# NOW will the Republican Party finally deal with Rush Limbaugh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 21, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736 "2012-11-21T17:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/41 "2012-11-22T11:54:57Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Truth be told, given his age and predilections for smoking, drinking, overeating, pain medications abuse, and sex tourism, isn’t it a good bet that Limbaugh will simply die before very long? Yeah, but he’s got really good healthcare. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/42 "2012-11-22T13:12:10Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I admit that this is wishful thinking because I view Limbaugh as the most direct route to the eventual extinction of the Republican Party. Is that what you’d really want? Seriously. As to the op - of course not. But Rush is not the problem as much as he is a symptom. He tells a large segment of the American public, mainly a large segment of the rural and exurban American public, often anti-intellectual _even when_ they themselves are well enough educated and smart, what they are biased to believe, filtering away all the rest that they would rather just consider noise. If not Rush someone else would fill that market demand. The problem for the GOP (and thus for us all) is structural. Primaries and to a large degree House seats will be won by those who appeal to those who are biased to glom onto Rush rantings (no matter who was doing the rant). Those same people are reliable parts of the base turn out. Telling them that their beliefs are mistaken is even more risky politically than pandering to them is. Pandering will at least get the House and get one through the primaries. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/43 "2012-11-22T13:25:27Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Is that what you’d really want? I do. I’d like to see this country have an ongoing discussion between radical leftists and moderate leftists, with the right consigned to low-level manual labor, security guard-work, and Wall Street top executives. Optimistically, I think we’re three or four presidential election cycles away from that sea-change, but if the Dems win big in 2016 and 2020, which they will if the economy holds up, then I think the GOP will become a more centrist party, allowing the Dems to shift further left without seriously endangering their control of the Presidency. We’re stuck in a holding pattern of divided government until after 2020, the next time that re-districting can happen, so this will be a decade of Democratic presidencies, Republican Houses, and incremental change. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/44 "2012-11-22T14:54:22Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > If only we had legislators with backbones who didn’t think it a requirement to sign poorly thought-out pledges in the first place … As a part of my campaign platform, I will sign a pledge pledging not to sign any more pledges. My stance on this has been consistent and I believe an anti-pledge pledge is not only good for me and good for my neighbors, its good for America. Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/45 "2012-11-22T19:58:02Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I admit that this is wishful thinking because I view Limbaugh as the most direct route to the eventual extinction of the Republican Party. > [@DSeid](#): > > Is that what you’d really want? Seriously. Maybe it’s because of the period you put after the word “seriously,” but I suspect that you view my wanting that eventual outcome as a BAD thing. Do you? If so, please explain why. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/46 "2012-11-23T05:08:24Z")
Because I believe that a single party system would be a bad thing even if that party is “my” party. Because the large numbers of people who have different views than me need to have those views represented and expressed in order for this country to thrive as a representational democracy. Having them totally disenfranchised would be a bad thing I think. Because needing to defend my perspective sometimes results in my modifying that which I thought I had believed and minimally helps me flesh out why I think it better. To start. Rush articulates, packages, and then sells thoughts that are out there much more than he creates anything. I’d rather have those thoughts out where I can see them than driven into the dark corners. I’d rather have people with those views working for the change they want within the system (and losing most of the time) than feeling that the system dealt them out completely and did not represent them at all. The latter is more dangerous long term I think. I guess I am a radical moderate. ---
**Author:** ![Muffy\_Simba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Muffy\_Simba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffy_Simba)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/47 "2012-11-23T05:14:31Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No, there isn’t IMHO. There’s no one individual, no talk show host or politician or anything else who has the kind of power over the Democrats that Rush has over the Republicans. What I meant is there are many blue shock jocks like him out there and he does not hold any power! He is a RADIO HOST. ---
**Author:** ![Muffy\_Simba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Muffy\_Simba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffy_Simba)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/48 "2012-11-23T05:18:17Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > When Rush tells his audience to call their Congresscritters, the phone lines light up all over the Capitol. And apparently he does this with some frequency. This is what makes Rush a political force. How often does Howard Stern or Larry Flynt do this, and what happens when they do? Shock jocks tell their listeners to do a lot of things. Rush, Larry or Howard are very un PC. They are un PC 100% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/49 "2012-11-23T05:24:51Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > What I meant is there are many blue shock jocks like him out there Hey - sorry for getting off topic, but any chance you could give me some names so I could check them out while in the car? I’m getting really bored with only hearing the Laura Ingram, Michael Savage, Hugh Hewitt, etc. types while driving. Air America was on for a while, but I think they went under in like '07. I don’t have satellite radio, just regular AM/FM. Thanks in advance dude! ---
**Author:** ![Muffy\_Simba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Muffy\_Simba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffy_Simba)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/50 "2012-11-23T05:28:26Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Name one. No liberal equivalent that has the same or similar influence. Nope. There are many blue shock jocks out there, but nobody puts them above their job title. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/51 "2012-11-23T05:30:02Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > What I meant is there are many blue shock jocks like him out there and he does not hold any power! He is a RADIO HOST. Please cite [del]many[/del] [del]10[/del] 5 national left-wing “shock jocks” like him out there. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/52 "2012-11-23T05:31:06Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > What I meant is there are many blue shock jocks like him out there and he does not hold any power! He is a RADIO HOST. So? That doesn’t keep him from having plenty of power. And “blue shock jock” or blue anything in the mainstream media are vanishing rare. The mainstream media is run by giant corporations (mostly controlled by cliche Rich White Christian Men to boot) that have a basic hostility to liberalism, and not much more tolerance for centrism. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/53 "2012-11-23T05:31:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Maybe it’s because of the period you put after the word “seriously,” but I suspect that you view my wanting that eventual outcome as a BAD thing. Do you? > > If so, please explain why. > [@DSeid](#): > > Because I believe that a single party system would be a bad thing even if that party is “my” party. Because the large numbers of people who have different views than me need to have those views represented and expressed in order for this country to thrive as a representational democracy. Having them totally disenfranchised would be a bad thing I think. Because needing to defend my perspective sometimes results in my modifying that which I thought I had believed and minimally helps me flesh out why I think it better. > > To start. > > Rush articulates, packages, and then sells thoughts that are out there much more than he creates anything. I’d rather have those thoughts out where I can see them than driven into the dark corners. I’d rather have people with those views working for the change they want within the system (and losing most of the time) than feeling that the system dealt them out completely and did not represent them at all. The latter is more dangerous long term I think. > > I guess I am a radical moderate. GOP extinction does not necessitate a single-party system as a result. But the rise of a meaningful non-Democratic, non-Republican party cannot occur without the extinction of one of the two existing major parties. Ideally, both will eventually be replaced. The crazy one should be first. ---
**Author:** ![Muffy\_Simba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Muffy\_Simba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffy_Simba)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/54 "2012-11-23T05:32:02Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Hey - sorry for getting off topic, but any chance you could give me some names so I could check them out while in the car? I’m getting really bored with only hearing the Laura Ingram, Michael Savage, Hugh Hewitt, etc. types while driving. Air America was on for a while, but I think they went under in like '07. > > I don’t have satellite radio, just regular AM/FM. > > Thanks in advance dude! I’m not a dude and I don’t even listen to radio too much anymore. You would have to look them up yourself. There are many. ---
**Author:** ![Muffy\_Simba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Muffy\_Simba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffy_Simba)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/55 "2012-11-23T05:34:35Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > So? That doesn’t keep him from having plenty of power. > > And “blue shock jock” or blue anything in the mainstream media are vanishing rare. The mainstream media is run by giant corporations (mostly controlled by cliche Rich White Christian Men to boot) that have a basic hostility to liberalism, and not much more tolerance for centrism. Excuse me why I laugh my ass off. I cannot believe I just read that. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/56 "2012-11-23T05:44:28Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > I’m not a dude and I don’t even listen to radio too much anymore. You would have to look them up yourself. There are many. Too bad you haven’t got any names on the radio, I was getting interested there for a minute. ☹ But, please post again if you do hear any names you can recommend. I’ll leave you alone now. Sorry for assuming you were a dude. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/57 "2012-11-23T06:40:35Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > I’m not a dude and I don’t even listen to radio too much anymore. You would have to look them up yourself. There are many. If you don’t listen on what do you base your claim that there are many _on_? How on earth can you claim that are prominent left-wing radio hosts that are on par with Rush, while at the same time you claim that you cannot think of any? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/58 "2012-11-23T07:05:44Z")
Don’t matter where you are, pick up any AM radio and go down the dial for a while. Count 'em up, won’t take you long to get to the right conclusion. Dozens of tighty righties, I could name off ten of them without breaking a sweat. Around here, we got one little weak-ass station broadcasting Stephanie Miller or What’s his face, the ginger bulldog. Miller often hands me a chuckle, and I’m all about the chuckles. You can have the benjamins, they’re not very funny. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/59 "2012-11-23T07:27:20Z")
> [@Muffy\_Simba](#): > > What I meant is there are many blue shock jocks like him out there and he does not hold any power! He is a RADIO HOST. [Darrell Issa](http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/10/19/darrell-issa-is-the-latest-republican-to-apolog/172168), Mark Sanford, [Phil Gingrey](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18067.html). Name one Democrat that’s had to apologise to Howard Stern. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736/60 "2012-11-23T07:41:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > We shall have to save a small breeding population at a park-sanctuary in the Hamptons. Geriatric Park? That didn’t end well if I recall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-will-the-republican-party-finally-deal-with-rush-limbaugh/641736.md?page=4)