Reason Online – In attacking Rush Limbaugh, American Enterprise Institute Fellow David Frum risked incurring the ire of the conservative movement. But in doing so, did Frum open up the door to questions about the soul of the conservative movement, and what it now stands for after two electoral failures? [read article here]
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My husband plans his day around Rush's radio show. Personally, I don't care one way or the other for him. He is obviously very polarizing and I don't see him bridging the huge gap between Conservatives and Liberals. I am looking for someone who can do that--not just rile up people on either end of the spectrum.
ReplyDeleteRod, I strongly disagree with your perspective about Rush and with David Frum. If you've read much of Frum, attacking conservatives is an avocation to him. His columns are frequently targeted at conservatives, as though Bush-style compassionate conservatism were the benchmark of conservative thought.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but Reagan and not Bush (either one) is a more appropriate symbol of conservatism and it is Reagan to whom Limbaugh and most conservatives for inspiration and to draw a legacy from. And that is fitting, as Reagan was quoted in a Time magazine article about Rush years ago as saying that Reagan pretty much passed the torch of conservative leadership to Rush.
Gosh, where to start on the article. Yes, there have always been divisions within the conservative movement and if you read The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945, referred to in the article, you'll see that yes, there were deep fissures in the movement, many at least as deep as we see now. Frank Meyer was strongly attacked by some on the libertarian and traditionalist wings for even attempting to bring them together.
And there is a reason Rush's is "the most listened to radio talk show in America". He is certainly listened to far more than Frum, as Levin said, is read.
And Rush's advice to the movement--stay away from the center--has been arguably the soundest advice heard on the Right today. It is when politicians move to the center, or strive to be "bipartisan" that they lose as the Pelosi's, Reid's, and Obama's aren't interested in working together, certainly not for any values held to by conservatives.
And, BTW, I happen to agree with Frum about Palin. In my opinion she is a disaster for the Republican Party and therefore for the electoral success of the conservative agenda.
Even the "Ditto Nation" is not a monolith.