I think you're conflating what has happened politically in the country with what Rush has done and somehow blaming him for the rise in liberalism. Isn't that what you're doing here?
(Please correct me if I'm wrong).
NO... that's not what I am doing at all.
What I am pointing out is that liberalism has risen in this country during the period of time that Rush has been on the air, so I am not sure that
anything great has happened for conservatism during that time, so I wonder exactly what it is that Rush has done that's so great for conservatism if liberalism is on the rise, and conservatism on the decline.
The reason I was asking you the question about what Rush has 'done' is that I believe that teaching, encouraging and bringing people together with optimism and humor IS 'doing' something.
There are many people who have learned a lot from Rush. I'm in your situation where I already believed and knew things before he came on the air that he reflected in his commentary, but there are many people out there who have learned what conservatism is about from him.
If what we are crediting Rush for is bringing conservatives together, then I am all in. I've already said as much earlier. But by the same token, Rush listeners agree with Rush's politics irrespective of whether Rush existed or not.
Maybe Rush has converted some listeners over to conservatism, but I would have to believe that anyone listening to Rush who would be converted by Rush, was probably more than halfway to conservatism already.
And now, there are going to be myriads of kids who love America more because they are reading his entertaining and enlightening history books (subject of thread).
Those kids will only read Rush's books because they have parents who already love America, and are teaching their kids to love it as well.
Kids have grown up loving America for centuries, and if there were no Rush, there would continue to be kids growing up loving America because of their parents.
That alone will be more than most of us will ever accomplish for the cause of conservatism.
I have two sons in High School.
They both took a test in their civics/government class a few weeks ago where the score of the test would determine what their political ideology was.
My youngest was the only kid in his class who scored on the conservative/libertarian side of the chart, and my oldest scored the same along with an Oriental kid in his class.
Rush had part in that.
It's not that I don't like or appreciate Rush, it's that some people seem to give him far too much credit for things accomplished by others.