Was Rush Limbaugh Done with Conservatism?

American Thinker ^ | 26 Feb, 2021 | Rich Danker

[MtnClimber]

In a trail of observations that began with Trump's campaign in 2015 and peaked during the last year of his life, the late Rush Limbaugh, as he was in and out of the studio battling cancer, was on a path to the previously unthinkable. He was ready to let go of the ideology he'd spent three decades promoting — Reaganite conservatism — and replace it with right-wing populism. Specifically, the right-wing populism of the just-defeated Republican president. Why?

Limbaugh, the self-proclaimed "mayor of Realville," was constantly trying to see around corners. What he saw was a political movement that offered more staying power and strength against the left than the ideological one he'd been associated with since 1988. That calculus wasn't based on election outcomes. It was informed by the first Republican voter realignment to occur since Reagan's election. Here is how Limbaugh described it in the days after Trump's Republican convention speech on the White House South Lawn last year:

Now, what emerged was the new Trump Republican Party. And it's a fascinating change. It's the party of the little guy. It's the party of working America, not politicians, not elitist think-tank denizens. It is literally the party of working Americans.

Limbaugh never missed the chance to rib what might be called Cruise Ship Conservatism. As an entertainer with a massive following, he found it ridiculous that other media personalities would cultivate the small-time celebrity role. But "elitist think-tank denizens" was a stand-in for the country club set, too. With a small-town upbringing and blue-collar audience, Limbaugh relished the idea of his being "the party of the little guy."

Limbaugh realized that right-wing populism was more appealing than conservatism to the little guy.

[RinaseaofDs]

Rush was done with the GOP, not conservatism.

[Vaquero]

They are totally f’d up, and yet here we are.

We're here because the Dhimmicrats blatantly stole the election. And most republicans loved it.

[MachIV]

I think what is at question here is the move, slowly perhaps, but certain move to abandon civic nationalism. As demographic shifts continue and thus turning this countr into something unrecognizable to a large number of “traditional” Americans and as the resulting hostilaty to a national heritage rises, civic nationalism will be less and less popular. I have always believed it to be largely a myth, but until recently, it was demonstrably unpopular to suggest it. Pat Buchanan though managed to make a career out of it in the last 30 years.

[BerryDingle]

What Trump had to put up with in those venues makes politicians and their toadies look like mental defects.

Since the politician mental midgets and their toadies are attacking Trump now anyway, he may as well run again since he's paying for it in advance.

[Theophilus]

I will always be a conservative.

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Exodus 20
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Job 19:25
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth

Matthew 20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen

Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Revelation 19
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

[frogjerk]

Yep. The “author” didn’t have the ballz to write this when Rush was still with us. Coward.

[spincaster]

So now that Rush can’t defend himself the naysayers come crawling from the woodwork. Rush knew that the GOP as it stood has given up sooo much ground to these leftest. It was way past time to stop going along and start fighting. Donald Trump was our last great hope ,Rush knew that.

[WinMod70]

I agree and hope he is left to rest in peace sooner rather than later.

[JesusIsLord]

I think Reagan Conservative and Trump populism are the same. They both was fighting Communism... and RINOs...

Like Trump, Reagan faced opposition from the democrat party and some republicans. However, these men fought different enemies in the sense that the democrat party has evolved into an anti-Christian, anti-American, pro-socialism, pro-communist, pro-perversion, anti-constitution party.

I don't believe Reagan had as many RINOS to deal with. The democrat House and Speaker Tip O'Niell were willing to work with Reagan. Reagan was not confronted with traitors in the DOJ, FBI and AG. Reagan did not have major media and business oligarchs oppose him every day of his presidency.

I loved President Reagan but the opposition he faced in office was nothing compared to what President Trump has faced.

[Sans-Culotte]

The author seems to equate “conservatism” with “country club republicanism”.

[Mr. Lucky]

Thank you.

[central_va]

Pretty good read. You have to read it all.

[central_va]

Globalist had just begun to sink their hooks into both the GOP and the economy when Reagan stepped down in '88. When the globalists took over the GOP in the 90s' I knew then that the GOP was doomed long term.

When the Cold War ended instead of ending to the foolish USSR foil China first policy it took off on steroids! I never understood that type of greed over country.

[central_va]

“Conservatism” got on bed with the globalists in the 90’s, or morphed into Bushie Conservatism. So screw Conservatism if that is how it is defined.

[central_va]

I don’t see this piece by Danker as Rush nay-saying.

[central_va]

I don’t agree that the term ‘Conservatism’ deserves the bad rap that it gets. To me, conservatism has always meant doing what’s best for the country, and in the 1990s, we needed to crush unions (who literally HATE this country), and the best way was with free trade. But it went too far, obviously, and we got China and an army of middle-class Americans thrown out of work.

So it wasn't the best way then. Admit it..

[Liz]

Good insight.

[caprock]

Yep! That’s my take.

[caprock]

Yep! [MEGA DITTOS]

[mjp]

Trump was an eclectic mixture of conservatism and winning