Rush Limbaugh's Last Gasp...

This WSJ piece by Rush Limbaugh is meant to be a rallying cry, a reinterpretation of the current Republican Party fissure, but it reads more like a suicide note containing a final attempt to make its readers see it his way.

We conservatives are proud of our philosophy. Unlike our liberal friends, who are constantly looking for new words to conceal their true beliefs and are in a perpetual state of reinvention, we conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals. We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them.

I do think he's got the Democratic Party pegged, but to say that conservatives or always open and forthwith is as arrogant as it is a denial of the current state of his party.  Perhaps a better time to advance this argument might be when most of the major leaders of your party aren't under investigation or indictment.

Some liberal commentators mistakenly view the passionate debate among conservatives over the Miers nomination as a "crackup" on the right. They are giddy about "splits" in the conservative base of the GOP. They are predicting doom for the rest of the president's term and gloom for Republican electoral chances in 2006. As usual, liberals don't understand conservatives and never will.

The Miers nomination shows the strength of the conservative movement. This is no "crackup." It's a crackdown[...]

The real crackup has already occurred--on the left!

That's right, ladies and gents, Rush has mounted what amounts to a verbose version of the, "I know you are but what am I?" defense.  The liberals say that we're falling apart, but we're not.  THEY are the ones who are falling apart!

[The Left's] major spokesmen are old extremists like Ted Kennedy and new propagandists like Michael Moore. Its great presidential hope is one of the most divisive figures in U.S. politics, Hillary Clinton. And its favorite son is an impeached, disbarred, held-in-contempt ex-president, Bill Clinton.

The whole "Clinton was impeached, and therefore despicable" complaint is probably not the best one for a convicted drug felon to put forward.  Oh, and incidentally Rush, you are the Michael Moore of the Right.

If he weren't such a gasbag, I'd almost feel sorry for the guy.

The editorial itself is short, so go ahead and read the whole thing, if only so you can see a formerly epic conservative character who now finds himself in the unenviable position of defending the most unpopular positions of his party, most of which he was a major mouthpiece for.

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan agrees with me:

Limbaugh's "state-of-conservatism" piece reads like something an aide to Andropov might have written in the waning years of the Soviet Union.

Comments

[Jeannie]

I've enjoyed seeing the libs respond to Rush's piece. It is so unbelieveable and almost earie. Rush is so right on how you Libs just don't get it. Why do you guys continue to lose elections? Because your message wasn't heard? The American People hear your message & we don't like it - It's Liberalsim. Notice how we are all to believe that Hillary is a Centrist/Moderate now? That's a good one. She (and Kerry, remember?) cannot admit to the American People that she is a Liberal. Remember the Reagon landslides? Rush is trying to clue you Libs in on what's coming next. Personally, I think he gives you Libs too much info.

I bet you have never heard his radio show. It's o.k., I actaully do know Libs who actual have minds of their own and listen to Rush's show becuase they admit no one else is telling them what is actually going on. They were raised by Lib parents & were taught liberalism all their lives throughout the public schools & college. I can tell, however, that they are slowly realizing that Conservatism makes sense and they see that Conservatives are NOT the racist, corrupt, arragant thugs that Libs make them out to be. They have also noticed that their Liberal side seems to be ANGRY and full of hate. Right now they are seeking the truth as to why that is.

Why are you angry? I guess it's not easy being on the losing side.

"when most of the major leaders of your party aren't under investigation or indictment"? Keep dreaming the Liberals Big Dream. LOL If you can't beat Conservatives at the ballot box, try to throw them in jail to get them out of the way? I'm sure Delay's "mug shot" didn't make your day. You Libs can keep on dreaming, but remember, at the next Presidential Election, you Libs will not be running against George W. Bush, it will be an even more Conservative candidate more on the Reagon side. Low taxes, blocking illegal imigrants, more Conservative views.

I guess, I shouldn't worry too much about Rush helping you Libs out with anymore "heads-up" pieces. You just don't get them anyway. Good news for us on the winning side!

[Dylan]

Hi Jeannie, thanks for the comment.

You, obviously, haven't read my blog. I have been, over the years, very critical of my own party's inability to stand up and fight. The reason liberals keep losing elections is because we are too willing to fight amongst ourselves. The reason Republicans keep winning elections is because they've been in lockstep with each other for a long time, and it is bearing fruit.

That is not what is going on now, however. Conservatives are attacking Bush, and for this little liberal, it's fun to watch. And Limbaugh's piece reads as little more as, "wait... they're saying we're in trouble! Preposterous! YOU are the ones who are in trouble... bwaa...haaa. haaa..."

Anything can happen in three years, of course, but here's a sobering thought: Bush's numbers are over 20 percentage points lower than Nixon's were on the day he was impeached. That's bad. That's bad for you. That's bad for your party.

Keep dreaming the Liberals Big Dream. LOL If you can't beat Conservatives at the ballot box, try to throw them in jail to get them out of the way? I find it interesting, seeing as my party has no control of either the executive or the legistlative branches, that we suddenly have all this power to throw all your people in jail. I'm in the minority party! If (and I said "if"... It's not a forgone conclusion) the Plame-gate issue makes it further into Congressional investigation, it's not because of my party, but because of the cover-up inside the White House. My party's ability to do anything with this amounts to precisely diddly.

Another reason why I know you haven't read my blog. The Tom DeLay mugshot DID make my day, big smile and all. That fucker got booked. It's an important day.

That's because I'm from Texas. I've seen this guy do his dirty business for years. I also didn't grow up in a liberal household: I came to it on my own, and am very proud of that fact. In fact, it's funny, but your implication that I was a titty-fed liberal with hippy parents was the only thing in your post that got my blood boiling. I have worked hard and spent a long time understanding why I think what I think and believe what I believe, so when people try to imply that they aren't legitimate because I've been spoonfed, then that does get me angry.

Speaking of anger, there was quite a bit of it in your little post too.

My point is, the Republican party is in trouble right now. I'm as skeptical as anyone that my party will be able to do anything about it. But, when you've seen a party be as vindictive, accusatory, and dirty as the Republican party for as long as they have, it's nice to see them having some trouble, and I'm perfectly willing to wallow a little bit in that come-upence.

Thanks again for writing.