Rush Limbaugh dead at 70

[Fuzzy Bear]

Limbaugh had his high and low moments.  He certainly got caught in his own hypocrisy on the drug issue when he got caught with drugs himself.  His behavior over AIDS victims was over the top.  And (regrettably) he has supported most of the unwise wars and attacks on Civil Liberties (Patriot Act) because the bulk of the GOP supported them over time.  

The thing that used to peeve me the most about Limbaugh was his overt professing of Rugged Individualism as his philosophy of life and government.  The "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps; you can, too!" worldview.  Rush was an accomplished broadcaster and radio personality; indeed, he was at the top of his game longer than anyone else and he, almost single-handedly, made his brand of talk radio a NATIONAL institution, enabling people to bypass the "mainstream media" to get their points across.  HE did that himself.  But he also had more than a little help from his Dad at the start of his career to get opportunities when he was a nobody that others don't get.  His professions often failed to note the lack of "connections" on the part of so many that make the first step on the ladder to success in any area that much harder.  For many in America, "opportunity" meant a chance to get in on the ground floor . . . and stay there.  That wasn't Rush's experience, but it's the experience of probably a majority of Americans.  That, of course, has to be balanced against the fact that Rush Limbaugh did view America as a fundamentally GOOD nation.  This is far, far better than the Woketopians of today that view America as a Racist and Dystpopic Hellhole.  

Did Rush Limbaugh deserve the "Presidential Medal of Freedom"?  As much as most recipients, yes.  That's like asking if Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame.  The answer to that question is that most people who did what Schilling did on the mound are in the HOF, although some are not.  Most people who dominate a field as Limbaugh has, and who have "pioneering" credentials receive honors on the level of the MOF, although some do not.  My own belief on the MOF (and on sports HOFs as well) is that if someone is a "borderline" candidate I would prefer that the person be granted the honor while they (and their families) are alive to enjoy it.

If we want to talk about the flaws of people upon their death, we should expand this to all across the Spectrum.  I, for one, think there should be one standard for all.  It's either De mortuis nil nisi bonum" ("Of the dead, nothing but good.") or "My brother need not be enlarged in death beyond what he was in life." (a quote from Edward M. Kennedy's iconic eulogy of RFK, his brother).  The former is not the standard for Rush Limbaugh; it should not be the standard for RBG, either.  

[Fuzzy Bear]

I wonder if David Kessler and Dick Morris (people Limbaugh claimed exaggeratee the dangers of smoking) are thinking, “Told you”.

Perhaps.  Although Morris doesn't appear to have missed too many meals.  (I say this as I watch my carbs to re-lose gained weight.)

[Fuzzy Bear]

Limbaugh had his high and low moments.  He certainly got caught in his own hypocrisy on the drug issue when he got caught with drugs himself.  His behavior over AIDS victims was over the top.  And (regrettably) he has supported most of the unwise wars and attacks on Civil Liberties (Patriot Act) because the bulk of the GOP supported them over time.  

The thing that used to peeve me the most about Limbaugh was his overt professing of Rugged Individualism as his philosophy of life and government.  The "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps; you can, too!" worldview.  Rush was an accomplished broadcaster and radio personality; indeed, he was at the top of his game longer than anyone else and he, almost single-handedly, made his brand of talk radio a NATIONAL institution, enabling people to bypass the "mainstream media" to get their points across.  HE did that himself.  But he also had more than a little help from his Dad at the start of his career to get opportunities when he was a nobody that others don't get.  His professions often failed to note the lack of "connections" on the part of so many that make the first step on the ladder to success in any area that much harder.  For many in America, "opportunity" meant a chance to get in on the ground floor . . . and stay there.  That wasn't Rush's experience, but it's the experience of probably a majority of Americans.  That, of course, has to be balanced against the fact that Rush Limbaugh did view America as a fundamentally GOOD nation.  This is far, far better than the Woketopians of today that view America as a Racist and Dystpopic Hellhole.    

I had a hot and cold relationship with Rush. I listened to him mostly in the late 2000s to the early 2010s. The two things that really peeved me about Rush at the time, was his buying into the Obama birth certificate conspiracy and the whole Sandra Fluke controversy. I was listening to Glenn Beck at the time as well and he had no patience for the former and even saw it as a leftwing plot to damage the right. The fact that the whole controversy reached its crescendo just before Bin Laden was found and killed, certainly lent some credence at the time to Beck's allegation that the conspiracy was itself a conspiracy to undermine and embarrass Obama's opponents.

The Sandra Fluke controversy was typical Rush absurdity taken to its extreme ends, but the timing of it could not be worse and was just another unneeded distraction from the objective of unseating Obama in 2012. For all of the criticisms, much of it fair, leveled at Mittens many people did a crap ton of things that undermined and distracted from the primary desired objective.

I actually found Jason Lewis much more reasonable when he was being broadcast in the six o'clock slot after Hannity on local 106.1, because he was willing to at least consider a dialogue with libertarian inclined people and had a more open mind while Hannity was still neck deep in neocon world and seeking to purge opponents as "liberal traitors". Amazing what a difference eight years can make. The other one that I liked and still do was Todd Schnitt, who I listen to now on the way home since it airs 9-12. He is more neocon than my tastes, but he has no patience of conspiracy theorists and is the most grounded and realistic of the talk radio types. He also didn't buy into the stolen election and took a lot of heat for "breaking with Rush" on that front.

My least favorite of these personalities was Hannity, as I don't think he is that smart and I found his TV program much more tolerable on Fox when Colmes was alive and partnered with him. Especially whenever Dick Morris came on and started mouthing his stupid about elections.

I thought some of the comments Limbaugh made about Fluke to be untoward and over the top.  But the issue of whether or not a Catholic University should be required to fund an employee's birth control, however indirectly, is not unreasonable.  I'm not anti-contraceptive but I understand that the Catholic Church is.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Limbaugh had his high and low moments.  He certainly got caught in his own hypocrisy on the drug issue when he got caught with drugs himself.  His behavior over AIDS victims was over the top.  And (regrettably) he has supported most of the unwise wars and attacks on Civil Liberties (Patriot Act) because the bulk of the GOP supported them over time.  

The thing that used to peeve me the most about Limbaugh was his overt professing of Rugged Individualism as his philosophy of life and government.  The "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps; you can, too!" worldview.  Rush was an accomplished broadcaster and radio personality; indeed, he was at the top of his game longer than anyone else and he, almost single-handedly, made his brand of talk radio a NATIONAL institution, enabling people to bypass the "mainstream media" to get their points across.  HE did that himself.  But he also had more than a little help from his Dad at the start of his career to get opportunities when he was a nobody that others don't get.  His professions often failed to note the lack of "connections" on the part of so many that make the first step on the ladder to success in any area that much harder.  For many in America, "opportunity" meant a chance to get in on the ground floor . . . and stay there.  That wasn't Rush's experience, but it's the experience of probably a majority of Americans.  That, of course, has to be balanced against the fact that Rush Limbaugh did view America as a fundamentally GOOD nation.  This is far, far better than the Woketopians of today that view America as a Racist and Dystpopic Hellhole.

  

Did Rush Limbaugh deserve the "Presidential Medal of Freedom"?  As much as most recipients, yes.  That's like asking if Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame.  The answer to that question is that most people who did what Schilling did on the mound are in the HOF, although some are not.  Most people who dominate a field as Limbaugh has, and who have "pioneering" credentials receive honors on the level of the MOF, although some do not.  My own belief on the MOF (and on sports HOFs as well) is that if someone is a "borderline" candidate I would prefer that the person be granted the honor while they (and their families) are alive to enjoy it.

If we want to talk about the flaws of people upon their death, we should expand this to all across the Spectrum.  I, for one, think there should be one standard for all.  It's either De mortuis nil nisi bonum" ("Of the dead, nothing but good.") or "My brother need not be enlarged in death beyond what he was in life." (a quote from Edward M. Kennedy's iconic eulogy of RFK, his brother).  The former is not the standard for Rush Limbaugh; it should not be the standard for RBG, either.  

He defamed people for disagreeing with hum.  He lied and pushed disinformation.
[/quote]

We live in a "Narrative-Driven" world.  Rush Limbaugh did his share of "disinformation", but so has MSNBC and CNN anchors.  If you're going to call out Rush Limbaugh, that's fine, and he earned some of that in his lifetime.  Consider what your news sources of choice have disseminated.