Rush to destruction

Rush Limbaugh makes a big, fat target for anyone with an ounce of wit and the ability to write a coherent sentence, and most of those folks have been making hay this week about Limbaugh’s de-facto take-over of what will henceforth be known as the Rushpublican Party. The CapTimes rose to the occasion with one of their better editorials, although they made the mistake of actually seeming to take him seriously. Bloggers in general seem to have a better perspective on Rush because they can get down in the mud with him and enjoy the experience. If you love sarcasm (and who doesn’t?) you’ll enjoy Bob Cesca’s blog courtesy of Huffingtonpost.com.

I will confess I don’t listen to Rush except by accident. I think it’s an accident when anyone listens. But I hope someone will do a serious study of his rhetorical style because we could learn a lot. There hasn’t been a propagandist this good since Joseph Goebbels. From what I can understand, the way it works is you start with a couple of true statements, add in an emotional appeal and then zing the audience with an appealing non-sequitur like a pitcher raring back and flinging a changeup at a batter who was expecting a fastball. Like him, we whiff every time. But unlike the hapless batter, we have no ump to cry “steee-rike” so we don’t know we’ve just grown jackass ears. I suppose if this happens to you for long enough you think it’s normal.

And that, rather than any deep analysis, is my explanation for why Rush is now the non-titular head of what’s left of the Republican Party. We love to be seduced, even when we know we’re going to wake up tomorrow morning with a sore ass.