I signed off almost exactly the same time as Trisham, in reaction to Rush’s lame attempt to imitate what would have been Trump’s reaction to Cruz approaching him over the wife kerfluffle.
As I was working around the house, and thinking about Rush’s antics over the last couple of months, it occurred to me that we may well be seeing the beginnings of Alzheimer’s.
His reactions to Trump supporters have a rage element to them, which for Rush is uncharacteristic but symptomatic in the early onset.
Just thinking out loud, and I have been a faithful listener since the early 90s. Sad.
What I have seen in Rush is something he has never done before, which is to go all in for one Republican candidate and become a spinmeister for that candidate, instead of what we would consider a fair commenter on all the candidates. We have wanted him to do this in the past but he refused. Now, we have a candidate who is conservative on the things that matter the most and Rush instead chooses this moment to work on behalf of the other candidate, a guy who hits all the bullet points, but is kind of a stiff and could never gain the following enough to win.
Those of us here who are disappointed in Rush are disappointed because he is, for the first time in my case, taking a stand on something where I think he is absolutely wrong, and not just wrong, but very potentially harmful if his love of Cruz allows the establishment to take control of the nomination.
It is possible he is working for the establishment. I would hope that he is not, but that he does not believe that Cruz is establishment or part of their nefarious hopes. So, giving him the benefit of the doubt he is wrong. Badly wrong.
I don't think it has to do with loss of faculties, though, more like he is just, finally, out of touch. He has been in a bubble so long, it is surprising it didn't happen sooner.
As I was working around the house, and thinking about Rush’s antics over the last couple of months, it occurred to me that we may well be seeing the beginnings of Alzheimer’s.
His reactions to Trump supporters have a rage element to them, which for Rush is uncharacteristic but symptomatic in the early onset.
Just thinking out loud, and I have been a faithful listener since the early 90s. Sad.
I have had the same reaction as you. I really hate to say the A word. When I listen to Levin and Rush lately, they do seem out of control. Levin actually told a Trump supporter on the phone last night to go to hell, after reading facebook posts from supposed Trump supporters.
what I think is going on with Levin and Rush is that they aren't used to getting angry or frustrated, or disgusted with things. They live serene, controlled lifetstyles, esp Levin, and they aren't used to feeling or expressing anger or angst because they've had so little of it in their placid lives. At the same time, you and the A word might be a right-on dx, also.
I was listening today and was confused by what Rush said to Gail. I thought that perhaps he couldn’t hear her. Here is the transcript from his site:
Here’s Gail in Birmingham, Alabama. Hi, Gail. You’re next. It’s great to have you.
CALLER: Well, hello. Nice talking to you again.
RUSH: Thank you very much.
CALLER: I’ve been watching this, listening to this for hours over all the media, and I’m a little troubled because I see the value of Cruz, and I understand, if it is correct, it’s an anti-Trump ad. But Cruz took advantage of it. I listened to your last caller, and you know, you didn’t have to do that. It seems to be a pattern of Mr. Cruz. He’s a lawyer.
RUSH: Wait. It’s my hearing. I want to make sure I hear you right. You say he took advantage of it and he didn’t have to do...? What do you mean?
CALLER: Well, he did take advantage, in the same way he treated dear Dr. Carson. And it’s a pattern. I hate to say this. I’m a lawyer and I don’t want to say unkind things about lawyers but as a general rule, you have to be cautious because they’re rather... They’re rather... I don’t want to use the word “slippery,” but they certainly don’t —
RUSH: While you use the word “slippery.”
CALLER: Well, I use the word that you take advantage of a situation to get on top of another and sort of prevail.
RUSH: What is it? Who got top of who? What are you adding on this?
CALLER: Well, I’m adding to this all that Cruz had to do was to immediately call Mr. Trump and say, “Mr. Trump, this is absolutely wrong. I want to stand with you. I want a press conference. I want us both to denounce that PAC. You have a lovely wife, and that woman is a mother of a 10-year-old child, and I don’t condone it. I want to stand with you and denounce it.” A good man would have done that. And —
RUSH: Now, what do you think Trump would have done with a call like that?
CALLER: You know, I don’t know. Knowing —
RUSH: “I just got a call from Lyin’ Ted who said he had nothing to do with it. Does he think I’m a fool?”
CALLER: If I were counsel to Mr. Cruz, then, I would have established that he would go... Instead of doing the foolishness, pointing his finger into a camera and acting like he’s defending his wife, he should have gotten on camera and say, “I immediately denounce it. I’m going to call Mr. Trump and say I denounce it. I stand with him. I praise his wife for her career. We had nothing to do with it.” He could have done that, and he would have saved the day for himself. But 10 points against Mr. Cruz for not doing the right thing.
RUSH: I cannot believe this. (laughing) This is... You’re good. I have to tell you, you... (laughing) It’s Cruz’s wife that’s been maligned, and you’re calling and telling us how Cruz could have prevented it, so 10 points against Cruz.
CALLER: Oh, absolutely. Cruz could have pulled this off and looked magnanimous. Had he called me, I would have given him that advice. Don’t you go down that road with Mr. Trump, because Mr. Trump seems to have a habit of trying to one-up. If you do something, he does something more dynamic, and neither woman was treated properly, and —
RUSH: Okay, so how do you hope this ends up?
CALLER: Well, I’m... I really would like to see both of them... I would like someone to have a temperament and maybe have a mediator like Dr. Carson, because those two need to get together, because I think the Republican establishment is what I fear, as an American. I fear what is going on in Washington with the Republicans —
RUSH: So you want...? Now, wait. I’m sorry. Gale, I’ve gotta get the last word in only ‘cause we’re out of time here. You are so good. All of this somehow is Cruz’s fault. The ad was run against his wife, the insults, and it’s his fault — and now you want somebody who’s endorsed Trump to mediate between the two.
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