Is Rush Limbaugh a happy man?

The Priestly Pugilist ^ | 5/6/2009 | Priestly Pugilist

[Balt]

Is Rush Limbaugh a happy man? To some, the question may seem ridiculous, particularly to Rush; after all, this is the man who has everything. But to those of us who represent what can now only be referred to as the “old fashioned conservatives”—often misrepresented as “social conservatives” or “the religious right”—it is an obvious question; since it’s the person who has everything whom we instinctively recognize as having the most potential to be miserable.

Who are we? We are the ones who have been married only once, and who had no sex before our wedding nights. We are the ones who believe everything our respective Churches teach us, not because we are not thinking people, but precisely because we are, and recognize that no one person can determine truth without some kind of Divine mandate. We are sinners who have frequently fallen and seen others fall; but who recognize in that nothing more than our common humanity, and don’t consider our faith discredited by the fact. We are the ones for whom frugality and simplicity of life are virtues in and of themselves, regardless of the economic circumstances. We are the ones who believe that the United States of America became a great nation because, for most of its history, most of its citizens were God-fearing people who lived their lives according to the Gospel, and who see its decline in fortunes directly related to the converse.

And, perhaps most important of all, we are the ones who believe that “happiness”—however one chooses to define it—is the result of a well-ordered life lived in conformity with its own ultimate ends; which, for us, usually means the salvation of our own souls. So, I repeat the question: Is Rush Limbaugh a happy man?

Yes, we love listening to Rush for the same reasons most people listen to Rush: because he gives voice to what we are usually thinking; but we have always had to hold our noses doing it. Yes, our hearts swell when Rush so accurately exposes how abortion is the seminal issue that has the potential to destroy that particular political party which typically represents our interests, how the “country club” set laments our very presence in that party because we would rather lose elections than betray our heartfelt beliefs. But as we listen, there is no escaping what’s always in the back of our minds: that our principle spokesman is divorced three times, and is now “keeping company”—yes, we still use terms like that—with an “event planner” from West Palm Beach (and most of us don’t even know what an “event planner” is). As the “church lady” says, “Now, isn’t that special.”

When Rush announced his addiction to prescription pain medications, this was not a problem for us. We don’t like pain, either; and a lot of us know how easily such a thing can happen. We were universally outraged when a public prosecutor, running for reelection in a liberal county, became the first in the history of his profession to grant immunity to drug dealers in order to obtain evidence against an addict who became addicted through no fault of his own. And while we were objectively outraged when someone decided it was necessary to go public with the fact that a prescription for Viagra was obtained under an assumed name in violation of a plea agreement, we were still thinking, in the back of our minds: “What’s an unmarried man doing with Viagra?” Yes, that’s us! That’s who we are!

Once again, Rush has announced that he’s giving us another three day week because “some golf buddies are coming into town.” Despite the fact that he’s said many times, “I’m not retiring until everyone agrees with me,” the suspicion that he’s weaning us for his eventual retirement looms like a cloud, and causes us to think about who his successor might be. Glen Beck comes to mind: he’s just as smart, just as funny, just as passionate; and has, for us, the added benefit of being a family man—no “event planners” to cause us to hold our noses while we listen.

Be that as it may, whoever fills the EIB void when the time comes will have to be someone who does a little more than just hold and express the right opinions with passion; he’s going to have to be someone who walks the walk, not just talks the talk; someone whose rejoinder to the classic “your out of touch” argument is “No, I’m not. I’m one of you,” rather than, “Excellence...believe in yourself...I was fired seven times...you can do it, too!” as the “event planner” in the bathrobe chuckles in the background.

Rush Limbaugh, living on a diet of Allen Brothers steaks, surrounded by opulence, is a classic case that we have seen many times: believing in all the right things but unable in integrate them into his own private life; the kind of soul ripe for a deathbed conversion. It’s just a shame that, in such cases, death—or the prospect of it—needs to be part of the conversion process.

Toward the beginning of Barak Obama’s second term—and he will be elected again; the media will see to it, assisted by the blue-blood wing of the Republican party convinced that we must be ignored in order for them to win—he will announce the need for a Constitutional Convention. The wrinkled old document, written by slave owners encumbered by their own antiquity of thought, will no longer meet the needs of a new generation of Americans. In the new constitution, the government will no longer be a necessary evil which we tolerate for the sake of a well-ordered society and our mutual security; it will, instead, identify the government as the sole foundation of the nation. It will not be a document written by the people in which we tell the government what we, the people, will allow it to do for us; it will be a declaration by the government of what privileges will be bestowed upon the people as gifts. Among those gifts will be included anything and everything designed to keep the populace passive and the government in power: sexual license, free health care, guaranteed employment; with no one person being larger, greater, richer or more outstanding than another. We, of course, will be declared illegal, because we will advocate “hate.” Our children will be taken because we will choose to teach them that homosexuality is a perversion, abortion is murder, and freedom is more important than the common good—all things that Rush Limbaugh warned us about.

Wouldn’t it be better if Rush Limbaugh were really one of us? Rush is right about one thing: freedom and greatness, like all ideas, are born of words; and he is certainly the “word king.” What he often fails to recognize is something all great thinkers and speakers forget: “It is not those who say, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my father” (Matthew 7:21).

Even in the new America Obama wants to create, we can be happy. Even in our prison cells we can be happy. Even on the scaffold we can be happy. The Matyrology is full of happy people because their lives—including the circumstances of their endings—were oriented toward that which they made the focus of their lives: the salvation of their own souls. I want Rush Limbaugh to know that happiness. He—like all of us—will need it when the time comes.

[villagerjoel]

This article is pretentious and trite. Stuff it. It’s his business if he’s happy. Stop gossiping about him.

[dinoparty]

Possibly, but if you divorce the piece from the author’s motivations and distill it down to its arguments, it makes sense. No?

[Yudan]

This is America. The author is entitled to his opinions.

And I to mine.

And it’s my unreserved opinion that this author can stuff his opinions and sit on them all the way back to Rome.

[trisham]

Only if we leave Rush out of it. Otherwise, it’s kind of creepy.

[EGPWS]

He needs to discuss my failure to worship him with the other high rollers

Why?...pray tell...

[TribalPrincess2U]

Not sure but I thought it was fuzzball. :-)

[dinoparty]

I see your point.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If you read about the people in the bible,you will start to realize something... that the people God uses are ordinary people with weaknesses and faults and problems just like the rest of us. The linage of Jesus includes prostitutes, thieves, adulterers, and murderers.

I too, get a sense of Rush’s frustration with the country, especially with the GOP. Too many in the GOP believe “if we can just get past the abortion issue” (read that, just give up and join the Rats), or that if they just “move to the center” (again, read that, just give up and be more like the Rats), then they can win power again.

They completely ignore the firm conservative message that won them control of both houses in 1994 and that Reagan won landslide victories in both his terms despite being firm on abortion and fiscal responsibility.

[freedumb2003]

Not sure but I thought it was fuzzball. :-)

Furzzball? LOL -- you are right :)

[gorush]

:{)

[concerned about politics]

If I were on my death bed right now, I'd know my conscience was clean.

Imagine a rabid liberal on a death bed. I wonder if they'd think about heaven and hell, and would they be comfortable with all they've done in their lives. Would they think about all those souls they've destroyed? What about their abortion activism? What about sodomite support? Would they be frightened because maybe, just maybe, they might have been on the wrong side? What if they were......wrong, and now they're about to face eternity?

I wouldn't want to be a rabid liberal on a death bed. The thought gives me chills.

[marron]

He is consistently upbeat and optimistic. And he has already proven himself to be tough and determined in the face of real adversity that would have beaten most people.

So I would lean toward “yes”, he’s a happy man. Optimism and courage are two of the main ingredients.

[TribalPrincess2U]

They completely ignore the firm conservative message

They are afraid of not getting on the bandwagon and/or they're a bunch of 'I give up wussies' that don't do what they were elected to do, so Michael Steele, stop asking me for money.

[concerned about politics]

My daughter is away at college. She was talking to my son today and said she missed listening to RUSH. Isn't that sweet?
Did I raise this kid right, or what?

[Hot Tabasco]

Rush makes me happy 3 hours a day.

There are positives to everything. I was despondent for a long time after losing my job 2 1/2 years ago but put it into perspective: I now get to listen to Rush every single day. Whereas before, I would take my vacations in July only to find out that he did to.......that pissed me off because I had put in for my vacation before he did.......

[humblegunner]

Why?...pray tell...

Why not?

Is he so much better than you or me?

I think not.

[Eaker]

I thought you and Rush were hooking up?

[ßuddaßudd]

Is he still abusing prescription drugs?

[humblegunner]

I thought you and Rush were hooking up?

Yeah, he put it out that way.

Actually I've just agreed to consult a bit.

[jakerobins]

They just can’t stop bashing/obsession about Rush. If he is not happy he is one hell of an actor! Despite almost daily attempts to destroy him personally and professionally he is a VERY happy man on the radio.

He gets to do what he loves 3 hours a day..eats good steaks...smokes good cigars...drives nice cars...and goes home to his loving kitty. (Sounds like a pretty good life to me!) He has triumphed over addiction and losing his all important hearing..and can still have a positive attitude.

I would be willing to wager a VERY LARGE amount of money that Mr. Limbaugh is MUCH MUCH Happier than someone like Keith Olberman!