By Peter Mannino
I am curious, what is the first word that comes to your mind when I say the name Rush Limbaugh? For some, the first thing they think is “pill-popper.” For others, it is “radio talk show host.” Personally I think of the word “hateful.”
Rush Limbaugh is a controversial conservative political commentator who has the most-listened-to radio show in the U.S. with over 14 million listeners each week. He was made an honorary member of Congress after the Republicans took Congress in 1994, and now he seems to have come to the forefront of the conservative movement and the Republican Party.
Instead of simply being recognized by Republican Congressmen, he now seems to be giving marching orders to Congressional Republicans. Recently, he described the stimulus bill going through Congress as “porkulus” on his radio show, and now Republican Senator Grassley has used the term himself.
It also seems as if Congressmen have become afraid of Limbaugh; Republican Representative Phil Gingrey criticized Limbaugh for “[standing] back and throwing bricks,” instead of offering real leadership during the stimulus debate. He almost immediately issued an on air apology to Limbaugh on his show, and praised him for being a leader of the conservative movement.
I do not quite understand why Limbaugh has amassed so much power, but suffice it to say, I am excited! Frankly, I think Rush Limbaugh will be the greatest thing to happen to the Democratic Party in years. Fox News should give Limbaugh his own show just like Sean Hannity.
Why am I excited? Part of the reason is that the new unofficial leader of the Republican Party has said that all moderates and independents should leave the Party and create for a more hard-line conservative Republican Party. Of course, if more people leave, or are pushed out of, the Republican Party, then that means more votes for the Democrats.
The main reason I am excited, however, is that Rush Limbaugh is hateful. On his show he sang the words “Barack the Magic Negro” to the tune of the song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Even more recently, he was asked to write a 400 word article about his hopes for the Obama Presidency and he responded, “I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.”
I believe, much like every politician in the U.S., that Americans are fundamentally good and decent people. I believe that when the average moderate American hears the radio hate speech of Rush Limbaugh they will be repulsed, and since Limbaugh has become the spokesman for the Republican Party, they will be repulsed from the Republican Party. That would lead to the further marginalization of the Republican Party and a new era of Democratic dominance.
Indeed, that is what seems to be happening. A new poll released by the Democratic research firm Greenberg-Quinlan-Rosner showed that 58 percent of the public has a “cold feeling” toward Rush Limbaugh. To put that in context, the same poll showed that 51 percent of the public has a “cold feeling” toward Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and 50 percent have “cold feelings” toward William Ayers. In other words a larger percent of people dislike Rush Limbaugh more than an Anti-American Reverend and a former domestic terrorist.
At the same time, a new Pew Research Poll finds that a growing number of Americans have a more favorable view of the Democratic Party than of the Republican Party. I do not believe that the rise of Rush Limbaugh in the Republican Party is the sole reason why Democrats are more favorable now, but I do believe that he contributed to some extent.
As long as this trend continues, I say more power to Limbaugh. Democrats should hone in on him and gather support for a 21st century Democratic majority.
Peter Mannino is a sophomore political science student. You may e-mail him at [email protected].