Limbaugh's script got old...like a Vaudeville actor.
At times I have forayed into listening to Hannity, Savage (an appropriate name for that misanthrope), and others in the Pantheon of Conservative Radio. Mostly all the same...cry babies, loud mouths, even clowns. Rush is still Zeus. He reigns over the Auditory Acropolis, crumbling as it is.
As was in the news, Obama called Rush out recently...naming names, in his appeals to Republicans to repudiate the Rush rhetoric. In doing so, Obama--it is said--leveled the playing field--and made Rush his rhetorical equal. A tactical mistake. I agree that Obama is best to ignore Rush. For all of his gregariousness and wit, Rush is essentially like the know-it-all who used to dominate classroom discussion in college, thinking that he was smarter than everybody else. And, there were enough of his constituents in the class who agreed, plus the shrill opposites...Liberal equivalents...to make the class both interesting and irritating.
No, it should not be Obama take on Rush. It should be evangelical Christians. Too often, we have secretly and even openly savored the wounding of our enemies ideologically. We like the taste of blood that is drawn through the lash of words. Rush and his most of his ilk, are not Christians. They seem to parrot talk that supports the faith but they show little evidence in their words and actions. I think they view Christians as useful idiots of their listening audience.
The sad thing is that Rush is right about many things. Attitude-wise, his smarmy self-righteousness though, is all wrong. He actually said that he wants to see Obama fail as a president. May the country be damned as long as my ratings hold strong and I can sell advertising for my show and keep getting fat contracts. God does not rejoice over the death of the wicked, neither should we. How about tears instead?
There is one thing that really annoys me about being a conservative. It is that liberals think that all conservatives fall rank in file behind people like Rush; that we vote a straight ticket down the line on anybody who calls themselves a conservative. That gross simplification is a perception that is incorrect. I work in the public school which already should qualify me as a non-Rushite. How is it that our voices are ignored? May this blog entry be my lame attempt to have my voice heard.
Rush is right but he is wrong. Two rights make a wrong.
Click the title above "Rush: Two Rights Make a Wrong" to read a good article.
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