By Rick Morris
One of the only areas in life where I differ with my good friend and FDH Lounge colleague Tony Mazur is on the subject of Rush Limbaugh. While we have the same politics (by and large), he is a fan of El Rushbo and I am not. I see him as an extremely ineffective communicator of public policy ideas outside the echo chamber that already agrees with him.
The kind words he has spoken about Big Business testify to his ineptitude. Contrary to what he has asserted, it is small business that is the engine of this country's economy, not those he relates to so well in Big Business.
Unfortunately, many conservatives and so-called conservatives fall into this same trap: Big Business, they feel, must be defended on general principle because to do otherwise is to surrender to liberal economic theory.
This is garbage. Paleocons know better. Pat Buchanan was writing as far back as the freaking 1970s on the need for the right to take on Big Business from time to time both on matters of genuine principle as well as political reality. He knew what those who mindlessly demonize Big Business and those who mindlessly worship it still do not to this day: that it is not inherently very good or bad, but rather, a force of nature that can only be counted on to perpetuate its own self-interest.
Had more on the right heeded him, then there wouldn't be so many "OMG, how could Big Business sell out to Obama!!!" stories dealing with the health care lobby trying to cut a deal with the Democrats and Wal-Mart's sellout to Obama on the subject of national health care.
OF COURSE Big Business is going to collude with the power-grabbing central planners in D.C. on as many matters as possible! It sees which way the political winds are blowing. More power has been centralized in Washington over the past year than at any time since the Great Depression. Plus, Big Business has a vested interest in keeping growing small businesses from joining their ranks. Using Big Government to raise barriers to competition is not at all unthinkable; ideology has no place in the marble boardrooms of the nation's economic elites.
Seeing so many self-proclaimed conservatives sulking like wounded puppies at the sight of their heroes in the Fortune 500 groveling to Obama would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic. Eventually -- perhaps sooner rather than later if recent polls are any indication -- this nation is going to look for responsible alternatives to Obama's collectivist vision. If the right can't leave behind George W. Bush's vision of crony capitalism once and for all, it will cede that ground to a brand-new and potentially very irresponsible resistance movement.
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I didn't really listen to Rush much during the Bush2 years, but I grew up with him during the Clinton years, and he has been better than ever during Obama.
The reason I like Rush Limbaugh is because there is no one else out there who puts the Democrats in their place. Hannity is good for a liberal jab or too, but he's too compassionate. Rush goes full-out.
"The Rush Limbaugh Show" is #1 all across the board for a reason. Many despise him, but I do think he is terrific. Granted, I would like him to take the Bush administration to task once in a while. Though, if I wanted to hear that, I can just watch Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, etc.
Rush is an entertainer, not a politician. His goal is to obtain as many listeners as humanly possible. Now that Obama and his cronies are screwing things up at a rapid pace, conservatives need Rush more than ever. Conservatives need to pay attention to the issues rather than obtaining minority or independent votes.
There are two ways right wingers can go: the way of Colin Powell or Rush. I choose the latter. Colin Powell Republicans got us in this mess by nominating John McCain.
Rush, like him or not, is the most influential man in American politics, next to Barry Obama.
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