Stop the presses! Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh!
March 3rd, 2009
Stop the presses! Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh!
In an age where politics have become just another commodity, I attended CPAC wondering exactly what the left’s mass produced narrative would be following the event. Since Ann Coulter didn’t say anything liberals haven’t already heard from her, my guess was they were going to obsess over Rush Limbaugh repeating that he would like Obama to fail, “If his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation.” (Full transcript of Rush’s speech here; Full video collection via Hot Air). The Hyperventilating Post didn’t fail. They titled one of their responses to CPAC: Rush Limbaugh at CPAC: Doubles Down On Wanting Obama To Fail. But that isn’t the dominant theme in the left’s analysis of CPAC.
Instead, liberals are strangely jubilant over the old news that Rush Limbaugh is taken seriously by conservatives. They’re excited by something that’s been going on for more than 20 years. They think Limbaugh simply isn’t credible, so conservatives must be desperate. They keep asking one of their trademark leading questions: “Is Rush Limbaugh the New Face of the G.O.P.?” Note to liberals: It’s the Conservative Political Action Conference, not a Republican fundraiser; that’s why it isn’t called “RPAC.” Nevertheless, the left is excitedly proclaiming that the G.O.P. has died because the most successful talk radio host of all time gave the best speech at a political gathering.
As usual, liberals don’t get CPAC because nothing in their education has given them the tools to understand conservative discourse. Thus, they’re calling Rush’s speech angry. While it was resolute and characteristically bombastic, it was also an upbeat message directed straight to the conservative base. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely glad I attended CPAC until I felt the energy of Rush’s speech live; I wanted mroe seminars where I would learn ideas, not just hear them. Yet I walked out of the conference on Saturday feeling uplifted. Rush gave conservatives hope, which is tough to do when our frightened nation is setting itself up for a Soviet-style economic implosion.
Liberals are right in that the conservative movement does need a leader, just as the left needed one for decades until Barack Obama’s logo feces started appearing all over the place. But that doesn’t mean the American right is dead. Conservatism will be fine as long as we’re resolute. After all, today’s trendy liberal ideas are essentially no different from the ones conservatives routed in the Reagan era. No matter how many times liberals wrap their ideology in hokey buzzwords, their message is one based on group resentment, fear of the unknown (such as market forces), and dependence on the state. The conservative message is one based on faith, individual responsibility, and the dignity of liberty. Which sounds better to you? Which sounds more robust and capable of taking on America’s present challenges?
Make no mistake; America will become a worse place to live the next four years. But because conservative ideas are rooted in timeless principles, not pandering to coalitions of self-proclaimed victims, the right will rise again. Sooner rather than later, there will be another morning in America.