ODE TO RUSH LIMBAUGH — POET LAUREATE OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
ODE TO RUSH LIMBAUGH — POET LAUREATE OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
By
Ken Eliasberg
I noticed the other day that Rush Limbaugh, one of the few idols I have in life, signed a new multi-year contract, and I was heartened by the prospect of being entertained and enlightened for another 8 years by this paragon of pundits. My only regret was that they were not going to adequately compensate him. Of course, I’m admittedly biased; whatever they would have paid him would not be 1/10th of what he’s worth — not just to the conservative movement, but to all of America. Years ago, the people of his region used to give the Aga Khan his weight in gold every year. At the time, I thought that this was a bit extravagant (in the case of someone like the Aga Khan, I still do), and the reason for my feeling such was that it was never clear to me that the Aga did anything to be deserving of such abundance. In Rush Limbaugh’s case 50 million a year doesn’t even scratch the surface of what that man does every day to not just maintain our principles but to preserve our sanity.
I have dear friends — very bright dear friends (and when I say very bright I mean at least 5 times smarter than your average liberal; of course, I realize in making this comparision, I am damning my friends with feint praise) — that you don’t call from 9AM to noon for fear of taking them away from Rush. And, after listening to Rush — regularly, I might add — I understand. I don’t like to be interrupted when Rush is on the air. He is, quite simply, a genius, and I don’t bestow that type of praise lightly. No one — and I do mean no one — has his command of what’s happening on the political front in this country. And no one lays it out more simply and succinctly than Rush Limbaugh. And, more entertainingly, I might add. And I might further add with greater humility. He never seems to take himself too seriously, although he takes the country’s well-being — as well as that of his listeners — very seriously. Moreover, he absorbs criticism as well I have seen any one do it. And you have no idea how hard that is to do. I write and speak regularly, but I have never cultivated the talent for suffering fools gladly. When I get a letter to the editor from some moron who clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about, I get annoyed. And, while it only bothers me for a brief period, it bothers me nonetheless. Rush, on the other hand, is a much bigger man, who has suffered greatly from the slings and arrows of outrageous imbeciles, yet taken it graciously and in stride. The guy has that rarest combination of virtues — he’s both brilliant and loveable while at the same time being entertaining and skillfully communicative. What can I say, I love the guy!
Bill Buckley, another conservative giant, and a man for whom I had the greatest respect was the Charles Atlas of the conservative movement. He started National Review not long after graduating from Yale as an effort to provide a counterweight to the liberal thinking that was sweeping the country. Buckley was brilliant, humorous and patriotic, and all of us conservatives are very much in his debt. But Buckley, while perfect for his time, was not nearly as perfect for this time. Limbaugh is. Buckley was a patrician and a classicist, having been brought up in abundance and having received a fine education. As a consequence, he spoke to the Rolls Royce Republican set. And while marvelously literate, his classical education frequently led him to speak over the heads of the common man; it was not snobbery on his part, merely the result of being a victim of his environmental upbringing. As a consequence, I often found that, while I respected him greatly, reading him was a bit of a chore. He seemed so in love with the language that he frequently let it carry him away. That is, by the time I got to Buckley’s answer, on occasion, I had to remind myself what the question was.
Rush suffers from no such limitations — he speaks to the common man; you know the guy who owns a chevy or a ford (rather than a Bentley). And that is his secret — his communication skills are without peer. My brother a demanding observer and critic, once opined that Rush was the only man on the air whose performance he did not think he could surpass. You have to know my brother to appreciate what high praise this is. I’ve done a lot of speaking, and, over the years, as both an attorney and a political activist, a lot of listening. And I am a pretty good speaker and have listened to dozens of gifted communicators - no one is Rush Limbaugh’s equal. If you wish to be kept informed as to what is happening in the political arena, it’s significance, and what to do about it, there is simply no better source than Rush Limbaugh — the gift that keeps on giving — to America!
And how fortunate we are that this gift has been placed in the hands, mouth, and body of a true patriot. Rush Limbaugh loves America, and, as a consequence, a good slug of America loves Rush Limbaugh. Let me say that it is both a pleasure and an honor to be a part of that “slug.” And to his employer let me say that whatever you are paying him, you have barely scratched the surface of what he is worth, not just to your station but to your country. He is quite simply the keeper of the conservative flame and one of America’s greatest statesmen. Why call him the poet laureate of the conservative movement? Because he brings poetry to politics, and, in doing so, uses clarity and a dazzling wit to drive his points home - he’s an American original!!
All of the above and much more is why the first thing that an Obama presidency will try to do is to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine to shut Rush and other conservative talk radio hosts up. Why? Simple, the left cannot compete on a level intellectual or philosophical playing field. Don’t let them do it!!