by Lee Stranahan
Power abhors a vacuum and the lack of leadership in the Republican party created an opportunity for someone to step up and take over. Enter El Rushbo.
He has a built-in constituency of 20 million listeners a week and knows how to get them to act; make phone, send emails, send faxes. He can modulate his communicate styles the way no other Republican can. And most importantly, he's unafraid to act like a leader, make bold statements and push the outer edges.
I think it's a mistake to take on all the stupid stuff he's said that aren't related to his ideas for two reasons. Number one, he's broadcaster who talks for three hours a day on public airwaves and has done a show for year and years. Al Franken's record as a comedian was used against him constantly and I thought that was a sideshow, too. But the much bigger reason is that Rush's reign at the top ultimately won't last and so those criticisms of Limbaugh personally will fall away when the next dude or dudette (wink wink) steps up.
The problem with Limbaugh is his main ideas about the proper role of government in our society. Stripped to just that debate - lose the fat jokes, the drug jokes, the attacks on his motivations and everything but-the ideas he's still massively vulnerable. That's where to beat him...and the Republicans...in a real, lasting way.