RUSH LIMBAUGH WINS 'AUTHOR OF THE YEAR' FROM CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL.....

[Luis Gonzalez]

You'd be in disagreement with most of the members of the Republican caucus.  They honored Rush at the time and credited him for the victory.

So Rush publicizing Newt's Contract With America should be considered as doing more than actually thinking up the concept and drafting it?

I guess we're going to disagree on what constitutes "doing" versus what constitutes "promoting".

Ok.

That's 1994.

What else?

[massadvj]

So Rush publicizing Newt's Contract With America should be considered as doing more than actually thinking up the concept and drafting it?

I guess we're going to disagree on what constitutes "doing" versus what constitutes "promoting".

Ok.

That's 1994.

What else?

I think I listed his main accomplishments in my post.  No need to repeat them.  Being the catalyst for a Republican congress that lasted a dozen years is no small thing.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I think I listed his main accomplishments in my post.  No need to repeat them.  Being the catalyst for a Republican congress that lasted a dozen years is no small thing.

We're going to have to disagree.

[katzenjammer]

DITTO.

I don't know where this claim comes from that Rush never promotes himself.

OF COURSE he promotes himself, he's a talk show host. He's not paid by government handouts, he in the private sector. I have never heard him say he doesn't talk about himself....

As a great man once said, "Rush Limbaugh has personally done more for the conservative movement in this country than any other man alive and made a pile of money doing it!!"

DITTO That!!

But there will be ones that will argue almost every point, often just for the sake of arguing!!

 

[Luis Gonzalez]

DITTO That!!

But there will be ones that will argue almost every point, often just for the sake of arguing!!

 

If you're referring to me, you're way out of line.

I debate points when I believe I see something different than others.

If that's not to your liking, please put me on ignore.

[katzenjammer]

If you're referring to me, you're way out of line.

I debate points when I believe I see something different than others.

If that's not to your liking, please put me on ignore.

    

Seriously?? Do you always think everything is about YOU???  lol

[NavyCanDo]

I think these children's books are the best thing Rush has done in a long time.  I heard a woman caller today telling him how much her daughter and her daughter's friends love the books and I could tell that Rush really got a kick out of it!  To be able to inspire young children in this way is so important, really important for the future. I'm happy for him.   

My 12-year old loves them.    He gave a book report on Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims. I'm sure it drove his liberal teacher crazy. 

[Luis Gonzalez]

I think I listed his main accomplishments in my post.  No need to repeat them.  Being the catalyst for a Republican congress that lasted a dozen years is no small thing.

Here's the problem I have with that, and please understand that I have the utmost respect for you.

If 1994 (the takeover of Congress by the GOP) is what you list as the most significant thing that Rush did for the conservative movement in the US, what were 1992 and 1996 about?

Conservatives left the GOP in droves in 1992, and and enough of them were still away in 1996 that the argument could conceivably be made that the 8.4% percent of the conservative vote pulled by Perot was significant in Clinton's win.

Clinton won the White House TWICE by a plurality as a result of the conservative vote splitting away from the GOP.

So I have a problem seeing a Republican Party victory in 1994 as being something that Liimbaugh did for the conservative movement when conservatives were as far away from the GOP as they have ever been.

Just my opinion.

[NavyCanDo]

IMHO Rush Limbaugh has personally done more for the conservative movement in this country than any other man alive and made a pile of money doing it!!

Instead of envy of his success I feel nothing but gratitude!

There are tens if not hundreds of thousands of moderate Democrats or Reagan Democrats who somehow tuned into his show at one point and became hooked. And after time and countless lessons from Rush about what has become of the Democratic party, have been able to remove the millstone around their neck, and became Republicans. My dad being one.   He was never "liberal", but still voted solid democrat, believing what he was told since he was a child, that Dems are for the poor, Reps are for the rich.  Rush did what I thought nobody could do, and opened his eyes. Bill Clinton was the first Democrat candidate he voted against, and he voted solid Republican ever since.

Some on this thread love Rush, others are very vocal that they don't. Frankly I don't care. Rush made a difference in my fathers life, and in mine, because in my fathers last years we grew closer than ever listening to Rush's show.         

[evadR]

It's so easy to confuse correlation and cause. 
Also, there is little Rush can do about about LIVs and fraud when our "own people" don't have the balls to act.
Rush is not God, even though he has talent on loan from God.

[Slide Rule]

It is even better to hear the young when they call in to the program.

The children, parents, grandparents and friends.

One word. Enthusiastic.

The book presents information not taught in K-12.

So Rush is educating the next generation.
Fabulous.

Al

[musiclady]

Rush Limbaugh went on air nationally in 1988. In 1989 Bush Sr. took office and four years later conservatives led a revolution which gave us eight years of Clinton.

Since Reagan (since Rush took to the national airwaves), what I've mostly heard from Conservatives is that the GOP is becoming the DNC-light, that GOP Presidential candidates are squishy moderates (I was around when the talk of Dubya began to emerge, and I am quite familiar with what conservatives thought of him, and I also vividly remember all the comments on his "compassionate conservatism" so save your breaths) and  how conservatives never get elected. We had that dialogue in this very forum this very week.

Since Limbaugh, I've seen a massive expansion of the government, a massive growth in the national debt, and very little movement of the country in general back to the right. In fact, what I have seen is massive movement to the left... we all complain aboutt that in this very forum.

Back when I listened to Rush, I liked him because he saved the trouble of actually thinking. He reflected my own thoughts back to me very eloquently, so I learned eloquence from Rush. There came a time when I no longer 'got" anything from Rush, so I stopped listening.

But as far as actually doing something for conservatism, I don't see it.

I'm not criticizing Rush, but asking myself what Rush had done for conservatism, I actually ended up having one of those "name Hillary's accomplishments" moments.

In a weird and bizarre twist, I would actually give more credit to Jim Robinson for the things he did for conservatism than to Rush.

Rush rode an existing medium.

Robinson created one, and there was actual activism that grew from it.

Odd, isn't it?

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).

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.

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).

That alone will be more than most of us will ever accomplish for the cause of conservatism.

[musiclady]

It's so easy to confuse correlation and cause. 
Also, there is little Rush can do about about LIVs and fraud when our "own people" don't have the balls to act.
Rush is not God, even though he has talent on loan from God.

This!

[evadR]

"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?"

Precisely my point.
I knew someone would come out and say whaT I was thinking.

Are you Rush??  ^-^

[Bigun]

There are tens if not hundreds of thousands of moderate Democrats or Reagan Democrats who somehow tuned into his show at one point and became hooked. And after time and countless lessons from Rush about what has become of the Democratic party, have been able to remove the millstone around their neck, and became Republicans. My dad being one.   He was never "liberal", but still voted solid democrat, believing what he was told since he was a child, that Dems are for the poor, Reps are for the rich.  Rush did what I thought nobody could do, and opened his eyes. Bill Clinton was the first Democrat candidate he voted against, and he voted solid Republican ever since.

Some on this thread love Rush, others are very vocal that they don't. Frankly I don't care. Rush made a difference in my fathers life, and in mine, because in my fathers last years we grew closer than ever listening to Rush's show.       

You obviously get it! As you say, your father's story multiplied millions of times is something no other person alive can lay claim to! Only Rush and Rush alone!

[musiclady]

"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?"

Precisely my point.
I knew someone would come out and say whaT I was thinking.

Are you Rush??  ^-^

 For my husband's sake, I certainly hope not!  ^-^

[sinkspur]

DITTO That!!

But there will be ones that will argue almost every point, often just for the sake of arguing!!

 

I'm sure this is referring to me.

You don't listen to Rush very much if you have not heard him, frequently if not daily, say "I don't like to talk about myself."

Can someone tell me of what value to conservatism three or four days of learning the ins-and-outs of Rush's cochlear implant was?   

Other than Sean Hannity (who now has Degan McDowell doing an entire segment every week of "ask Sean"), no other conservative commentator talks about himself as much as Rush does.

I know everybody on this site likely hates Michael Medved.  To me, he is the most insightful, most intelligent, most unselfish talk show host on radio today.  I NEVER miss one of his shows.  HE does as much or more to further the conservative cause as Rush does.

[truth_seeker]

IMHO Rush Limbaugh has personally done more for the conservative movement in this country than any other man alive and made a pile of money doing it!!

Instead of envy of his success I feel nothing but gratitude!

And yet since he became nationally syndicated, the GOP has lost the national popular vote for President 5 out of 6 times.

So the "done more" needs a metric, to see what it is that was "done."

Predictable cheerleading, preaching to the choir, entertaining, etc.---sure.

Convincing, converting, persuading people to do differently? Not so much.



Done has the same root as do

[jmyrlefuller]

I know everybody on this site likely hates Michael Medved.  To me, he is the most insightful, most intelligent, most unselfish talk show host on radio today.  I NEVER miss one of his shows.  HE does as much or more to further the conservative cause as Rush does.

I haven't heard Medved in years. He's been toiling away on Salem for over a decade now. I don't recall it being a bad show, but because it's Salem, nobody really listens to it much.

[alicewonders]

I'm sure this is referring to me.

You don't listen to Rush very much if you have not heard him, frequently if not daily, say "I don't like to talk about myself."

Can someone tell me of what value to conservatism three or four days of learning the ins-and-outs of Rush's cochlear implant was?   

Other than Sean Hannity (who now has Degan McDowell doing an entire segment every week of "ask Sean"), no other conservative commentator talks about himself as much as Rush does.

I know everybody on this site likely hates Michael Medved.  To me, he is the most insightful, most intelligent, most unselfish talk show host on radio today.  I NEVER miss one of his shows.  HE does as much or more to further the conservative cause as Rush does.

Sinkspur, I guess our tastes just run on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Of course, Rush talked about his hearing issues - I'm sure he gets all kinds of emails asking how that is doing.  I, for one, am interested in hearing about it because I really like Rush, I've listened to him for so long that I feel like we are "friends".  I care about him.

You're right, Medved is not my cup of tea - but it's a big old world and there's room for all of us.  I respect your opinion, you always back it up with reason. 

 

[sinkspur]

Sinkspur, I guess our tastes just run on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Of course, Rush talked about his hearing issues - I'm sure he gets all kinds of emails asking how that is doing.  I, for one, am interested in hearing about it because I really like Rush, I've listened to him for so long that I feel like we are "friends".  I care about him.

You're right, Medved is not my cup of tea - but it's a big old world and there's room for all of us.  I respect your opinion, you always back it up with reason. 

 

Thank you.  I will take your respect (since I get so little around here) and leave it at that.  You're one of the good ones, too.

[jmyrlefuller]

And yet since he became nationally syndicated, the GOP has lost the national popular vote for President 5 out of 6 times.

So the "done more" needs a metric, to see what it is that was "done."

First off, the Presidency is not decided by popular vote, it's by electoral vote, and three of those six elections were pluralities. Furthermore, Limbaugh entered syndication in 1988, so it's 5 out of 7.

Moving onto Congress. Since 1994, the GOP has won the House of Representatives, the chamber designated to represent the people, 8 out of 10 times. The Senate has also been in GOP hands for the majority of that time span.

There is a reason the Democrats consider Limbaugh such a major threat. I think he's been hurt in recent years, but his influence is real.

[evadR]

Rush provides a perspective that you do not get anywhere else.
I really enjoy the way he put his perspective on the Huffington article on Obamacare.  He was very emphatic about the fact that the article didn't mean what people thought/hoped it meant.
And, he was spot on.

No one else does that...no one.

[Luis Gonzalez]

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.

[Luis Gonzalez]

And yet since he became nationally syndicated, the GOP has lost the national popular vote for President 5 out of 6 times.

So the "done more" needs a metric, to see what it is that was "done."

Predictable cheerleading, preaching to the choir, entertaining, etc.---sure.

Convincing, converting, persuading people to do differently? Not so much.



Done has the same root as do

Exactly.

And all you hear from conservatives is how they are left out of the political process in the nation.

So yes... cheerleading, preaching to the choir, entertaining and giving everyone a place to bitch s what Rush has done.