Because of a Pittsburgh gig, I only got to see twenty minutes of Rush Limbaugh’s CPAC speech on CNN while in a hotel room ironing my pants. If you’re eating lunch and getting that mental picture, I apologize. After the speech the CNN newsreader (I can’t recall her name) took a mild jab at Rush for mentioning Fox and C-SPAN but not CNN. She then went on to show “Twitter” comments which were 20 to 0 anti-Limbaugh. Which means one of two things — either by the most amazing coincidence all comments came from liberals or there was some bias in the newsroom. You be the judge.
I sat down Sunday night and watched the entire speech and two things occurred to me. The first was how well and how passionately Rush articulated the conservative view of America, the second was how few conservatives there are who can do the same without worrying they might “offend” someone.
As I did for the Obama address to Congress, I’ve deconstructed some of my favorite quotes. Mr. Limbaugh’s quotes are in bold, with my comments below. Enjoy!
“We don’t hate anybody. …I mean, the racism in this country, if you ask me, I know many people in this audience — let me deal with this head on. You know what the cliché is, a conservative: racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe. Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen of America; if you were paying attention, the racism in our culture was exclusively and fully on display in the Democrat primary last year.”
Back when I was a hippie in college, and I wasn’t the only one, I believed in limited government. I didn’t want Johnson or Nixon telling me how to live my life, whom I should have as friends, what to eat, smoke, and read… And I sure didn’t want them in my pocket any more than they had to be. Most of my friends who were women didn’t want the government telling them what to do with their bodies or lives, either. During the same period of time I seem to remember a lot of minority groups who were angry at big government too. The cliché back then was a conservative big government fat cat trying to run our lives. At least something has changed since the sixties.
“They’re still complaining, still griping about the same problems. Their problems don’t get fixed by government. And those lives have been poisoned. Those lives have been cut short by false promises, from government representatives who said don’t worry about it; we’ll take care of you. Just vote for us.”
The old joke is, “How do you keep a hillbilly busy all day?” “Put him in a silo and tell him to go stand in the corner!” Those waiting for the government to solve their problems have been walking around in a silo for over fifty years. Maybe someday they’ll get the joke. Reagan said it best, “Government is not the answer to your problems, government is the problem!”
“It just breaks my heart that he does not use these extraordinary talents and gifts to motivate and inspire the American people to be the best they can be. He’s doing just the opposite. And it’s a shame.”
See, Rush wants the president to succeed if he’s trying to do the right things! As I said awhile back, we support Obama just not his principles or policies!
“How did this happen? How did the United States of America become the world’s lone super power, the world’s economic engine, the most prosperous opportunity for an advanced lifestyle that humanity has ever known? How did this happen?
Was it big government making five year plans? The best five year plan was the last one which lasted one year because the Soviet Union went out of business.
“Barack Obama, the Democrat Party, have one responsibility, and that’s to respect the oath they gave to protect, defend and follow the US Constitution.”
All Washington Republicans please note this; I believe you have taken the same oath.
“…bipartisanship … What they mean is: We check our core principles at the door, come in, let them run the show and agree with them…To us, bipartisanship is them being forced to agree with us after we politically have cleaned their clocks. …Where is the compromise between good and evil? Should Jesus have cut a different deal?”
“Look Jesus, the Romans are in power and the Pharisees are all on board, couldn’t you just lighten up on this whole Kingdom of God thing? You’re not saying you want Rome to fail are you?”
“You can’t have people living in homes they don’t pay for. You can’t have people driving cars they don’t pay for. I mean, you can for a while. But after a while the people paying for it — screw this.”
Out here in Flyover Land a lot of folks are already saying that! If the government starts redoing loans and adjusting mortgage balances and giving away cars you are a sap if you ever hold up your end in a deal again!
(Speaking of the stimulus and TARP programs) “…where is the evidence that the people offering all of this have ever succeeded in any similar plans before? There’s none. There is no evidence it works.
Rush, there is the New Deal, the War on Poverty, the Great Society, the Great Leap Forward, Year Zero, the Great Cultural Revolution. All these were great success stories according to the people who started them.
“This wasn’t a landslide victory, 52 to, what, 46? Fifty-eight million people voted against Obama. There would have been more if we would have had a conservative nominee.”
Is he talking about McCain? Does John McCain ever learn a lesson? The “Maverick” got stabbed in the back by all of his old buddies in the press and on the other side of the aisle, except for Joe Lieberman, and yet there he was front and center at the Obama “symposium” shilling for the man again. John, the clue truck is driving around D. C. looking for you.
“Conservatives are naturally happy. We seek happiness. We pursue it. It’s part of who we are. So what can you do? Live your life.”
A friend of mine used to say, “The best revenge is living well.” I have long said liberals have no sense of humor. The difference can be seen in the old “glass of water” analogy; a conservative sees a glass that is half full and thinks, if I work hard and save my money maybe someday I can buy that half a glass of water. I will continue to work to fill it up so my family and I can have our own water supply. A liberal says, “How long do I have to wait for you rich, greedy, small minded conservatives to fill up my glass?”
“…and one woman (has) question for Biden. ‘What is in the stimulus package for small business?’ Biden was clearly stumped because there isn’t anything in the stimulus package for small business. So what Biden said was, ‘Well, if there’s a bridge to your small business, we’re going to make sure that bridge stays open so that you can get to your small business and your customers.’ Now, of course, the media today is a bunch of hacks, they’re out there as PR agents; they’re starting to get a little embarrassed. Maggie Rodriguez says, ‘Senator Biden, there’s a website that answers all these questions. What is the name of the website?’ and Biden says, ‘I don’t know.’ He looks off stage. ‘Does somebody have the website number?'”
Democrats, here is a quote from Randy Newman to explain Joe, “He may be a fool but he’s our fool…” I believe the “number” to that website is 1-800- Kool-Aid. Did I miss this being reported in Big Media? Do you think if Bush had done this it would be all over the front pages of the dying dinosaur papers of America?
“…so what is so strange about being honest to say that I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?”
“Nothing is as rare as an honest man in Washington.” If Diogenes lived there he’d have to hire help. I am of the opinion that the number one person in the line of folks who would enjoy seeing BHO fall on his face is Hillary Clinton.
“Don’t measure your success by how many people like you.”
My mother used to tell me, “If you always do what’s right you will not be popular.” I have learned that if you’re not pissing someone off, you’re not trying.
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