RUSH: Ron in Sterling, Virginia. I’m glad you waited, sir. It’s great to have you on the EIB Network. Hi.
CALLER: Hello, Rush. My question is whether you think that the reason that elected Republican leadership does such a poor job articulating conservatism, is because you have done such a great job for so long?
RUSH: No. Why would they…? If I’m doing such a great job, why wouldn’t they follow and do a great job? Or are you saying they’re basically leaving it up to me and they’re not trying?
CALLER: Yes, because they can lose the next election by being voted out, but they know that you and the conservative media that has been created in your wake will kind of carry the conservative water for them.
RUSH: Well, I think by now if they think that, they should have been shown they’re wrong or that their thinking is wrong. If that was the case they wouldn’t have lost in ’06, and if that was the case they wouldn’t have lost in ’08 because I’ve been standing up for conservatism every day I’ve been behind the microphone. And the ones in Congress and the Senate that have been, too, won. Those who haven’t been have lost. But I had a lot of people say, ‘You know, Rush you give ’em cover. They’re afraid to take on these issues because they gotta get votes and you don’t.’ But I actually think, if you want know… You want to know the truth about this, Ron?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: I think if the truth be known (and I probably should not say this publicly) a lot — not a majority but a lot — of elected Republicans wish I would go away, ’cause they buy into this notion I’m polarizing and making it tough on them. I know they hate being asked, ‘Well, what do you think of Rush Limbaugh?’ They’re afraid to say they disagree, ’cause they think they’re going to be slapped down, not by me, but by other people. But I think any time you’re outspoken, unabashedly so, and you speak without fear, most people just are not able to do that and don’t want to even if they are able to. If they think other people doing that cause them troubles, they really actually wish the person that’s speaking out would go away.
Now, I don’t have political power to share with them. I don’t have political power to bring them. Now, if I were maybe an elected official doing this kind of stuff and it was working, I think it would be a little bit of a different thing. I don’t know how many of them it is, but there are a number of them, and you can hear them. There are several Republicans — the moderates, the Senate and so forth — have echoed some sentiments. ‘We really shouldn’t listen to Limbaugh that much.’ I think more of them think it than would ever say it, but it’s not about me personally. I don’t take any of it personally. I just think that it’s… (sigh) You know, I make waves. These guys, they don’t want to make waves. Politicians don’t think they get anywhere making waves. You know, I don’t pander. You know, and I don’t try to find out what people want to hear and tell ’em that and so forth. I appreciate, Ron, your thoughts.