The Real Limbaugh Legacy

The Pravda media—in lockstep with the White House—believes that fanning the flames of ‘Colin Powell v. Rush Limbaugh’ can only help destroy American conservatism as the driving force of the Republican Party, and indeed, of America itself. To them, Colin Powell is a man of great stature and presence, while Limbaugh is some kind of ranting hate-monger. Keep this tit-for-tat going in these terms, and the Pravda/White House operation believes the country will turn even more to their camp. They’re dead wrong. It’s having the opposite effect, every day. Therein lies the real legacy of Rush Limbaugh to the nation he so dearly loves: his ability to harness all the technology of the era to combat and defeat the ‘spin-and-sound-bitification’ of America—the frivolous, shallow chatter that passes for journalism in this era—and replace it with a triumph of truth and substance.

For those who actually listen to Limbaugh—and their ranks swell daily as the Pravda assault continues—the constant Pravda attempt to portray him as nasty, divisive, abrasive, and offensive rings as hollow as anything Pravda publishes or broadcasts. Anyone listening to Limbaugh who had merely doubts or suspicions that Pravda may be biased has zero doubt about it when reading Pravda’s coverage of Limbaugh. It’s just flat out false. But what Limbaugh has taken to a new level is the use of mass email, podcasting, auto-transcription and other technologies to record, preserve and make available to anyone who wants to know exactly what he said and how he said it and in what context he said it. It is an awesome display that puts the lie to Pravda more completely and powerfully than anyone at Pravda really understands.

Pravda’s “Powell vs. Limbaugh” campaign is a beautiful case in point. For a tiny segment of the population, Powell the ‘big tent’ statesman vs. Limbaugh the fringe rabble-rouser is enough. But the segment is getting tinier by the day. Because for the larger segment of engaged Americans, if and when they are stirred to find out what all the fuss is about, they know how to do it, and they can and will do it. And what happens? Truth comes marching into focus.

This past weekend, as Powell (and Tom Ridge) went on Pravda’s “Sunday shows” to wittingly or unwittingly carry the water for the White House’s ‘marginalize Rush’ shtick, Pravda stuck to the script and let them offer nothing but high-minded platitudes. But then Limbaugh had his turn, and pointed out the obvious fact that Colin Powell is never asked and never offers a single substantive, detailed comment about any controversial topic facing the nation. Rush does so constantly, with a well-articulated philosophy, reasoned arguments and clear conclusions. Powell is exposed as a symbol without substance--an increasingly empty suit—while Limbaugh grows as the voice of principled American conservatism.

Limbaugh has already won the Powell vs. Limbaugh battle, but Pravda doesn’t know it. Because either Pravda will respond with tougher questions of Powell—in which case Powell will be even further exposed as a Beltway liberal out of touch with Main Street Americans—or Pravda won’t ask the tougher questions of Powell—in which case Pravda and Powell are increasingly exposed as nothing more than props in a propaganda machine. And all this is because Limbaugh has made sure that anyone who cares to know exactly what Limbaugh thinks or has said about any subject (including responding to the White House/Pravda/Powell attacks) can find out for himself or herself. People learn the truth, and people learn how they’ve been lied to and misled and deceived. They rally to truth; they turn fiercely from lies.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Limbaugh also triumph in the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation battle. The judge may well be confirmed by Senate Democrats and a few RINO’s, but the triumph of Limbaugh will be in the way many more Americans become aware of Obama’s radicalism and racism and where it all leads. Because no matter how Pravda tries to spin it and explain it, when Sotomayor stated:

'I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life'

she was voicing racism, plain and simple and repugnant to Americans across the political spectrum. As Rush pointed out, imagine Chief Justice John Roberts saying:

'I would hope that a wise white man with the richness of his experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a woman of color who hasn't lived that life'.

If Roberts had something like that, his confirmation process would have been over before it started.

When Sotomayor speaks of appellate courts as the place where policy is made, she is squarely out of step with the way most Americans view of the role of the judiciary.

Limbaugh will be hammering on these truths in the days and weeks to come, and he will be articulate and he will be right. Most likely Sotomayor will still be confirmed on the strength of her personal story and the weakness of Senate Republicans unwilling to challenge her activist philosophy. But underneath the surface of Pravda’s confirmation celebration, Americans will be angry once again with the trashing of American ideals by their out of control and out of touch Political Class.

Americans are rallying to truth in increasing numbers every day, throughout the country. Principled American conservatism triggered two landslides for Ronald Reagan and propelled the 1994 “Contract with America” into one of the most sweeping changes of American government ever seen. Thanks to Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and others, it’s doing the same thing right now, and the result may be more powerful and transformative than anything we’ve seen in the past. The tea parties were the tip of the iceberg. Just watch (and join in!)

This will lead to yet another interesting chapter if and when Limbaugh writes another book. But the real legacy of Rush Limbaugh will lie in how he did it—how he transformed a groupthink populace generically vulnerable to Pravda soundbites and spin into a renewed, empowered and awake nation of individuals who bankrupted Pravda as they were reminded that they do indeed have access to more complete truth and are free to voice it and respond to it and act on it.

Paul Gable, Dittohead

Posted May 26, 2009