Topic: Decline of the West
Though I’m not a regular listener, I’ve always enjoyed Rush Limbaugh. I like his bombastic broadcast persona, his good humor, his passion, his connection to his audience, his conservative take on politics—and, of course, the fact that he has all the right enemies. And it’s true that the outrage over his use of the terms “slut” and “prostitute” in connection with feminist nosebleed Sandra Fluke betrays the usual double standard. To take a single example, Laura Ingraham notes that few people got particularly upset when MSNBC’s Ed Schultz called her a slut. (Incidentally it should be noted that liberal pundit Kirsten Powers was and is one of those few. In this column she lambastes the one-eyed liberal attitude that protects jerks like Schultz, Keith Olbermann, Bill Maher, etc. from the outrage that’s lashing Limbaugh. Kudos, Kirsten.)
But even so, this unsavory incident has left me thinking less of Rush Limbaugh. That progressives do the same thing, far more often and far more viciously, is no excuse for his tasteless and insulting behavior. Referring to a woman as a “slut,” “prostitute,” “whore,” “bitch,” “cunt” etc. is never acceptable—period. And to say that “Rush is no worse than Ed Schultz” is a pathetic caricature of a defense.
Moreover, as Tallyrand would no doubt agree, Limbaugh’s gaffe was worse than a crime—it was a blunder. His prominence in the conservative movement and his perceived connection to the Republican Party meant that Limbaugh’s boorish name-calling caused a good deal of collateral damage. This was a serious lapse of judgment, perhaps indicating that his years of talk-radio dominance have made El Rushbo a bit too cocky for his own and conservatism’s good.
Rush Limbaugh will no doubt survive this scandal. With 15 million loyal listeners, he’ll always be able to attract advertisers. And it’s never wise to count out a guy who’s armed with such a large megaphone. So the Left is sure to be disappointed in its hopes for his demise. But Rush, Rush—I have to say that I’m pretty damned disappointed in you…
