Limbaugh set the stage for Trump
Rush Limbaugh's bigotry set the stage for Trump's takeover of the Republican Partyhttps://t.co/tSOCGe46v8
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020
Conservatives from George H.W. Bush on down were happy to look past Limbaugh's transgressions because of the value he brought to the party. Some said he was right, others made excuses, others were silent.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020
I'm sorry I had to write this. It should have been @SimonMaloy. Cancer is a brutal scourge, and no one, including Limbaugh, deserves the suffering this disease and its treatment demands. I wish him a speedy recovery.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020
Lung cancer is a horrible way to die, sure. But Limbaugh’s is only one death — and he brought it on himself from many years as a heavy smoker. The deaths he’s responsible for can’t be counted! How many hate crimes, how much domestic violence… How many dead smokers, for that matter?
So let’s bury him with his Medal of Freedom (and a pack of Marlboros), and then let’s try to forget about him.
A pretty good piece of political commentary except maybe this part >>
“Speaking daily to an audience which grew to tens of millions, he converted listeners, often working-class whites who in the past might have been Democratic voters, into loyal “dittoheads” who spouted the platitudes of conservatism and supported Republicans”.
I think this may partially be true, but in my case it was rather the reverse. I was raised in a staunchly republican household, not religious, but there was pressure to conform, and despite that, and despite listening Rush in his early days, when he was a satirical shock jock, I went rather the other way. After I stopped listening to him, I did see how he polarized people, say, starting in the mid 90’s and through the Bush Jr. election. He became part of the extreme right, and I am no fan of extremists. Trump stokes this fire of extremism on both sides, and to a lesser extent Rush does too. Look at at Pelosi tearing up her copy of the speech. I wouldn’t expect this kind of behavior unless the conditions were ripe for it, with Trump mocking and taunting at every opportunity. I’m sure Rush did nothing special to have earned this award, but what it does is delegitimize the award. The last recipient in the radio category (there are only 3) was Paul Harvey, an entertaining guy for sure, but to be awarded something with the lofty title of Medal of Freedom? I don’t know, but it seems like cronyism now (which is Trump’s MO) and not very legit.
Paul Harvey was also on the conservative side, though unlikely to be recognized as such by the New Right. When I see someone like Rachel Maddow or Amy Goodman awarded that, then I will think it isn’t just conservatives rewarding their own. I will know that liberals are playing the same game. Of course, we’d need to get a truly liberal president, and that isn’t likely.