Rest In Peace, Rush

At a time of His own good choosing, Almighty God chose to reclaim the talent he had loaned for 70 years to Rush Limbaugh, the Doctor of Democracy, who informed, instructed, and entertained America from behind his golden EIB microphone for over three decades.

Rush Limbaugh was not only the first staunchly conservative major nationwide broadcaster, he was by far the best and most successful.  In a very real way, he stood alone, and not just at the beginning of his career.

Other well-known names are just as reliably conservative, such as Mark Levin and Sean Hannity.  None, though, approached Rush's ability to both entertain while informing, and to instruct while entertaining.

Mark Levin is well-spoken and highly expert, but he's not really funny.  Sean Hannity is friendlier, but not nearly as profound.  Rush was all of that, and more.

While never in a position to listen for three hours a day every weekday, your humble correspondent has been familiar with Rush's exploits since high school.  It is simply not possible to be an effective conservative in America today without a thorough understanding of both the positions and style of El Rushbo.

Which makes it all the more remarkable that, after so many years of explaining the principles of practical conservatism from his seat atop the prestigious Attila the Hun chair, Rush leaves behind an America whose Republican party, in most ways, is to the left of Democrat Bill Clinton's administration which he ridiculed at the peak of his powers.

Is Comedy Enough?

It's often said that ridicule is most effective against tyrants and scolds, and nobody was better at ridicule than Rush.  Thirty years after his short-lived television show went off the air, I remember the incident of Slick Willie's Air Force One haircut scandal.  As the New York Times reported in 1993, when at least some of what it said could be counted on to be more or less true:

Two of Los Angeles International Airport's four runways were shut down for nearly an hour on Tuesday, some incoming flights were delayed and Air Force One sat on the tarmac with engines running -- all so that President Clinton's Beverly Hills hairstylist, Christophe, could come aboard and give Mr. Clinton a high-price trim before he took off for Washington.

When news of this preposterous bit of imperial arrogance hit the headlines, I waited eagerly for Rush's TV broadcast to see what he made of it... and there was nothing!  No, for the entire half-hour, he talked of everything in the world except Bill Clinton.

Then, in the very last segment of the show, Rush mentioned some political event - a treaty, a meeting, I forget what - at which the President had appeared.  The film rolled just as it might on any news report, showing Bill walking across a room with his aides.

And... up popped a cartoon arrow pointing at his head: "This Haircut Cost $400?!?!"

Rush knew how to "own the libs" long before that expression even existed.  My fellow conservatives and I were chortling over the burn for weeks.

Well... Bill Clinton was comfortably re-elected, and is probably the most beloved and missed living president.  Who among us would not instantly trade what we have now for a return to 90s-style political leadership?

Perhaps that's the downside of the greatness of Rush Limbaugh: like Donald Trump, he's so overpowering at what he does that lesser mortals find it disheartening even to try to follow his example.  After four years of President Trump - and thirty of Rush - tearing up the scripts written by the Left, who else has learned how to even begin to take their place?

For all his uniqueness, the Left feared the emergence of a successor nearly as much as they feared another term for President Trump.  We've observed how they manipulate the narrative to prevent anyone from ever growing to fill his shoes.  Knowing this, though, should have given conservatism the opportunity to find a way around - but no.  Even among the many brilliant orators Rush invited to guest-host his show, is there any of them who could take his place on a permanent basis?

Rush H. Limbaugh III did all that he could, all day, every day, to enlighten and educate America in, well, Americanism.  There are others who have sacrificed more than he for our country, but none who loved America and Americans more deeply.  He goes to his just reward - and, us to ours.