At the end of January, Michael Steele was elected chair of the Republican National Committee – becoming, in fact, the actual leader of the Republican Party. But Steele was smart, likeable, unthreatening – and black. So it was only when he started saying ridiculous things like “off the hook” and “bling bling” that Democrats thought, “He might just be the leader after all . . .”
A similar storyline unfolded for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Too smart and safely ethnic at first, he flew below the radar. But sure enough, after his weak public address in response to the President’s speech to Congress, the Associated Press, CNN and a host of bloggers quickly and gleefully called him a potential new voice of the party.
Then, unto them, Rush Limbaugh was delivered. He’s loud, he’s angry, he’s rich, he’s a onetime drug addict. And, bonus, he wants the President to fail! After toiling away for decades in relative obscurity as a best-selling author with the largest radio listening audience in the country, suddenly Rush was anointed esteemed overlord of the right-wingers – by the Democrats and many in the mainstream media.
Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, even President Obama himself, all announced summarily that Limbaugh was the voice – and almost more importantly the face – of the Republican Party. And until someone more disgusting (to the Democrats) comes along, he’ll continue to be the Democrats’ first and only choice to lead the Republican Party straight into the ground.
Republicans are perfectly positioned to make the most of their perceived chaos – if they can resist the temptation to join the take-me-to-your-leader frenzy. The truth is, lack of clear leadership is exactly what the GOP needs right now.
After a longer-than-usual campaign season of infighting over its principles and goals, the GOP should acknowledge the dissention within its ranks by giving multiple voices a mantle and a microphone.
Well, it ain’t bloggers row at CPAC, but it’s a start. Maybe we can get these geniuses to get our message out, once we know what it is.
*Respect her authoritay!
to serve man
dark meat
shaken/ not
stir it up…
little darling
stir it up
bob the orr
my cartoon mittens restrict my giving
this column a thumbs up
cartoon fist bump?
embryonic future thimbs up…?
A comment on the “Rush is a drug addict” thing.
to those of you younger folks out there imagine waking up every morning in pain. Not excruciating, screaming pain but strong aches and pangs that just don’t go away and that don’t have any effective cure: they can only treat the pain — with ocycontin.
If you’ve never had this stuff I’m here to tell you it’s fantastic. I suffer(ed) from kidney stones. (a pain I would describe as someone taking a thin iron rod and slooowlly forcing it into your back or side just below your ribs. It doesn’t reach screaming levels but hovers just on the edge for 2 – 12 hours while the stone either passes or plugs things up and then you’re in the O.R. as an emergency case)
Anyway I was given some MILD versions of this stuff and it was heaven! ALL the pains were gone with no grogginess or clouded thinking. I knew then I was in danger — this stuff was GOOD! I had to force myself to not take it too soon/often and only when absolutely necessary.
If Rush had chronic back pain (something common with large (fat) people then I can understand the attraction.
So to those who wish to believe Rush is a wild-eyed addict with no self-control and who’s gonna steal your car stereo one day; walk a mile in a man shoes before you judge him.
’tis not a frown
if u order the happy meal
on the low down
but the burger king crown
is not bound
by such fairground
grease
to confound…
a bloodhound
on his breeding ground
my drive thru fool around?
just
give me the grease
i’m homeward bound
[guess who just got a rhyming dictionary!]
Dr House wins Emmys for being just like Rush.
But then, he’s complex.
I had one kidney stone, years ago, I’ve
never been shot or stabbed before;
talked with people, it’s actually worse, and I only had percocet
for the pain,
jcw46,
I think I’m young enough to be one of the young people you’re talking to (29 next week – am I old yet?). And his drug use never particularly bothered me, and not because I’m a drug legalization fiend. I’ve never tried any drugs of any kind (aspirin excepted, and one misguided Benadryl experiment during a nasty chest cold). I’ve never even had a drink of alcohol. (Baptist tea-totalling OUTLAW!) But Rush never bothered me.
I am about 75% certain that my grandmother is addicted to painkillers. She has a medicine cabinet full of Oxycotin, Vicodin, Demerol, tons of others. She’s had chronic pain for decades; her back was broken twice, she’s had numerous surgeries, and the side effects of some other medications have left her with terrible cramps in her legs that stiffen her muscles. She slams back fistfuls of pills that would knock me over and doesn’t even blink. But she’s also not going to steal my VCR to get a fix, and she’s not doing it for the rush. If anyone cut her off, she’d probably just be sad that she had to handle the pain unaided.
Addiction is bad, but there are differences in situations. I have no sympathy for junkies. Not a whit. I have much compassion for people like Rush and like my grandmother who have pain and maybe lean a little too heavily on chemicals. Who am I to judge that? I think most people would be understanding of that, or at least I’d like to think most people would.
“The truth is, lack of clear leadership is exactly what the GOP needs right now.”
And that surely is the truth. Leaders? We don’t need no stinking leaders. STFU and vote.
Yeah, but Dr House helps people and he’s cool and snarky. And he’s thin. And I don’t think he was ever a smoker. Can Rush claim any of that?
My take on Limbaugh’s oxycontin thing was to note a difference between people who become addicted by accident to a drug that was prescribed to them by a doctor, and people who become addicted to stuff made out of furniture polish and drain cleaner in an abandoned house trailer out in the sticks somewhere.
I didn’t get a lot of repeat business on that question.
jcw46:
Good post–without pain meds, my days would be very, very dark.
Dibs on Mickey.
Pain meds are a God send. Try recovering from hernia surgery without them. Or, worse still, knee surgery. You’ll try to be tough for about two hours, then you’ll be filling the perscription.
And yes, the stuff is wicked addictive. That’s why you titrate off them.
Myrtle Turtle?
What is this place?
How did I get here?
Dunno.
But S.E. Cupp is kind of a hottie. Saw her on Red Eye. Rowr.
i got a rhyme time dictionary
looking up urt
i can be obnoxiuos
i love this site
hem
haw…
outlaw
whoo hoo
u punk ass hair shirt
bring ya hula skirt
perry mason was a pervert
and so say all of us
and so say all of us
@mesablue: Crap. I was gonna say that.
Their goals are clear, but I don’t really see what conservative leaders anyone should be looking at. That is probably because we aren’t choosing our leaders from the bottom and elevating them to greatness based on ability and clarity of message. We’re choosing our leaders based on editorials and news reports given by people that want us wandering in the political wasteland. Let’s keep following their advice…its been going swimmingly these last few years.