I can't wait either, Bob! The Republicans in Congress will have lots of time to think about how to solve this problem, since they already solved the current economic crisis with their default, works-in-every-situation-and-never-fails "solution:" TAX CUTS!

Conservatives and Republicans have worked very hard at making Limbaugh et al their spokespeople and defacto policy-makers... now President Obama will make them own it.

Lawerence O'Donnell tried to bring up Michael on the Joke this morning and they cut him off...lol

Bob, I was reading in your book last night about the post Civil War effort to focus on the scary black people taking over politics and ruining the country. Rush is on the same page with that now. He had to step up and keep delivering the scary black man is wrecking the country schtick.

The MSM needs to call the Republicans on this congruence with history that is playing out now. I wonder how long it will take before the call is made upstairs at the networks to essencially broadcast your timeline of revisiting the fear based race retoric.

Similar sentiment from John Cole on this topic...

Perpetual Bitch-Slap Machine
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=18117

Actually, the Limbaugh thing really scares me. Why? Because of course a rational, thinking American sees right through this bozo. But we're not dealing with rational, thinking Americans. Believe me, I personally know some of these Limbaugh worshipers. You cannot reason with them. They see and hear in Limbaugh a clarion call to action. They hang on his every word and take it as gospel (no pun intended). He says what they feel. Sure, it's great comedy for the left - right now. What about in a couple of years when these idiots mobilize? And mark my words, they surely will. This whole "kiss the ring" mentality of the party is ludicrous, but it keeps them in the news cycle. I think there was a commenter on this site who nailed it when they said that the danger now is that we have to metaphorically kill the party because they are too crazy to be allowed to continue. Think about that for a minute. Kind of a buzz kill, no?

Don't take Limbaugh for granted. Writing someone off as irrelevant lead to world war 2.

Web dunce and Outwestern - I don't think anyone is taking Limbaugh for granted, but if it solidifies their shrinking base, all the better.

Anyone who listens to and agrees with Limbaugh is never in a million years voting Democratic anyway. It's the independents who are annoyed, frustrated and fed up with the Limbaugh rhetoric, and if the Republican party refuses to distance themselves from Rush because they're afraid of him, then it shows them for what they really are.

So in that sense, liberals aren't taking Limbaugh for granted, they're embracing the fact that as far as GOP voters are concerned, Limbaugh TRULY IS the de facto leader of the Republican party and every time a GOP politician tries to distance himself from Rush, he looks like twice the fool when he apologizes the next day. They can't say Rush doesn't speak for the party and then backtrack and say they are "inspired by his words."

On the Obama side, I don't know whether they stumbled upon this, or whether it was a carefully laid out plan, but it seems to be working.

What about in a couple of years when these idiots mobilize?

What about it? You don't think the crazies came out in droves to vote against what they perceived was a black, Muslim, Manchurian candidate, foreign born socialist who palled around with terrorists? What did that get them? 45 million votes, 160 some odd electoral votes, and major seat losses in Congress. They're in for the same thing if the strategy remains the same. If they really were serious about changing their party, they wouldn't be touting the likes of Jindal and Palin for 2012.

Broadway Carl - while I agree with your assessment, it isn't 2012 that makes me cautious about this segment of society. It's more like 2020 and beyond, when the collective memory starts to fade.

While they will be marginalized for the near future, they won't go away. They can be held in check for awhile, but will eventually start rebounding.

Just like a cancer.

Time and nostalgia always makes the "good old days" seem better. At that point, the cycle starts all over again.

Rush Limbaugh is the "dark twisted soulless hole" at the center of the "current" Republican Party that dates back to the "mindset" of the antebellum days of the Civil War.

The Limbaugh "Corporatist" Republican Party has no where to go but into oblivion, thus joining a long list of other failed & dead political movements.

Now in this economic CATASTROPHE as we watch a man that has made many millions with his words - we will now see those words for what they are truly about - we see a narcissistic man consumed by food, drugs, power, a quest for greed only matched by the likes of Bernie Madoff.

We now see clearly that Rush only cares about ONE thing - The SUPREMACY of the "VERY" WEALTHY!!

Rush know this - history will not be kind to you & your "SUPREMACY of the WEALTHY" brotherhood.

I agree with your assessment Bob, except that I would have called it "The Limbaugh Stench," since his smell is far worse than just a stink.

Broadway Carl - you make a good point, and I hope to God you're right. However, my concern is for the 2010 elections. If Obama's recovery plan and various other spending isn't a big success, then the senators and reps who backed him will hear about it via the voters. It's interesting that back in 2006 (seems so long ago) it was generally agreed that the democratic wins that allowed majorities in both houses were because of a promise to get out of Iraq. In 2010 we will still be in Iraq! That might lose a few seats, though I think dems will continue to hold majorities. But this new economy-tanking-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound meme has most people panicked and focused on money right now, and for some reason, repubs are able to con more people into believing not so much that they have the answers (obviously they don't) but they appeal to people's sensibilities about work and debt. The same lame old argument of "I worked for mine so you goddamn well aren't getting anything for free" that resonates with so many even when they have no idea what they're talking about. This is where alot of independents might swing to the right. And as far as Obama's win - compared to John McCain, who is an old windbag with no new ideas about anything - Obama should have beaten him by far wider margins. Seeing their debates, the issues raised, etc. it was clear that Obama is far superior in politics, intellect and ideas. Yet he won by too slim a margin in my opinion. And that was with Palin on the repub ticket. Obama and the dems are enjoying fully deserved praise and support right now, but I fear that in a couple of years or less, if things haven't really changed, people will start to change sides. I hope I'm wrong, for the country's sake, but we've seen this movie play out before.