Rush was the greatest but we have to have more than just talk
By Greg Strange
web posted March 1, 2021
There is little I can add to the encomiums that have poured in for Rush Limbaugh. He pioneered conservative talk radio at the national level, paving the way for countless others to follow. He was wildly funny and entertaining as he skewered the absurdities of liberalism, all with “half my brain tied behind my back.”
Like most conservatives, I loved the guy. Because I spend a lot of time in a car, I spend an inordinate amount of time listening to conservative talk and it’s hard to imagine a world in which listening to Rush is no longer an option. But I have to say that I listened to him far less in recent years. That was partly due to the fact that through podcasts one can listen to virtually anyone at any time and I was able to discover new people who, frankly, were more action- and results-oriented than Rush seemed to be.
Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that Rush didn’t want to have a significant effect on the country by calling out liberalism and leftism. Of course he did, he loved America profoundly and he wanted to help preserve the values that made it great by exposing the insanity of the other side. The problem is, as we’ve seen all too clearly, all the talk in the world can’t seem to slow down, let alone stop, the leftist tsunami that has washed over virtually everything. The left has proven to be impervious to criticism, rational debate and even mockery, which Rush wielded so expertly.
So, perhaps the passing of Rush is the perfect time to ask a rather profound question: After all these decades of not just Rush, but an army of conservative talking heads who have absolutely ruled the radio airwaves, what good did any of it do ultimately?
The country has never been as far left as it is now. The left controls every institution and is bent on destroying everything that ever made America great. Ironically, liberal talk show hosts have barely been able to get a word in edgewise, at least at the national level. Air America, an attempt to do just that, was an abysmal failure and quickly went the way of the dodo bird. So conservatives have been able to talk over the radio airwaves till they were blue in the face. But if the point of all that hot air was to save the country from leftism, then what good did any of it do in terms of practical results? The inescapable conclusion is, none.
And that obviously begs the question, why? It might be an oversimplification but the answer would seem to boil down to a simple homily: “all talk and no action.” Trump used to say that about his Republican rivals, and politicians in general, on the campaign trail back in 2016. The problem for conservatives is, “all talk and no action” is far more descriptive of Republicans than Democrats. Democrats, who are now basically neo-Marxists, will typically fight like rabid dogs in the street to promote what they believe in and get the results they want. That’s because Marxists have zero gratitude, hate everything under the sun and are highly motivated to tear it all down. In the meantime, most Republicans can barely manage to raise an eyebrow in consternation or lift a pinkie to promote conservative policy. They’re like prehistoric insects frozen in amber.
But why? Why are they so feckless? The only answer I can come up with is that they’re terrified of what has proven to be the left’s ultimate rhetorical weapon: “Racist!” “Homophobe!” “Islamophobe!” “Xenophobe!” “Transphobe!” “White supremacist!” “Bigot!” “Hater!” All Democrats have to do is scream these calumnies till the cows come home. Then, whenever they say, “Jump!” Republicans, after melting into a puddle of quivering Jello, say, “How high?”
Nor does it help that Republicans are mired up to their necks in the swamp.
The upshot is that the great and beloved Rush Limbaugh, along with hordes of other conservative talkers, can talk until doomsday, but without an effective political party to fight for conservative values, it all comes to naught. Until conservative voters read the riot act to the Republican Party, nothing will likely change and the talkers can bloviate until hell freezes over and it will be like water off a duck’s back.
I mentioned earlier that I discovered some podcasters who are action- and results-oriented. The single best example is a guy named Daniel Horowitz (not to be confused with David Horowitz), who is associated with Glen Beck’s outfit, Blaze Media. He is a prolific writer and podcaster, but what makes him different is he doesn’t just complain or waste time commenting on the endless soap opera and tit-for-tats. Instead, he offers strategies and solutions for all our major political problems and he constantly questions why Republicans refuse to grab even the lowest hanging political fruit that could easily be used against the opposition.
Horowitz was even recognized by Rush himself who said on the air last year that Horowitz had brought him to an important realization about the Supreme Court and the concept of “judicial supremacy.” Rush’s website provided a link to an article by Horowitz entitled “Time for Trump and conservatives to crush judicial supremacy: Here’s how,” those last two words being the most important. Here’s how you do it, Republicans – but of course they didn’t.
Horowitz had been somewhat critical of Rush – and most other conservative talkers – in recent years for not pushing harder on the Republican Party to take much needed action to stem the tide of leftism. But after Rush’s passing, he paid tribute to the man who had inspired him as a mere child to eventually pursue a career in political policy and commentary. Horowitz doesn’t have that special personality and chemistry that Rush did (nor does anyone else), but he is absolutely brilliant when it comes to solutions and political strategizing. That’s exactly what the right needs if it isn’t to be totally crushed by the left.
Rush was an inimitable and matchless titan in national conservative talk radio who was loved by tens of millions. He’ll be sorely missed and another one like him shall not pass this way again. Now is the time to take the talk to another level and demand action from those who claim to represent us. Otherwise, all that endless talk is just a bunch of self-indulgent hot air. 
Greg Strange can be reached at gpstrange30341@yahoo.com. (c) 2021 Greg Strange.